AT&T vs. Cox Internet: Which One Is Worth Your Money?

Available in 21 states, AT&T mostly offers fiber-optic internet but also has DSL and fixed wireless internet in some areas. The fiber packages start at $55 a month and give you speeds ranging up to 5,000Mbps. You don't have to worry about contracts or data caps with its fiber plans. And you shouldn't miss its unique discounts and deals.

Cox is a cable internet provider with plans that start at $55 a month, download speeds up to 2,000Mbps, and some notable perks. Its plans don't come with annual contracts, but you do have a 1,280GB monthly data cap.

Cox also offers some low-income Cox internet plans such as the affordable Connect2Compete package, which costs $9.95 per month and is designed for low-income households with students.

All plans above Cox's Go Even Faster package get a $20 to $40 promotional discount that ends after 24 months.

AT&T’s pricing isn’t the best among fiber providers, but it’s not the worst either. It’s often higher than cable, but not here—Cox charges $55/month for 300Mbps, while AT&T offers 300Mbps for $55. Since Cox still relies on cable infrastructure, AT&T’s fiber plans are usually pricier, but for these speeds, AT&T is the better deal. Plus, use our guide to take advantage of ways to lower your AT&T internet bill.

While Cox offers average speeds decent for most households, AT&T Fiber is worth it for its consistently faster upload speeds—crucial for gaming, video calls, and more. It also has no data caps, while Cox imposes a monthly limit (though it’s generous enough for most users and can be added for free when you bundle Cox internet and mobile). Use our handy tips to lower your Cox internet bill as much as you can.

AT&T customers generally quite like AT&T. We talked to four AT&T customers, and three of them had almost nothing bad to say about the service. That’s uncommon when it comes to internet service providers.

Jane Collins, a retired healthcare administrator in Detroit, says that AT&T is the best of three services that she’s tried. “I would say their internet is reliable. It’s been relatively trouble free,” she says. “The pricing has been stable.”

Danny Flanagan, an AT&T user in Ohio, was very enthusiastic about his experience with the provider, noting that everything about the service has been “fantastic” for him. AT&T Internet impressed him so much that he says that he’s “looking forward to moving over to the mobile side in the next few months.”

Of course, not every single person is completely happy with AT&T service—which is to be expected. Hayden, in Illinois, prefers AT&T to Xfinity, which was his last provider. But in his opinion, it’s not head and shoulders above the competition. For example, Hayden notes that his Wi-Fi extender frequently stops working properly. “I wouldn’t say it’s a good deal, but it’s comparable to the other ISPs I’ve used,” he says, calling it “better than the alternative in this town.”

Cox customers aren’t quite as sweet on their provider as AT&T customers are on AT&T. Isaac Chandler, the manager of an esports lounge in Tulsa, Oklahoma, says the price for his Cox plan is too high for the kinds of speeds he gets. He’s experienced outages and feels that the cable connection isn’t super reliable. Still, he gets by with his Cox internet.

"It's pretty easy to set up and doesn’t require any weird cabling,” he says, adding that he’s had positive experiences with Cox customer service. “They solve my problems pretty quickly.”

Other customers also felt that they’re paying too much for their Cox packages. "But I still do it because I get everything I need with a minimum of fuss and bother," shrugged M.J. Stevens, a Cox bundler in San Diego.

While some customers find customer service to be easy to deal with, others have had different experiences. Lindsey Scotney owns a hospitality staffing company in Tulsa, and recently had to call customer service after becoming suspicious that her speeds were being throttled despite her unlimited data plan. Scotney says that the rep kept interrupting her as she was trying to find out information.

“He hung up on me intentionally after telling me I was being abusive,” Scotney recalls. “I literally did not raise my voice at all and in a very calm voice just asked him to please let me finish what I was saying.”

Neither AT&T Fiber nor Cox Internet is available nationwide, but if you want to know if they’re in your area, you can use our ZIP code finder below.