Best Internet for Streaming in 2025: Watch to Your Heart’s Content

Our take: As Reviews.org’s best internet provider overall, Google Fiber offers all the features you need to stream and more. Since it's a fiber provider, you get fast symmetrical speeds powered by a future-proof fiber-optic network. You don’t actually need the epitome of speed for streaming, but opting for a fiber network means you experience fewer outages, slow-downs, or lag. Google Fiber in particular is one of the most reliable fiber internet providers, ranking at the top of the list for customer satisfaction in the south region according to J.D. Power.

Google Fiber plans cost $70 to $150 per month for 1–8Gbps download and upload speeds. This is on the pricier side, but if you can make room for it in your budget, it’s worth it for the time you don’t have to spend waiting for videos to buffer. There is also no data cap, so you can watch all your favorite shows back to back. Read our Google Fiber review.

Google Fiber internet plans cost:

• 1 Gig for $70.00/mo.
• 2 Gig for $100.00/mo.
• 5 Gig for $125.00/mo.
• 8 Gig for $150.00/mo.

According to Fiber Broadband’s 2023 Consumer Research report, there is a 3–5% premium on home value with fiber internet access. For rentals, this is even higher, at 13%. So, while it’s not unique to Google Fiber, homes with fiber internet are more appealing to buyers.

Yes, you can stream with Google Fiber. Google Fiber offers fast gigabit speeds that provide a high-quality streaming TV experience.

Our take: AT&T Fiber offers all the top specs you expect from a fiber-to-the-home provider, such as top of the line symmetrical speeds, unlimited data, and low ping rates. Unlike Google Fiber, AT&T Fiber offers the widest coverage across the U.S. for fiber providers, and it ranks the highest for wired internet providers in both the north central and west regions according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study, which shows that customers receive consistent, high-quality service. 

The extra nice thing I want to point out about AT&T Fiber is that it offers plans starting at 300Mbps for $55 per month instead of offering only gigabit speeds like Google Fiber. Gigabit speeds are overkill for most households, and so getting a plan around 300Mbps is enough for a household with up to five people, although it could slow down if everyone is using it at the same time. It’s cheaper too, so there’s more money back in your pocket without making significant sacrifices with performance. Read our AT&T review.

No, AT&T Fiber plans don’t charge equipment fees. All plans come with a router so the plan price is all-inclusive.

AT&T Fiber doesn’t currently offer its streaming and live TV service, AT&T TV or U-verse TV, to new customers. Instead, AT&T customers can bundle DIRECTV Stream with their internet plan, which is a live TV, on-demand, and streaming app service.

AT&T Fiber is a highly reliable provider. It ranks in the top five on Reviews.org’s Best Internet Providers list and consistently performs well across major surveys for customer satisfaction.

Our take: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is an affordable high-speed option for small families, couples, singles, or retirees who primarily use the internet for streaming TV shows or using social media. It’s our top-ranked 5G home internet provider because of its great value and convenience: The T-Mobile Rely Internet plan costs a flat $50 per month (with autopay) for 87–318Mbps of download speed, unlimited data, and a router rental. There are no contracts, early termination fees, or annual price increases. If you have a T-Mobile wireless mobile line, you even get an extra $15 off per month on your internet bill.

Once you sign up, it takes about 15 minutes to set up the gateway router which gets delivered to your home. To get the best streaming experience out of your T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, place your router in an optimal location near a window with direct line of sight to your 5G tower, and reduce the number of devices using the internet at the same time. Read our T-Mobile 5G Home Internet review.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customers who sign up for the All-In Home Internet plan get Hulu and Paramount+ included with their plan.

Yes, you can watch TV with T-Mobile Home Internet. You can either use a streaming service or purchase a third-party live TV streaming service like DIRECTV or YouTube TV.

Yes, 5G internet is good enough for streaming. A 5G home internet plan like T-Mobile gets enough speed so you can stream shows in HD, watch live TV, download large files, and play online multiplayer games. At times, you may notice slower speeds due to congestion (when more users are connected to the network at the same time) or inclement weather. 

Our take: Spectrum Internet hits the mark for the features you want for a good streaming experience: Fast download speeds, unlimited data, and good prices. Spectrum’s cable internet plans cost $50 for up to 500Mbps or $70 per month for 1Gbps download speed. This is a great deal, and you get faster speeds than the previous contender, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, and a stronger, more stable streaming experience on a wired connection. Spectrum’s prices increase after the first year by $20 per month, but you can get the 500Mpbs internet plan for $30 per month for two years when you bundle your internet with multiple lines of mobile and cable TV. There is also the Spectrum Internet Assist or Advantage plans that cost $25 to $30 per month for 50 to 100Mbps for qualifying low-income households.

While you probably have your favorite streaming apps already, Spectrum also offers its own TV Stream add-on which costs another $30 per month. This is similar to cable TV, but it works over the internet instead. The plan includes a free Xumo Stream box and comes with 85+ live channels such as CNN, Hallmark Channel, Disney Channel, Discovery Channel, and HGTV. Read our Spectrum review.

Yes, you can get live TV channels through Spectrum’s TV Stream service without getting an additional cable set-top box. The Spectrum TV Stream service is an add-on service to your Spectrum internet plan and costs an extra $30 per month.

Yes, Spectrum Internet is good for streaming. Spectrum offers reliable internet speeds from 500Mbps to 1Gbps with unlimited data, so you can stream shows without worrying about data overage fees.

Spectrum doesn’t offer free streaming apps on its own, but Spectrum cable TV subscribers can get free live TV or on-demand shows via the Spectrum TV App. Spectrum TV Select customers also get free access to Disney+ Basic, Paramount + Essential, and ViX Premium.

Our take: Comcast Xfinity pares down the bells and whistles of most internet plans to provide you the most important features for an accessible price. Xfinity Internet plans start at $20–$35 per month for 150Mbps, and all plans get up to 1.2TB data (or unlimited data in northeast regions). At a minimum, 100Mbps is enough to stream in HD and watch hours of Netflix every day, even with multiple users on their own devices. And while some regions have data caps, most average households don’t come close to hitting this data cap.

Xfinity also offers its StreamSaver deal, which is one of the best internet deals on the market. The deal includes Peacock Premium, Apple TV+, and Netflix subscriptions for $15 per month on top of your internet plan, which saves you 40% compared to regular prices. Read our Xfinity review.

Yes, streaming services are available with Xfinity Internet. All Xfinity customers can use Xfinity Stream app, which includes 20 live channels and a library of on-demand content. You can also purchase or rent movies or TV shows through the Xfinity Stream app.

The best Xfinity package is Xfinity's 150Mbps plan which offers enough download speed to support 4K streaming for a small household.

The Xfinity Stream app is included for all Xfinity customers, so there is no extra charge. Xfinity’s StreamSaver add-on costs $15 per month for Peacock Premium, Apple TV+, and Netflix.

You don’t need the fastest speeds to stream shows, but getting a top fiber provider like Google Fiber or AT&T Fiber definitely puts you on a different level with its stable connectivity and fast speeds. “I’ve never had a problem with it. In fact, it’s the first internet provider I haven’t had an issue with,” says Chance Carter, a Google Fiber customer we interviewed. Customers generally are satisfied with fiber providers because they work so well for just about anything you need to do on the internet, whether it be streaming shows, listening to music, or even livestreaming on Twitch. Price wise, AT&T Fiber does offer lower starting prices and speeds, but either way you’re in good hands.

The next best option if you can’t get fiber internet is a cable or 5G home internet provider. Cable providers offer faster speeds and more reliable connections than 5G providers, but I placed T-Mobile 5G Home Internet a little higher up the list because of its simplicity—the speeds are plenty for solid streaming, and there are no annual price increases or extra fees. Cable internet providers like Spectrum and Xfinity can offer low prices too, but there are price increases and caveats like bundling to get promo prices.

Although we picked out the best internet providers above, you can likely find other great options where you live. We recommend finding a fiber provider, so if Google Fiber or AT&T Fiber aren’t available, you might be able to find a local fiber provider or an electric co-op if you live in a rural area. The internet providers below are all strong contenders too—each of them gets top ratings across our in-depth reviews and stand out for great speed and reliability, excellent dollar value, and smooth customer experience.

If none of these best providers are available where you live, aim to sign up with a fiber or cable internet provider that gives you speeds of 300Mbps or faster for a price that fits your budget. Home internet costs about $81 a month on average, but you can get decent Wi-Fi for less in many parts of the country. In a rural area, try a fixed wireless or satellite internet provider.

You can also run a search with your zip code below to see what internet options are available in your area.

Since not every reader lives in an area with access to these providers, let’s give you some context to help you know what to look for when choosing the best internet provider for streaming and the best streaming platform deals offered by internet providers.

There are several features you need to consider when looking for the best internet provider for streaming:

• Sufficient download speed
• Unlimited data (or at least, a high data cap)
• A fair price for the speeds you get

Fiber internet covers these bases, although it’s the least available internet type across the U.S. (sigh). Fiber internet's speed and overall performance is top-tier compared to cable or 5G home internet, but cable is a solid second choice if fiber isn't available near you. Fiber is less prone to interference or slowdowns, which ensures stability and reliability when streaming. You can hardly witness lag while streaming video.

Luckily, you don’t need the most expensive internet plan to stream. We recommend 25–50Mbps per person for streaming, so 100–300Mbps is likely to fit you or your small family’s needs. If you have a lot of connected devices or internet users at home, then you should look into a plan with 500Mbps or higher to ensure you have enough bandwidth. Check this table below to find a speed that works for you.

Internet providers often advertise special deals for streaming services when you purchase an internet or cable TV plan. We’ve listed some of our favorite deals below, but you can always check for new streaming deals on our best internet and mobile deals pages.

Done your research? Let’s find you the best internet for streaming in your area so you can go back to watching all your favorite shows. Simply type in your zip code below and see all the best options where you live.