Best Internet and Phone Bundles

Almost every cable and fiber internet provider offers home phone and internet bundles. And since most of those are unlimited minute plans, we won’t get into the weeds with phone options—the biggest factors you should consider while comparing internet and phone plans are price, speeds, and contracts.

Unfortunately, you can’t get every provider or offer everywhere, so we also gave some weight to plans with high availability and provided alternative options in each category, in case our recommendation doesn’t work for your area.

There’s a few things to keep in mind when you’re shopping for internet and phone bundles:

• You might face price increases after the first year of your contract
• Going for a 2-year deal might be too locked-in for some renters with one-year leases.
• Some phone and internet package deals don’t always mean a discount, shop wisely

With those things in mind, along with the usual speeds, fees, and other considerations, here’s our favorite bundle providers.

CenturyLink: Best for most

CenturyLink’s bundles pair with DIRECTV.

We keep noticing a trend out there in bundle land. Lots of providers are slimming down bundle options, which means if you want home phone service, you’ll probably need to fork out enough cash for TV and internet too.

But CenturyLink has multiple options for choosy people like us. You can go as big as you want with CenturyLink internet plus DIRECTV bundles. The choice is yours, and we like that.

What we like

We’re big fans of DIRECTV, and any day you can nab a good deal on internet or phone service with it is a good day in our books.

Our TV experts are big fans of DIRECTV too. Especially since it offers specialty channels like NFL SUNDAY TICKET.

What we don’t like

Tthe way CenturyLink internet works is a little confusing. It pairs you with the fastest possible speed in your area. And there’s only one DIRECTV bundle that comes with CenturyLink Fiber Gigabit internet. We’re crossing our fingers you live in CenturyLink’s gig speed area, because it beats the DSL alternative by far.

Frontier: Best cheap internet and phone bundle

With some of the lowest prices matched with higher speeds, Frontier is a natural choice for the budget-minded folks.

Although they might not always have the fastest speeds available, we like that Frontier doesn’t start with high prices to get any internet at all.

For casual internet users who wanna scope the news and Facebook, Frontier’s low rates can make the difference between breaking the bank and being able to binge-watch Netflix.

Heads up, though: Frontier offers two services, FiberOptic and Vantage. Which one you get depends on where you live, so before you get your heart set on one or the other, find out which service is in your area. (But who are we kidding, they’re almost identical.)

What we like

We came across a lot of good deals with Frontier, but offers vary according to your area.

Frontier’s FiberOptic and Vantage fiber internet also deliver some pretty supreme speeds, perfect for anyone who works at home, has a side gig as a YouTuber, or just enjoys streaming the entire Disney+ library in a weekend.

You’ve also got a ton of choices with Frontier—though remember, its FiberOptic and Vantage bundles are available in different parts of the US.

What we don’t like

It can be confusing to figure out whether you get FiberOptic or Vantage in your neighborhood.

And then there’s the contract. Most of Frontier’s bundles lock you in for two years—your price won’t change, but you’re stuck with that service. To top it off, there’s a bundle here and a bundle there that locks you in for two years, but your price goes up after one year. Talk about unwanted surprises!

Windstream: Fastest speeds

A low price, one-year contract, and unlimited calls nationwide.

Windstream isn’t the only one with Gig speeds, but it does offer lower prices than most. You only have to sign a one-year contract (not two), and its service covers a decent amount of the Southern and Eastern United States.

What we like

Windstream has one of the cheapest gigabit (1,000 Mbps) internet with phone bundles. So if you’re looking for top download speeds and unlimited nationwide prank calling capabilities, this is your jam. (Not that we condone prank calls. Ahem.)

Oh yeah, and the phone plan includes unlimited local and long distance, caller ID, call waiting, and call forwarding—which is as good as it gets.

Along with up to gig speeds, your internet plan comes with unlimited data. That’s right, no more data cap blues. You can stream, game, download, and upload to your heart’s desire.

What we don’t like

Sadly for folks in the Midwest and West, Windstream is limited to the Eastern half of the US. And even if you do live in the right area, you’ll see prices change depending on where in Windstream’s coverage area you live.

And if you’re looking for something to watch, you might as well bury your remote in the couch cushions. Windstream doesn’t offer any type of TV service with its bundles, at least not yet. So you’ll need to get your Rick and Morty fix somewhere else. Sorry.

Spectrum: Best for big families

Plenty of speed and data to go around, and for a reasonable price.

Spectrum serves a ton of people, and if you have all those people in your family, it’s still a good option. Most areas don’t have data caps, meaning your kids can download and play HD games, you can watch 4K HDR movies and shows, and you won’t experience throttled speeds or pay overages.

What we like

Without data caps, families all across the US can use all their devices at the same time without worrying about hitting their data limits.

Depending on your area, you’ll be able to get fast download speeds without paying a fortune. Spectrum typically falls into better-than-average pricing for internet service compared to other providers.

You may also have Windstream, Centurylink, or Optimum in your area, but since prices vary by location, it’s hard to tell if it’ll be a better deal or not. Make sure to double check your address.

What we don’t like

The phone and internet bundles are typically limited to up to 200 Mbps download speeds, but Spectrum is increasing its gig offerings. Though we do expect most people can get away with 200 Mbps for a big family just fine.

Some areas may also face data caps or contractual fees, but that’s just how internet service works: it varies by location, and sometimes quite a bit.

Suddenlink: Best no-contract option

For renters and commitment-phobes alike, Suddenlink offers fast speeds at a good price.

Contracts often come with increased pricing after a year or so, and if you need to bail early, you may face termination fees. But Suddenlink’s no-term contracts give you the freedom to move around and switch services down the road.

What we like

When it comes to having the fastest speeds, Suddenlink is right up there with brands like Windstream and Spectrum. And while it doesn’t haven’t the absolute cheapest prices, it stays within low-to-average prices for each tier.

You also get unlimited data, which can be a blessing for people downloading a lot of movies, games, and large photo batches. You won’t face throttled speeds or overage charges from Suddenlink.

What we don’t like

Some Suddenlink plans come with a hefty activation fee of up to $50, which is no bueno in our book. With a lot of companies offering free installation or activation, it’s a sore spot for our wallets.

Suddenlink has decent availability and serves a lot of broadband internet customers, but it’s not nationwide.

Recap: what are the best internet and phone bundles?

Decide what’s most important for you. Speeds? Cheap prices? Contracts. . . something else? Once you’ve figured that out, it’ll be easier to narrow down your choices.

• Best for most: CenturyLink lets you grab all the DIRECTV channels you could want.
• Best cheap phone and internet: Frontier Communications can get you online and hooked up on the phone for a lower price than most.
• Fastest speeds: Windstream has high availability and Gig speeds, and its prices aren’t bad either.
• Best for big families: For those who need no data cap and high speeds to handle a large household, Spectrum comes out as a winner.
• Best no-contract option: Suddenlink’s fast prices and lack of a contract make it an excellent choice for renters or those who want to test the waters.

While phone and internet bundles can be a good deal, if you want a single bill for all of your services, you should check out the best triple play bundles. And if you don’t need a phone plan, you can find a better deal by going for standalone internet providers. Let us know in the comments which service you choose!

^{Additional contributor}

^{Trevor Wheelwright}