Cheapest Internet and Wi-Fi Providers of 2025: Internet That Won’t Financially Destroy You

Best budget option
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6
Starts at$50/mo
  • pro
    Download speeds: Up to 245Mbps
  • pro
    Inexpensive, highly rated 5G available almost anywhere
Best fiber deal
AT&T Fiber
AT&T Fiber
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3
Starts at$55/mo
  • pro
    Download speeds: Up to 5,000Mbps
  • pro
    Fiber speeds without a premium cost
Best cable deal
Spectrum
Spectrum Internet®
3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9
Starts at$25/mo
  • pro
    Download speeds: Up to 1,000Mbps
  • pro
    500Mbps minimum of affordable cable
Cheapest plan
Astound Broadband
Astound Broadband
3.6 out of 5 stars
3.6
Starts at$20/mo
  • pro
    Download speeds: Up to 1,500Mbps
  • pro
    Fiber plans start at just $20
Cheapest bundle
Verizon
Verizon 5G Home Internet
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3
Starts at$35/mo
  • pro
    Download speeds: Up to 1,000Mbps
  • pro
    Get Verizon 5G for just $35 with a Verizon phone plan
Brianne Sandorf
Dec 12, 2024
Icon Time To Read12 min read

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is Reviews.org’s top budget internet option for the fiscally conscious. It has fairly inexpensive prices and reasonably fast download speeds. It has no contracts or hidden fees, and you can get a discount if you're also a T-Mobile phone customer.

I've written the bulk of the internet provider reviews on this site and talked with dozens of internet customers across the country, so I know that 5G home internet isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. That's why I dug deep to find the best prices and cost-saving deals for fiber internet and cable internet options as well. I even threw in the cheapest internet plan and most affordable phone-internet bundle.

Once you walk away from this piece knowing the cheapest internet provider options, you can take your internet savings and go buy that monthly subscription you’ve been eyeing.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Best budget option

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6
Prices
$50-$160
Speed and reliability
4/5
Dollar value
4.8/5
Customer experience
5/5

Our take: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is the best internet service you can get if you're budget conscious. The cheapest T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plan starts at just $50 a month and gives you download speeds up to 245Mbps. While that's not the fastest internet out there, T-Mobile's two plans have flat monthly prices with no extra fees. And you don’t have to opt for the more expensive Plus plan to get a great experience—the $50 per month Unlimited plan has everything Plus offers except for the premium Wi-Fi equipment.

T-Mobile 5G is a wireless 5G internet service, so in theory, it’s a little less dependable than physical internet connections like fiber or cable. However, when we spoke with T-Mobile 5G customers, many found the service reliable. “[T-Mobile 5G] took us from low-quality streaming on a single TV to being able to stream two different shows in two different rooms with high definition,” says customer Steve Abbott. Read our T-Mobile 5G Home Internet review.

Is T-Mobile 5G Home Internet good for streaming?

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is good for streaming. Its 292Mbps maximum download speeds are fast enough to support 4K streaming on multiple devices. However, the wireless connection may make for a slightly unstable experience for some customers. “Sometimes [when I’m] streaming NBA games at night, the picture looks a little fuzzy,” T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customer Rick Francis told Reviews.org.

Is T-Mobile 5G Home Internet truly unlimited?

Yes, the data you can use with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet truly is unlimited. You can use as much data you want without getting an overage charge. However, the service deprioritizes those who use more than 1.2TB in a billing cycle until the next cycle.

What is the T-Mobile 5G Home Internet user experience?

The T-Mobile 5G Home Internet user experience is excellent, according to customer surveys and testimonials. T-Mobile 5G is the best-rated non-fiber provider in both the 2023 and 2024 American Customer Satisfaction Index.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plans and prices

Plan
Price
Download speed
Details
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Unlimited$50/mo.*Up to 245 Mbps
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Plus$70/mo.Up to 245 Mbps
* w/ Auto Pay. Regulatory fees included in monthly price for qualified accounts. See full terms.

AT&T Fiber: Best fiber deal

AT&T Fiber
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3
Prices
$55-$245
Speed and reliability
4.3/5
Dollar value
3.8/5
Customer experience
4.8/5

Our take: AT&T Fiber's cheapest internet plan offers solid symmetrical download and upload speeds of 300Mbps over a fiber internet connection for just $55 a month. With its vast national network, you have a better chance of getting fiber from this provider compared to any other, and all plans provide unlimited data and require minimal fees. On top of that, AT&T Fiber is known for amazing customer service: The ACSI has ranked it as the top fiber provider for two years running. While it doesn’t get the peak scores of Google Fiber (and you may have to grapple with data breaches), AT&T Fiber still gets superb scores in our internet review because it delivers some of the best value for fiber internet you can possibly get. Read our AT&T Fiber review.

Does AT&T Fiber include Wi-Fi?

Yes, AT&T Fiber includes Wi-Fi and every plan comes with a Wi-Fi gateway compatible with Wi-Fi 6. However, if you want Whole Home Wi-Fi (a service designed to cover larger dwellings), you may need to pay for Wi-Fi extenders.

Is AT&T Fiber faster than Xfinity?

Yes, AT&T Fiber is significantly faster than Xfinity. Its minimum advertised speed is twice as fast as Xfinity’s, and its maximum speed is about four times as fast.

Is AT&T internet good?

Yes, AT&T Internet is good. According to customers, AT&T internet service delivers fast speeds and reliable connection for a fair price. “I like how fast and reliable it is,” fiber customer Lauren Hannula says. “I’ve only had one outage in the 5-plus years I’ve had AT&T, and it was resolved within a couple of hours.”

AT&T Fiber plans and prices

Plan
Price
Download speed
Details
AT&T Fiber Internet 300$55/mo.Up to 300 Mbps
AT&T Fiber Internet 500$65/mo.Up to 500 Mbps
AT&T Internet Fiber 1 GIG$80/mo.Up to 1000 Mbps
AT&T Internet Fiber 2 GIG$145/mo.Up to 2000 Mbps
AT&T Internet Fiber 5 GIG$245/mo.Up to 5000 Mbps
Above pricing is after $10/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount with a debit card or bank account; if using a credit card, then price is $5/mo more.

Spectrum Internet: Best cable deal

Spectrum
3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9
Prices
$25-$70
Speed and reliability
4/5
Dollar value
3.8/5
Customer experience
4/5

Our take: Most cable internet plans cost more than they probably should, but Spectrum Internet offers some truly solid deals. On Spectrum's cheap internet plans, users can get anywhere from 500Mbps to 1,000Mbps download speeds at a price range of $50–$70. While those plans don’t include the symmetrical speeds that fiber providers boast, they do come with unlimited data, which is a big plus.

This cable internet provider also has deals for customers who sign up for the Spectrum Mobile service, and qualifying internet customers can get subsidized low-income internet with the Spectrum Internet Assist package.

Spectrum is widely available nationwide, making it one of the most common options to get a deal for millions of internet customers. And the company doesn’t require you to sign a contract, so you can always cancel without paying an early termination fee. Read our Spectrum Internet review.

What are the disadvantages of Spectrum Internet?

Spectrum Internet's disadvantages are mainly its connection type—cable internet is slightly slower than fiber internet and doesn’t offer symmetrical upload speeds. Another disadvantage is that Spectrum plans go up in price after the first year of service.

Is Spectrum home Wi-Fi good?

Spectrum Advanced Wi-Fi is somewhat better than the regular Spectrum Internet. The state-of-the-art Wi-Fi router improves your connection’s stability and speed and allows you greater control over internet settings. However, buying the right router from a third party can achieve similar results.

Why are customers leaving Spectrum?

Some Spectrum customers leave Spectrum because it doesn’t widely offer fiber internet. Customers who spoke with Reviews.org for our comprehensive review said they long for fiber internet and would prefer to sign up for a faster fiber connection if it’s available. As fiber internet grows in availability nationwide, customers will likely leave cable to sign up.

Spectrum Internet plans and prices

Plan
Price
Download speed
Details
Internet Premier$50/mo. 1 yr price guaranteeUp to 500 Mbps
Internet GIG$70/mo. for 12 mos.^Up to 1000 Mbps
Limited time offer; subject to change; new residential customers only (no Spectrum services within past 30 days) and in good standing with Spectrum. Taxes and fees extra in select states. SPECTRUM INTERNET: Standard rates apply after promo period. Additional charge for installation. Speeds based on wired connection. Actual speeds (including wireless) vary and are not guaranteed. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Not available in all areas. Restrictions apply.
^ Limited time offer; subject to change; new residential customers only (no Spectrum services within past 30 days) and in good standing with Spectrum. Taxes and fees extra in select states. SPECTRUM INTERNET: Standard rates apply after promo period. Additional charge for installation. Speeds based on wired connection. Actual speeds (including wireless) vary and are not guaranteed. Gig capable modem required for Gig speed. For a list of Gig capable modems, visit spectrum.net/modem. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Not available in all areas. Restrictions apply.

Astound Broadband: Cheapest plan

Astound Broadband
3.6 out of 5 stars
3.6
Prices
$20-$55
Speed and reliability
4/5
Dollar value
2.8/5
Customer experience
4.1/5

Our take: Astound Broadband truly … wait for it … astounds with its extremely inexpensive internet plan: The cheapest plan gives you 300Mbps download speeds for $20 a month. That’s quite the bargain, considering that many internet providers charge twice that or even more for the same speeds. Astound requires a one-time installation fee and a recurring equipment fee, but even with those extras, the cheapest plan still provides massive cost savings upfront.

Astound Broadband offers both fiber and cable internet, but those services are entirely location-dependent. You don’t get to pick and choose which type you get: You just have to take what’s available. Paying $20 a month for 300Mbps on a fiber-optic connection is an incredible deal, but getting those speeds over a cable connection is great too. Read our Astound Broadband review.

Is Astound Broadband real?

Yes, Astound Broadband is a real internet service provider. Some of its deals seem pretty unreal, but in a good way because the prices are so low.

Is Astound Broadband the same as Spectrum?

No, Astound Broadband is not the same as Spectrum. They’re completely different companies that offer completely different internet plans.

Does Astound use fiber?

Yes, Astound Broadband offers both fiber and cable internet.

Astound Broadband internet plans and prices

Plan
Price
Download speed
Details
300 Mbps Internet$20/mo.°Up to 300 Mbps
600 Mbps Internet$35/mo.**Up to 600 Mbps
1000 Mbps Internet$45/mo.Up to 1000 Mbps
1500 Mbps Internet$55/mo.**Up to 1500 Mbps
° 24 Month Price Lock. No contract required. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.
** 24 Month Internet Pricing. No contract required. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.

Verizon 5G Home Internet: Cheapest bundle

Verizon
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3
Prices
$35-$70
Speed and reliability
4/5
Dollar value
4.5/5
Customer experience
4.5/5

Our take: You can get Verizon 5G Home Internet for as little as $60 a month—but it's even cheaper if you also have Verizon cellular phone service, costing as little as $35 a month with a customer discount. Seriously, if you’re a Verizon Wireless customer (or would like to be one), adding internet to your monthly phone bill for just $35 is truly a steal.

Verizon 5G Home Internet also comes in clutch with a three-year price lock and no extra fees unless you want Wi-Fi extenders. You even install the service yourself, so you don’t have to pay for professional installation. On top of that, it’s fast and reliable, winning some of the best ratings for speed and reliability and dollar value out of all the internet providers I’ve reviewed. Read our Verizon 5G Home Internet review.

Why is my Verizon 5G internet so slow?

Verizon 5G Home Internet might slow down for several reasons, such as signal loss or too much cell phone and internet traffic on the 5G network.

Does weather affect Verizon 5G Home Internet?

Yes, weather can affect Verizon 5G Home Internet. The wireless setup may be interrupted in cases of extreme conditions.

How much will Verizon 5G cost?

Verizon 5G Home Internet costs between $60 and $80 a month without a Verizon phone plan and between $35 and $45 a month with a qualifying phone plan.

Verizon 5G Home Internet plans and prices

Plan
Price
Download speed
Details
5G Home$50/mo. w/ Auto Pay††Up to 300 Mbps
5G Home with Mobile Plan Premium$35/mo. w/Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans‡‡Up to 300 Mbps
5G Home Plus$70/mo. w/ Auto Pay††Up to 1000 Mbps
5G Home Plus with Mobile Plan Premium$45/mo. w/Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans‡‡Up to 1000 Mbps
†† w/ Auto Pay. Consumer data usage is subject to the usage restrictions set forth in Verizon's terms of service; visit: https://www.verizon.com/support/customer-agreement/ for more information about 5G Home and LTE Home Internet or https://www.verizon.com/about/terms-conditions/verizon-customer-agreement for Fios internet.
‡‡ w/ Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans. Consumer data usage is subject to the usage restrictions set forth in Verizon's terms of service; visit: https://www.verizon.com/support/customer-agreement/ for more information about 5G Home and LTE Home Internet or https://www.verizon.com/about/terms-conditions/verizon-customer-agreement for Fios internet.

Compare the best cheap internet providers: Plans and prices

Provider
Prices
Speeds
View plans
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet$50-$160*245-292 Mbps
AT&T Fiber$55-$245^^100-5000 Mbps
Spectrum Internet®$25-$7050-1000 Mbps°°
Astound Broadband Powered by RCN$20-$55***300-1500 Mbps
Verizon 5G Home Internet$35-$70†††300-1000 Mbps
Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change. Data verified as of the article's publication date.
* w/ Auto Pay. Regulatory fees included in monthly price for qualified accounts. See full terms.
^^ Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes $ fees. Limited availability. May not be available in your area.
°° Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.
*** Observed speeds may vary. Exludes surcharges and fees. Equipment extra. New residential customers only.
††† w/ Auto Pay. Available in select areas.

How do these five cheap internet providers compare to each other? There’s some fierce competition—all have tempting deals, with different pluses and minuses balancing one another out.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a king in the budget internet space. It’s inexpensive and available almost anywhere, and it has highly rated service and no extra fees. My other 5G recommendation, Verizon 5G Home Internet, doesn’t have the best deal for internet alone, but its phone and internet bundles deliver incredible savings.

If you prefer a faster physical connection, AT&T Fiber is your best bet. Every plan is reasonably priced and plenty fast. The other fiber option, Astound Broadband, may be limited in location, but it offers the cheapest plan in the internet space without sacrificing decent speeds or unlimited data. And it has great cable internet deals too.

You can also go for cable with Spectrum Internet. Spectrum’s cheapest plan is a steal of a deal, delivering fast speeds for a low price. The service is available in many locations across the country, so it could be your best bet for saving money.

What makes this guide legit? How we picked the best cheap internet providers

To choose the best cheap internet providers, I used what I’ve learned writing most of Reviews.org’s comprehensive internet critiques over the past year. I compared plans and prices and selected providers that scored high ratings for dollar value in our reviews. Then I added other inexpensive internet providers I’ve written about and put everything in a Google Sheet I call a product matrix. The matrix lets me easily compare monthly prices, equipment prices, other fees, speed, and data caps side by side, making it easy to rank providers and pick honorable mentions.

how we review products and services

I didn’t just look at price tags—I also looked at value. For instance, a 200Mbps fiber plan at $55 a month is a better value than a 100Mbps cable plan at $50, because the fiber internet plan delivers much faster speeds and probably also doesn’t come with price hikes that are common on cable plans. Even though the cable plan is actually cheaper, you get a much better value from fiber.

At Reviews.org, we believe that boring internet is usually the best internet. Most customers just want dependable service for an affordable price, and that’s what we try to focus on. If you want to know more about how we review internet providers, see our How We Test internet guide for a full rundown.

What if I can’t get any of the internet providers on this list?

If none of my recommended cheapest providers are available where you live, you can look for a provider that fits your budget on your own. Home internet costs about $81 a month on average, but as this article shows, you can often get decent Wi-Fi for less.

Run a search with your zip code below to see what affordable internet options are available in your area.

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Find the best internet near you.

Honorable mentions: Other great inexpensive internet options

In addition to picking the top five affordable internet options, I also chose some additional providers to consider. All these honorable mentions offer excellently priced internet services, even though they didn’t make the top five.

Xfinity
Comcast Xfinity: Cheap cable internet available across the U.S.

Xfinity’s cheap cable internet plans start at just $20 a month. Most customers will probably want to pay a little more to get up to the 200–400Mbps speed range, but even then the prices are very reasonable. Just be aware that your prices will go up with Xfinity after the first two years of service. Those price hikes can be quite dramatic in some cases. Reviews.org contributor Easton Smith has been on Xfinity’s 400Mbps plan, and it works great in a household with five to six devices using the internet simultaneously. In his region of the Northeast, Xfinity’s 400Mbps is actually only $45 a month. However, after the initial two years of low-priced service, he may opt to change to another provider to avoid the price hike. Read our Xfinity internet review.

Quantum Fiber
Quantum Fiber: Fast inexpensive internet

Quantum Fiber doesn’t just sound like a superhero: It’s truly here to save you with affordable and fast options. You can pay as little as $45 a month for 200Mbps—a great deal by fiber standards—and you can get 8,000Mbps for the relatively low price of $165 a month. So, if you have an outlier residence that needs crazy internet speed at a cheap price, Quantum Fiber’s here for you. Read our Quantum Fiber review.

Cox
Cox Internet: Great bundle deals with TV and mobile

Cox’s cheapest internet plan costs $50 a month for speeds up to 100Mbps—a solid price for speeds that are suitable for many users. Cox offers some great deals when you bundle your internet service with TV and mobile too. Your best bet is combining Cox Internet with a Cox Mobile cellular line. A plan with the cable company’s prepaid phone brand costs between $15 and $45 a month, which is a killer price for a cellular carrier. Combine that with Cox Internet and you can knock $15 a month off your monthly internet bill.

Kinetic by Windstream
Kinetic Fiber by Windstream: Small affordable fiber service

Windstream’s Kinetic Fiber is one of the most affordable niche fiber providers—it’s available in just a handful of states. When you sign up with Kinetic, you can get 300Mbps of fiber speed for just $34.99 monthly. You also get a three-year price lock guarantee, so you know your price isn’t going up anytime soon. Read our Kinetic Fiber by Windstream review.

Wow
WOW!: Low prices for cable internet

You can get 300Mbps speeds on a WOW! cable internet connection for just $30 a month. Yes, please! This spectacularly named internet provider is super affordable: You don’t even have to pay extra for equipment. It’s available in only a few states, but if you live in one and don’t have your heart set on fiber, WOW! can save you some serious cash. Read our WOW! review.

Bluepeak
Bluepeak: Big bang for low amount of money

Want gigabit fiber speeds for just $55 a month? Bluepeak has your back (as long as you live in its limited service area in South Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, or Oklahoma). That price even includes unlimited data, installation, and all your equipment. And if you pay a few extra dollars a month, you can get a three-year price lock. Talk about a good deal! Read our Bluepeak review.

Verizon
Verizon Fios: Cheap fiber on the East Coast

East Coasters can enjoy 300Mbps of Verizon Fios fiber internet for just $49.99 a month—an especially good deal if you live in a high-cost-of-living city like New York or Boston. As an extra plus, your plan includes a free Wi-Fi 6E router. And Verizon Fios isn’t just a good deal; it’s also known for being extremely reliable. Read our Verizon Fios review.

Frontier
Frontier: Cheap contract internet

If you don’t mind commitment, you can sign up for a year with fiber to get 200Mbps for $29.99 a month from Frontier. Your router is included, although if you want any extra equipment, you need to shell out some extra cash each month. And make sure you want the service for at least a year. If you cancel before the twelfth month, you get hit with a $200 fee. Read our Frontier review.

Mediacom
Mediacom: Tied for cheapest plan

Mediacom offers a $19.99-a-month cable internet plan, putting it right up there with Astound Broadband’s $20 monthly offering. I didn’t choose Mediacom for the top five because it’s not as good a deal: $19.99 gets you 250Mbps of cable internet versus Astound’s 300Mbps of fiber. However, that’s still significant savings, so Mediacom is worth considering. Read our Mediacom review.

Shopping for affordable internet providers? Here’s what you need to know

Since not every reader lives in an area with access to these providers, let’s give you some context to help understand how to pick the best cheap internet provider. The main things to look out for when buying low-priced internet are speed, data allotments, and extra fees.

Speed

Generally speaking, anything around $50 or less is inexpensive internet—as long as it provides at least 200Mbps download speeds.

If you pay $50 a month but get, say, 100Mbps speeds, that’s not really inexpensive internet. Yes, the cost is low, but the value is terrible compared to other internet providers.

Data allotments

Look out for unlimited data in inexpensive internet plans. Like with speed, data limits affect the value of the plan you buy.

Ideally, you want a plan with unlimited data. But a plan with an outrageously high data cap—like 1.2TB—is okay, too. It’s unlikely you ever exceed that during average monthly use.

Extra fees

Acquaint yourself with internet providers’ equipment rental fees, data overage fees, contract termination fees, and so on. Sometimes, an inexpensive internet plan isn’t so cheap when you consider ongoing costs.

Some plans include all costs and fees, which is ideal. But if there are some extra costs on the side, that’s not necessarily a catastrophe. Just make sure they don’t turn your monthly bill sky high instead of dirt cheap.

Low-income assistance

If even cheap internet is out of your reach, you might be able to get some low-income internet assistance. Many providers, like Xfinity and Cox Internet, have special deals for internet users on government assistance.

FAQ about the best cheap internet providers

What service has the cheapest internet?

Astound Broadband and Mediacom are tied for the cheapest internet plan—each has a $20 option that anyone, not just low-income households, can purchase.

What type of internet connection is typically the cheapest?

5G internet is often the cheapest or close-to-cheapest option, probably because it piggybacks off existing cell phone networks.

What is the cheapest rural internet?

T-Mobile 5G is typically the cheapest rural internet option. However, Bluepeak Internet—which strives to bring fiber to less populous areas—has a comparable price but faster speeds.

Save yourself money now

It's time for new, less expensive internet. See what’s available at your home address.

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Brianne Sandorf
Written by
Brianne has a degree in English and creative writing from Westminster College. She's spent the last 10+ years writing professional, research-based content about technology, luxury retail brands, chicken sandwiches, and everything in between. Before joining Reviews.org, Brianne wrote safety and security content for ASecureLife.com. Her pieces and quotes are published across the web, including on MSN.com, Social Catfish, and Parents.com. Brianne loves to read, write, travel, cook, and spend time with her family. Contact her at brianne@reviews.org.

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