Xfinity vs. Frontier

Frontier is the clear winner of this race—as long as you can get its FiOS or Vantage internet and TV service.

And if you can’t? Well, Xfinity earns a blue ribbon for being more widely available, and its internet, TV, and bundles aren’t anything to laugh at. And it’s far more straightforward than Frontier’s three different internet and bundle options—oh, and did we mention you have to bundle to get Frontier TV?

Still, when it comes to affordability and quality, Frontier’s FiOS and Vantage packages are our top choice. Let’s dig into why.

Overall winner: Frontier

Xfinity vs. Frontier internet

Frontier one-ups Xfinity with its fiber plans and lower prices, but Xfinity still holds the wild card for better availability.

Xfinity offers more potential speed—up to 2 Gbps in some areas—but Frontier brings ultra reliable and quick fiber speeds with its FiOS and Vantage plans.

Frontier also offers a lower-priced DSL option, but figuring out what you’re getting—or even what you can get since availability is a big deal—can be a little confusing. We wish Frontier would be a little more transparent, but we’ll do our best to help you figure it out.

Xfinity offers a lot of choices, but the exact speeds and packages you’ll have available depend on your location.

The variety is great—you have a solid budget option, and you can go up to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) if you need it. (Or even 2,000 Mbps in some cases.) However, you won’t get as much bang for your buck with Xfinity’s lower-tier plans. Frontier’s FiOS and Vantage fiber plans offer similar speeds for up to $10 less per month.

Xfinity also offers no-contract options for many of its plans, and these usually run you about $10 more each month. This is definitely nice if you’re not sure you want to be so tied to Xfinity on a “Let’s get matching tattoos together!” level.

Want more details on Xfinity? Check out our full Xfinity internet review.

Frontier offers a pretty good selection of speeds too, but it’s fiber plans are far less available than Xfinity’s cable plans. This is partially due to the high cost of installing fiber—though Frontier’s DSL plan availability is still pretty widespread.

But heads up—those DSL plans may be cheaper and more widely available, but their speeds won’t match fiber. If download and upload speed matter to you, make sure you double-check what type of service you’re getting before committing to a package.

Speaking of uploads, the names of the Frontier FiOS and Vantage packages—50/50, 200/200, etc.—indicate the upload and download speeds, which are equal. This is great for people who do a lot of media sharing because it makes uploading big batches of photos or videos much quicker, especially since normal upload speeds are about one tenth of download speeds.

So if you do a lot of uploading (we’re looking at you, YouTubers!), fiber internet is worth a serious look for this reason alone.

If you want even more details on what to expect from this service, check out our full review of Frontier internet.

Xfinity vs. Frontier: Which does internet better?

For most people, we’d recommend Frontier’s FiOS and Vantage internet.  Why? Simply put, you get the right amount of speed at a lower price. And it’s fiber internet, which tends to give you the most reliable speeds versus cable or DSL.

But if you can’t get Frontier’s fiber plans, Xfinity is still an excellent choice even though it can get more expensive. Its known for delivering the speeds it advertises (which is why it’s one of our picks for fastest ISPs), and you can even get up to 2,000 Mbps in some areas. Zoom.

TV only: Xfinity vs. Frontier

Xfinity is your only option if you want TV and only TV.

Looking to quench your channel surfing thirst? You’re limited to Xfinity here.

If you’re sitting there asking yourself, “What even is this?” just like we are, here’s what happened:

Frontier recently updated its packages, and now its FiOS and Vantage TV service is available only if you bundle. That’s a huge bummer for those remote wranglers among us who don’t need to tap into the power of the internet—or get internet service another way. (Though you might want to compare your bill to bundle prices since they’re usually cheaper.)

That said, here’s a quick look at Xfinity’s TV offerings.

Just like with internet plans, the exact TV packages you’ll have available to you will depend on where you live and what Xfinity feels like promoting at the time.

If you want to learn more about Xfinity’s cable TV service, check out our full reviews of Xfinity TV and the Xfinity X1 system.

Xfinity vs. Frontier: Which does TV better?

This one’s a clear win for Xfinity since you cant get standalone TV service from Frontier anymore. (But you can still get Frontier TV if you bundle.)

TV + internet bundles: Xfinity vs. Frontier

Frontier’s FiOS and Vantage bundles earn the trophy—but if you can’t get them, Xfinity’s bundles still have a lot to offer.

Comparing bundles? This is where Frontier cements its victory with its value-packed FiOS and Vantage bundles.

Of course, Xfinity isn’t far behind. Even though its bundles come at a higher price, it’s more likely available in your area. And we can’t dismiss that its bundles come with a higher channel count and some zippy internet speeds.

Xfinity bundles offer a lot, especially when you compare its channel counts to Frontier’s. But it’s prices are much steeper.

For example, the X1 Preferred Double Play bundle gets you 150 Mbps internet and 220+ channels for about $115 a month, while the Vantage 200/200 + Vantage Custom Essentials comes with 200 Mbps and 130+ channels for close to $75 a month.

Yup, those upper-end packages can get fairly pricey, especially if you’re looking at a triple play bundle.

But if you don’t need unlimited nationwide calling and want the higher channel count, you can save some money and go for an Xfinity double play instead. (Let’s face it—most of us don’t use landline phones anymore.)

Here’s where things get confusing. You’ve got three types of bundling options with Frontier: bundling DSL with DISH satellite TV, bundling FiOS fiber internet and TV, or bundling Vantage fiber internet and TV.

The possibilities are endless! (Seriously, this is only a snapshot of what’s available—you can find more in our list of the best Frontier bundles.)

All kidding aside, Frontier’s TV plus internet bundle pricing is much more reasonable than Xfinity’s, and it’s nice to see that it tries to keep pricing the same across its FiOS and Vantage services. But if you’re wondering whether you can get FiOS TV or Vantage TV, here’s what we dug up on Frontier’s somewhat confusing website:

Don’t live in one of those states? Well, you’ve still got Frontier’s DSL plus DISH TV bundles to consider. (Or Xfinity.)

Unfortunately, the DISH bundles will run you closer to what Xfinity charges for its bundles. But we’re not complaining, DISH has a reputation for stellar college football coverage and one of the best DVRs out there. (We talk more about this in our DISH review if you’re interested.)

Xfinity vs. Frontier: Which bundles better?

You’ll get more for your money if you can nab a Frontier Vantage TV or FiOS TV bundle. But if you’re not in a FiOS or Vantage service area and want faster internet speeds, Xfinity’s your go-to.

Xfinity vs. Frontier recap

How’d our two internet and TV service hotshots fare against each other? Let’s take a look.

• Internet: Frontier. You’ll get some kick-a** speed performance and prices from Frontier’s FiOS and Vantage fiber internet service. But the availability is limited, and Xfinity pulls ahead if you’re stuck in one of Frontier’s DSL-only zones.
• TV: Xfinity. Now that Frontier requires you to bundle to get its TV service, Xfinity is your only option of the two. Luckily, Xfinity brings an all-around great service, with solid pricing and reasonable channel selection.
• Bundling TV and internet: Frontier. Yet again, if you can get Frontier’s FiOS or Vantage service, it’s a better deal in terms of bang for your buck. Xfinity’s bundles are more expensive but offer more channels than FiOS or Vantage TV. In fact, Xfinity’s bundles are more on par with Frontier’s DSL internet plus DISH TV, though we prefer the faster speeds of Xfinity’s internet.

It’s a close call, but overall we think Frontier is your best bet when it comes to internet and bundling. But keep in mind its better value FiOS and Vantage service may not be available where you live, which would make Xfinity the better choice in your area.

As always, leave us a comment and let us know if we missed anything!

FAQs

Where is Xfinity available?

Xfinity is available in 40 states. Top coverage areas include Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Illinois.¹

What type of internet connection is Comcast?

Xfinity is a cable service.

Where is Frontier available?

Frontier serves twenty-nine states, primarily in Connecticut, West Virginia, and Illinois.²

How fast is Frontier High Speed Internet?

Frontier High Speed Internet ranges from 1 Mbps to 24 Mbps.

How fast is Frontier Fios internet?

Frontier Fios speeds range from 30 Mbps up to 500 Mbps.

What’s the difference between Frontier Vantage and Frontier Fios?

Frontier Fios is the service Frontier provides in areas where it took over Verizon’s Fios services—mainly Florida, Texas, and California. It kept the name and service the same to avoid confusion for customers. Frontier Vantage is the name used for Frontier’s fiber services in other markets.

What’s the difference between Frontier Fios and Verizon Fios?

The only real difference between Frontier Fios and Verizon Fios is the name on the bill. When Frontier took over Verizon’s fiber lines in California, Florida, and Texas, it kept the service and name the same to avoid confusion for customers. Verizon Fios is still available in other states.

What are Mbps?

Mbps is short for “Megabits per second” and refers to how much data an internet connection can move in one second. A Megabit is one million bits. Most internet connections these days are measured in Mbps, though some providers are starting to offer Gigabit internet speeds, starting at one Gigabit—which is a billion bits, or a thousand Megabits—per second. In case you’re wondering, that’s fast.

How much internet speed do I need to stream?

For typical HD video content, you would want around 5–10 Mbps for a single user. Netflix recommends a minimum of 5 Mbps for HD content and 25 Mbps for 4K content.³ If you have more than one person streaming at once it will increase the speed you need, so consider your family’s viewing habits before committing to a plan.

Sources

1. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), “Fixed Broadband Deployment”
2. FCC, “Fixed Broadband Deployment”
3. Netflix, “Internet Connection Speed Recommendations”