Cheapest Internet and Wi-Fi Providers

T-Mobile offers some of the lowest starting prices out there, if not the lowest. And those low prices also come with fiber internet speeds and reliability, which makes T-Mobile a great value choice of home internet provider for just about anybody.

As opposed to AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile doesn't make you sign any contracts, pay any activation fees, or go through any credit checks to get the service. Setup is also incredibly easy, you just plug in the provided router, download the app, and you're up and running.

To top it off, your T-Mobile internet comes with unlimited data. So you won’t need to worry about paying for overages or for extra data.

The only extra expense you'll need to worry about is the one-time $99 payment for the 5G gateway router. After that, your internet payment stays flat.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet covers most of the country, which is why it's one of our top recommended ISPs among the best for rural providers. 

Just to be safe, enter your ZIP code below to make sure that you can get T-Mobile 5G Home Internet in your neck of the woods:

• Bundle your services: T-Mobile Wireless customers with any T-Mobile phone plan can get $10–$20 off T-Mobile 5G Home Internet.
• Bundle perks: Wireless customers with a Go5G Next, Go5G Plus, or Magenta MAX plan get a free Netflix and Apple TV+ subscription for as long as they're T-Mobile wireless customers. Combine those freebies with your bundle discount, and you'll have close to $40 back in your pocket each month.
• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Whether or not you choose to bundle with a wireless service, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet users get access to T-Mobile's reward program: T-Mobile Tuesdays. Every Tuesday, the T-Mobile Tuesday app offers a fresh list of discount codes and deals for food, hotels, gas, and more.

Xfinity is known for low promotional prices, and the speeds you get are decent too. On top of that, Xfinity regularly offers deals. For example, until May 1, Xfinity customers in all regions of the US can get Xfinity's 75Mbps Connect plan with 150MBps download speeds. That's double the speed for the same price, locked in for one year with no contract required. You can also often find deals that could net you a Visa rewards card or a streaming service subscription on top of an already low starting cost for the internet plan. 

Comcast also upgraded its slowest internet plan last year, bumping the download speed up from 25 Mbps to 50 Mbps. That’s a better starting speed: 50 Mbps should allow you to stream, game, and work from home if you’re not sharing the internet with lots of devices or other people.

One thing to keep in mind with Xfinity is that the prices and plan names change depending on where you live. So our recommended cheap internet plan, the Connect plan, may go by a different name and price in your area. But generally, Xfinity’s 50 Mbps plan is affordable and offers good value.

Xfinity's Connect More plan is on sale for users in the Western US, offering 200Mbps download speeds for $30 a month for two years plus free Wi-Fi equipment if you order before March 21, 2024.

You should also keep in mind that all Xfinity internet plans come with a 1.2 TB data cap. While most of us won’t come close to using this much data in a month, you may want to look elsewhere if you run a home business or freelance as a creative professional.

Xfinity has options to add data, but they’ll cost you $10–$30 extra per month. And more data won't fix those slow upload speeds of 3 Mbps. At that upstream speed, your FaceTime or Zoom calls will probably stutter and lag.

• Look for online deals: Xfinity usually offers deals on its internet service and almost always has a deal ready for teachers and students. 
• Renegotiate your price before your contract is up: Set up a reminder on your phone to call a week or two before your 12- or 24-month contract is up. Then call Xfinity and ask if there are any deals you’re eligible for. We’ve had Xfinity reps surprise us with deals on upgraded speeds and bundles in the past.
• Bring your own equipment: Xfinity’s xFi modem-and-router combo is fairly pricey to rent. It’ll cost you $168 over the course of a year, which is about how much a decent modem-router combo costs anyway. So buy your own and save some money over the long term.

Xfinity internet is available in 40 states stretching from California to Maryland. You’ll most likely find it in states like Washington, Delaware, Massachusetts, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

Prices and plan names may vary depending on where you live, but we’ve found that these Comcast Xfinity plans tend to have great value.

With AT&T internet you'll find a mix of fiber and fiber plus plans with the same starting price of $55 a month. You’ll also find (despite its contracts and fees) that AT&T has highly rated customer service with a high score several years running from the American Consumer Satisfaction Index.

If you're interested in adding TV to your internet, AT&T offers the option to add a DIRECTV package with your AT&T service (although there’s no discount; AT&T is just a vehicle through which you can get DIRECTV, another testament to its customer service). And good news for any TV-lovers interested in bundling: You'll get three free months of  STARZ, Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, MGM+, and Cinemax.

If you live where AT&T Fiber is available, we recommend its 300 Mbps plan. At the same price as AT&T's Internet Air DSL plan, AT&T's 300 Mbps Fiber plan has over three times as much download speed. You'll also get unlimited data and impressive upload speeds.

• Bundle your services: Add DIRECTV to your AT&T Fiber and enjoy three free months of premium channels like Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, Max, and STARZ, all while saving money and simplifying your TV and internet bill.
• Ask for DIY installation: That $99 installation fee can really drag your first bill down. If you wanna save over $60, ask for AT&T's DIY option, which only requires a $35 activation fee. 

If you live in a large city or suburb, AT&T's fiber internet plans are definitely worth checking out. 

You'll find AT&T internet service in 21 different states, mostly around the midwest.

Check to see if you qualify for AT&T Fiber with AT&T's fiber coverage map.

AT&T's cheapest plans can get you 140–300 Mbps download speed before plan prices increase.  

Spectrum’s prices start high, but so do its gigabit speeds. And with no contracts, unlimited data, and one of the lowest equipment fees we’ve seen, Spectrum’s cheapest internet plan offers a good value compared to other home internet providers.

In fact, if you just need a Spectrum modem, it comes included with your plan. There’s no extra cost per month to rent it. Now that is a customer-friendly approach to equipment if we’ve ever seen one.

But the real star of the show is Spectrum’s Contract Buyout program. If you’re stuck in a contract with your current ISP and want to swap, Spectrum will pay up to $500 to buy out that contract if you swap to its service.

• Use the Contract Buyout: You could save up to $500 in ETFs by switching to Spectrum and signing up for its buyout program.*
• Use your own router: Spectrum includes a modem with your plan at no cost, so why not bring your own router to save $60 each year?
• Ask about free installation: Spectrum charges a $19.99 installation fee. Either way, it never hurts to ask if the sales rep can sweeten the deal with free installation.

You’ll find Spectrum Internet® in 42 different states. It’s mainly focused in the Northeast along with Wisconsin, Ohio, and North Carolina.

As we mentioned, the Spectrum Internet® plan is the cheapest internet plan Spectrum offers. But if you absolutely need more download speed, the 500Mbps* plan might still be a good deal for you.

For residents of New York, North Carolina, and Ohio, Spectrum offers regional plans with lower monthly prices for higher download speeds.

If you love Spectrum's no-contract philosophy, we have good news. You can bundle Spectrum's cable TV plans with its internet services. This means you can sign up for cheap internet and cable in one easy monthly payment without being tied to a contract. 

Optimum isn't as widely available as a 5G home internet provider like T-Mobile, but if you're lucky enough to live in an area with coverage, Optimum makes for a great deal.

You can save up to $100 a month on Optimum Internet for the rest of December when you add an Unlimited Mobile plan. Check it out below:

The cheapest Optimum plan gives you 300 Mbps internet speeds for just $30/month, or even less when you add a mobile plan. Compared to most other home internet providers, Optimum offers a serious bargain. The only reason Optimum isn't higher on this list is due to its fairly limited availability. If Optimum was available around the country, it would be an easy recommendation for anybody.

Optimum also includes equipment with your base payment. Instead of tacking on an additional $10-$15 every month, you get a router essentially for free.

The main thing you need to watch out for with Optimum is the poor customer service. 

• Take advantage of the 300 Mbps plan: You should have plenty of internet to go around with the basic 300 Mbps plan. Keep your costs low and still get solid internet speeds.
• Get the free router: Optimum includes its Gateway router with your internet plan, but you can pay an extra couple bucks for some other equipment you really don't need. Just stick with the provided router.
• Free installation: Optimum's installation will cost you at least $99, which is fairly pricey for internet installation. But now, for a limited time, Optimum is offering free installation on its internet service when you order online. 
• Add a mobile plan: If you're in the market for mobile services, bundling with Optimum Internet can save you up to $100 on your internet plan.

Optimum only covers the northeastern United States, specifically New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. We're all jealous of those of you who happen to live in this area and can enjoy such cheap internet. 

If you’re searching for a cheap Wi-Fi plan, you might be tempted to focus on price only. But there are a few more things you should consider including internet speed, additional fees, price hikes, and contracts.

Our resident internet expert, Juan, shares some tips for finding cheap internet—along with traps to watch out for. Plus we've got some related reads to help you too.

1. Promotional prices: Most ISPs start you out with a low price, but you’ll typically see a price bump after 12 to 24 months.
2. Autopay and paperless billing: Almost every advertised price you see for internet assumes that you’ll sign up for autopay and paperless billing. Make a note to yourself to not skip this step—we’ve had friends lose out on discounted prices because they forgot to change their billing settings.
3. Internet speed: An affordable internet plan isn’t worth it if you can’t actually use the internet. Look for speeds of at least 50 Mbps—or check out our internet speed guide for recommendations.
4. Data caps: A data cap can quickly become a money sink if you continuously use more than you’re given. Most ISPs charge a pretty penny for extra data, so be sure that your cheap internet plan comes with enough data to keep you going for a month.
5. Equipment fees: Will you rent equipment? If so, factor in the monthly rental fee. But remember: You’ll end up saving money if you bring your own equipment instead.
6. Installation fees: Don’t forget about installation—these fees range anywhere from $50 to $100. But some ISPs now offer self-installation kits at no extra cost, so you could save some cash there.
7. Contracts and early termination fees: If your cheap internet plan comes with a contract, beware of a potentially hefty early termination fee (ETF). If you cancel your contract early, you could pay up to $500.

• T-Mobile Home Internet: $50/mo., 200+ Mbps download speeds, unlimited data, no contract or equipment rental fees
• Xfinity Connect: $19.99/mo.^†, 75 Mbps download speeds, 1.25 TB data cap
• AT&T Internet: $55.00/mo.^**, up to 300 Mbps download speeds, up to unlimited data
• Spectrum Internet®: $49.99/mo. for 12 mos., up to 300 Mbps* download speeds (wireless speeds may vary) or, for those in North Carolina, $39.99/mo. for 12 mos., up to 500 Mbps* download speeds (wireless speeds may vary), unlimited data, cheap internet, and cable bundle options
• Optimum 300 Mbps Internet: $30.00/mo.^§, 300 Mbps download speeds, unlimited data

Finding cheap internet doesn’t always mean going for the lowest price. To round up our top picks that won’t bust your budget, we considered the following:

• Promo Pricing and Post-Promotional Period: Our analysis took into account the promotional pricing offered by different internet service providers (ISPs) and also considered the price customers would pay after the promotional period ends. This helps us properly assess the long-term affordability of the service.
• Extra Fees: In addition to the base price, various ISPs charge additional fees such as installation fees, equipment or device rental fees, and other miscellaneous charges. These extra fees can significantly impact the overall cost of the internet service. For example, due to sky-high installation fees, we don’t recommend Spectrum’s Gig plan. (Not to mention it has a very high monthly price for the speed you get).
• Red Flags in the Fine Print: The fine print of ISP contracts often contains important details that may affect the overall cost and experience. By carefully reviewing the fine print, potential red flags were identified, such as hidden charges, unfavorable terms, or unexpected fees. Red flags in the fine print is why you’ll find Optimum lower on the list, for example. We took a look at a list of its fees and were startled by the sheer number of extra charges you might rack up, plus we were appalled at the fact that every Optimum customer now pays a “network enhancement fee.”
• Coverage and Data Speeds: Apart from pricing and fees, we also take into account the coverage and data speeds offered by different internet service providers. The availability of a reliable and consistent internet connection is essential, especially for those who heavily rely on the internet for work, streaming, gaming, or other bandwidth-intensive activities. Evaluating the coverage area and the advertised data speeds helps ensure that the chosen internet service provider can meet the user's connectivity needs without compromising on performance. We look at everything from basic, slow plans to the upcoming 10G internet.