The Fastest Internet Providers 2023

Everyone loves fast internet access options, and these large internet service providers (ISPs) offer the zippiest speeds available.

First across the finish line in our latest internet speeds report  were Xfinity and Google Fiber, while Verizon Fios Home Internet, Cox, and Spectrum all saw excellent speeds as well. All five ISPs offer gig-speed (or near-gig-speed) plans, plus you’ve got Google Fiber’s 2 Gbps plan and Xfinity’s 3 Gbps plan.

But which of these fast internet providers is best for you? And which of their fastest internet plans meets your needs? Let’s dig into the details and figure it out.

If you’re in need of a lot of speed, there are a few things you should know before you fork over your cash.

1. Find out what internet providers are in your area. Not all internet providers are available across the US, and you may find you’ve got different options for fast internet near you.
2. Don’t spend more than you need to. Gigabit speeds are great and all, but if you can get away with a little less bandwidth, why not pay less too?
3. Check your connection type. Fiber internet tends to be more reliable than cable, but both can deliver speeds of 1,000 Mbps or faster.
4. Get a peg on upload speed. If you’re a YouTuber or running a photography business, look for fast upload speeds. Fiber internet is a good bet.
5. Make sure your equipment can handle your internet speed. There’s no sense in buying gigabit internet if your modem and router can’t handle those speeds. We’ve got some tips for choosing a router if you need help.
6. Get enough data. If you need fast internet speed to support a heap of online activities and connected devices, make sure you have enough data to keep you going. Multiple devices using data at once can use up data fast.
7. Troubleshoot slow internet. If your internet connection service isn’t living up to your expectations, try some of these tips to speed up your connection.

• How Much Internet Speed Do You Need?
• How to Speed Up Your Internet
• How to Make Satellite Internet Faster

Xfinity ranked at the top of our list, racking up excellent download speed, upload speed, and latency scores throughout 2022.

We’ve been Xfinity customers for almost a decade now, and we’ve experienced steady speeds with few internet performance issues. We will say that Xfinity’s data cap of 1.2 TB is a bit low for our tastes—we prefer unlimited data. (No data cap, no worries.)

If you’re looking for the fastest Xfinity internet plan, check out the Gigabit Extra. Gigabit Extra offers 1,200 Mbps speeds, or you can drop down a tier and grab the Gigabit plan. 

View Plans | Read Full Xfinity Internet Review

We couldn’t create a list of fast internet providers without mentioning Google Fiber. It regularly pushes the download speed limits, which is seen in its average download speed of 167.1 Mbps in 2022.

Google Fiber’s fastest plan is its 2,000 Mbps, or 2 Gig, plan. Along with quadruple-digit speeds, Google Fiber also comes with unlimited data and zippy upload speeds.

On the downside, Google Fiber is limited to a handful of big cities across the US. So if you don’t live in a place where Google offers internet service, check out some of the other fastest internet providers in this review.

View Plans | Read Full Google Fiber Internet Review

Verizon Fios Home Internet is another well-known service provider when it comes to fast speeds. It offers a near-gig fiber internet plan to residents of the Northeast, and from what we hear, you’re likely to get the speeds it promises.

Verizon Fios Home Internet also boasted the lowest average latency of 13 ms in 2021, which is excellent for anyone who games or livestreams.

You may notice that Verizon Fios Home Internet doesn’t advertise a data cap. The internet provider keeps its lips zipped when it comes to how much data you get, but word on the street is you get unlimited data. (Verizon neither confirms nor denies though.)

The Fios Gigabit Connection plan is Verizon Fios Home Internet’s fastest option. Keep in mind that its monthly price isn’t promotional. So your bill isn’t guaranteed to go up next year. (Although it isn’t guaranteed that it won’t either.)

View Plans | Read Full Verizon Fios Home Internet Review

Cox surprised us by boosting itself to the top of the pack in terms of internet speed. When we checked speed performance for over 200 ISPs, Cox landed in 5th place. That’s no small feat.

That said, you’ll want to grab one of Cox’s 250 Mbps or faster plans to really enjoy that internet speed. Its prices for the Preferred 250 and Ultimate 500 plans are a good value, but you might be able to find a cheaper gig plan.

You’ll also want to keep in mind that Cox internet plans come with a 1.25 TB data cap. Sure, most of us won’t get near that cap, but if you download a bunch of movies or games in one month, you’ll for sure get close. That’s why we prefer unlimited data for those “just in case” moments.

View Plans | Read Full Cox Internet Review

Another surprising leader in terms of internet speed is Spectrum. This ISP pumped up the speed over the last year to land in 13th place out of 284 internet providers.

Spectrum’s recent price cut on its Gig plan is another point in its favor. This gigabit-speed plan used to be one of the most expensive on the block, but now it offers a lot of value and a competitive price of about $90 a month for your first 12 months. Its setup fee also got rolled back to $19.99.

These changes put to rest most of our concerns with Spectrum Internet, and we now find it to be a great value pick—especially since its speed performance is now top-level.

View Plans | Read Full Spectrum Internet Review

• Xfinity: Available almost nationwide, Xfinity’s speeds top the charts. We recommend its Gigabit plan for the best value and fastest speeds of 1,200 Mbps.
• Google Fiber: Google Fiber is well-known for delivering excellent speeds, and its newest plan boosts you to 2 gigs without costing an arm and a leg.
• Verizon Fios Home Internet: You’ll get excellent service in terms of speed and customer care with Verizon Fios Home Internet. Its Fios Gigabit Connection plan offers steady, near-gigabit speeds for a decent price.
• Cox: Coming out of left field, Cox landed at the top of our speed charts. Its 250 and 500 Mbps plans are the best deal, though it does offer a gig plan as well.
• Spectrum: Spectrum’s latest changes to its Gig plan make it a great value if you’re looking for steadily fast internet speeds.
• AT&T Fiber: AT&T’s fiber internet is typically a great deal—you get zippy speeds at some of the lowest prices around.
• Optimum: Optimum consistently ranks as one of the fastest ISPs in our lists.

Curious to know if any of our fastest internet picks are available in your area? Or maybe you want to know how your local ISP compares? Check out our lists of the top 10 fastest internet providers in the Northeast, South, Midwest, West, and Alaska and Hawaii.

Ready to make a switch? We have a guide for how to change your internet provider.

States in this region: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont

States in this region: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, DC, and West Virginia

States in this region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin

States in this region: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming

States in this region: Alaska and Hawaii

Note: Only five internet providers in Alaska and Hawaii had 100 or more speed test results for 2021. We’ve included only those five in the table below.

Our data set includes speed test results from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. We required at least 100 speed tests for internet providers to be included in our report. Afterward, we removed results for business internet, cellular data, and any incomplete or duplicate entries.

We then averaged download speeds, upload speeds, and latency for each ISP. After that, we calculated a weighted score that represents 70% of each ISP’s average download speed, 20% of its average upload speed, and 10% of its average latency.

Next, we used these weighted scores to rank each internet service provider in terms of speed performance over the past year.