The Fastest Internet Providers of 2018

Overview

If you’re tired of waiting ten minutes for a video to download, or you keep getting that buffering symbol while streaming, then you might need a faster internet plan.

Luckily, more and more internet service providers (ISPs) are offering super-fast plans that will support your gaming habit, speed up your work-from-home job, and stream video for every member of your family all at once without skipping a beat. You just have to figure out which ones are available in your area.

^{Data effective 9/20/18. Offers, speeds, and availability vary by location and are subject to change.}

Xfinity—Best overall

Xfinity offers some serious speeds and it has plans available almost everywhere.

We know, we know: Xfinity has a massive reputation for lackluster customer service. And it’s warranted. A phone call with Xfinity representatives can feel like a battlefield. But we have to acknowledge that when it comes to speed, Xfinity is top-of-the-line.

^{Data effective 9/20/18. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
*For 12 months with contract
**Requires 2-year contract}

Xfinity delivers decent speeds across the board and a wide range of prices so you can choose the exact plan you need.

But we’re most impressed with Xfinity’s massive Gigabit Pro plan. With 2000 Mbps speeds (that’s two gigabits per second, for the tech nerds out there), you could download ten HD movies in just over three minutes.

That’s some serious speed. Just keep in mind that you’ll pay for it. Xfinity’s fastest plan is also its most expensive at a ludicrous $299.95 per month. Its lower-priced plan, Gigabit, will still give you incredibly fast speeds—and for less than half the price.

Who is Xfinity best for?

Xfinity might be your best choice if you’re one of these types of internet users:

• You play a lot of video games, or you live in a household of gamers who need breakneck internet speeds
• You live in an area where Xfinity’s super-fast gigabit plans are available
• You have a household with multiple people on multiple devices who use a lot of data (gamers, HD video addicts, remote workers, etc.)

You can probably find an Xfinity plan in your area, since it has wider availability than most ISPs. But be sure to double-check exactly what speeds, plans, and pricing you can get. Those gigabit plans aren’t an option everywhere quite yet.

Verizon Fios—Best for fiber

Verizon doesn’t mess around with multiple types of internet connections: Fios is all fiber all the time.

Fiber-optic internet is usually the fastest option out there. Xfinity’s gigabit cable plans aside, if you want the fastest possible speeds, then fiber is where it’s at. And Verizon Fios focuses only on fiber connections. You don’t have to wonder which plan to pick to get the fiber experience—it’s all of them.

^{Data effective 9/20/18. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
*Plus taxes, equipment charges, and other fees}

Who is Verizon Fios best for?

Verizon Fios has pretty limited availability. Right now, you’ll see it almost exclusively in the Northeast, plus a couple of cities in Virginia. So make sure to check your zip code before you get too excited about a Fios plan.

AT&T Internet—Best availability

AT&T Internet’s fiber plan is fast, reliable, and has relatively wide availability across the country.

Xfinity might have the highest speeds on the market, but we’re still pretty excited about the future of fiber-optic internet. And if you want fiber and Google doesn’t cover your area, then AT&T might be your best bet.

AT&T’s DSL plans aren’t that impressive, but its fiber plan (Internet 1000) is super fast and you’ll pay the same price as you would for Xfinity’s lightning-fast Gigabit plan.

^{Data effective 9/20/18. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
*For the first 12 months with a 1-year contract
**AT&T’s fine print states users’ actual speed is usually 940 Mbps.}

Compared to other fiber providers, like Verizon Fios, AT&T has relatively good fiber availability. That’s not a guarantee you can sign on the dotted line—you’ll still have to check your zip code. And for what it’s worth, Verizon Fios and AT&T tend to cover separate places. For example, you can get Fios many places in the Northeast, but not AT&T.

Verizon Fios works best for these types of users:

• You live in a covered area in the Northeast or Virginia
• You want fast, near-gigabit speeds at a reasonable price
• You’re interested in fiber internet and want a fiber-exclusive provider

We’ll get even more excited about Verizon Fios as it expands its coverage. In the meantime, you lucky Northeasterners get exclusive access.

Who is AT&T Internet best for?

AT&T’s internet plans, especially its fiber plan, works best for these types of people:

• You live in a coverage area for AT&T Fiber (check your zip code)
• You want super-fast speeds
• You value affordable pricing (compared to other fiber plans)

AT&T is still building out its fiber coverage—it lists dozens of cities as being “underway” for fiber development. If your city doesn’t have AT&T Fiber right now, check back in a year or so.

Viasat—Best for satellite

Satellite internet is slower than many cable and fiber options, but Viasat has the fastest satellite speeds.

Satellite internet has historically been a little slow, but if you live in a rural area, it might be your only choice. And luckily for you, Viasat has released some impressively high-speed plans (by satellite standards, anyway).

^{Data effective 9/20/18. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
*For the first 3 months
**The amount of data after which Viasat may throttle your speeds}

If you have the need for speed, then Viasat’s fastest plan—Unlimited Platinum 100—is most compelling, but it’s also the plan with the least availability. Because of the way satellite internet works, Viasat’s plans, prices, and speeds change a lot based on your location. How much you pay and what speeds you can get depend on where you live.

Who is Viasat best for?

Viasat is best for these types of users:

• You live in a rural area without a lot of ISPs
• You need fast internet for work or hobbies
• You don’t need internet for gaming, video chats, or VPNs. (Satellite internet doesn’t work well for these activities)

If you have access to a cable or fiber plan, then we will always recommend those over satellite internet. Satellite costs a lot of money, even for relatively low speeds—and you usually get less high-speed data than you would from a non-satellite provider.

But if you live somewhere where your only other option is dial-up, then Viasat’s an easy choice.

Recap

If you need the speediest of speedy internet, then these four providers are your best bet. Of course, in the end, it comes down to which one is available in your area—but overall, we recommend choosing either a fast Xfinity cable connection or a fiber connection (if you can get it).

• Xfinity: We know its customer service is frustrating at best, but Xfinity’s 2000 Mbps plan is the fastest we’ve seen. Plus, it’s the most widely available ISP in the country. Check your zip code to see if the speed you want is an option where you live.
• Verizon Fios: Fios focuses on fast fiber-optic internet and delivers consistently speedy results. The only problem is it’s hard to find and probably not an option unless you live in specific areas on the East Coast.
• AT&T Fiber: We don’t have much to say about AT&T’s DSL options, but its fiber plan is excellent and relatively affordable. Plus, AT&T Fiber is more widely available than Fios.
• Viasat: Satellite internet is never the ideal connection for speed, but Viasat is the fastest satellite option out there for many rural folks. As always, exact speeds depend on where you live.

Methodology

We compared advertised speeds across a variety of ISPs to find the fastest plans available throughout the country. To determine which provider would work best for which people, we compared speeds, prices, and availability. We also included a satellite internet option that covers parts of the country where no other ISP offers service.