Xfinity vs. Spectrum Internet Review

Xfinity Internet will end up being cheaper than Spectrum Internet if you can navigate their pricing plans and find the right one for you.

Xfinity actually has three different price tiers, depending on which region you’re located in: Northeast, Central, or West. And Spectrum Internet® similarly offers regional plans for North Carolina, New York, and Ohio.

We’ll go over the plan prices for each area, but it’s probably easier to type your zip code into this tool to see what Xfinity plans are available in your area.

Xfinity’s plan availability can also differ quite a bit, depending on whether you live in a place where Xfinity has a fiber-optic network or just a good ol’ fashioned cable network. So, be sure to check what’s available in your specific zip code.

Enough with the disclaimers; here are all of Xfinity’s internet plans, beginning with the Northeast region.

As you can see, there’s a wide variety of options here, from a cheap, relatively slow plan to a super-fast gigabit plan that costs less than $100 a month. There’s a plan for every type of household, and we appreciate the range of speeds and prices.

Those living in Xfinity’s Central zone will see a similar set of plans, but the prices are a bit lower, and there’s a Gigabit Extra option that’s just ludicrously fast.

These Central zone plans are probably the best deals that Xfinity offers. Rejoice, Midwesterners! You have some of the best internet in the land.

You might be wondering, where exactly do these zones begin and end? It’s a good question, and Xfinity doesn’t give anyone a straight answer. We were shocked to realize that Minneapolis, Minnesota was in the Western zone, for example. So, once again, we suggest you enter your zip code using the tool above to figure out what plans are available to you.

Now, for the last set of plans from Xfinity: the Western zone. You might notice that these are almost exactly the same as the Northeastern plans, but there's a Gigabit X2 plan exclusive to Seattle residents.

Xfinity is also running a deal for its residents in the Western US. Westerners can get the Connect More 200Mbps plan for $30/month for two years, including free Wi-Fi equipment. 

The Xfinity plans you see here share a few features. They’ll all get you access to Xfinity W-Fi, with millions of hotspots available for you to plug into with your smartphone, laptop, or other device. And they all come with installation and early-termination fees, when applicable.

That was a lot of Xfinity plans. So, let’s take a quick intermission before we talk about Spectrum. Go ahead and grab another La Croix from the fridge, use the bathroom, and maybe snag your favorite treat. We’ll wait.

… and we’re back! Here are all of Spectrum’s Internet plans.

After all those Xfinity plans, that felt a bit anticlimactic. Spectrum has just three plans to choose from (unless you're a lucky future Spectrum customer residing in New York, North Carolina, or Ohio.)

As you can see, these plans offer between 300—1,000 Mbps* speeds and cost between $50—$80 a month. That’s a bit pricier than Xfinity, especially when Spectrum’s prices often go up after the first 12 or 24 months of service.

But, on the plus side, you won’t have to worry about any data caps or pesky 1-2 year contracts.

Differences between Spectrum vs. Xfinity plans at a glance:

• Xfinity’s offers more plan options than Spectrum
• Spectrum doesn’t require a contract when you sign up, while Xfinity Internet requires a contract for all of its plans
• Xfinity’s prices are generally cheaper
• Spectrum offers unlimited data, while Xfinity has a 1.2 TB cap on all of its plans
• Spectrum’s promotional prices will usually go up after the first or second year (depending on your plan), while Xfinity’s prices are locked in for a 1-2 year contract period.

Both companies offer great bundle deals, but Xfinity’s prices are lower.

Xfinity and Spectrum aren’t just in the internet biz. Both companies are also cable TV providers (check out Spectrum TV® and Xfinity TV) and mobile phone carriers. That means there are some sweet deals to check out for those who want to bundle multiple services together. 

We’re not going to go too deep into all of the bundling options here, because there are many (you learn more about Xfinity bundles and Spectrum bundles in our separate reviews).

But we will show you some of our favorite bundles from each ISP.

$140 for gigabit speed internet and over 185 cable TV channels is a great offer. While Spectrum’s bundle deals are also good, they aren’t quite as impressive.

Take a look for yourself.

Once you start bundling internet and TV packages, the pricing details can get pretty messy. Things like annual contracts, installation fees, and equipment rentals can sneak up on you, so be sure to read all the fine print before you sign up.

Xfinity might be faster, but its data caps are a bummer. 

In general, Xfinity has faster plans available than Spectrum (however this can depend on where you live). In fact, Xfinity internet makes it onto our list of the fastest internet providers for its well-priced gigabit plan.

Spectrum's Internet speeds aren’t too shabby, either. The company can get you gigabit speed internet, which is more than enough bandwidth for most households. You can use our handy internet speed guide to figure out what plan is right for you if you're n to sure how much speed you need.

When we talk about internet speeds we need to consider both download and upload speeds. Upload speeds are what make it possible to download huge files quickly, game at high levels without lag, and be in Zoom meetings without sounding like a robot.

Here’s a chart that breaks down the upload and download speeds from both companies.

As you can see, neither company has very impressive upload speeds. Where Xfinity and Spectrum have fiber-optic networks, customers should see faster upload speeds (usually on par with download speeds), but these areas are few and far in-between.

If you do want to make sure you have the best upload speeds available, check out our favorite fiber internet service providers.

There’s a clear winner when it comes to data caps. Spectrum lets you use as much data as you’d like on all of it’s plans, while Xfinity caps you at 1.2 TB a month.

While the average monthly data usage of US households is around 433 GB a month, there are still plenty of heavy-use households that could exceed Xfinity’s 1.2 TB cap every once in a while.

If you do go over your monthly data cap, Xfinity will charge you $10 for an extra 50 GB of data. You can circumvent the data cap completely by going unlimited for an extra $30 a month (or you could just use Spectrum).

Xfinity rises above Spectrum, though neither is particularly impressive.

Internet providers aren’t really known for their phenomenal people skills. Getting a real live human to pick up the phone when your modem isn’t working can be tough.

Luckily, Xfinity and Spectrum are actually pretty decent when it comes to customer service.

The most recent telecommunications report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index puts Xfinity in 5th place overall and Spectrum in 9th.

Of course, there are still plenty of online complaints about both companies.

Customers often have issues with outages, bill payment, and equipment failure. If you find that you’re having trouble with Xfinity or Spectrum Internet® service, check out our tips for getting useful help from a customer service agent.

Xfinity’s breadth of plans and prices make it the best choice for most users who just want an affordable and straightforward internet plan.

But Spectrum’s unlimited data plans are probably better for those who use a ton of data—like gamers, streamers, and big families.

• Price: Xfinity. Xfinity offers a wider variety of plans at a wider variety of prices. It has 75 Mbps plans for as low as $20 a month, while Spectrum’s cheapest plan starts at $50 a month.
• Internet speed: Xfinity. While Spectrum’s speeds are enough for most people, Xfinity has plans that go up to 3,000 Mbps in certain areas!
• Data caps: Spectrum. Spectrum offers unlimited data on all of its internet plans, while Xfinity caps you at 1.2 TB. This makes Spectrum the obvious choice for heavy users.
• Customer service: Xfinity. Both companies do just fine in an industry plagued with bad customer service, but Xfinity is rated slightly higher.