Verizon Fios vs. Optimum Internet Review

Optimum's cable internet plans are $10–$20 cheaper than Verizon Fios Home Internet, but fiber always beats out a cable connection in terms of performance.

But the 1 gigabit-speed internet plan with Optimum for $45 is a wildly good deal, no matter how you look at it. This plan is regularly $65 a month, but with Optimum's holiday bundle deals, you can lock it in at the discounted price for two years when you add a mobile plan.

And if you need help figuring out what's a good download speed for you, we have a guide to help. 

While Verizon Fios Home Internet is totally converted to fiber connections, many of Optimum’s customers will get access to cable internet connections. While cable can still give you faster download speeds, it can’t match fiber when it comes to upload speeds or overall reliability.

Some of Optimum’s customers will get lucky and snag a fiber internet connection. But the availability of its fiber connections is still limited, so it’s more likely you’ll have cable internet service.

For those who don’t live in Optimum’s limited fiber coverage range, paying an extra $15 for Verizon Fios’s faster, more reliable speeds might be worth it.

Same as Optimum, Verizon Fios 5G Home Internet—a fixed wireless connection—is offered in select areas that fiber is not available. 

To only pay $50 for a 300 Mbps fiber internet connection is pretty great, even if it is pricier than Optimum. But as the speeds get higher, Verizon’s prices do jump far above Optimum. (Optimum’s gigabit-speed plan is $15 cheaper.)

While we like that neither of these providers forces customers into a contract, that does mean that they can raise prices whenever they want (as long as they give you some notice). 

When you bundle Optimum's 300 Mbps Internet plan with Optimum Mobile Unlimited, you'll get $10 off your internet service and pay $75 per month for both services (or even less if you snag a holiday deal.) Or pay $15 more to get 500 Mbps with your cell phone bundle.

When you pair your Verizon Internet plan with one of Verizon’s 5G mobile plans (which start at $30 per line), you can get your internet service for $25 cheaper each month. 

So your 300/300 Mbps plan will lower from $50 to $35 per month, 500/500 will go down to $45 from $70, and so on.

Verizon says the discount is available to “existing postpaid mobile customers with an unlimited plan that includes 5G Ultra Wideband.” 

So, if you’re currently a mobile customer, you can get the discount now. If you’re not, become a mobile customer first, and then add the internet onto your service for that lovely discount.

Getting a good price on your internet plan is important. But it isn’t worth much if you don’t have enough speed for the streaming, gaming, Zooming, and everything else that you want to do.

So, how do these two ISPs compare when it comes to data speeds?

In short, Verizon Fios Home Internet is faster than Optimum. Verizon’s network is more advanced than Optimum’s, meaning more customers are connected using fiber cables.

The two companies look really similar when it comes to download speeds. But fiber internet's upload speeds and the reliability of said speeds tell the story here.

Any sports fan, live streamer, or gamer is going to want fast upload speeds because this means less lag. And less lag means no pausing during your NFL game or during your Roblox play. 

In general, Verizon’s Fios Home Internet will give you symmetrical download and upload speeds (meaning they’ll be the same). As you can see, Verizon’s minimum upload speed is 300 Mbps. 

Optimum, on the other hand, has a bit of an issue with upload speeds on its non-fiber plans. 

Customers on the non-fiber Gig speed plan will have just 35 Mbps upload speeds. That’s significantly (if not absurdly) lower than the 800+ Mbps you’ll see from fiber internet at that speed.

These sluggish upload speeds could end up being a deal breaker for people who need a reliable connection for gaming and video conferencing.

Verizon Fios Home Internet and Optimum Internet both have unlimited data caps. 

This means you can stream, game, browse the internet, scroll on social media, and use all of your smart devices for as many hours as you want with no consequences. 

Internet companies aren’t really known for their customer service expertise, but that doesn’t mean you should resign yourself to a purgatory of hold music and unhelpful web forums.

Verizon earned second place in customer service ratings for 2023 out of the top 15 internet service providers. Optimum, on the other hand, came in last on this list. 

That means if you have a problem you might have a harder time getting your questions answered, your problems solved, and your internet back online with Optimum. 

If you find yourself having issues with either company’s customer service, check out these nifty tips for getting customer service help from a real-life human being.

While both ISPs have something to offer, Verizon’s superior speeds and customer service give it the upper hand overall. But Optimum’s prices are definitely more budget-friendly.

• Best prices: Optimum’s prices are lower than Verizon’s by a good margin, especially when it comes to Gig speed plans. Optimum Internet ranges between $30–$265 per month for 300–8000Mbps download speeds. Verizon Fios Internet costs $50–$90 monthly for speeds of 300–2300Mbps. 
• Best performance: Verizon’s higher prices make more sense when you consider how much faster and reliable its service is for most customers. It has symmetrical speeds, meaning you'll receive equally high upload speeds for less lag during your stream.
• Best bundles: It’s a tie. Both Verizon and Optimum offer awesome savings when you bundle internet and mobile. 
• Best data caps: Another tie. Neither company gives you a limit on how much internet you can use each month. 
• Best customer service: Verizon’s customer service stands out in an industry that’s usually not known for actually helping its customers.