Xfinity vs. Optimum Internet: Which Internet Provider Is Better?

Xfinity and Optimum are marginally different in terms of monthly price, but Xfinity does let you keep promo rates for 24 months (12 months on the 150Mbps plan) opposed to Optimum’s 12-month intro period. This delays your price hike for a year, but choosing your internet is usually a long-term decision. In the end, you’re still going to have to face a price increase with both providers. 

Xfinity gives new customers a good deal to start, but after 12 or 24 months, prices go up by $20 to $40, and are subject to change. Unfortunately, price hikes are a fairly common practice among internet providers. You also don’t get unlimited data with Xfinity, but the data cap is so high (1.2TB monthly) that it’s unlikely that you will ever need to pay for extra or unlimited data unless you’re going to download hundreds of movies or stream 4K videos all day long, everyday. 

Optimum is fairly similar to Xfinity, but offers more plans if you’re willing to fork out for the super-fast, super-expensive multi-gig plans. Optimum has price hikes after your first 12 months of service by $10 to $30 per month. You might not find the price increase worth it on cable because the service isn’t always reliable and speeds can be below expected.

You could always try negotiating with Optimum or Xfinity customer service to haggle down your plan price, but we’ve heard that those who live in areas with multiple competing providers are successful, versus those who only have one viable option. Josh Michael, a non-profit director and long-term Optimum customer in Brooklyn, says that approach worked for him when he called customer service and threatened to change to Verizon Fios. “Once I got to somebody in the right role, they were perfectly happy to honor the promotional price,” he says.

Xfinity customers have mixed experiences, but on a whole, they get more positive reviews than Optimum. One customer told Reviews.org that he hasn't needed to reach out to Xfinity customer support for any technical issues and mostly gets a smooth experience. Another customer figured out a handy hack that allowed him to extend his Xfinity promo rates for several years.

Some customers aren’t happy about Xfinity simply because of its poor brand reputation. Others struggle to get deals but can’t: Albuquerque resident Bridget Guterriez has tried to renegotiate her contract, to no success. “They always say, ‘Oh, only this [plan] is available,’ and pretty much you don’t have a choice,” she says. This may be due to the fact that Xfinity is the only high-speed internet provider available in her neighborhood.

Optimum, on the other hand, gets consistently low ratings for customer service. Several customers tell Reviews.org that outages are common and speeds are far slower than what they pay for. Getting a technician to come out and fix any issues costs $80 each time, so there’s not a big incentive to fix problems when they arise. It can also be difficult to get issues resolved through the customer service phone line or chat, although you could try getting Optimum’s attention on Twitter/X. 

It’s best to opt for Xfinity if you want a provider you can count on for fast speeds and reliable service. For a cable provider, Xfinity delivers impressive speeds at a price that doesn’t break the bank. Most users will find that it gets the job done just fine. The price hikes aren’t ideal, but if you’re on a plan 300Mbps or higher, you don’t need to face those until 24 months have passed.

Optimum doesn’t have the happiest customers, but if you can get fiber, you should get Optimum. Otherwise, the cable plans are fast and affordable at first, but with the company’s reputation for underperforming on speed and service, you may end up feeling that you’re not getting what you paid for.