Spectrum technically scores higher for many customers, but if you have access to Kinetic fiber, it’s the better choice.
Kinetic by Windstream vs. Spectrum Internet: Why Kinetic Fiber Is Better for Home Internet
Fiber connection
Overall Quality ⁃ 3.0/5
3.0/5 - Speed and reliability
3.0/5 - Dollar value
3.0/5 - Customer experience
Wider availability
Overall Quality ⁃ 3.7/5
4.0/5 - Speed and reliability
3.8/5 - Dollar value
3.2/5 - Customer experience 
8 min readThere’s no obvious winner between Kinetic and Spectrum, and the better choice for your needs depends on where you live. For many customers, Spectrum offers a more consistent and reliable connection. However, if you have access to Kinetic by Windstream’s fiber service, it’s a better way to go.
In this comparison, we specifically talk about Kinetic’s fiber internet, and not its DSL service. With Kinetic’s fiber options, you get superfast download speeds and highly reliable service.
Spectrum largely limits you to cable connectivity. However, there is some hope that Spectrum will offer more fiber soon. Customers we spoke to with fiber provided by Kinetic love the service, noting a reliable connection with great speeds.
Read on for our full comparison between Kinetic by Windstream and Spectrum.
“I am very happy with Kinetic so far,” gushes one fiber customer who spoke to us over Reddit. “The speeds are better than advertised.”
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Want to know if Kinetic by Windstream or Spectrum are available where you live? Run a search with your zip code below to find out.
Kinetic by Windstream vs. Spectrum: Plans, pricing, and speed
| Provider | | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per month |
$39.99-$99.99
|
$24.99-$79.99
|
| Download speeds | 50-2000 Mbps | 50-1000 Mbps* |
| Upload speeds | 50-2000 Mbps | 50-1000 Mbps* |
| Details | View Plans | View Plans |
Data as of 04/05/2023. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
*
Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.
Kinetic by Windstream starts at a lower price than Spectrum and offers options for higher speeds. With Kinetic, you can get a 300Mbps fiber plan for as little as $39.99, as long as autopay is enabled. Download speeds go up to 2,000Mbps, which costs $99.99. Spectrum offers fast plans too. Its slowest speed is also advertised as offering 300Mbps; however, on Spectrum, it costs $49.99 per month. Plans speed up from there to 1,000Mbps for $79.99 per month.
On top of being cheaper and faster, Kinetic by Windstream’s plans use fiber-optic infrastructure, making them likely to be more reliable and offer faster upload speeds. Spectrum’s plans are delivered over cable, and as a result, they get slow upload speeds that max out at 35Mbps.
“They’re very affordable, and if I’m having an issue, they’re very good about troubleshooting,” says Sakia Anwar, a Spectrum customer in Queens, New York
Kinetic by Windstream vs. Spectrum: Fees for modem and installation
What makes this review legit?
Our fact-based research process centers on interviews with internet customers across the country, helping us understand how internet services hold up against diverse needs and challenges.
To put together this review, we looked at results from our speed test, pulled data from customer satisfaction surveys, and pored over the fine print to compare prices and speeds between the two providers. To flesh out our analysis, we also interviewed Kinetic by Windstream and Spectrum customers to get their firsthand insights. We let their experiences guide our research and shape our conclusions. We also speak with ISP spokespeople and industry experts to get insights into connection types, speed capabilities, and other technical issues related to internet service.
The matchup: How we rate Kinetic by Windstream vs. Spectrum
For all our internet reviews, we give a rating based on three main criteria—speed and reliability, dollar value, and customer experience—which we then average to make an overall score.
Here, we compare those ratings face to face. We then offer some analysis and context for important factors to keep in mind.
Want to know more? Read our full-length Kinetic by Windstream review and Spectrum review.
Speed and reliability
Kinetic by Windstream: 3.0/5.0 | Spectrum: 4.0/5.0
Overall, Spectrum technically offers more when it comes to the speed and reliability category. However, that comes down to the way we calculate our scores. Our Kinetic by Windstream score is calculated based on all of the company’s services, including its inferior DSL. Considering that we’re only discussing its fiber services in this piece, the score is misleading. It’s likely the better option when it comes to speed and reliability. Our speed results show that the average Spectrum customer gets speeds of 140Mbps. That’s slower than the vast majority of fiber providers out there, and almost certainly slower than what you get from Kinetic’s fiber services.
That’s especially true when it comes to upload speeds. Spectrum offers upload speeds of up to only 35Mbps, while Kinetic by Windstream’s fiber plans offer symmetrical download and upload speeds of up to 2,000Mbps. If you livestream or need to upload video files regularly, you want better upload speeds than Spectrum can provide.
According to HighSpeedInternet.com’s 2023 Customer Satisfaction Survey of national providers, Spectrum is slightly more reliable than Kinetic by Windstream, but only by a little. That again takes into account all of Spectrum and Windstream’s services. When you remove Kinetic’s DSL plans, Kinetic would probably come out on top, considering the fact that fiber, in general, offers a more reliable connection. As a whole, Spectrum is slightly more reliable—but again, you’re likely to get better reliability from Kinetic by Windstream’s fiber plans.
Dollar value
Kinetic by Windstream: 3.0/5.0 | Spectrum: 3.8/5.0
Spectrum technically offers better dollar value compared to Kinetic by Windstream as a whole. However, Kinetic’s fiber plans offer better value than Spectrum’s plans.
Kinetic by Windstream’s plans start at $39.99 for 300Mbps, while Spectrum’s start at $49.99 for the same speeds. Both providers charge fees for miscellaneous things. Kinetic by Windstream charges $10.99 per month for a modem router, while Spectrum charges only $5 per month. However, Spectrum charges for self-installation, while Kinetic doesn’t—and Spectrum’s professional installation fee is higher. Thankfully, neither of these two services imposes data caps on their customers.
You might experience rate increases with both of them. Kinetic by Windstream’s prices go up after 12–24 months, depending on the plan. Spectrum’s prices go up by $20 after the first 12 months. Thankfully, neither of the two impose contracts on their customers, so you won’t run into any cancellation fees if you decide that your plan isn’t for you anymore when the prices are about to go up.
Despite the extra fees that both of these providers impose, Kinetic’s fiber plans still offer better value overall.
Customer experience
Kinetic by Windstream: 3.0/5.0 | Spectrum: 3.2/5.0
Neither of these providers fare extremely well when it comes to customer experience overall. The ACSI rates Kinetic by Windstream at 70 in customer satisfaction, which is a little better than the industry average of 66. Spectrum, on the other hand, scored 64, or slightly below average. However, HighSpeedInternet.com’s survey put Windstream below average and Spectrum as exactly average. All this to say, you’re not going to get stellar customer service on either Kinetic by Windstream or Spectrum.
While neither of these two companies definitely offer excellent service when you do run into a problem, you may encounter issues less often with Kinetic’s fiber plans. Fiber, in general, offers more reliable connectivity than the cable connection that Spectrum offers. Some Spectrum customers may get partial fiber connectivity that still uses cable somewhere in the pipeline. While this won’t radically improve speeds, it may improve reliability a little.
Overall quality: Which internet provider should you pick?
Our scores rate a provider as a whole. As you can see, Spectrum on average offers a better service than Kinetic by Windstream. However, this includes Kinetic’s DSL plans, which we don’t consider in this comparison. If you have Kinetic by Windstream’s fiber service in your area, it offers a more reliable and faster connection than Spectrum’s cable internet.
Spectrum’s plans aren’t terrible. They’re reasonably fast and decently priced. But until Spectrum implements fiber-to-the-home connectivity, it just can’t compete with a fiber provider like Kinetic by Windstream.
Kinetic by Windstream vs. Spectrum: What deals and promotions can you get?
Kinetic by Windstream sometimes offers additional deals that will save you money or score you perks when you sign up. Currently, the service is offering a $100 prepaid MasterCard to those who sign up for Windstream.
Spectrum offers a range of decent deals. New Spectrum customers can get a $100 Visa Rewards Card when signing up for a plan with 300Mbps speeds or faster. Additionally, Spectrum is offering a 90-day trial of Peacock Premium. Those who sign up for a Spectrum internet plan can also get a free unlimited mobile plan on Spectrum Mobile for one year.
Free Unlimited Spectrum Mobile line
Sign up to a qualifying Spectrum internet plan and get a free unlimited Spectrum Mobile plan for one year.
Kinetic by Windstream add-ons and perks
Sign up with Kinetic for free for the first three months, then $14.99/mo.
Pay a minimum of $84.99/mo. To add 190 channels and thousands of on-demand titles to your plan.
Spectrum add-ons and perks
Sign up to a qualifying Spectrum internet plan
Sign up for a 300Mbps plan or faster
Sign up for Autopay
Kinetic by Windstream vs. Spectrum: What do customers think?
As a whole, Kinetic customers find their service to be slightly hit and miss. However, the Kinetic fiber customers that we spoke to have had good experiences overall. “I haven't talked to Windstream customer service in the last 12 months. That says a lot about the quality of their data line,” says Peter, an IT administrator in Sugar Land, Texas.
Not every customer is thrilled, though. One customer we spoke to was forced into using Kinetic instead of Spectrum when he found out that Spectrum’s service ended half a mile down the road. "I have no other provider, too, so I'm essentially captive,” says Ron Ames, a Kinetic customer since 2019. “Not even cellular wireless is available to me."
Still, others have had bad experiences with Kinetic’s customer service representatives. “They lie about their service, their speeds, their price. We were told in 2016 we would have fiber within the year,” says Mikayla, a small business owner in Bent, New Mexico. “We still don't have it today, and later found out that Windstream never had any plans to bring fiber to our neighborhood.”
Again, most of the customers we spoke to who had negative things to say were not fiber customers —and your experience will more likely be positive if you do get Kinetic fiber.
“Overall, still much better than Xfinity.” —Peter, a Kinetic fiber customer in Sugar Land, Texas
As a more traditional internet service provider, Spectrum’s overall customer experience isn’t necessarily stellar. Many customers that we spoke to only use Spectrum because they have no other options in their area. This is not uncommon for cable internet providers.
“Spectrum was the only service provider that offered anything faster than 100Mbps download,” says Sean Huntley, a Spectrum customer who lives in Glendale, California.
A number of customers report not getting the speeds that were advertised to them, despite paying for those speeds. Huntley, for example, usually achieves speeds between 400–500Mbps, despite paying for a 1,000Mbps plan. Still, Huntly says that he and his girlfriend are generally happy, finding outages infrequent. “It’s been competent—and compulsory,” Huntley jokes.
That’s not true for everyone, though. One customer we spoke to recently experienced an outage, only to find themselves stuck on the phone with a customer service agent trying to upsell them. “I told him three or four times, ‘No, I am not interested,’ and he just would not stop,” New York Spectrum customer Sakia Anwar tells us. “I think he was reading off a script or something. He was like, ‘Oh, okay, thank you for your feedback,’ and he would keep going on. I wanted to punch him in the throat.”
"Spectrum is competent—and compulsory." —Sean Huntley
Want Kinetic by Windstream or Spectrum? Find it in your area
If you have Kinetic by Windstream fiber in your area you can get faster speeds and better service overall. Otherwise, Spectrum may be the better option.
Find Kinetic, Spectrum, and every other internet provider in your area by putting in your zip code below.
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