Metronet’s fiber service stands out for speed and reliability, putting Spectrum at a distant second.
Metronet vs. Spectrum: Compare Plans and Prices
Very reliable service
Overall Quality ⁃ 3.8/5
4.0/5 - Speed and reliability
3.5/5 - Dollar value
4.0/5 - Customer experience
Fast and affordable
Overall Quality ⁃ 3.7/5
4.0/5 - Speed and reliability
3.8/5 - Dollar value
3.2/5 - Customer experience 
8 min readMetronet and Spectrum internet services have a few things in common, like affordable prices and fairly fast speeds. The big difference comes down to fiber. Metronet has it, and Spectrum doesn’t (aside from a few areas), putting Spectrum second in this matchup.
With Metronet, you get blazing-fast symmetrical download and upload speeds that range from 100Mbps–5Gbps, and cheap lower tier plans with the company’s promotional pricing. However, there are quite a few extra fees, some of which are unavoidable, and guaranteed price hikes locked in after the first year.
With Spectrum, you get a cable connection that starts at a fairly high 300Mbps download speed for $50 a month, and you can get up to 1Gbps $80 a month. Unfortunately, the speeds aren’t symmetrical, so you may have more problems with uploads, Zoom calls, and similar uses.
Speeds are also notably slower than both fiber competitors like Metronet and Google Fiber, and cable competitors like Cox and Xfinity. If you have the option, you’ll want to get Metronet.
“I’m willing to put up with a little hassle for the goal of having reliable, faster internet.” —P.J. Villaflor, Metronet customer in Des Moines
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Want to know if Metronet Internet or Spectrum Internet are available where you live? Run a search with your zip code below to find out.
Metronet Internet vs. Spectrum Internet: Plans, pricing, and speed
| Provider | | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per month |
$29.95-$109.95
|
$24.99-$79.99
|
| Download speeds | 100-5000 Mbps | 50-1000 Mbps* |
| Upload speeds | 100-5000 Mbps | Unspecified |
| 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.
Spectrum offers three plans: 300Mbps for $50 a month, 500Mbps for $70 a month, and 1,000Mbps for $80 a month. Speed tiers can vary slightly depending on the region. Certain customers live in areas with Spectrum’s ‘hybrid fiber coaxial network,” which offers fiber-to-the-home connections that offer speeds above 1Gbps. There are some arbitrary fees for Wi-Fi, an AutoPay discount, and a guaranteed $20 price hike after a year of service.
Metronet has affordable prices and multiple price tiers, ranging from 100Mbps for $30 a month to 5Gbps for $110 a month. These are introductory rates, though, and you can expect price increases around $10 a month after the promo pricing ends. There’s also an unavoidable $13 monthly Tech Assurance Fee, along with various optional fees.
“Spectrum needs to get rid of promo rates and drastically lower their regular rates to be competitive in areas with fiber.” —Reddit user teavoo
Metronet Internet vs. Spectrum Internet: 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 Metronet Internet and Spectrum Internet 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 Metronet Internet vs. Spectrum Internet
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 Metronet Internet and Spectrum Internet review.
Speed and reliability
Metronet Internet: 4.0/5.0 | Spectrum Internet: 4.0/5.0
If you’re in its Midwestern service area, Metronet should be your top choice. Metronet comes second only to Google Fiber in our Fastest Internet Providers report. As a fiber-optic internet service, it’s more reliable than a cable service, which can be impacted by other parts of the network. It offers fast, symmetrical download and upload speeds that range from 100Mbps to 5Gbps. The symmetrical speeds on every plan means that all upload-heavy tasks are easy to handle, including Zoom calls, livestream hosting, and playing VR games.
Spectrum is a solid choice if your options are limited, especially compared to any DSL option. It offers plans with three download speed options: 300Mbps, 500Mbps, and 1Gbps. Of course, your actual speeds may vary, especially over Wi-Fi.
Reviews.org speed test results revealed that the average Spectrum customer gets 140Mbps. That’s significantly slower than Metronet and fiber providers, but also slower than rival cable providers like Cox, Optimum, and Xfinity. Its speeds also aren’t symmetrical, so upload-heavy tasks may not be as quick or stable, but if you have a small or mid-sized household, the 300Mbps plan should be more than sufficient.
Dollar value
Metronet Internet: 3.5/5.0 | Spectrum Internet: 3.8/5.0
Spectrum slightly wins out in dollar value. Like many providers, it offers significant discounted promotion rates for the first year, with plans priced at $50 to $80 a month depending on speed. After the first year, you can expect a $20 price hike on all the plans. Fortunately, there are no data caps, annual contracts, or early cancellation fees, giving you room to negotiate with retention. There are some extra fees for self-install, along with a $5 monthly fee for Wi-Fi use, though you can avoid that by using your own router.
Metronet offers cheaper plans, especially for slower speeds like 100Mbps, where you can get it for as little as $30 a month. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this is promotional pricing that only lasts for 12 months, meaning there are guaranteed $10 price hikes in your future. You also have a mandatory $13 monthly Tech Assurance fee, along with a slew of optional fees. Student pricing is available, but it’s less of a discount than other providers, so in the long run, you may end up paying more.
Customer experience
Metronet Internet: 4.0/5.0 | Spectrum Internet: 3.2/5.0
Metronet handily wins in customer service, ranking above average in HighSpeedInternet.com’s customer satisfaction survey. Interviews Reviews.org conducted with customers found generally positive feedback, with customers praising the responsive customer service support during work hours.
You’re able to get support via text, phone, and the website chat, though the chat requires you to go through a bot that guides you through an exhaustive set of troubleshooting steps before finally connecting you with a human agent. Professional installation is the only stumble, with install taking anywhere from a few days to a few weeks and requiring someone 18 years of age or older to be present for the main installation day which can take several hours.
Spectrum customer service can be mixed. The provider ranks in the middle for customer service, price, and overall satisfaction in HighSpeedInternet.com’s 2023 customer satisfaction survey. It also scores below average in the 2022-2023 ACSI Telecommunications Study.
Customer reviews are equally mixed. One Spectrum user in New York City reports positive experiences and never suffering from outages, while another in St. Cloud, Minnesota, says you should hope you never need their help. Others also report dealing with pushy agents and unreliable support via the My Spectrum app.
Overall quality: Which internet provider should you pick?
Metronet Internet: 3.8/5.0 | Spectrum Internet: 3.7/5.0
Between Metronet and Spectrum, the choice is clear—pick Metronet. While overall score shows only a slight advantage, a closer look reveals that Metronet provides better speeds, more reliable connectivity, and stronger customer service support. As a fiber provider, Metronet can also guarantee symmetrical speeds, making video calls and working from home easier. Plans are also reasonably priced, especially for the lower speed tiers, even accounting for promotional pricing expiration and fees.
Spectrum comes a distant second to Metronet due to its limited fiber connectivity, but it’s not without upsides. Speeds are better than DSL plans, and cable connectivity is generally reliable. Upload speeds can vary widely, which may make certain tasks difficult. On the plus side, outages are infrequent and despite fees and price hikes, there are regular deals available.
Metronet Internet vs. Spectrum Internet: What deals and promotions can you get?
Like most service providers, Metronet offers various promotional signup offers that can lower the price of a year of service. New customers can also get a free Eero wireless router, and certain plans offer options to bundle internet and phone services.
Spectrum offers new customers a $100 Visa Rewards Card when they pick a plan of 300Mbps or faster. The plan also comes with a 90-day free trial of Peacock Premium. You also have the option to get a free unlimited mobile plan with Spectrum Mobile for one year.
$25 AutoPay Credit
Sign up for a 1Gbps service or higher, pay for at least 2 full months, and remain a customer for at least 12 months to get a $25/mo. AutoPay discount.
Free Unlimited Spectrum Mobile phone line
Sign up for a Spectrum Internet plan to get 12 months of a phone line for free. After the first year, the price is $29.99/mo.
Metronet Internet add-ons and perks
Sign up for the 2Gbps plan and get a $9.95/mo. discount for one year.
Sign up and pay for 2 full months of 1Gbps service or higher and remain customer for at least 1 year.
Sign up for an unlimited residential phone plan with internet, get $15/mo. price locked-in for 1 year.
Spectrum Internet add-ons and perks
Sign up for a qualifying internet plan.
Sign up for a 300Mbps plan or faster.
Sign up for AutoPay.
Metronet Internet vs. Spectrum Internet: What do customers think?
Fast and reliable fiber service, with some caveats
On average, Metronet customers like their fiber service, praising the reliable internet and fair pricing. Customers say they’re able to stream on multiple devices while working from home or uploading content because of the symmetrical speeds.
Krisy Borboa, one customer Reviews.org spoke with says she likes the speed across multiple devices, which allows her to use one TV, three phones, and two computers at the same time. She also mentions her previous provider, Optimum, and how she was put off by the frequent price changes and poor upload speeds. “We don’t have any problems with Metronet,” says Borboa.
Installation is a mixed bag, according to some customers, though. While Borboa didn’t have an issue with the fiber line burying process, describing it as “quick and easy,” another customer, P.J. Villaflor, had more issues. The line was cut shortly after installation, and it took several days to get fixed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t properly buried, so it required another repair after getting cut again.
Villaflor does say the issues aren’t going to deter him from Metronet. Despite the problems, he is satisfied with the service, the free Eero router, cashback for AutoPay, and even the upcoming price increases because it’s still cheaper than his old Mediacom plan.
“It provides a very cheap and reliable service. I don’t feel the need to even explore [other options] because I’m satisfied where I’m at.” —Zamero Reyez
Spectrum is often the best of limited options, but few like the customer service
It’s safe to say that most don’t love Spectrum’s service, but many customers consider it a necessity because it’s the only high-speed internet option in their area. One California-based customer compared it to a water company in terms of the monopoly it holds in their region.
“It’s been competent—and compulsory,” says Sean Huntley, a Spectrum customer in Glendale, California. Huntley subscribes to the top tier gigabit plan and typically registers around 400–500Mbps, which is definitely short of the advertised max speeds. Even so, Huntley says there’s plenty of bandwidth for downloading large video files, but uploads take longer.
Outages are rare, and another Spectrum customer in Los Angeles says that customer service responds quickly when there are problems. However, this seems to depend on the area. A Spectrum customer in St. Cloud experiencing daily summer outages in 2023 that took hours to fix, resulting in missed work Zoom calls. She’s now considering switching to Starlink, a satellite service.
Customers also criticize customer service for pushy sales tactics. When Sakia Anwar, a Spectrum customer in New York City, called about a service outage, she was stuck speaking with an upselling agent who tried to convince her to sign up for a cable TV plan. “I wanted to punch him in the throat,” she said after he kept persisting despite her telling him that she wasn’t interested three or four times.
“They seem to respond quickly and take care of problems pretty fast.” —Conrad Burnham
Want Metronet or Spectrum Internet? Find it in your area
Metronet offers fast speeds, reliable service, and fairly reasonable prices. And Spectrum Internet ain’t too shabby either. If you’re looking for a good internet provider, run a search with our zip check tool to see every ISP in your area.
Look for Metronet Internet service in your area.
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