Xfinity is more affordable, but Spectrum offers unlimited data.
Xfinity vs. Spectrum Internet: Which One Is Better?
Speed and reliability
4.3 / 5
Dollar value
3.8 / 5
Customer experience
3.3 / 5
Speed and reliability
4.0 / 5
Dollar value
3.8 / 5
Customer experience
3.2 / 5
10 min readXfinity and Spectrum are like two peas in a pod with their overall service. Both are cable providers that are available across the U.S., with high download speeds for decent introductory prices.
Xfinity is more affordable long-term, which is a good reason to pick Xfinity over Spectrum. The prices do increase after your first year or two, but not as much as Spectrum.
Both providers offer gigabit speeds, which is plenty of speed for a household that wants to stream shows, scroll through social media feeds, or download some big games.
Either way you go, you’re signing up for a cable service, which provides a reliable connection, although not as reliable as fiber. Read on to see how Xfinity and Spectrum compare on speed, cost, and overall customer experience.
“Based on reviews, I knew Xfinity was one of the best cable internet providers. We’ve never experienced throttling or outages.” –Chantel Buchi, Xfinity customer in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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Want to know if Xfinity or Spectrum are available where you live? Run a search with your zip code below to find out.
Xfinity Internet and Mobile Black Friday deal
Order Xfinity's 300Mbps Internet plan and get an Unlimited Mobile line—both for just $35/month for 12 months. (Valid through 12/3/2024)
Xfinity vs. Spectrum: Plans, pricing, and speed
| Provider |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Price per month | $9.95–$95 | $50–$70 |
| Download speeds | 50-1200 Mbps | 50-1000 Mbps* |
| Upload speeds | 10-35 Mbps | 4-35 Mbps |
| Details | View Plans | View Plans |
Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change. Data verified as of the article's publication date.
*
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.
Xfinity is a cable internet provider with plans that start with introductory pricing at $19.99 per month for 150Mbps and going up to $119 per month for the 1,200Mbps plan, depending on your location. The introductory offer lasts for the first 12–24 months, and afterwards, plans go up by $20 or more per month. Most new customers have to fork out $100 for a professional technician to come out and install the service, or in some cases pay up to $39.99 to install it yourself. Xfinity also offers the option to rent a xFi Gateway, which conveniently combines a modem and a router. This is sometimes offered for free for the first 12 months of your service, or $15 per month. Once you’ve got that all set up, you’re good to go.
During each month of service, you do need to be wary of the data cap of 1.2TB, but this is plenty for most people. If you do go over, there’s a $10 fee per 50GB of data you use, or you could just pay $30 ahead of time for unlimited data. Note that some plans come with a term contract, so you do need to pay a fee of $10 for each month left if you end your service earlier than you agreed to.
Spectrum is also a cable internet provider with a similar fee structure to Xfinity, but unlike Xfinity, Spectrum offers unlimited data. Speeds start at 500Mbps for a discounted introductory rate of $50 per month and go up to 1Gbps for $70 per month. The intro period lasts for 12–24 months and then can increase by $38–$48 per month. Depending on your plan, you may need to pay $65 for a one-time professional installation. Thankfully, there are no contracts, so you can cancel anytime without paying an early termination fee. Each plan also comes with a free modem, though you need to supply your own router—or rent one from Spectrum for an easy $7 per month.
“They’re very affordable, and if I’m having an issue, they’re very good about troubleshooting.” —Sakia Anwar, a Spectrum customer in Queens, New York
Xfinity 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 Xfinity 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 Xfinity 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 Xfinity review and Spectrum Internet review.
Also see Spectrum vs. Metronet
Speed and reliability
Xfinity: 4.3/5.0 | Spectrum Internet: 4.0/5.0
Xfinity offers fast speeds. The cable provider actually comes in third place in Reviews.org’s Fastest Internet Providers report, according to customers who ran our speed test. This is quite an impressive achievement, because it means that not only does Xfinity offer fast speeds on par with fiber providers, but it actually delivers those speeds in real life. On the other hand, some customers tell Reviews.org that service runs slower than expected. Unfortunately, you can never quite guarantee a totally smooth service with a cable provider.
Spectrum isn’t too shabby for speed either. Customers who took our speed test got an average of 140Mbps download speed. This isn’t the fastest, but it’s reasonable for one or two people in a household using the internet for streaming on different devices, playing games online, or even working from home. It’s a little disappointing because Spectrum offers 500Mbps as its lowest speed, so 140Mbps isn’t even close, but there’s a good chance that most people who took our speed test were on Wi-Fi rather than a wired connection, which has a better shot at hitting expected speeds.
Honestly, Xfinity and Spectrum aren’t too different speed-wise. Xfinity offers slightly higher speeds than Spectrum, but the difference is negligible. You might have better luck on Xfinity, but there are alot of compounding factors at play (e.g. location and quality of your modem and router), so either make a good option for speed.
Dollar value
Xfinity: 3.8/5.0 | Spectrum Internet: 3.8/5.0
Xfinity offers affordable prices for its plans, but only for the first 12–24 months or so. Monthly plan prices, modem rental, and self-installation are all different prices depending on your location, so you may need to pay more for the same plan than your uncle on the other side of the country. After the first 12–24 months pass, plans go up by $20 or more. This isn’t ideal, and some of the plans even come with term contracts, which incur a penalty of $10 for every month left on your contract if you cancel early.
Spectrum has more expensive plan prices for the same speed on Xfinity, but there are a few key bonuses such as cheaper self installation or professional installation, no early contract termination fees, and no data overage fees. The biggest con with Spectrum’s pricing is that after 12–24 months, monthly prices actually go up by $38 or more, which is a hefty price hike that might not be worth it to you for a cable service that’s more expensive than a fiber plan. Luckily, you can cancel anytime and switch to another provider or cheaper plan if you find the new price unaffordable.
When it comes to price, Xfinity is more affordable than Spectrum. However, both have their snags—they both introduce price increases after 12–24 months, Xfinity has extra fees, and Spectrum is more expensive to start with.
Customer experience
Xfinity: 3.3/5.0 | Spectrum Internet: 3.2/5.0
Xfinity customers have good and bad experiences. According to HighSpeedInternet.com's Customer Satisfaction Survey, Xfinity performs above average for overall customer satisfaction. However, one customer, Bridget Guterriez, thinks her Xfinity internet is slower than expected. Guterriez attempts to renegotiate her plan every year, but Xfinity doesn’t ever budge on giving her a deal. Since the provider is the only one available in her neighborhood in suburban Albuquerque, Xfinity has the upper hand. “They always say, ‘Oh, only this [plan] is available,’ and pretty much you don’t have a choice,” she says.
Other customers describe their interactions with customer service as fairly typical. “It’s just one of those sort of routine, run-of-the-mill experiences that doesn’t register as notable,” says Dylan Woolf, a customer in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Spectrum customers also have a range of experiences. A few customers tell Reviews.org that they’re happy with their service, but technical support needs work. “Just hope you don’t need help from customer service,” says Robyn Straw in St. Cloud, Minnesota. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, Spectrum actually scores a little higher than Xfinity on customer satisfaction, and has increased its score from the previous year. However, in HighSpeedInternet.com's Customer Service Satisfaction Survey, Spectrum has a more modest ranking, right in the middle for customer satisfaction, price, and customer service.
Both providers in this case have variable service and average customer service. There isn’t a clear winner for customer experience, but Xfinity may have a slightly more reliable service, which makes it a little bit more dependable than Spectrum on the day to day.
Overall quality: Which internet provider should you pick?
Xfinity: 3.8/5.0 | Spectrum Internet: 3.7/5.0 (average of previous scores)
Xfinity offers top speeds and good prices to start, though the provider does have some work to do when it comes to improving its customer service. It’s also annoying that prices get more expensive after you’ve been a customer for one to two years, which is a backwards way to treat a loyal customer, yet a very common practice among ISPs.
Spectrum is also a good provider with gigabit speed and discounted introductory rates. Spectrum does well to provide unlimited data, which means you can use the internet to your heart’s content instead of trying to keep tabs on your usage before you run out.
Xfinity and Spectrum are fairly similar when it comes to speed, dollar value, and customer experience. It’s hard to distinguish if one is clearly better than the other because each provides fast speeds and cheaper intro rates. If you had to choose between them, Xfinity is a better choice, because its month-to-month fees are lower, and price increases are also lower once that intro period ends. Even though Xfinity doesn’t include unlimited data with the monthly plan price, most households will find the 1.2TB of data enough for their needs.
Xfinity vs. Spectrum Internet: What deals and promotions can you get?
Xfinity’s best deal is its discounted plan prices for the first 12–24 months. You can get 300Mbps download speed for only $35 per month, which is a steal.
Spectrum also has good bundle deals. If you sign up for any Spectrum Internet plan, you get your first 12 months of mobile for free. That’s a year without paying a phone bill.
Read our Master Haggler’s Guide to Cheap Internet to get more bang for your buck on your Spectrum plan.
Get 300Mbps internet for $35 per month for a year.
Sign up for Xfinity internet and get a sweet introductory rate.
Xfinity add-ons and perks
Sign up for the 150Mbps plan and Xfinity mobile.
Sign up for a 300–1,000Mbps plan and Xfinity Mobile.
Sign up for the 1,200Mbps plan and Xfinity Mobile.
Pay $30/mo. for unlimited data to your plan for customer-owned modems.
Sign up for the X1 add-on.
Download the app after signing up for an Xfinity service, and log in with your Xfinity ID.
Join through your Xfinity account after signing up for an Xfinity service.
Spectrum Internet add-ons and perks
Add Spectrum Voice to your internet plan
Add TV to your internet plan.
Add an eligible TV service to your internet plan
Xfinity vs. Spectrum Internet: What do customers think?
Xfinity customers have mixed experiences on speed and plan deals
Xfinity customers have mixed thoughts on how the provider performs. “What I need it for, it works. I just don’t think about it that much,” says Dylan Woolf, an Xfinity customer in Salt Lake City, Utah. “I have had a couple outages, but they’re so infrequent that I don’t generally notice them.” Another customer, Rachel Marsden, had a great experience with Xfinity at her old home, but the service took a nose dive after she moved to Farmington, Utah, just a few miles away. “We have an outage at least once or twice a month, which impacts my ability to work from home."
Xfinity’s deals are also tricky to get if you’re not a brand new customer. Long-term customers feel like they aren’t getting rewarded for staying with the provider, so Bill Holmes, a customer in Connecticut, told Reviews.org that he canceled his service and got his wife to sign up again. “She’s a brand new customer, so we got a two-year [deal] for $39.99 a month,” he said.
“What I need it for, it works. I just don’t think about it that much.” —Dylan Woolf, an Xfinity customer in Utah
Spectrum customers report lower than expected speeds and poor customer service
Most Spectrum customers agree that they signed up for the service because there were no better options. “Spectrum was the only service provider that offered anything faster than 100Mbps download,” says Sean Huntley, a documentary producer who lives in Glendale, California with his girlfriend, Alex Brown. Huntley and Brown both work in the film industry, so they signed up for a gigabit internet plan so they could work with large files easily. In reality, their speeds are around 400–500Mbps—much lower than expected. It still works for the most part. “What, are you going to go to a different water company? It’s a water company.”
Several customers we talked to have also had bad experiences with customer service. “I told him three or four times, ‘No, I am not interested,’ and he just would not stop,” says Sakia Anwar, who called technical support because an outage occurred while she was working from home. Instead of being met with assistance, the agent used the call as an opportunity to sell her a cable TV plan. “I think he was reading off a script or something … I wanted to punch him in the throat.”
Another customer, Robyn Straw, experienced daily outages in the summer of 2023 at her home. “It’s not very customer friendly,” she explains. It would take hours each time to fix, and because of it, she missed multiple work calls over Zoom.
“What, are you going to go to a different water company? It’s a water company.” –Sean Huntley, regarding his Spectrum Internet service
Want Xfinity or Spectrum? Find it in your area
Xfinity is a slightly better choice than Spectrum, but both providers offer fast speeds for discounted intro prices. Find out if they’re available by checking out our tool below and typing in your zip code.
Find the best plans on Xfinity or Spectrum in your area.
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