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 $60 (or $35 with a mobile plan) is a wildly good deal, no matter how you look at it. Check out our internet speed guide if you need help figuring out a good download speed. 

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 (with AutoPay) for a 300Mbps 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 $10 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). 

Bundle Optimum's 300 Mbps Internet plan with Optimum Mobile and pay $55 per month for 300Mbps download speeds and a 1GB mobile plan with unlimited talk and text. Or pay $25 more to get 1 Gig Internet with Mobile Unlimited.

Verizon's Mobile + Home Discount lets customers customize their packages with different services for discounts. When you pair your Verizon Fios Internet plan with one of Verizon’s 5G mobile plans (which start at $30 per line with AutoPay), you can get your internet service for $25 cheaper each month. 

So your 300 Mbps plan will lower from $50 with AutoPay to $35 per month with AutoPay, your 500 Mbps plan will go down to $45 with AutoPay from $70 with AutoPay, 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. 

Verizon’s Fios 300 Mbps, Fios 500 Mbps, and Fios 2 Gig plans will give you symmetrical download and upload speeds (meaning they’ll be the same). 

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 $40–$280 per month (or even as low as $35 per month with a mobile bundle) for 300–8000Mbps download speeds. Verizon Fios Internet costs $50–$110 monthly with AutoPay 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 also has plans with symmetrical speeds, meaning you'll receive equally high upload speeds for less lag during your stream.
• Best bundles: It’s a tie. Both Verizon's Mobile + Home Discount and Optimum's bundles offer awesome savings on 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.