The best provider for you is the one that offers fiber in your area—and if they both do, you should go for Cox.
Kinetic by Windstream vs. Cox
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 ⁃ 3.6/5
3.6/5 - Speed and reliability
3.3/5 - Dollar value
3.8/5 - Customer experience 
7 min readKinetic by Windstream and Cox both have a lot to offer, especially when it comes to their fiber offerings. That said, Cox is the better option for most customers, and those who have access to Cox fiber should go for it over Kinetic by Windstream. That’s especially true for those who have Cox’s full fiber-to-home connection, though things get a little more complicated for Cox’s partial “fiber-powered” service.
That’s not to say that Kinetic by Windstream should be ignored though—and in fact, if Kinetic offers fiber in your area and Cox doesn’t, you should go for Kinetic instead. We’re only going to discuss Kinetic’s fiber plans in this piece—Windstream offers DSL plans, while Kinetic by Windstream is a fiber provider. Neither of the two providers are perfect, and they both have their downsides. But, they’re both solid options, and if you can get fiber access, you’ll get super-fast speeds and good reliability.
“Overall, I'd say the service is pretty good and dependable.” —Cox customer M. J. Stevens
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Want to know if Kinetic by Windstream or Cox are available where you live? Run a search with your zip code below to find out.
Kinetic by Windstream vs. Cox: Plans, pricing, and speed
| Provider | |  |
|---|---|---|
| Price per month |
$39.99-$99.99
|
$9.95-$150
|
| Download speeds | 50-2000 Mbps | 100-2000 Mbps |
| Upload speeds | 50-2000 Mbps | 5-100 Mbps |
| Details | View Plans | View Plans |
Data as of 04/05/2023. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
Kinetic by Windstream’s fiber plans are reasonably quick, with the slowest plan offering download speeds of 300Mbps. Plans range up from there—technically Kinetic offers plans up to 8,000Mbps, but that’s barely available, and effectively, its plans range up to 2,000Mbps. That’s still very fast, and with symmetrical download and upload speeds, most will find that Kinetic is easily fast enough for their needs.
Cox’s internet plans get pretty quick too, though. Its slowest plan offers 100Mbps download speeds, which isn’t blazingly fast like Kinetic or Cox’s faster plans. But its plans also reach up to 2,000Mbps, subject to availability. Given the fact that Cox often relies on cable infrastructure, its upload speeds are much slower than Kinetic’s—sometimes as slow as 5Mbps. If you do manage to get onto a Cox fiber plan, you’ll also get symmetrical download and upload speeds. Cox’s plans are more expensive than Kinetic’s though.
“I am very happy with Kinetic so far,” gushed one fiber customer who spoke to us over Reddit. “The speeds are better than advertised.”
Kinetic by Windstream vs. Cox: 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 Cox 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. Cox
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 Cox review.
Speed and reliability
Kinetic by Windstream: 3/5.0 | Cox: 3.6/5.0
Kinetic by Windstream and Cox offer similarly fast speeds. When it comes to plans that are widely available, they both offer up to 2,000Mbps, with symmetrical download and upload speeds. These are the fiber plans on offer by the two, though—and many of Cox’s plans are either fully cable or hybrid cable-fiber connections. Kinetic by Windstream’s slowest fiber plan is 300Mbps, and it also has symmetrical download and upload speeds, however, Cox’s slower plans are cable-based and have much slower upload speeds.
So why does Cox get a better score here if its plans can be much slower? We took Windstream as a whole for our numerical ratings, which includes Windstream’s slower DSL plans—which we are not considering in this comparison. That really brings down its score. In fact, Kinetic probably offers better speed and reliability than Cox, considering that Cox imposes a data cap of 1.25TB on all of its plans unless you pay $49.99 per month for no data caps. While it’s unlikely you have access to fiber plans from both Kinetic by Windstream and Cox, if you do, Kinetic by Windstream’s lack of data cap makes it more compelling when it comes to speed and reliability. Of course, Kinetic’s fiber plans are also faster and more reliable than Cox’s cable plans.
Dollar value
Kinetic by Windstream: 3/5.0 | Cox: 3.3/5.0
DSL plans also bring down Kinetic’s score when it comes to dollar value—and when you compare Kinetic plans to Cox, you’ll find that they’re actually cheaper. Kinetic’s slowest plan, which has 300Mbps speeds, comes at $39.99, while Cox’s 250Mbps plan costs $70 per month. The fastest Cox plan, with speeds of 2,000Mbps, costs $150 per month, which is $50 more than the $99.99 2000Mbps Kinetic plan.
Both internet providers charge extra fees though. They both charge you for modem/router rental ($10.99 for Kinetic and $10 for Cox), and they both charge for professional installation—with Cox’s fee at an expensive $100. They also both raise rates after a promotional period ends. Kinetic by Windstream customers can expect to pay more after one or two years, depending on their plan—though the exact amount depends on the service area. Cox also raises its rates, and it’ll charge you if you go over the 1.25TB data cap – at a hefty $10 per 50GB. Most won’t get close to those data caps, but if you use a lot of data, it’s still worth keeping data overages in mind.
Customer experience
Kinetic by Windstream: 3/5.0 | Cox: 3.8/5.0
Neither Kinetic by Windstream nor Cox offer a stellar customer experience, but overall, Cox’s customer experience is better. We spoke to a number of customers from both Kinetic and Cox, including companies from both companies that find customer service to be lacking. HighSpeedInternet.com’s 2023 customer satisfaction survey indicates Cox scores higher than Windstream in customer satisfaction, however the ACSI ranked Kinetic by Windstream as scoring higher.
Kinetic once again gets a lower score because of its subpar DSL connection, and actually, when it comes to Kinetic by Windstream’s fiber plans, customer satisfaction seems higher than Cox. Still, overall, Cox seems to do better when it comes to customer satisfaction.
Overall quality: Which internet provider should you pick?
The provider that’s better for you has more to do with the type of service that’s available in your area. Ultimately, go for whichever offers fiber plans in your region. However, if you have access to Kinetic by Windstream, it’s probably a better option, considering the lower price and lack of data cap.
That’s not to say that Cox fiber plans are low-quality though—they still offer blazingly fast speeds and are better than cable plans out there. The last possibility is that you have access to a Cox cable plan and no fiber plans, and in that case, most should find Cox to be perfectly fine.
Kinetic by Windstream vs. Cox: What deals and promotions can you get?
Both Kinetic by Windstream and Cox offer some deals worth considering. For example, Kinetic by Windstream is offering customers a $100 prepaid Mastercard, while Cox offers discounts to those willing to bundle with a Cox Mobile service.
Get $100 when you sign up to Windstream
Sign up to a plan from Kinetic by Windstream and get a $100 prepaid Mastercard.
Kinetic by Windstream add-ons and perks
Free for three months, then $14.99 per month
Pay a minimum of $84.99/mo. to get 190 channels and thousands of on-demand titles
Kinetic by Windstream vs. Cox: What do customers think?
Kinetic by Windstream customers give points for fast speeds and reliable tech support
Kinetic by Windstream fiber customers express generally positive feelings about their internet service, noting that they’ve found their connectivity to be fast and reliable.
Peter, an IT administrator in Sugar Land, Texas, noted not having to talk to customer service all that much. “I haven't talked to Windstream customer service in the last 12 months. That says a lot about the quality of their data line,” he says.
Other Kinetic customers were even positive about the installation experience. One customer we spoke to on Reddit says: “My Windstream install tech was great.” According to the customer, when they pushed back about unnecessary equipment, the technician did some quick research and agreed that the equipment wasn’t needed—instead of insisting he was right.
Most of the customers we spoke to that have had negative experiences with Windstream had these experiences as customers of its DSL service—not the fiber service we discuss in this piece. “They lie about their service, their speeds, their price,” says one DSL customer, Mikayla, a small business owner in Bent, New Mexico. “We were told in 2016 we would have fiber within the year. We still don't have it today and later found out that Windstream never had any plans to bring fiber to our neighborhood.”
“Overall, still much better than Xfinity.” —Peter, a Kinetic by Windstream customer in Sugar Land, Texas
Some Cox customers don’t like the prices
We spoke to Cox customers around the country, and found that they had generally positive experiences with Cox. This is somewhat surprising given the fact that Cox largely relies on cable connections rather than fiber-to-the-home connections.
Isaac Chandler is an e-sports lounge manager in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who notes that he doesn’t love Cox service. Chandler thinks the price of his service is too high, and notes that he’s experienced outages relatively frequently. Despite these issues, he still seems largely positive about the service.
"It's pretty easy to set up and doesn’t require any weird cabling,” he says. He’s also had positive experiences with customer service reps: “They solve my problems pretty quickly.”
Other customers also note that Cox is a little expensive. Longtime Cox customer M.J. Stevens finds that it doesn’t offer great value for money. "But I still do it because I get everything I need with a minimum of fuss and bother," he explains.
“It's pretty easy to set up and doesn't require any weird cabling.” —Isaac Chandler, Cox customer in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Want Kinetic by Windstream or Cox? Find it in your area
If you have access to Kinetic by Windstream fiber, it’s the best option—though Cox fiber still offers great service, followed by Cox cable. Find services from Kinetic by Windstream and Cox with your zip code below.
Find Kinetic by Windstream or Cox in your area.
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