Cheapest Internet and Wi-Fi Providers

Getting a cheap internet plan starts by picking the right provider. But it doesn’t end there. Here are some tips for getting a good price on your internet plan and keeping your bill low in the long run.

• Compare prices: You should always check every plan available at your address before making a choice (use the zip finder above to see them all).
• Look for bundle deals: You can save a lot of money when you bundle multiple services—like mobile and internet—together with the same company.
• Don’t pay for too much speed: Everyone wants fast internet. But you don’t want to be paying for speed that you don’t actually use.
• Buy your own equipment: Equipment rental fees can stack up really fast. But a one-time upfront payment for a quality modem and/or Wi-Fi router can save you money and boost your internet performance.
• Look for discounts and programs: Many ISPs have discounts for students, seniors, veterans, and other customers. Also, government programs like the ACP can help low-income Americans pay their internet bill.
• Negotiate: As we explain in our article on lowering your internet bill, you might be able to get a cheaper internet price if you’re willing to haggle.
• Keep your eye on deals: ISPs are always running new deals with special perks to entice customers. In fact, we’ll highlight some of the best internet deals right here.

We’re keeping track of all the best internet deals every month in a dedicated article. But here’s a little sneak peak of some of the most impressive discounts and perks on offer right now.

• Sign up for Xfinity’s 150Mbps internet plan for just $19.99 a month.
• Get $150 in reward cards when you sign up for an AT&T fiber internet plan.
• Get a free Chromebook or Nintendo Switch, a $300 Target gift card, and a five year price lock, when you sign up for Verizon Fios 1 or 2 Gig plans.
• Get $200 when you switch to T-Mobile 5G Home Internet.

Fiber internet service gives you the best overall performance, period. It offers faster download speeds than cable internet, unparalleled reliability, and symmetrical upload speeds (which are important for activities like Zooming into a work meeting).

The one issue with fiber is the cost. But with AT&T Fiber Internet, you won’t even have to worry about that. AT&T’s fiber plans are among the cheapest and most widely available in the industry. You can get started with an incredibly fast plan for just $55 a month.

Here’s a closer look at all of AT&T’s fiber internet plans.

All AT&T’s fiber plans are contract free. None of them require pesky start-up or installation fees. You’ll just have to pay an additional $10 a month if you want to rent a modem and Wi-Fi equipment, but that’s pretty standard.

AT&T often runs some amazing deals that can save you even more. For example, you can cut down on your monthly bill by bundling with AT&T-owned DIRECTV packages or signing up for an eligible AT&T Wireless plan. And right now the company is offering to cover the cost of any cancellation fees you have with your old provider, so you can switch without worrying about your existing contract.

When you compare what AT&T is offering to the competition it offers more bang for your buck in almost every instance. While it’s true that in certain areas you can find better promotional prices on fiber internet from Frontier, that company’s fiber network is limited to a few very specific metro areas.

But the best way to see if AT&T’s cheap internet plans are the best in your neighborhood is to compare them directly with this nifty tool.

Xfinity is one of the biggest internet service providers in the country. As our in-depth review of the company reveals, customers have mixed opinions about Xfinity. Some are unhappy about customer service and occasional outages.

But there’s one thing that Xfinity does really well: Cheap prices on high-speed plans. If you don’t live in an area with a good fiber internet provider—like Google or AT&T—then Xfinity is one of the best options for big households that have a lot of devices (and don’t want to pay over $100 a month for internet).

Here’s a quick breakdown of Xfinity’s cheap internet plans.

As you can see, Xfinity’s cheap cable internet plans start at just $20 a month. Most customers will probably want to pay a little more to get up to the 200–400Mbps speed range, but even then the prices are very reasonable. Just be aware that your prices will go up with Xfinity after the first two years of service. Those price hikes can be quite dramatic in some cases.

Personally, I’ve been on Xfinity’s 400Mbps plan, and it works great in a household with 5–6 devices using the internet simultaneously. In my region of the Northeast, Xfinity’s 400Mbps is actually only $45 a month. However, after the initial two years of low-priced service, I might opt to change to another provider to avoid the price hike.

You will have to watch out for certain fees with Xfinity, like a $100 professional installation fee (which is waived if you self-install) and a $15/mo. modem and Wi-Fi router rental fee (which you can skip if you buy your own equipment). Also, in certain areas Xfinity has a 1.2 TB data limit on its plans. That’s more data than most people need, but if you’re a very online household, it might be a dealbreaker.

Besides these already low introductory prices, Xfinity offers some excellent deals when you bundle up with mobile and TV services. In fact, the company tops the list of our favorite internet and mobile bundles.

You might know T-Mobile as a cell phone carrier. But in the last few years, T-Mobile has actually become one of the biggest home internet providers in the U.S. The company’s 5G Home Internet service offers a cheap and very convenient way to get a high-speed connection in many parts of the country. 

T-Mobile boasts that its home internet service covers more than 40 million homes in 40 states. T-Mobile offers the same basic plan in all areas. It comes with 72–245Mbps download speeds and 15–31Mbps upload speeds, making it ideal for students, couples, and small families.

T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet plan used to cost just $50 a month. Recently, T-Mobile hiked it up to $60 a month, but that price tag includes Wi-Fi equipment rental and all other fees. Plus, you can get a steep discount if you’re on a qualifying T-Mobile Wireless plan.

Those who have a Go5G Next, Go5G Plus or Magenta MAX phone plan with T-Mobile can get 5G Home Internet for just $40 a month. Those on other T-Mobile unlimited plans will pay $50 a month.

Compared to similarly priced cable and fiber internet plans, T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet plan is slow. But it’s easy to install and it’s available in many areas where other high-speed internet options are limited. This means T-Mobile probably isn’t ideal for folks in major metropolitan areas, but it can be the perfect cheap internet plan for rural areas.

Astound Broadband is one of the cheapest internet and Wi-Fi providers, if not the cheapest. At least, its promotional prices are the lowest. You can get a 300Mbps plan for just $25 a month with Astound! That is, we hate to say it, astounding.

But there are a few things that can be confusing about Astound internet service. For one, the company operates under several different names in different regions, such as Astound Broadband, Powered by RCN and Astound Broadband, Powered by Grande. It also offers different plans in different regions.

The best way to see the Astound plans available in your area is to use our zip code tool here. But we’ll also include some of the company’s most broadly available cheap internet plans in the chart below.

Plans and prices vary for Astound depending on service area, so the exact prices listed above may not apply where you live. Search your zip code with our zip code tool below to get the most accurate readout of plan options from Astound.

Another thing that you have to watch out for with Astound is price hikes. The company’s promotional prices are, let’s be honest, too good to be true. After your first promo period is up, your prices will increase. Luckily, there are no contracts, so you’re free to switch to another provider or try to negotiate your price back down.

You should also consider Astound’s extra fees before signing up. There’s a one-time $10 activation fee, something called a Network Access and Maintenance Fee, and equipment rental fees for modem and Wi-Fi equipment. While some of these are standard, it could push your $25 a month plan into the $35–40 range.

Verizon Fios is one of the fastest and most reliable internet service providers in the United States. It also offers some cheap internet plans for those who play their cards right.

The power behind Verizon Fios’ internet plans is its state-of-the-art fiber network. This network allows users to get symmetrical download and upload speeds over 1,000Mbps. This makes it an ideal service for huge households with lots or devices or even shared Wi-Fi networks in apartment buildings.

We’ll talk about how you can get the best price on Verizon Fios service below, but first, here’s a gander at the regular prices.

Verizon Fios’ internet prices are cheap for what you get, but they’re not the cheapest. Still, if you’re interested in bundling your internet plan with TV or mobile phone service, then the Verizon deals get pretty sweet.

For example, you can get a full $25 off your Verizon Fios internet bill every month if you sign up for an eligible Verizon Wireless plan. You can get even more savings if you add on Verizon Fios TV service.

We just went over everything you need to know about the five cheapest internet providers in the U.S. But here’s the quick CliffsNotes version for those who didn’t do their homework. 

• AT&T Internet: You can get super fast and reliable fiber internet from AT&T for $55 a month or less (if you have an eligible mobile plan). There’s no way to get more bang for your buck.
• Xfinity: If you have a big house with lots of devices and don’t want to pay through the nose for fast internet, Xfinity is the way to go. Plans start at just $20 a month.
• T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: It can be hard to find fast and affordable internet in rural areas. But T-Mobile 5G Home Internet has largely solved that issue by offering internet speeds of 72–245Mbps for $60 a month (or less for T-Mobile wireless customers).
• Astound Broadband: Astound Broadband’s promotional prices are the best in the industry. You can get 300Mbps cable internet for just $25 a month. Just watch out for sneaky fees and price hikes after your promotional period ends.
• Verizon Fios: Verizon Fios is a top-tier internet provider, offering unparalleled fiber speeds and reliability in the Northeast. Its plans are surprisingly affordable, especially if you bundle up with TV or cell phone service.

We take every review that we write very seriously. For this article on the cheapest internet and Wi-Fi providers, we began with a rigorous research process, looking at third-party data, internet plan fine print, and our own proprietary data from thousands of internet customers.

We narrowed down our list of the best cheap internet plans by focusing on the following important features.

1. Prices
2. Network type (fiber, cable, 5G, etc.)
3. Speeds
4. Contracts and fees
5. Reliability and customer satisfaction

We made our final picks by weighing each company’s low prices against the service quality offered. Hopefully we helped you find the perfect internet plan to fit your lifestyle!