Verizon vs. Spectrum: Which Internet Provider Is Best for You?

Compare Verizon and Spectrum head to head

Choosing between Verizon and Spectrum mostly comes down to fiber versus cable. Spectrum is widely known for its cable internet, which is the clear choice if you want speeds faster than DSL internet and you can’t get fiber. Spectrum has some fiber, too, but only in “green” areas where other providers don’t have fiber.

We say go with Verizon’s fiber if you can get it. Verizon ranks better with subscribers in our latest customer satisfaction survey, plus it’s cheaper and, in some cases, faster than Spectrum.

Plans and pricing: Verizon vs. Spectrum

Verizon plans and pricing

Verizon has fewer plans than Spectrum when it comes to wired internet. Right now, Spectrum doesn’t offer cable or fiber internet with multi-gig speeds, so if loads of speed is what you need, Verizon is the better (and cheaper) choice.

Verizon also offers fixed wireless plans with download speeds up to 1,000Mbps. Spectrum does not offer a fixed wireless service.

Spectrum plans and pricing

While Verizon mainly resides in the northeast, Spectrum is a nationwide internet provider. It’s mostly known for its cable internet, but it also installs fiber-to-the-home service in “green” areas not claimed by other fiber providers, like in new neighborhoods. Even if you subscribe to cable internet, the traditional cable TV lines are only used for the “last mile”—Spectrum’s core network is all fiber.

Spectrum’s biggest drawback is its price hikes. You get cheap promotional pricing for the first 12 months, but your cost increases by up to $25 per month after that. Verizon doesn’t have discounted pricing for the first year—its prices are highly affordable from the start.

Extra fees: Verizon vs. Spectrum

Spectrum doesn’t charge a modem rental fee each month. However, it charges a $7 monthly fee for WiFi, whether you have Spectrum’s standalone router or one of its wireless gateways. You can eliminate this fee by buying your own router.

The good news is Spectrum dropped its one-time $199.99 activation fee and lowered the monthly cost for gigabit internet. The plan is now more affordable than ever if you need gigabit speeds and Verizon’s fiber isn’t available where you live. But Verizon is still the cheaper, faster, and more reliable option if you can get it.

Customer ratings: Verizon vs. Spectrum

Verizon ranks second out of 15 internet providers for overall satisfaction in our latest customer satisfaction survey. Its highest rating is in reliability satisfaction, and that’s not unexpected since fiber is more reliable than cable and DSL. Its lowest rating is in speed and price satisfaction—but that’s not saying much, as Verizon ranks within the top three spots in every category in our survey. The customers have spoken, and you simply can’t go wrong with Verizon’s fiber internet.

Spectrum doesn’t rate quite so well in our latest annual survey, falling a few notches to seventh out of 15 for overall satisfaction. In fact, it ranks seventh across the board except in speed satisfaction, where it ranks a slightly higher sixth. Still, pricing will always be an issue with Spectrum when it’s compared to AT&T, Verizon, and even Frontier, who don’t raise prices after 12 months. You’ll see a price increase of around $25 after 12 months with Spectrum.

Best TV and internet combos

Verizon doesn’t offer a traditional discount when pairing services. Instead, you can add TV, streaming services, and other perks to your internet service at any time. Verizon’s list of perks includes a Walmart+ membership (with Paramount+), Unlimited Cloud Storage, and more.

Spectrum doesn’t offer TV and internet bundles at a discounted price. Instead, you can pair its TV Select service with any of its two cable internet plans. Both services have discounted pricing for 12 months, but all premium channels are an added cost.

Internet types: Verizon vs. Spectrum

Verizon’s DSL service is the slowest of the three internet types. It uses telephone lines already installed in most areas and doesn’t go beyond 140Mbps in download speed. Verizon does not offer DSL internet to new customers.

Spectrum’s cable internet is a faster connection than DSL. Technically, it’s capable of symmetrical speeds of up to 10,000Mbps, but the fastest plan you can get right now is only 1,000Mbps. That will change over the next several years as Spectrum upgrades to 10G Platform technology like its rival Mediacom.

Fiber provided by Spectrum and Verizon are the best connections you can get. Verizon has the fastest fiber plan of the two, plus it doesn’t raise your rates after 12 months as Spectrum does.

Data caps: Verizon vs. Spectrum

Verizon and Spectrum do not force data caps, but that may change in the next few years for Spectrum.

Part of Charter’s deal with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2016, when it acquired Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks was that it wouldn’t impose a data cap and usage-based pricing. That agreement will lapse in May 2023, and Charter already attempted to end its agreement two years early but withdrew its petition. In a response to the FCC, Charter implied that customers would benefit from data caps and usage-based pricing.

Contracts: Verizon vs. Spectrum

Verizon and Spectrum do not have annual contracts or early termination fees. Spectrum, however, offers discounted pricing for 12 months, depending on where you live. There’s no catch either—you can cancel the discounted service at any time after the first month without any hidden penalties. They’re just promotions to get you to sign up with Spectrum.

Installation: Verizon vs. Spectrum

Data as of 10/19/23. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Verizon doesn’t offer a self-install kit, but you can save money by ordering Verizon’s service online—Verizon will waive the pro install fee. Spectrum doesn’t offer a similar discount with its pro install service.

In fact, Spectrum encourages new customers to opt for its self-install kit over a pro install. Spectrum sends a technician out to customers for completely new installs, relocating the modem, rewiring, and so on.

Availability: Verizon vs. Spectrum

Verizon’s DSL internet covers most of its service areas. Its fiber-based network has a smaller footprint, available in key metro areas within Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Spectrum has a broader footprint across North America. It provides cable and fiber internet in California, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, New York, North and South Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and several other states.

Final call: Verizon vs. Spectrum

The choice between Verizon and Spectrum boils down to where you live, really. Verizon’s fiber internet is only available in the northeast, so you’ll rarely ever see it overlap with Spectrum’s cable or fiber internet. Instead, Verizon generally competes with Xfinity, Optimum, and Astound Broadband.

But if you do happen to live in an area where the two providers fight for your hard-earned pennies, Verizon is simply the better deal. It has the fastest plan of the two if speed is what you need, plus it’s cheaper than Spectrum—even after 12 months.

Methodology

Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.

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