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

Compare home internet providers based on pricing, speed, and customer ratings

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Compare Verizon and Xfinity head-to-head

We’ll come right out and say it—Verizon Fios is the clear leader here. Verizon Fios fiber internet delivers fast, reliable internet speeds over its fiber network. Its upload speeds are much faster than most other internet providers, so it’s great for gaming and uploading videos.

If Fios isn’t available at your address, you may have Xfinity hookups. If so, you’ll enjoy fast cable internet speeds, affordable plans, and price locks up to five years.

If you can’t get either Fios Fiber or Xfinity, Verizon’s 5G Home Internet option is worth a try.

Pros and cons: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Verizon Home Internet

Pros

No data caps or annual contracts

No pricing shenanigans

Nationwide fixed wireless service

Cons

Risk of disconnects on 5G Home plan

 

View Plans for Verizon Home Internet

Xfinity

Pros

No term contracts

Wide availability

Unlimited data

Cons

Frustrating billing practices

 

View Plans for Xfinity

Is Verizon or Xfinity available in your area?

Enter your zip code to see whether you can get Verizon or Xfinity at your address.

Plans and pricing: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Verizon goes big on speed, giving you the decently priced gigabit connection option and “symmetrical” upload speeds with most plans—meaning they’re just as fast as download speeds, a rare feat available on its fiber network. Verizon’s 5G Home plans aren’t quite as reliable as the Fios fiber plans, but they’re fairly priced and give you unlimited data.

Xfinity is more of a grab bag when it comes to speeds. Some of its plans give you slower speeds for a higher price compared to Verizon Fios, but you can also find affordable plans in a wider service area.

Pro tip: Are Verizon and Xfinity the same?

Verizon and Xfinity are not the same company. They’re two separate entities—the former is a fiber internet and wireless provider, and the latter is a cable TV and internet provider.

It can be easy to confuse Verizon with Xfinity because of Xfinity Mobile. Xfinity Mobile is an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) that gives you cellular service over Verizon’s network. Other than that, these two companies don’t overlap.

Verizon plans and pricing

PackagePrice*Speed (download/upload)
Fios 300 Mbps$49.99/mo.
w/ Auto Pay
300Mbps/300Mbps
Fios 500 Mbps$74.99/mo.
w/ Auto Pay
500Mbps/500Mbps
Fios 1 Gig$89.99/mo.
w/ Auto Pay
Up to 940Mbps/up to 880Mbps
Fios 2 Gig$109.00/mo.
w/ Auto Pay
Up to 2,300Mbps/up to 2,048Mbps
5G Home$50/mo.
w/ Auto Pay
Up to 300Mbps
5G Home
with select 5G mobile plans
$35/mo.
w/ Auto Pay
Up to 300Mbps
5G Home Plus$60/mo.
w/ Auto Pay
Up to 500Mbps
5G Home Plus
with select 5G mobile plans
$45/mo.
w/ Auto Pay
Up to 500Mbps
5G Home Ultimate$75/mo.
w/ Auto Pay
Up to 1,000Mbps
5G Home Ultimate
with select 5G mobile plans
$60/mo.
w/ Auto Pay
Up to 1,000Mbps

Fiber internet is a great choice wherever you can find out, and Verizon Fios is the best of the best. There are no data caps, equipment fees, or cancellation fees. Better yet, pricing is straightforward and you can get sweet deals on Verizon mobile service when you bundle.

If you aren’t in a Fios area, you may be able to get Verizon 5G Home Internet, a fixed wireless service that delivers solid speeds over the carrier’s Ultra Wideband 5G cellular network. The connection on 5G internet can be a little spotty for some users—we experienced regular disconnections when we tried out the service.

But the plan is still a worthy deal, giving you speeds of up to 300 Mbps or 1,000 Mbps (depending on the plan) and unlimited data with no extra fees or annual contracts.

How much speed do you need?

It’s great to have the fastest internet speeds, but often you’ll be just fine with a slower speed. Use our plan finder to get an estimate of what works best for you.

Xfinity plans and pricing

PackageStarting priceSpeed (download/upload)
300 Mbps $40/mo.*
for 12 mos.
300Mbps/100Mbps
500 Mbps $55/mo.*
for 12 mos.
500Mbps/100Mbps
1 Gig $70/mo.*
for 12 mos.
1,000Mbps/100Mbps
1.2 Gig $100/mo.*
for 12 mos.
1,200Mbps/100Mbps
2 Gig $100/mo.*
for 12 mos.
2,000Mbps/250Mbps

Xfinity’s speeds pack a punch and offer plenty of variety to cater to each household’s speed needs. You’ll also get unlimited data, no contracts, and equipment included with your internet plan.

You may see a price hike after a year, though, and we’ve heard complaints about billing practices. In other words, keep an eye on your monthly bill in the Xfinity app, and don’t hesitate to reach out to customer service if you find an error or want to negotiate a better deal.

Want to see if you’re getting the speeds you’re paying for?

Run our speed test to find out. Run the test during the morning, afternoon, and evening to see if there are any differences. Some internet plans slow down at night during peak usage hours.

You can also install our mobile apps to test your speed on a smartphone!

HSI badge deals

Deals and promotions: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Verizon Home Internet

  • Get a 3-year price lock plus $15 off home internet every month when you bundle with Verizon MyPlan
  • Get a 43-inch Samsung TV or Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 when you sign up for a new fiber or 5G home internet plan through Feb. 4, 2026

Get the Deal for Verizon Home Internet

Xfinity

  • Enjoy a 5-year price guarantee on a 300Mbps internet plan for $40 per month through January 15
  • Earn up to $500 per year by referring friends to Xfinity
  • Get 1 Gig speeds for $50 per month and a 5-year price guarantee through January 15

Get the Deal for Xfinity

Extra fees: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Equipment feeInstallation feeOther fees
Verizon Home InternetNo equipment fee$99.00 (waived if you order online)1.5% of the owed balance or $5 (late fee)
XfinityNo equipment feeStarts at no cost for self-install, $100 pro installation$10 (late payment)

Verizon’s router is included on all fiber plans as part of the monthly fee. That saves you a nice chunk of change because it means you don’t need to pay extra for a router rental and you don’t need to buy your own router either. Verizon 5G Home Internet plans also come with a router at no extra cost.

You can’t use your own router for the 5G home internet plans, but you can for a fiber plan. And there are some advantages to buying a router—you get more flexibility as far as speeds, security settings, and other capabilities. We have great recommendations in our guides to the best Wi-Fi routers, the best long-range routers, and the best routers for streaming.

Xfinity includes a combined modem-router gateway with all plans, at no extra cost to customers. You can even manage your home network with the handy Xfinity app.

Not sure if you can get Verizon or Xfinity where you live?

Take a look by typing in your zip code below.

Customer ratings: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Verizon Home Internet Xfinity
Overall3.9/53.9/5
Speed4.0/54.0/5
Price3.6/53.5/5
Reliability4.0/53.9/5
Customer service3.9/53.7/5

Customers quite like both Verizon and Xfinity, according to our annual customer satisfaction survey. Out of 15 providers, Verizon gets the leading score for reliability and ranks in the top three for speed, price, customer service, and overall satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Xfinity takes the lead for speed—which is saying a lot, considering its cable service is technically slower than Verizon’s fiber. And Xfinity gets top-five ratings for reliability, price, and overall satisfaction.

If our survey is any indication, you’re likely to be happy with either of these providers.

Best TV and internet combos

PackagePriceInternet speed (download/upload)TV channels
Verizon 500 Mbps Internet + Your Fios TV $179.99/mo.
combined w/ Auto Pay
Up to 500Mbps125+
Verizon 300 Mbps Internet + YouTube TV $172.98/mo.
combined w/ Auto Pay
Up to 300Mbps100+
Xfinity Connect More + Choice TV Starting at $68.00/mo.*300 Mbps/35Mbps10+
Xfinity Connect More + Popular TV Starting at $117.65/mo.*300 Mbps/35Mbps125+
Xfinity Connect More + Ultimate TV Starting at $137.65/mo.*300 Mbps/35Mbps185+

Xfinity is a leading cable provider, so it can get you a solid bundle deal on both internet and TV service. We really like the 1 Gig + Popular TV package because it gives you excellent speeds and a lot of channels.

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.

Internet technology types: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Fiber internet is the fastest and most reliable internet you can get, capable of hitting multigigabit speeds and delivering the fastest upload speeds possible. Cable doesn’t have the same fast upload speeds, but it’s much more widely available and tops out at 1,000Mbps download speeds (which is still really fast). 5G home internet reaches download speeds up to a gigabit, but the upload speeds are much slower and there’s a lot of variation throughout the day.

Data caps: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Both Xfinity and Verizon let you use as much data as you want every month—no data caps in sight. That means no fees for overages, either. Hooray!

Contracts: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Both Verizon and Xfinity’s internet plans don’t come with any annual-contract obligations. You can quit any time and you won’t be charged an early termination fee—simple as that.

Installation: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Installation optionsDetails
Verizon Home Internet$99 (waived when you order online)View Plans for Verizon Home Internet
XfinityFree for Self Installation $100 for professional installationView Plans for Xfinity

In most cases, you can install your own internet service  whether you get Verizon Fios, Verizon 5G home internet, or Xfinity. That’s the case if you’ve had the service at your home before, and it’s what we recommend to most people.

If you’re getting hooked up for the first time, though, you will need a pro to come out and help. Verizon charges $99 for professional installation, but you can have the price waived by ordering online. Fiber internet isn’t always wired directly to the home, so you might need a technician to come over and set it up from a curbside network node. Xfinity doesn’t charge for pro installs.

If you go with Verizon 5G Home Internet, however, you have to do the install yourself. Lucky for you, it’s as easy as plugging in your gateway and finding an optimal spot.

Availability: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Xfinity has a large nationwide network, available to 130 million people in 40 states. Verizon has a smaller footprint, with a network that can reach 59 million people in 10 East Coast states.

Type in your zip code below to see whether Verizon and Xfinity are available in your area. Let’s see what you can choose from when it comes to packages, prices, and speeds.

Final call: Verizon vs. Xfinity

Verizon is the slam-dunk pick here—its Fios plans give you superb speeds, fast uploads, and no data caps. And you won’t experience any price hikes. The only catch is that the best Verizon plans might not be available in your area. It’s far less widely available than Xfinity.

We’re not so keen on Xfinity’s price hikes, but those are fairly common things you see from other internet providers and not deal-breakers by any means. You can get excellent speeds at a fair price on an Xfinity plan. And Xfinity has some nice bundling options, too, if you’re looking for cable TV.

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.

FAQs about Verizon vs. Xfinity

5G home internet vs. cable internet: Which one is better?

Is 5G internet as fast as cable internet?

Should you rent a router? Or buy your own?

Disclaimers

Author -

Chili Palmer covers home tech services, with a special focus on understanding what families need and how they can stay connected on a budget. She handles internet access and affordability, breaking news, mobile services, and consumer trends. Chili’s work as a writer, reporter, and editor has appeared in publications including Telecompetitor, Utah Business, Idaho Business Review, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, and Switchful.com.

Editor - Cara Haynes

Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.com for five years. She graduated with a BA in English and a minor in editing from Brigham Young University. When she's not editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight. She believes no one should feel lost in internet land and that a good internet connection significantly extends your life span.

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