Xfinity vs. Verizon: Which Internet Provider Is Best for You?
Pick Xfinity for low prices that last, but Verizon for faster symmetrical speeds
Jun 5, 2026 | Share 
Provider Comparisons (Versus)
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See Verizon disclaimers | Xfinity disclaimers
Compare Verizon and Xfinity head-to-head
You can get low monthly rates with Xfinity’s reliable fiber-powered internet service that offers speeds up to 2,000Mbps. Verizon Fios offers 100% fiber internet with a slightly faster plan and symmetrical speeds, but it costs more every month, megabit for megabit. If 5G home internet from Verizon is your only available option, you’ll pay about the same as you would with Xfinity but won’t have the rock-solid connectivity you’ll get with Xfinity.
Verizon locks prices for at least three years on all home internet plans, but Xfinity offers five-year price guarantees across all plans. You can save up to $2,400 over five years when you bundle the cheapest Xfinity internet plan with a Mobile Select line, compared to similar plans from Verizon.
Services at a glance
| Provider | Services |
|---|---|
| |
|
* Xfinity Mobile uses Verizon’s 5G network when devices are not connected to Xfinity Internet.
Pros and cons: Verizon vs. Xfinity
Pros
Top-notch reliability
Symmetrical speeds
Price locks for 3–5 years
Cons
Less reliable 5G internet plans
Higher mobile prices
Pros
Low monthly prices
Unlimited data
Price locks for 5 years
Cons
Slower uploads on some plans
Limited 100% fiber availability
In this comparison:
Plans and pricing | Deals and promotions | Upfront costs | Recurring fees | Customer ratings | Final call | FAQ | Methodology
In this comparison:
Plans and pricing: Verizon vs. Xfinity
Speed and reliability come at a premium with both Verizon and Xfinity, but Xfinity plans cost less overall. Plus, new Xfinity customers also get one Xfinity Mobile Select line included at no extra cost for an entire year with any internet plan. You’ll get wall-to-wall home internet coverage and a sweet deal on 5G data on the go.
Verizon offers 100% fiber networks under the Verizon Fios brand. You can get sweet symmetrical speeds, great reliability, and fun giveaways when you join—but you can also get exclusive discounts and giveaways with Xfinity Membership. If you can only get 5G home internet from Verizon, however, you’ll have a lot less reliability, and you won’t get much of a break on price.
Xfinity plans and pricing
| Plan | Starting price* | Max speed |
|---|---|---|
| 300 Mbps | $40/mo. for 5 yrs. | 300Mbps |
| 500 Mbps | $45/mo. for 5 yrs. | 500Mbps |
| 1 Gig | $50/mo. for 5 yrs. | 1,000Mbps |
| 1.2 Gig | $100/mo. for 5 yrs. | 1,200Mbps |
| 2 Gig | $100/mo. for 5 yrs. | 2,000Mbps |
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See Xfinity disclaimers.
Our favorite plan: 500 Mbps
Xfinity offers a sweet deal on speeds fast enough for most households, and this tier comes with up to 100Mbps of upload speed. That’s enough to host big conference calls or support multiple gaming devices and work laptops. You’ll also get to try one line of unlimited mobile service for a year with your internet plan at no extra charge. See our methodology for more information.
Xfinity offers internet service across a huge footprint, and prices on these plans are some of the lowest you’ll find anywhere. You’ll also lock in those low prices for five years, so you won’t have to worry about a price hike anytime soon.
Over the last several years, Xfinity has invested more than $80 billion in infrastructure upgrades to provide symmetrical, multi-gig speeds. Most areas still offer asymmetrical speeds, but we’ve spotted symmetrical speeds in areas like Atlanta, Boston, Sacramento, and Nashville. The core networks managed by Xfinity are all fiber, but the connection into your home is either a coaxial or fiber line. In both cases, you get reliable internet that can handle high-bandwidth internet activities for a stable and seamless connection.
If you upgrade to 1 Gig or faster, you’ll get a Wi-Fi 7 gateway, an included streaming box, and access to the ad-supported versions of three streaming services. The price is a little higher than we recommend for most families, though, and you probably don’t need that much speed.
As a new Xfinity customer, you can try one line of Mobile Select free for an entire year. If you like it, you can keep it (or add lines) for about half of what you’d pay for a similar plan with Verizon, making it a great option for those looking to save money on mobile plans.
Verizon plans and pricing
| Plan | Starting price* | Download speed |
|---|---|---|
| Fios 300 Mbps | $49.99/mo. for 3 yrs. | 300Mbps |
| Fios 500 Mbps | $74.99/mo. for 4 yrs. | 500Mbps |
| Fios 1 Gig | $89.99/mo. for 5 yrs. | 940Mbps |
| Fios 2 Gig | $109.00/mo. for 5 yrs. | 2,300Mbps |
| 5G Home | $50/mo. w/ Auto Pay for 3 yrs. | 300Mbps |
| 5G Home Plus | $60/mo. w/ Auto Pay for 4 yrs. | 500Mbps |
| 5G Home Ultimate | $75/mo. w/ Auto Pay for 5 yrs. | 1,000Mbps |
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See Verizon disclaimers.
Our favorite plan: Fios 300 Mbps
This plan is a great deal compared to national averages, and it brings fiber internet all the way to your front door. Congestion and slowdowns will be nearly nonexistent, and upload speeds can be just as fast as download speeds. Plus, you get the same equipment you would with the next tier up, but pay $25 less every month. See our methodology for more information.
Verizon’s premier offering is Verizon Fios fiber internet. You’ll pay slightly more than you would with Xfinity—but you will get symmetrical speeds on all fiber plans, and that’s helpful for everything from video calls to AI coding to file management in the cloud.
If you upgrade to Fios 1 Gig or faster, you’ll get mesh extenders included in addition to your router and a five-year price lock. You may also be eligible for special perks like TVs, gift cards, or smart glasses. Most families don’t need that much speed, though.
If you can’t get fiber or cable internet, Verizon offers 5G home internet in areas where it has cellular service. Prices are about the same, but the connection quality is much lower.
If you bundle with a qualifying Verizon Wireless plan, you’ll save about $15 per month on your Verizon internet bill. Make sure you crunch the numbers before you switch, though, because Verizon’s premium plans are some of the most expensive you’ll find anywhere.
Deals and promotions: Verizon vs. Xfinity
Get up to $200 back when you choose certain Verizon Business plans. Terms apply
Ends 07/31/2026
Get 1 Gig internet for $50/mo. from Xfinity, with a 5-year price lock. Terms apply
Ends 06/15/2026
Upfront costs: Xfinity vs. Verizon
It’s cheaper to get started on a new plan with Verizon 5G Home Internet than it is with Verizon Fios. You may have to jump through hoops to get the $99 pro installation fee waived with Verizon Fios. You may also be charged a deposit fee of up to $250, depending on the results of a credit check.
Xfinity, on the other hand, offers free self-installation and same-day equipment in-store pickup to get you online as soon as possible. If you do need a professional installation from Xfinity, you’ll need to pay $100. Xfinity also offers a hybrid self-install and professional outdoor installation with Self-Install Plus for $39.99.
Both providers prorate the first bill, so your first bill will include charges for your first month plus any service you had in the previous month. You’ll get the bill after your first complete month of service.
Installation
| Installation fee | |
|---|---|
VERIZON | |
XFINITY |
Verizon advertises a $99 pro install fee for homes that are not pre-wired for Verizon Fios internet, but you can usually get out of it. If you still see that $99 fee on your first bill, call to see if you can get a refund. Homes already wired for Verizon Fios internet can use the self-install kit to get started, which is free.
With Xfinity, you can self-install for free if your home is already wired for Xfinity internet and the cables are still serviceable, which you can verify on Xfinity’s website. You’ll get a same-day Wi-Fi connection to get you online as quickly as possible. If you need a technician to handle the outdoor wiring but don’t want to pay for a full pro installation, you can handle the indoor portion of the installation with a Self-Install Plus for $39.99.
If you’re getting Verizon 5G Home Internet, installation is a breeze (and it’s free). Once you have your hands on your gateway, just plug it into the wall and set it up by a window, and you’re good to go.
Recurring fees: Verizon vs. Xfinity
| Equipment fee | Other fees | |
|---|---|---|
VERIZON | ||
XFINITY |
Xfinity still adds taxes and pass-through fees to your service plan price on monthly bills, but these usually amount to only about $5 per month. There are no data overage fees or speed throttling with Xfinity since all plans include unlimited data.
If you need to extend the reach of your Wi-Fi, you can pay $15 extra per month for a Wi-Fi 6E gateway and two Wi-Fi extenders for wall-to-wall coverage. All Xfinity internet plans include Advanced Gateway technology to optimize network traffic, helping eliminate dead spots and reducing buffering during high-bandwidth activities.
Verizon no longer charges equipment or overage fees, and it bakes taxes and fees into the service plan price on both 5G home internet and Fios plans. It’s a good example of straightforward pricing, and it’s a win for customers. With Verizon, what you see in ads is what you really pay.
Note: With both providers, you get “autopay discounts” when you sign up to have your payment automatically deducted from a bank account every month. You can use most credit cards, and you typically won’t see a paper bill. These discounts are baked into the sticker prices on ads, but you’ll see prices before the discounts on broadband labels.
Price hikes
You can lock in low prices with either Verizon or Xfinity, but the devil is in the details. With Xfinity, you get a five-year price guarantee across all plans. Once your price guarantee expires, your plan will transition to whatever the standard rate is at that time.
With Verizon, you get a minimum price lock of three years with any home internet plan, and you don’t have to pay extra. With certain higher-priced plans, that price lock extends to five years.
With any discussion about price locks, it’s important to note that providers always reserve the right to increase prices and fees, and they can add those to your bill anytime. They can also discontinue certain plans, effectively forcing you to choose a new plan with a higher price.
Find out what to do if you get hit with a price hike.
Want to know if Verizon or Xfinity is in your area?
Find out if Verizon and Xfinity are available where you live by entering your zip code below.
Customer ratings: Verizon vs. Xfinity
|
|
| |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | 6.1/10 | 6.3/10 |
| Most reliable | 8.48/10 | 8.24/10 |
| Customer's choice | 6.9/10 | 6.6/10 |
| Fastest | 231.44Mbps (National average) | 277.03Mbps (National average) |
| Best value | 4.4/10 | 4.5/10 |
Data based on our Annual Internet Service Provider Review. Verizon’s scores represent the Verizon Fios network.
Scores between Xfinity and Verizon are neck and neck in our latest internet provider review. However, we couldn’t differentiate between Verizon’s 5G Home Internet service and 5G wireless service, so we excluded both from our data and only included Verizon Fios scores in this year’s review.
Xfinity outperforms Verizon in three out of five categories, scoring better in Value, Speed, and Overall. Both rank mostly the same in Reliability—a 0.24 difference isn’t much to shout about. And honestly, the reliability score is the main callout here, as an all-fiber design is inherently more reliable than a fiber-powered coax connection, yet Xfinity keeps up with its 100% fiber rivals in stride.
Go with Xfinity for low prices and great download speeds, but pay the extra few bucks a month to Verizon if reliability and customer experience are the most important factors in your decision.
Xfinity’s ultra-fast speeds are a great fit for streamers, gamers, or those looking to work from home. With internet prices starting as low as $40, you’ll get a solid deal on reliable internet and mobile—especially if you take advantage of the included Mobile Select line during your first year.
Ready to switch to Verizon or Xfinity?
Enter your zip code below to see if these two providers are available to you.
Final call: Xfinity vs. Verizon
Xfinity offers great prices, and you can lock in your rate for five years—and at a cheaper rate than Verizon. It also has the fastest average speed nationwide based on our proprietary data. If you’re so inclined, you can add mobile and backup internet service at reasonable rates.
Verizon is a great choice if you can get Fios internet, and it has a top-tier reputation for customer care. It’s currently the only one of the two with symmetrical speeds on all plans, so keep that in mind if you need fast upload speeds for things like livestreaming and file transfers to the cloud. There’s definitely a lot to love, but prices are slightly higher.
If you can’t get either fiber-powered coax internet or fiber internet, Verizon’s 5G home internet is a decent choice. Multiple speed tiers are available, and recent upgrades to the 5G network make the service more reliable than ever.
FAQ about Verizon vs. Xfinity
5G home internet vs. cable internet: Which one is better?
Does Xfinity offer 100% fiber internet?
Does Xfinity offer low-income internet plans?
Does Verizon offer low-income internet plans?
Can I get backup internet from either Xfinity or Verizon?
What is Xfinity Self-Install Plus?
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our Annual Internet Service Provider Review, 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.
Our favorite plan
The average household needs internet speeds of at least 300Mbps but not more than a gig (1,000Mbps), so the best plan we recommend for each provider is always within that range. We also consider plan specifics, like added costs or included perks, and compare all the options from each provider to national averages. Finally, we account for tech type differences, since you might not need as much speed on a fiber plan as you would on a less-reliable fixed wireless or cable plan. Learn more about how much speed you need, and enter your zip code in our provider lookup tool to see what you can get in your neighborhood.
A note about pricing
The prices you see may not reflect the standard rates these providers could charge after an introductory period. You’ll see the standard rates on broadband nutrition labels displayed during checkout, along with equipment fees, installation fees, contract requirements, and data caps (if any). Always view this information before you sign up for internet service.
Plans disclaimers
Verizon Fios plans
All fiber plans — Price per month with Auto Pay & without select 5G mobile plans. Consumer data usage is subject to the usage restrictions set forth in Verizon’s terms of service; visit: https://www.verizon.com/support/customer-agreement/ for more information about 5G Home and LTE Home Internet or https://www.verizon.com/about/terms-conditions/verizon-customer-agreement for Fios internet.
Verizon 5G Home Internet plans
5G Home | 5G Home Plus — Price per month with Auto Pay & without select 5G mobile plans. Consumer data usage is subject to the usage restrictions set forth in Verizon's terms of service; visit: https://www.verizon.com/support/customer-agreement/ for more information about 5G Home and LTE Home Internet or https://www.verizon.com/about/terms-conditions/verizon-customer-agreement for Fios internet.
5G Home Ultimate | Verizon Forward — N/A
Xfinity plans 300 Mbps — For 5 years, no term contract. Restrictions apply. Autopay w/ stored bank account and paperless billing req’d. Taxes and fees extra and subj. to change. Reduced speeds after 30 GB of usage/line. Data thresholds may vary. All other plans — N/A
Author - Chili Palmer
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 - Jessica Brooksby
Jessica loves bringing her passion for the written word and her love of tech into one space at HighSpeedInternet.com. She works with the team’s writers to revise strong, user-focused content so every reader can find the tech that works for them. Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in English from Utah Valley University and seven years of creative and editorial experience. Outside of work, she spends her time gaming, reading, painting, and buying an excessive amount of Legend of Zelda merchandise.
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