AT&T offers a higher quality network with great speeds, decent prices, and no data caps. But Xfinity has more plan options and availability, making it appealing to those who want cheaper, lower-speed plans. You can learn a lot more about both of these internet service providers (ISPs) by reading our full AT&T vs. Xfinity internet review below. Let’s begin with AT&T. We think that AT&T’s middle-range plans, like the Internet 300 and 500, are the best options for most people. You get plenty of speed for streaming, browsing, gaming, and working from home, but you’re not paying through the nose for it. Xfinity requires 1-2 year contracts and it has three separate price ranges, depending on where you live. There’s a Northeast, Central, and West region. We’ll show you all of the prices in three charts below so that you know what’s available. But, honestly, the easiest way to see Xfinity plans in your area is to use this zip code tool. One thing to keep in mind is that not all of these plans will be available in every part of the Northeast. And, to be honest, it’s not really clear where Xfinity’s different price regions begin and end (somehow Minneapolis, Minnesota is in the Western instead of Central zone?). Ok, let’s move on to the Central zone plans and prices. In fact, we’re rather impressed overall with Xfinity’s Central zone offerings. $50 a month for 600 Mbps? Not bad. $70 for 1,200 Mbps? That’s one of the reasons that Xfinity internet gets the “Best Value” badge in our lineup of the best ISPs. Finally, let’s turn to the Western zone. All of these plans will get you access to millions of Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots across the globe. So you don’t have to pay $10 an hour for an internet connection while you wait for your connection at the airport. Nice. These Xfinity internet plans also share some downsides, like a 1.2 TB data cap (more on that below) and installation and early-termination fees (boo!). Phew! That was a lot of internet plans to cover. Take a deep breath … ok, now let’s move on to talk about availability, because what good is all this info about plans if you live outside of the service area? Xfinity’s coverage eclipses AT&T’s certain parts of the West, like Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. It also covers much of the Northeast, where AT&T internet doesn’t really exist at all. Meanwhile, AT&T’s availability is stronger in much of the South and Great Plains region. The best way to figure out which ISP has plans in your area is to use the tool below. Enter your zip code and you can see the best internet options in your neighborhood, including those from Xfinity and AT&T. Xfinity also has the holy trifecta of services: internet, cable TV, mobile. So, which company offers better deals? You’ll have to decide for yourself. Here’s a quick look at some of our favorite bundles from each of them, beginning with Xfinity. That said, AT&T’s bundle deals aren’t too shabby, either.
Xfinity bundles review AT&T bundles review
But these two companies aren’t exactly fast in the same way. But one thing that Xfinity lacks is a robust fiber optic network. Although it has a few locations where fiber internet is available, it can’t really compete with AT&T. That means that AT&T customers will usually see much more reliable speeds and significantly faster upload speeds. Faster upload speeds means you’ll have less lag while gaming, smoother video when Zooming, and an overall easier time using the web. While the average monthly internet data usage for US households is about 433 GB a month1, there are still plenty of gamers, work-from-homers, and large families that will exceed that amount and surpass Xfinity’s data cap. Xfinity will charge you $10 for every 50 GB of data you use above 1.2 TB. You can avoid the overage fee by paying a clean $30 a month for unlimited data. But, why pay an extra $30 when you could just go with AT&T fiber, which has no data cap? In other words, those who use the internet a lot might have more peace of mind with AT&T than Xfinity. That said, there is something really nice about knowing that a real human will pick up the phone and help you when your modem isn’t working. So, who’s more likely to make it easy on you, AT&T or Xfinity? The most recent telecommunications report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index2 actually puts AT&T in first place. Xfinity isn’t far behind in 3rd place. So both companies should be pleasant enough to deal with. Here’s a quick recap of who won each section of this AT&T vs. Xfinity internet review.
Price: Xfinity. Xfinity offers a wider range of plans than AT&T, including some great affordable options. Internet speed: AT&T. AT&T’s mostly fiber network gives you more reliability and better upload speeds, even if it isn’t always as fast as Xfinity’s top-tier plans. Data caps: AT&T. Xfinity’s 1.2 TB data cap is a real bummer. AT&T doesn’t have any data caps. Customer service: AT&T. Both companies offer good customer service, but AT&T is at the top of the charts.
