First across the finish line in our latest internet speeds report were Xfinity and Google Fiber, while Verizon Fios Home Internet, Cox, and Spectrum all saw excellent speeds as well. All five ISPs offer gig-speed (or near-gig-speed) plans, plus you’ve got Google Fiber’s 2 Gbps plan and Xfinity’s 3 Gbps plan. But which of these fast internet providers is best for you? And which of their fastest internet plans meets your needs? Let’s dig into the details and figure it out. †Average download and upload speeds calculated using proprietary speed test data for January 1–December 31, 2021 and January 1–December 31, 2020. Actual speeds may vary. We’ve been Xfinity customers for almost a decade now, and we’ve experienced steady speeds with few internet performance issues. We will say that Xfinity’s data cap of 1.2 TB is a bit low for our tastes—we prefer unlimited data. (No data cap, no worries.) If you’re looking for the fastest Xfinity internet plan, check out the Gigabit Pro (or Gigabit X6 in the Northeast). Gigabit Pro offers 6,000 Mbps speeds, or you can drop down a tier and grab the Gigabit plan. We wouldn’t blame you, the Gigabit Pro’s monthly price of $299.95 is shocking. †Average download and upload speeds calculated using proprietary speed test data for January 1–December 31, 2021 and January 1–December 31, 2020. Actual speeds may vary. Google Fiber’s fastest plan is its 2,000 Mbps, or 2 Gig, plan. Along with quadruple-digit speeds, Google Fiber also comes with unlimited data and zippy upload speeds. On the downside, Google Fiber is limited to a handful of big cities across the US. So if you don’t live in a place where Google offers internet service, check out some of the other fastest internet providers in this review. †Average download and upload speeds calculated using proprietary speed test data for January 1–December 31, 2021 and January 1–December 31, 2020. Actual speeds may vary. Verizon Fios Home Internet also boasted the lowest average latency of 13 ms in 2021, which is excellent for anyone who games or livestreams. You may notice that Verizon Fios Home Internet doesn’t advertise a data cap. The internet provider keeps its lips zipped when it comes to how much data you get, but word on the street is you get unlimited data. (Verizon neither confirms nor denies though.) The Fios Gigabit Connection plan is Verizon Fios Home Internet’s fastest option. Keep in mind that its monthly price isn’t promotional. So your bill isn’t guaranteed to go up next year. (Although it isn’t guaranteed that it won’t either.) †Average download and upload speeds calculated using proprietary speed test data for January 1–December 31, 2021 and January 1–December 31, 2020. Actual speeds may vary. That said, you’ll want to grab one of Cox’s 250 Mbps or faster plans to really enjoy that internet speed. Its prices for the Preferred 250 and Ultimate 500 plans are a good value, but you might be able to find a cheaper gig plan. You’ll also want to keep in mind that Cox internet plans come with a 1.25 TB data cap. Sure, most of us won’t get near that cap, but if you download a bunch of movies or games in one month, you’ll for sure get close. That’s why we prefer unlimited data for those “just in case” moments. †Average download and upload speeds calculated using proprietary speed test data for January 1–December 31, 2021 and January 1–December 31, 2020. Actual speeds may vary. Spectrum’s recent price cut on its Gig plan is another point in its favor. This gigabit-speed plan used to be one of the most expensive on the block, but now it offers a lot of value and a competitive price of about $90 a month for your first 12 months. Its setup fee also got rolled back to $19.99. These changes put to rest most of our concerns with Spectrum Internet, and we now find it to be a great value pick—especially since its speed performance is now top-level. Ready to make a switch? We have a guide for how to change your internet provider. **Average download and upload speeds calculated using proprietary speed test data for January 1–December 31, 2021 and January 1–December 31, 2020. Actual speeds may vary. **Average download and upload speeds calculated using proprietary speed test data for January 1–December 31, 2021 and January 1–December 31, 2020. Actual speeds may vary. **Average download and upload speeds calculated using proprietary speed test data for January 1–December 31, 2021 and January 1–December 31, 2020. Actual speeds may vary. **Average download and upload speeds calculated using proprietary speed test data for January 1–December 31, 2021 and January 1–December 31, 2020. Actual speeds may vary. Note: Only five internet providers in Alaska and Hawaii had 100 or more speed test results for 2021. We’ve included only those five in the table below. **Average download and upload speeds calculated using proprietary speed test data for January 1–December 31, 2021 and January 1–December 31, 2020. Actual speeds may vary. We then averaged download speeds, upload speeds, and latency for each ISP. After that, we calculated a weighted score that represents 70% of each ISP’s average download speed, 20% of its average upload speed, and 10% of its average latency. Next, we used these weighted scores to rank each internet service provider in terms of speed performance over the past year.
