Spectrum internet alternatives

Alternatives to Spectrum: Which is better?

As one of the largest internet service providers (ISPs) in the US, Spectrum’s main competitors are fiber internet providers like AT&T and Frontier. Compared to fiber plans, Spectrum tends to be more expensive for the same speed. In some cases, it’s priced roughly the same, but the fiber plans often offer much faster upload speeds than cable, which is handy if you share large files.

Compared to other cable providers, Spectrum is priced roughly the same, so your main criteria for choosing will be local promotions, customer service reputation, or bundling options, which can all vary from place to place.

Spectrum vs. AT&T: AT&T is our highest-rated ISP nationally, and it overlaps coverage with Spectrum in many areas. If you can get AT&T’s fiber service, you’ll pay less for gig speeds than you would with Spectrum, and fiber will be more reliable overall. But if you’re looking for lower-cost budget plans, Spectrum might be a better fit for your budget. It’s worth noting that Spectrum offers significantly faster speeds than AT&T’s legacy DSL service, but DSL isn’t available to new AT&T customers anyway.

Compare Spectrum vs. AT&T internet

Spectrum vs. Frontier: Like AT&T, Frontier offers both fiber and DSL service compared to Spectrum’s cable. Frontier’s DSL plans won’t be competitive with Spectrum’s speeds, but its high-speed fiber plans give you better bang for your buck than what you’d get from Spectrum for similar speeds, and you won’t have to pay monthly equipment fees.

Compare Spectrum vs. Frontier internet

Spectrum vs. Xfinity: As two of the largest cable internet companies in the nation, Spectrum and Xfinity have separate coverage areas carved out across the US, but they do overlap in some regions, and it’s good to know how the two compare if you’re moving from one coverage area to the other. We’ve rated Xfinity slightly higher overall because it has better prices for the speed on both the budget plans and gig plans.

Compare Spectrum vs. Xfinity internet

Where is Spectrum available?

Spectrum has wide availability nationwide, with the most concentrated coverage in Northeast and West coast urban areas. Middle America is less likely to see Spectrum outside of major cities.

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