Best Cheap Internet Providers and Plans 2023

Data as of 2/15/23. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

*w/ Auto Pay. Available in select areas.

^†For 24 months. No term contract. Taxes not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount.

^‡Speed may not be available in your area. Rate excludes taxes; activation fee applies.

§12 Month Internet Pricing. Equipment priced separately

║For the first 12 months. Plus, activation, installation and monthly modem rental fees.

**w/ Auto Pay. Available in select areas.

Verizon Fios

Verizon Fios offers incredibly fast, fiber-optic internet plans for low starting prices. It also has a great deal on 5G home internet, with a 50% discount on service for customers who also have a qualifying unlimited mobile plan.

Xfinity

One of the big boys of cable internet, Xfinity has a massive network that’s available across the US, and its cheapest plans deliver solid speeds.

Astound Broadband

This ISP is more straightforward, with slower speeds but better perks that bring down the monthly fees.

Mediacom

Located primarily in the Midwest, Mediacom has some nice options—and really brings down the price when you sign up. But watch out for its promo-pricing deadlines (when the price goes up) and data caps.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a relatively new service that uses cell phone networks to get you respectable speeds for a great price. T-Mobile has a limited network size, but the cellular carrier takes a refreshing, no-nonsense approach to pricing, doing away with temporary promo prices and adding in unlimited data, installation, and equipment at no extra cost.

Data as of 2/15/23. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

*Paperless billing or prepay required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 100 Mbps).

††Plus taxes. Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Monthly State Cost Recovery Charge in TX, OH, NV applies. Internet speed claims represent maximum network service capability speeds and based on wired connection to gateway. 1GIG speeds avail. to new customers with the latest router (“BGW320”) and recommended setup. For 5 GIG speed, single device wired speed maximum 4.7 Gbps. Actual customer speeds may vary based on a number of factors and are not guaranteed. For more information, go to www.att.com/speed101.

‡For the first 12 months with a 1-year agreement. Taxes and equipment not included. Regional price differences may apply

§Rate requires paperless billing. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Speeds may not be available in your area. Maximum download/upload speed of up to 940 Mbps via a wired connection.

║for 12 months with 1-yr. term agreement

**Terms and Conditions: Plus taxes and fees. Service not available in all areas. If you live in an apartment or condo, Google Fiber’s ability to construct and provide Fiber is subject to the continued agreement between Google Fiber and the property owner. Upload/download speed and device streaming claims are based on maximum wired speeds. Actual Internet speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on factors such as hardware and software limitations, latency, packet loss, etc

††For the first 12 months. Plus, activation, installation and monthly modem rental fees.

‡‡with a 12 month contract.

You can find a lot of great internet deals for under $100 per month.

Get a fiber internet plan if you can, such as AT&T Internet 1000 or CenturyLink’s Fiber Internet package. These get the best performance and the fastest speeds, including up to gigabit upload speeds. You can’t get that on any other internet type and it works great for livestreams, Zoom meetings, and uploading to social media.

A lot of cable internet providers also offer plenty of plans under $100 per month. Xfinity’s Extreme Pro Plus and Spectrum’s Internet Ultra are great examples of mid-tier internet packages that deliver big on internet speed while costing less than a gigabit package.

As demand for fast internet has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown, some fiber internet providers have been racing to offer better deals at lower prices. So you should definitely take advantage if you can get a plan like Optimum’s Fiber Internet 100 in your area, because that means you’ll get superb speeds and internet performance at a totally reasonable rate.

You can get some good cable plans for under $50 a month too. You won’t have the speedy upload speeds of fiber, but you’ll still get extremely fast download speeds from Xfinity’s Connect More or Astound Broadband’s 600 Mbps Internet plan.

*for 12 months with 1-yr. term agreement

†For the first 12 months. Plus, activation, installation and monthly modem rental fees.

‡12 Month Internet Pricing. Equipment priced separately

§For the first 12 months with a 1-year agreement. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Regional price differences may apply.

These plans are all great if you live alone or with just one or two other people. They don’t give you particularly fast speeds—but 25 Mbps to 50 Mbps is still enough to let you play online games and stream movies in HD on one or two devices with minimal buffering and slowdowns.

We love Astound Broadband’s plans because you don’t need to sign a year-long contract, so you can quit any time without paying early termination fees. Plus, you get unlimited data if you sign up for service in Texas, Chicago, or in the Northeast—data caps still apply on the west coast. (Prices vary depending on service area.)

Verizon—Best cheap fiber plan

Xfinity—Best cheap cable internet

AT&T—Best cheap DSL

Astound Broadband—Best cheap deals

Mediacom—Best cheap sign-up prices

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet—Best cheap flat-rate package

Verizon 5G Home Internet—Best cheap 5G internet

How to get cheap internet—in 5 easy steps

You can get cheap internet by looking at all the fine print in a provider’s internet contract, aiming for the best-priced plan based on your needs, and then leveraging extra perks like unlimited data, monthly discounts, and no-contract offers.

Here’s a quick, step-by-step snapshot explaining how to get the best price on internet.

Step 1. Find internet providers in your area. Run a search with your zip code to see which internet providers are available in your area.

Step 2. Compare pricing, connection types, and speed. Aim to get a plan that gives you the fastest-possible speeds for the lowest monthly fee.

Step 3. Look at the fine print. Check if the plan comes with an annual contract or price hikes after a year of service. Also, figure out the data cap—aim to get a plan with at least 1 TB per month of data, or unlimited data if possible.

Step 4. Check for internet promotions or deals. You may be able to get a break on installation costs, or a free trial for a streaming service to sweeten the deal.

Step 5. Consider applying to the Affordable Connectivity Program. Participation in the program could help bring down your monthly bill by anywhere from $30 to $75 per month, depending on your situation. The government is working to make sure some eligible candidates get internet at no charge at all after they’ve applied their credit.

What to look for when you want cheap internet

Below is a more detailed rundown of all the important things to watch out for if you’re looking to get cheap broadband internet:

Fixed rates and no extra fees

You won’t need to worry about hidden charges or unexpected price hikes if you sign up for a plan that gives you a straight deal right off the bat.

Google Fiber and EarthLink give you a straight deal in this regard. Each provider lumps costs for equipment, installation, and other fees into your total monthly bill, rather than adding them on bit by bit. The price may look higher up front when you’re shopping around, but you’ll save money in the long run.

Cheap internet plans FAQ