Best Cheap Internet Providers and Plans of 2025
Get a low price for fast and reliable internet
Apr 14, 2025 | Share 
Brand Guides, Featured
-
Cheap fiber plans
- Prices starting at: $49.99* w/ Auto Pay
- Speeds: Up to 300Mbps
-
Best introductory prices
- Prices starting at: $35.00/mo.†
- Speeds: Up to 150Mbps
-
Best cheap 5G home internet
- Prices starting at: $50.00/mo.‡
- Speeds: Up to 318Mbps
The average price families pay for internet in the U.S. is $75 per month, but you can probably find a good service for about $50 per month. In some places, starting prices are as low as $20 per month.
Any plan you’re considering should come with decent bandwidth, plenty of monthly data, and good Wi-Fi capability. But there’s a little more to it. Your options depend entirely on where you live, and prices often change after initial promos end.
In this guide, we’ll help you find the cheapest plans in your area for now, and for the long-term.
Six top cheap internet plans
| Plan | Price | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon Fios 300 Mbps | $49.99/mo.* w/ Auto Pay | 300Mbps |
| Xfinity Connect More | $35.00/mo.† | 400Mbps |
| CenturyLink Simply Unlimited Internet 140Mbps | $55.00/mo.‡ | Up to 140Mbps |
| Astound Broadband 300 Mbps Internet | $20.00/mo.§ | 300Mbps |
| T-Mobile Rely Internet | $50.00/mo.# w/ Auto Pay | 87–318Mbps |
Data as of 03/17/2025. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See disclaimers.
How Much Internet Speed Do You Need?
Est. Time: 60 seconds
Answer six questions and get a personalized internet speed recommendation!
How many people in your household use the internet/WiFi on a daily basis?
How many devices in your home connect to the internet, including tablets, gaming consoles, and smart devices?
How many people in your household work from home?
What video quality do you use for streaming TV and movies?
How intensely does your household participate in online gaming?
Does your household download large files from the cloud or via the internet?
Cheap internet plans for less than $50 per month
| Sign up | Price | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Cox Go Fast | $50.00/mo.* | 100Mbps |
| Frontier Fiber 200 | $29.99/mo. w/Auto Pay & Paperless Bill# | 200Mbps |
| Spectrum Internet Pay As You Go | $35/mo.† | Up to 100Mbps (wireless speeds may vary) |
Data as of 03/03/2025. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See disclaimers.
Fiber internet is available to more and more households every day, and providers have been racing to offer better deals at lower prices. If you can get one of these plans in you’re area, we recommend it! You’ll get superb speeds and internet performance at a very reasonable rate, and there’s a good chance Wi-Fi equipment will be included.
You can get decent cable internet plans for less than $50 a month, too. You won’t have the speedy upload speeds of fiber, but you’ll still get extremely fast download speeds.
Is fiber internet available?
Run a search with your zip code below.
Verizon—Best cheap fiber plan
$49.99/mo.* w/ Auto Pay
Starting price
- Download speed: 300Mbps
- Internet type: Fiber
*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.
View Verizon PlansWith a starting price of just $49.99 per month, Verizon’s cheapest fiber internet plan gives you excellent speeds for a mid-sized household—enough to let you stream in 4K and play online games on several devices. You also get equally fast upload speeds, making this plan perfect for working from home and all the Zoom meetings, uploading, download, and social media procrastination that entails.
Verizon Fios plans come with unlimited data and don’t require a contract to sign up. The provider also got some of the best ratings in our annual customer satisfaction survey.
Can you get Verizon's fiber internet?
Punch in your zip code to find out:
Xfinity—Best cheap cable internet
$35.00/mo.*
Starting price
- Download speed: 150Mbps
- Internet type: Cable
†For 12 month, no term contract. Taxes and equipment not included. Incl. up to $10/mo. auto-pay & paperless bill discount. Pricing and plan names may vary by region.
View Xfinity PlansXfinity is your best bet for decent, cheap internet if you live in an Xfinity service area. Its standard monthly prices are some of the least expensive out there. If you fall below certain income thresholds, your price could be as low as $14.95 per month. There are deals for short-term internet, too!
With the new NOW Wifi Pass, you can sign into any Xfinity hotspot for 30 days for just $10. Almost all home internet connections from Xfinity act as public hotspots, so it should be easy to connect anywhere in the network.
CenturyLink—Best cheap DSL
$55.00/mo.‡
- Download speed: Up to 140Mbps
- Internet type: DSL
*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 140 Mbps).
DSL isn’t fancy-schmancy like cable or fiber-optic internet—it runs over our landline phone cables, and that means it’s a lot slower than cable or fiber plans. But it’s hard to beat DSL’s wide availability, and we like this plan because it gives you a decent monthly rate with no data caps.
With DSL, it’s important to note that your speeds will be slower the farther you are from your provider’s neighborhood hub. If you’re the last house on a country road, for example, your actual speeds could be far slower than the “up to” speed listed on your plan. If that’s the case for you, faster speeds could be available from 5G internet providers like T-Mobile or satellite providers like Starlink.
Astound Broadband—Best cheap deals
$20.00/mo.*
Starting price
- Download speed: 300Mbps
- Internet type: Cable
*No contract required. 24 Month Internet Pricing. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.
View PlansAstound Broadband’s largest cable internet service area is in the Northeast, serving New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. Astound also provides cable internet in Illinois and along the West Coast.
With 300Mbps speeds, this plan is solid if you live alone or with a couple roommates. Astound Broadband often adds installation at no extra cost. Prices rise steeply after a tear orr two of service, though, so set yourself a reminder to shop for internet service again when your low rates expire
Pro tip:
If you’ve never met a discount you didn’t like, you’ll love perks and promos guide. It’s updated every month so you can get the scoop on the latest bargains.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet—Best cheap flat-rate package
$50.00/mo.#
- Download speed: 87–318Mbps
- Internet type: Fixed wireless/5G
#with AutoPay, taxes and fees included.
View PlansT-Mobile offers 5G fixed wireless internet service to nearly 60 percent of addresses in the US. T-Mobile got stellar reviews in our customer satisfaction survey, so we think it’s worth a shot if you can’t get fast speeds for lower prices elsewhere.
The best things about this plan are no data caps or annual contract requirements, and your Wi-Fi gear is included in the price. Also, if you sign up for two or more lines of the T-Mobile Magenta MAX phone plan, you get $20 off the monthly fee for home internet.
Verizon 5G Home Internet—Best cheap 5G internet
$500.00/mo.* w/ Auto Pay
- Download speed: Up to 300 Mbps
- Internet type: 5G
*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.
View Verizon 5G Home Internet PlansVerizon 5G Home Internet is a cool new service that uses 5G wireless networks to deliver your internet connection. It’s fast, easy to set up, and worth a shot if you’re unhappy with local cable or DSL options.
This service relies on the provider’s network of cellular transmitters. The speeds aren’t quite as consistent as what you get from fiber or cable (and they’re deprioritized compared to mobile traffic), but they’re a lot better than many DSL connections, and may be cheaper than local cable choices.
Verizon’s service also comes with a ton of extra perks—including unlimited data, no extra charges for equipment and installation, and no annual contract requirements.
What to look for when you want cheap internet
Cheap internet is about more than just the monthly connection price. You also need Wi-Fi gear, a good chunk of data every month, and more. Read on for a detailed rundown:
Fixed rates and no extra fees
Price hikes and extra fees used to be the norm for internet providers, but it’s getting a lot easier these days to find flat-rate plans. Google Fiber was a pioneer in offering straight-up deals, and it’s still a good option if you can get it. Other fiber internet providers such as Verizon, AT&T, and Quantum Fiber have followed its example.
The price may look higher up front when you’re shopping around, but you’ll save money in the long run.
Unlimited data
Some providers cap your monthly data at 1TB (or even lower) and going over can lead to costly overage charges. A plan with unlimited data is your best bet.
Spectrum, EarthLink, CenturyLink, and other providers offer unlimited data on all their plans, giving you the freedom to stream and download all you want. Read our guide on data caps to get the full rundown.
Month-to-month plans and no-contract policies
If you have to sign up for a contract to get internet service, watch out. They could put you on the hook for annual commitments with hefty early termination fees (ETF) if you have to cancel or switch providers before your contract is up.
Thankfully, it’s more common these days for internet providers to get rid of these annual commitments and let you sign up on a no-contract, month-to-month basis.
Pro tip: Get a no-contract plan if you can
Some providers give you the option to choose between a no-contract plan or an annual contract plan—and they’ll pressure you to sign up for the annual contract by charging more for the no-contract plan.
In that case, we still recommend signing up for the no-contract option, especially if you think you might move soon. It will give you more freedom and flexibility.
Government subsidies and low-income internet programs
A handful of internet providers offer low-cost internet plans designed for qualifying low-income customers and families with students.
If you’re already signed up for government programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), this is an excellent option. Read our guide to government internet programs to see what’s out there and how to apply.
Gift cards and coupons
There are always discounts and coupons to enjoy when you’re signing up for an internet plan. (We know because we keep track of the best internet deals!) Before signing up, scope out the provider’s website or ask a customer service rep if there are any bargains to be had. You may end up with something like a $100 gift card, a waiver on installation costs, or a free subscription to a streaming service.
Looking for an easy way to test and track your internet speed?
Take our internet speed test or download our free speed test app to track your speed from anywhere.
Download our free, easy-to-use speed test app for quick and reliable results.
Cheap internet plans FAQ
What’s the best cheap internet package?
How much does it cost for an internet-only plan?
Can I get free internet at home?
What is the cheapest way to get internet in your home?
Disclaimers
*Verizon
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.
†Xfinity
For 12 month, no term contract. Taxes and equipment not included. Incl. up to $10/mo. auto-pay & paperless bill discount. Pricing and plan names may vary by region.
‡T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
with AutoPay, taxes and fees included.
||CenturyLink
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 140 Mbps).
**Astound
No contract required. 24 Month Internet Pricing. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.
Other great internet plans
*Cox
Available in select markets only. No annual contract or cancellation fees.
†Frontier
w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Max wired speed 500/500 Mbps. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charges apply.
†Spectrum
Equipment, taxes, surcharges and fees are not included in above rate. Sparklight Pay As You Go Internet is only available in specified areas of select markets.
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. Previously writing under the name Rebecca Palmer, Chili’s work as a writer, reporter, and editor has appeared in a wide range of news, consumer tech, and business publications.
Editor - Cara Haynes
Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.com for five years. She graduated with a BA in English and a minor in editing from Brigham Young University. When she's not editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight. She believes no one should feel lost in internet land and that a good internet connection significantly extends your life span.
Related Posts
