AT&T vs. Spectrum: Which Is Best?

Compare AT&T and Spectrum head to head

It’s a tough call deciding which of these two is the better provider.

On the one hand, it would be a no-brainer to pick one of AT&T’s fiber plans like Internet 1 GIG , which gets you incredibly fast speeds at an affordable price. AT&T gives you unlimited data on most fiber plans, and you don’t have to sign an annual contract. You can also get discounts when you bundle your internet with an AT&T phone plan. If you can’t get AT&T’s fiber service, AT&T’s 5G home internet service, Internet Air, is a decent option.

On the other hand, Spectrum makes for a pretty great option if you can’t get AT&T Fiber. Spectrum delivers up to 2,000Mbps speeds using coax or fiber connections, depending on where you live, and up to 7,000Mbps using all-fiber in limited markets. Like AT&T, Spectrum has unlimited data and no contracts, but it has a larger nationwide footprint and a killer internet + mobile bundle deal to boot.

Not sure which of these providers should be your pick of choice? Read on for our full breakdown of these two providers and a look at where each of their strengths lie.

Pros and cons: AT&T vs. Spectrum

Plans and pricing: AT&T vs. Spectrum

AT&T offers multiple packages, most of them using excellent fiber connections. You can even get a 5,000Mbps plan—the fastest speeds currently available to homes from any major provider in America.

Overall, the prices are reasonable. We do think it’s worth jumping to the 1G Internet plan if it’s offered where you live—it delivers superior speeds, letting you do practically anything online at a reasonable price.

But if the 1G Internet plan isn’t available, you’ll be good to go with the Internet 300 plan. It’s much faster and gives you more data than what you can get from similarly priced plans from competitor internet service providers (ISPs).

Spectrum plans and pricing

Spectrum keeps your choices simple. The bulk of Spectrum’s footprint uses its hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) networks, so the connection into the building is coax. Spectrum does offer some Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) internet in new areas, but the availability is limited.

Comparing Spectrum to AT&T is a mixed bag. Both have similar plans that have competitive pricing, so the only real difference between the two is the type of Spectrum Internet you get (symmetrical fiber vs. asymmetrical coax) and the post-promo cost of each.

The drawback with Spectrum is that it does not offer any type of internet other than wired. In contrast, you can get AT&T Internet Air wherever AT&T provides 5G service, making it a great candidate for rural areas where Spectrum can’t reach.

Deals and promotions: AT&T vs. Spectrum

Customer ratings: AT&T vs. Spectrum

AT&T and Spectrum performed well in our annual customer satisfaction survey, getting above-average rankings for overall satisfaction. But AT&T does better in speed, price, and customer service.

Spectrum also fares excellently in important categories like reliability and speed, but it dips to just average on price, scoring a 3.3 out of 5 rating that’s markedly below AT&T’s score of 3.7.

Best mobile and internet bundles

AT&T and Spectrum both offer discounts and deals when you bundle your internet with phone plans. AT&T has a wide range of wireless plans, and you can get 25% per month off a qualifying phone plan when you also have an AT&T fiber internet plan.

Spectrum meanwhile recently has started offering phone plans through its MVNO branch, Spectrum Mobile^®. The Spectrum Mobile Ultimate plan costs just $45.00 per month and gives you 20GB per month of premium data that you can use for browsing, streaming, gaming, and hotspotting. The Ultimate plan costs $29.99 per month when you have two or more lines, and you can pay $10 more per month for an additional 10GB of data. (You need a Spectrum Internet plan to sign up for Spectrum Mobile.)

Best TV and internet bundles

Spectrum lets you to pair its TV services with any of its internet plans. Both services have a discount for the first 12 months, but all premium channels will cost you extra. Hulu, FOX One, and ESPN Unlimited are some of the services included at no extra cost. Other included channels vary with plan choice. Tack on Spectrum Mobile, and your internet discount extends to three years. Standard rates apply after that.

Internet connection types: AT&T vs. Spectrum

AT&T Internet comes in three flavors, depending on the plan you choose: fiber, DSL, or fixed wireless. Fiber is much faster and more reliable than other types of connections, although it’s not always available. DSL is an old-school copper connection that runs over a telephone landline, making it widely available but slow. Fixed wireless is mostly useful for rural areas or neighborhoods with poor internet connections, giving you a nice option that isn’t slow satellite.

Meanwhile, Spectrum uses a hybrid fiber-coaxial system to deliver a more stable internet connection than providers that use 100% coaxial networks. Spectrum’s network is all fiber up until a certain point where coax cable takes over, such as the entrance to a neighborhood already wired up for cable TV. Spectrum installs fiber-to-the-home connections in “green” areas—think new neighborhoods—other fiber internet providers haven’t claimed. Peak time slowdowns are now mostly due to heavy traffic within your home rather than your neighbors.

Data caps: AT&T vs. Spectrum

AT&T and Spectrum both give you unlimited data on their internet packages so you can browse, stream, and attend Zoom meetings as much as you like all month long without hitting a limit.

The one place where you should watch for a data cap is with AT&T’s Fixed Wireless Internet plan. Unlike its fiber internet plans, AT&T’s fixed-wireless package—mainly geared toward rural customers—gives you 350GB per month as a data cap, which is not a whole lot.

The overage fee for AT&T’s Fixed Wireless Internet plan is $10 for every 50GB you go over. And that fee isn’t prorated, so you’ll have to pay that whole $10 even if you go over by just one or two gigs.

Contracts: AT&T vs. Spectrum

AT&T and Spectrum both give you a break when it comes to contracts—there are none. That means you can cancel your service any time after the first month and won’t be hit with an early termination fee (ETF). Very nice.

Installation: AT&T vs. Spectrum

Spectrum definitely offers a better deal on installation prices. Spectrum encourages new customers to opt for the self-install kit first, which is cheaper than AT&T’s kit. Pro installs are still available if you need a new installation, a modem moved, or other services.

AT&T’s installation options are obviously less expensive, and if your home isn’t wired for fiber, AT&T offers deals from time to time to waive installation costs. Take a look at the best internet deals to see if you can rustle up an installation bargain.

Availability: AT&T vs. Spectrum

AT&T and Spectrum are both some of the country’s biggest internet providers. AT&T’s network is accessible to 44% of the US population, with coverage centered around the Midwest, the South, and California. Spectrum can reach 39% of the population, with its biggest availability in New York, California, and Texas.

Final call: Which has better service, AT&T or Spectrum?

AT&T is the best bet out of these two providers, but only if you can get a fiber-optic plan. The provider’s fiber packages get you fast, symmetrical speeds at an affordable price, with no data caps or contracts. But AT&T’s DSL is slow and not quite worth the money. If that’s all you can find from AT&T, stick to Spectrum. Wherever you are in Spectrum’s service area, you can get you top speeds for a good price or a relatively cheap plan if you’re on a budget.

Additional resources

• Your Guide to AT&T Internet Installation
• Your Guide to Spectrum Internet Installation
• AT&T vs. CenturyLink
• Xfinity vs. Spectrum

Methodology

Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.