Verizon vs. Frontier: Which Internet Provider Is Best for You?

Verizon and Frontier are both top-notch contenders when it comes to fiber internet with multi-gig speeds. Even after Verizon’s acquisition of Frontier in early 2026, both brands still stand on their own. Verizon has the added perk of connection type variety, whereas Frontier sticks only to fiber. Frontier has incredibly low pricing for packages similar to Verizon, but you have to be careful to check for additional fees before deciding on a plan.

Let’s break them down so you can decide what the best connection is for your household.

Services at a glance

Plans and pricing: Verizon vs. Frontier

Verizon and Frontier both offer a wide range of choices when it comes to fiber internet and multi-gig speeds. If you’re purely looking at fiber internet, both providers offer packages as low as 200–300Mbps and as high as 5,000–7,000Mbps—so you’ve got options. For similar plans and connection types, Frontier does offer a lower price than Verizon.

Deals and promotions: Verizon vs. Frontier

Neither Verizon nor Frontier charge activation fees, though you might end up spending some money on installation. There are ways of getting around the installation fees—like signing up online for Verizon fiber internet or agreeing to stay for a year in exchange for promotional pricing from Frontier.

Installation cost

It’s possible to sign up for all plans without paying an installation fee, though if you are on a Verizon fiber plan, you’ll have to be sure to order online. Frontier offers free expert fiber installation on all packages, which is nice if you would rather call in to sign up instead of signing up online. But be careful—choosing free installation might lock you into a one-year contract that you’ll be charged to break.

Recurring fees: Verizon vs. Frontier

When it comes to hidden or recurring fees, unfortunately Frontier takes the cake. The trade-off for paying a low monthly rate is the added mental load of tracking additional fees, which automatically load to your bill if you opt out of autopay or want a paper bill.

For Verizon, additional fees are minimal, only coming into play if you are behind on your payments. If you opt out of autopay or paperless billing, you’ll also see an increase on your monthly bill, but this is pretty standard across the industry.

Make sure you know your contract terms if you choose Frontier. A one-year contract is common for those who signed up under promotional prices, and breaking that contract could result in an early termination fee up to $100.

Price hikes

Both providers may hike your price if you signed up for a promotion. This typically happens after your contract length or a certain amount of time, often one year. Increases can range between $10–$50, so be sure to read the fine print and know the details of your contract.

Verizon Fios does have a price guarantee, meaning that for a certain period of time after signing up, your price won’t change. The guarantee does vary depending on your plan and when you sign up. Frontier also offers a price lock for up to five years on its fastest plans.

Customer ratings: CenturyLink vs. Verizon

Verizon and Frontier are relatively comparable in a lot of areas like reliability, speed, and customer satisfaction, but Frontier pulls into the lead with low prices and a solid connection. Frontier’s low prices are well worth the added work of watching out for extra fees.

Final call: Verizon vs. Frontier

Despite Verizon’s reputation and solid lineup of connection types, Frontier is the winner. When you stack the savings you get from paperless billing, autopay, and promotional pricing for customers staying at least 12 months, you save a good chunk of money both at installation and on your monthly bill.

It’s important to note that Frontier and Verizon don’t typically share a fiber footprint, so if fiber from either provider is available in your area, you should take advantage regardless of the provider. Both Verizon and Frontier have standout reliability and customer service, so really, you can’t go wrong.

More about Verizon and Frontier

• Verizon vs. Xfinity
• Verizon vs. Spectrum
• Frontier vs. Xfinity
• Frontier vs. T-Mobile

FAQ about Verizon vs. Frontier

Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our Annual Internet Service Provider Review, 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.

Our favorite plan

The average household needs internet speeds of at least 300Mbps but not more than a gig (1,000Mbps), so the best plan we recommend for each provider is always within that range. We also consider plan specifics, like added costs or included perks, and compare all the options from each provider to national averages. Finally, we account for tech type differences, since you might not need as much speed on a fiber plan as you would on a less-reliable fixed wireless or cable plan. Learn more about how much speed you need, and enter your zip code in our provider lookup tool to see what you can get in your neighborhood.

A note about pricing

The prices you see may not reflect the standard rates these providers could charge after an introductory period. You’ll see the standard rates on broadband nutrition labels displayed during checkout, along with equipment fees, installation fees, contract requirements, and data caps (if any). Always view this information before you sign up for internet service.

Plans disclaimers