GFiber vs. Xfinity: Which Internet Provider is Best For You?
Here’s how to choose between two of the fastest internet providers out there.
Apr 7, 2026 | Share 
Provider Comparisons (Versus)
-
Best speeds
- Customer Rating: 4.3/5†
- Starting price: $70/mo.*
- Maximum speed: 8,000Mbps (8 Gbps)
- Internet type: Fiber
-
Most options
- Customer rating: 3.9/5†
- Starting price: $40/mo.*
for 12 mos. - Maximum speed: 2,000Mbps
- Internet type: Cable, fiber
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See GFiber disclaimers | See Xfinity disclaimers
†Based on our annual Customer Satisfaction Survey
Compare GFiber and Xfinity head to head
With its fast and reliable fiber-optic network, GFiber has pushed the limits of what customers expect from their internet service providers (ISP) since the first GFiber city was announced in 2011. But the catch is there’s a good chance it’s not available in your area. Xfinity’s sprawling cable network, on the other hand, makes it one of the largest and most available ISPs in the country. It’s also one of the fastest options in areas where fiber isn’t available, but its cable-based network is more prone to slowing during busy internet times than fiber is.
Pros and cons: GFiber vs. Xfinity
Pros:
- Gigabit and multigigabit speeds (1,000–8,000Mbps)
- No contracts
- No hidden fees
Cons:
- Limited availability
Pros:
- Wide availability
- Reliable connections
- No term contracts
- Robust customer service
Cons:
- Price hikes
Can you get GFiber or Xfinity?
Find out by entering your zip code below.
Plans and pricing: GFiber vs. Xfinity
Xfinity offers more plan variety, especially when it comes to mid-range and budget plans. If you’re looking for the fastest speeds, however, GFiber is the clear winner, with plans as fast as 8,000Mbps. Both of these providers offer good value plans, but GFiber offers more speed per dollar.
GFiber plans and pricing
| Package | Price* | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Core 1 Gig | $70/mo. | 1Gbps (1,000Mbps) |
| Home 3 Gig | $100/mo. | 3Gbps (3,000Mbps) |
| Edge 8 Gig | $150/mo. | 8Gbps (8,000Mbps) |
| 1 Gig | $70/mo. | 1Gbps (1,000Mbps) |
| 2 Gig | $100/mo. | 2Gbps (2,000Mbps) |
| 5 Gig | $125/mo. | 5Gbps (5,000Mbps) |
| 8 Gig | $150/mo. | 8Gbps (8,000Mbps) |
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read disclaimers.
GFiber offers incredibly fast speeds for a very reasonable price. Despite its limited availability, GFiber has had a huge impact nationwide, popularizing fiber home internet and pushing other ISPs to improve their services to keep up.1 It has plans with straightforward pricing and great value. The multigig plans aren’t available in all GFiber locations, but like the 1Gbps plan, availability is slowly expanding.
Xfinity plans and pricing
| Package | Price* | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 300 Mbps | $40/mo. for 12 mos. | 300Mbps |
| 500 Mbps | $55/mo. for 12 mos. | 500Mbps |
| 1 Gig | $70/mo. for 12 mos. | 1,000Mbps |
| 1.2 Gig | $100/mo. for 12 mos. | 1,200Mbps |
| 2 Gig | $100/mo. for 12 mos. | 2,000Mbps |
Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read disclaimers.
Xfinity offers a wide variety of plans. Not every plan is available in every location, but most locations offer a range of plans from basic but affordable to fairly robust. While Xfinity’s plans do reach into the higher speeds, these tend to be more expensive than similar plans offered by GFiber.
Xfinity’s biggest advantage is its wide availability. Xfinity is one of the largest ISPs in the US, and because its entire network is based on cable connections, it can offer higher speeds and more reliable connections than ISPs that operate DSL networks.
In any case, Xfinity’s 6 Gbps fiber plan is also three times the price of GFiber’s 2 Gbps fiber plan, so even if you’re one of the few people who have access to Xfinity’s fiber network, we suggest going with a less expensive option.
Deals and promotions: GFiber vs. Xfinity
- Get gigabit speeds with no data caps and free installation from GFiber starting at $70 per month
- Get free perks like Disney+, Hulu Bundle and Peacock Premium included with a new 1 Gig plan from Xfinity, now available with a 5-year price guarantee
- Earn up to $500 per year by referring friends to Xfinity
- Get automatic enrollment in Xfinity Rewards for exclusive access to merch, free TV and movies, and rotating weekly offers
Extra fees: GFiber vs. Xfinity
| Equipment Fee | Installation Fee | Other Fees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GFiber | None | None | None |
| Xfinity | None | Up to $100 (Free for self-installation with standard shipping) | $10 late payment fee |
Data as of 11/07/2025. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Giber and Xfinity don’t have any fees beyond your normal monthly bill, including late fees. Both ISPs gives you a free router and free installation when you sign up. But if you do need a professional installation with Xfinity, it will usually cost $100.
With GFiber, if your outstanding balance is unpaid for more than 40 days, your account will be suspended.3 Fortunately, there are no additional fees to reinstate a suspended account, either. You just have to pay your remaining balance in full.
Customer ratings: GFiber vs. Xfinity
| Overall | Speed | Price | Reliability | Customer Service | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GFiber | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| Xfinity | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
Based on our annual Customer Satisfaction Survey
GFiber blew larger nationwide internet providers out of the water in our annual customer satisfaction survey. Customers rated GFiber well above other providers in speed, price, and overall satisfaction, proving that GFiber still lives up to the hype.
Although Xfinity’s scores are a bit lower than those given to GFiber, Xfinity was still one of the top-performing providers on our survey when compared to other nationwide brands. Xfinity performed especially well in the categories of speed and reliability, coming in at the number one spot for speed among nationwide providers for the second year in a row.
Internet types: GFiber vs. Xfinity
| Internet type | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| GFiber | Fiber | View Plan |
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | View Plans |
GFiber operates an all-fiber network, so you’re always going to get the same high speeds and reliable connection, no matter where you are. Fiber internet has the advantage of symmetrical speeds, which means your upload speeds and just as fast as your download speeds. This is nice to have for video calls, streaming broadcasts, and uploading large files.
Xfinity’s network mostly delivers cable internet, which gives you good download speeds with slower upload speeds. Xfinity also offers fiber connections in a few areas, but the availability is extremely limited.
Data caps: GFiber vs. Xfinity
| Data cap | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| GFiber | None | View Plan |
| Xfinity | None | View Plans |
GFiber and Xfinity don’t have any data caps, which means you can use it as much as you need without worrying about throttled speeds or overage fees.
Contracts: GFiber vs. Xfinity
| Contract length | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| GFiber | No contract | View Plan |
| Xfinity | No contract | View Plans |
GFiber and Xfinity don’t require a contract, so you simply pay on a month-to-month basis.
Installation: GFiber vs. Xfinity
| Installation options | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| GFiber | Free professional installation | View Plan |
| Xfinity | $100 professional installation Free for self-installation with standard shipping | View Plans |
GFiber offers free professional installation to new customers, and its technicians do an amazing job, keeping all the cables neat and tidy.
Xfinity offers professional installation for $100. If you don’t want to pay even that much, Xfinity offers a free self-installation option as well, which it makes easy with an app that gives you step-by-step instructions.
Availability: GFiber vs. Xfinity
When it comes to availability, few ISPs can match Xfinity, which has a network that runs from coast to coast and covers over a third of the US population.4 Its reach doesn’t extend very far into rural areas, but if you live near a big city and have cable hookups at your house, there’s a good chance you have access to Xfinity internet.
Availability is the main weakness of GFiber. Its network is available in only a few GFiber cities, bringing access to less than 1% of the US population.4 Although its network is expanding, GFiber is still a relatively small ISP and faces an uphill battle when it comes to increasing its coverage.
Final call: GFiber vs. Xfinity
If you have access to both GFiber and Xfinity in your area, we recommend going with GFiber to get the most speed and reliability for the cost. Those with very basic internet needs might save some money by going with a cheaper Xfinity plan, but be aware of price hikes that will inevitably occur once the promo period ends.
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.
Sources
- Blair Levin and Larry Downes, Harvard Business Review, “Why Google Fiber Is High-Speed Internet’s Most Successful Failure,” September 7, 2018. Accessed May 10, 2021.
- Comcast. “We’re Giving Our Northeast Customers More Time,” February 18, 2021. Accessed August 5, 2021.
- Google Fiber Help. “Pay Your Outstanding Balance.” Accessed August 5, 2021.
- Federal Communications Commission. “Fixed Broadband Deployment,” June 2020. Accessed August 5, 2021.
Disclaimers
GFiber plans
Core 1 Gig | Home 3 Gig | Edge 8 Gig: N/A
1 Gig | 2 Gig: Plus taxes and fees. 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.
5 Gig | 8 Gig: Available in select markets only. Plus taxes and fees. 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.
Xfinity plans
300 Mbps: For 12 months, no term contract. Restrictions apply. Autopay w/ stored bank account and paperless billing req’d. Taxes and fees extra and subj. to change. Reduced speeds after 30 GB of usage/line. Data thresholds may vary.
All other plans: N/A
Author - Peter Christiansen
Peter Christiansen writes about telecom policy, communications infrastructure, satellite internet, and rural connectivity for HighSpeedInternet.com. Peter holds a PhD in communication from the University of Utah and has been working in tech for over 15 years as a computer programmer, game developer, filmmaker, and writer. His writing has been praised by outlets like Wired, Digital Humanities Now, and the New Statesman.
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.
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