Xfinity vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Which Internet Provider Is Best for You?

Compare Xfinity and T-mobile head to head

Xfinity and T-Mobile are both excellent internet service providers (ISPs), but they couldn’t be more different. Xfinity brings blazing-fast speeds and a laundry list of internet products and features via its constantly improving cable internet network. T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet is the opposite, offering only one internet plan—but that internet plan is incredibly convenient, straightforward, and one of the best deals we’ve seen in a long time.

If you have average internet needs, it’s hard to beat T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet. On the other hand, if you know you need a lot of bandwidth or want to bundle services, it’s worth taking a closer look at Xfinity. Let’s dig into the details to find out which service better suits your needs.

Pros and cons: Xfinity vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

Jump to: Plans and pricing | Extra fees | Customer ratings | Bundles | Internet connection types | Data caps | Contracts | Installation | Availability

Jump to:

• Plans and pricing
• Extra fees
• Customer ratings
• Bundles
• Internet connection types
• Data caps
• Contracts
• Installation
• Availability

Plans and pricing: Xfinity vs. T-Mobile

Xfinity plans and pricing

Xfinity has seven plans for customers to choose from, and the prices aren’t bad considering the speeds offered. But keep in mind that there may be extra fees that could inflate your monthly cost, depending on the features you want (modem rental, unlimited data, month-to-month contract, etc.). Also, some Xfinity plans may not be available in your area; the 2,000 Mbps Gigabit X2 plan, for example, has very limited availability.

T-Mobile plans and pricing

T-Mobile has only one internet plan with advertised speeds up to 245Mbps. On the surface, that offer may seem so-so, but the value with T-Mobile is in the details. That $60 price tag includes absolutely everything: unlimited data, self-installation, and a rental gateway. T-Mobile’s pricing and included features are a total steal. The only question is whether speeds around 250Mbps are adequate for your internet needs.

NOTE: T-Mobile’s internet plan advertises a speed range rather than a simple max speed. That’s because the 5G reception in each area is a little different, which impacts the speeds available from a fixed wireless service like T-Mobile’s. But if you live in an area with decent 5G reception, you should expect your speeds near the top of that 72–245Mbps advertised range.

Extra fees: Xfinity vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

T-Mobile wins here, hands down. We love its free rental equipment, very easy (and very free) self-installation process, and no term contracts or subsequent early termination fees. On the contrary, Xfinity’s service gets weighed down by all the common culprits of inflated internet bills.

Customer ratings: Xfinity vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

T-Mobile was the highest-rated provider in our annual customer satisfaction survey. T-Mobile customers were especially happy with their pricing, giving T-Mobile the highest price satisfaction score in the history of our survey. No doubt, T-Mobile also owes some of its success to its convenient fixed-wireless foundation. Fixed-wireless customers in general were the most satisfied in our survey, suggesting the extra convenience of no cables goes a long way.

Xfinity received the best customer ratings for speed for the second year in a row. This wasn’t too surprising as Xfinity plans tend to offer a lot of speed for the money.

Best TV and internet bundles

* Internet: For 12 months. No term contract. Taxes and equipment not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. TV: No term contract. Broadcast TV fee extra; price subj to change. Taxes and equipment not included.

Xfinity is the clear winner when it comes to bundling services, offering TV and phone bundles, and even discounts for Xfinity’s mobile phone service. That being said, the discount you get for bundling internet and TV isn’t anything to write home about—it’s usually just $5 or so of monthly savings.

T-Mobile doesn’t have any TV and internet bundles.

Internet types: Xfinity vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

Xfinity’s cable internet is a tried-and-true, robust connection type that’s up to the task of even the most demanding internet activities. It uses the same lines used for cable TV, so its availability is excellent. Cable internet is faster, more reliable, and more stable than fixed wireless internet, but it’s also a lot less convenient as it requires cabling.

T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet sits in the relatively new category of fixed wireless internet service. Fixed wireless uses the signal from cell towers to carry internet data to customer homes, kind of like a mobile hotspot on steroids … that isn’t mobile. It doesn’t require any cables, making it really easy to set up.

Data caps: Xfinity vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

T-Mobile has no data cap, so there’s no worrying about overage fees or any need to track your usage.

Xfinity takes a more traditional approach with a 1.2TB data cap. That’s nearly double the data an average household uses in a month, so it shouldn’t be an issue for most customers. But those who download a lot of large files (looking at you gamers) may find 1.2TB a bit limiting. Xfinity offers the option to go unlimited, but it costs you an extra $30 per month.

Contracts: Xfinity vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

T-Mobile has no term contracts; services are month-to-month, and you’re free to cancel anytime.

Xfinity plans lock you in for 1–2 years. If you cancel early, you have to pay early termination fees; these are usually $10 for every month remaining on your contract. Similar to Xfinity’s other policies, you can get around this if you pay more.

Installation: Xfinity vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

Not only is T-Mobile’s installation free, it’s much easier than Xfinity’s (and every other ISP for that matter). Set up is very plug and play—the app takes over the tough bits. But the big draw is no need for networking cables, and you don’t need a technician or an appointment.

Xfinity’s cable internet requires more money and effort—and maybe even a broadband technician. You may be able to get away with a free self-install, but that depends on your home’s existing networking setup.

Availability: Xfinity vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

Both of these internet giants have excellent availability. T-Mobile’s wireless reach extends to anywhere with decent reception of its 5G cell towers, and Xfinity is the nation’s largest internet provider. The odds are very good that you have access to at least one of these ISPs.

Final call: Xfinity vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

If you can get by with internet speeds around 150Mbps, we recommend going with T-Mobile: The price vs. what you get is just too compelling to ignore. But there’s no ignoring that Xfinity’s service can take you further with speeds, making it the better choice for those with more demanding bandwidth needs.

View Xfinity Plans

View T-Mobile Plans

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.

More about Xfinity and T-Mobile

• T-Mobile Internet Review
• Xfinity Internet Review