Best Cable Internet Providers of 2023: Comparing the Top ISPs

Spectrum doesn't have the cheapest internet plan, but speeds are high -- download speeds start at 200Mbps -- and Spectrum ends up with an average cost per Mbps lower than many rival providers, including Xfinity and Cox. The high speeds and low cost per Mbps, along with unlimited data, no contracts and a low equipment fee of just $5 puts Spectrum firmly on our list of the best internet providers.

After the first year of service, Spectrum internet pricing increases to the standard rate, which could raise your monthly bill by $20 to $25. While no increase would be nice, Spectrum's is still lower than you'll get from major cable providers like Xfinity and Cox, which have increases of $30 or higher on select plans. And if you find Spectrum's standard price hike too steep, you can cancel your service without penalty since Spectrum does not require a contract.

Speaking of contracts, Spectrum also has a contract buyout offer good for up to $500 to help new customers out of their contract with another provider. The catch is that the contract buyout offer is only available when you sign up for qualifying Spectrum internet and TV bundles.

Comcast Xfinity is not only the largest cable internet provider, it's also the fastest in many areas. The Xfinity Gigabit plan offers download speeds up to 1,200 megabits per second, 20% faster than the 940 or 1,000Mbps plans available from most other cable ISPs, and for around the same price (or lower). Xfinity also offers an even faster plan, Gigabit Pro, that advertises speeds up to 6,000Mbps, but the plan is only available to those with access to Xfinity's highly limited fiber internet service.

If a gigabit connection is faster than your home needs, Xfinity has a variety of other cable internet plans ranging from 50 to 900Mbps in most locations. Keep in mind, we're talking about download speeds here. Unlike fiber internet, download and upload speeds are not the same with cable internet. Upload speeds with Xfinity cable internet can range from 3 to 35Mbps depending on the plan you choose, which isn't significantly different from any other cable ISP.

Since Xfinity has such a broad coverage area, pricing, speeds and service terms can vary by region. For example, those in the West may have slightly lower pricing but also slower speeds on select Xfinity plans. Additionally, some Xfinity service areas may require a one-year contract to get the lowest pricing while others do not. 

Regardless of your region and the plan you choose, be sure to watch your data usage as all Xfinity plans come with a 1.2TB per month data allowance and a potentially hefty fee for going over. The good news is, that's a lot of data. The average household likely won't come close to using that much data in a month, let alone go over.

Other than Mediacom's cheap internet plan -- which starts at just $20 per month for speeds up to 60Mbps -- there's nothing particularly special about the provider, but it does boast terrific availability. Where providers like Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox and Optimum primarily stick to the big cities, Mediacom caters to much of America's heartland, extending broadband availability to rural areas throughout much of the Midwest and South. 

Those within Mediacom service areas will likely have three to four plan options ranging from 60 to 1,000Mbps. Each plan comes with its own data cap, but only one plan comes with less than 1TB (1,000GB) of data, which is about the standard you'll find from other major cable ISPs that have a cap. Higher-tiered Mediacom plans come with 2,000 or 6,000GB data, which might as well be unlimited for the average household.

Cox Communications is the third-largest cable internet provider in the US, behind Xfinity and Spectrum. As far as speeds and pricing go, Cox is more or less comparable to any other cable ISP -- but the provider's appeal to online gamers is something you won't find anywhere else.

Cox is the only provider with an add-on service feature targeted directly at gamers. Available with select plans, Cox Gamer Elite supports a more stable connection with less lag and fewer ping spikes than standard service. Customers can get the add-on service for an additional $7 per month, a small price to pay for improved connectivity while gaming.

Thanks to its current promotional offers, which take anywhere from $10 to $15 off the standard price for the first year, WideOpenWest boasts some of the cheapest pricing you'll find from any cable internet provider. 

Service starts at just $10 per month (regularly $20) for speeds up to 50Mbps. Broadband service for the price of two cups of coffee is certainly tempting, but I'd recommend faster speeds for most home. Fortunately, WOW has a few faster, yet still reasonably priced, plans to choose from. 

The 200Mbps and 500Mbps plans, for example, start at just $30 and $50 per month, respectively. And if you want gig service, that'll run you $65 for the first year, a good $15 to $25 lower than many competing cable internet providers. The promotional pricing ends with the standard gig plan, however, as WOW's 1,200Mbps plan starts at the standard rate of $95 per month.