Best Cable Internet Providers for 2021

Coaxial cable-delivered internet may be two decades old, but it’s still one of the fastest and most readily available ways to get connected to the web. If you’ve outgrown DSL (which is likely) and fiber hasn’t yet reached your neighborhood (even more likely), cable is your best ‘net bet.

We’ve reviewed all of the major cable internet providers based on price, speed, contract length, and US coverage.

Optimum is the best cable provider overall with excellent performance and customer satisfaction, while Xfinity has the fastest cable internet speeds around (if you’re willing to pay a premium). Spectrum combines wide internet availability with stellar cable TV packages. Keep on reading for a full breakdown of our top cable internet providers.

Jump to:

• Best cable internet providers
• What to look for
• Final take
• FAQ

Best cable internet service providers

• Optimum–Best overall
• Xfinity–Fastest
• Spectrum–Best for bundles

Compare top cable internet providers

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*For the first 12 months with a 1-year agreement.
**For the first 12 months.

Optimum doesn’t have the widest availability, but this cable internet service provider (ISP) still earned our top slot thanks to its high-value plans and features like unlimited data and a generous $500 contract buyout offer.

If you need the fastest cable internet packages, Xfinity is the only ISP with plans that have download speeds of more than 1 Gps. With Spectrum, you’ll get excellent cable internet plans and TV packages that come loaded with premium and basic cable channels.

Best overall: Optimum

Optimum provides cable internet service to New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. The company, owned by Altice since 2016, also delivers TV and digital phone services.

Sheer speed is Optimum’s biggest selling point: the cable internet plans start at 300 Mbps, maxing out at 1,000 Mbps. You’ll also get excellent upload speeds of up to 35 Mbps. Those aren’t quite fiber-optic speed numbers, but they’re still higher than most other cable internet providers can claim.

We recommend the Optimum 300 cable internet plan, which delivers a more-than-adequate 300 Mbps of download speed (and 35 Mbps of upload speed) for just $45 a month.

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* for 1 yr. Plus taxes, equip. charges and fees.

Fastest: Xfinity

Xfinity, part of Comcast, is the o.g. of cable internet and has the widest availability of all the providers reviewed here.

Both East and West Coasts are almost completely wired for Xfinity, as are several pockets of the country in between—like the Rockies in particular. Xfinity offers some high-speed packages at competitive prices, even in areas where there’s no cable internet competition.

Xfinity’s Gigabit package (1,200 Mbps, $79.99/mo.) is faster than most competing internet plans that typically top out at 940 Mbps. If you’re in Xfinity’s Northeast or West regions, you can also get the Gigabit Pro plan, which offers 2,000 Mbps upload and download speeds for $299.95 monthly. Gigabit Pro definitely isn’t the most affordable plan, but it’s useful if you’re regularly downloading and uploading large files for work or school.

We recommend Xfinity’s Performance Pro plan, which delivers 200 Mbps of download speed for $49.99 a month. Combined with Xfinity’s bundle options and xFi extras, it’s one of the best, and fastest, deals in cable internet.

We recommend Xfinity’s Performance Pro plan, which delivers 200 Mbps of download speed for $49.99 a month. Combined with Xfinity’s bundle options and xFi extras, it’s one of the best, and fastest, deals in cable internet.

*For the first 12 months.
**For the first 24 months with a 2-year agreement.
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Best for bundles: Spectrum

In 2015, Charter Communications acquired rivals Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks and moved all residential cable internet operations over to the Spectrum brand. This resulted in a whole lot of cable internet coverage—Spectrum is second only to Xfinity in reach—and a bit of brand-name confusion.

Boring corporate-speak aside, you just want to know where Spectrum is available and if it’s any good, right? Well, it’s available basically everywhere in the eastern, western, and northern US, and the service is speedy and solid.

It’s also ridiculously simple, as Spectrum offers just three cable internet plans—indecisive shoppers rejoice.

The 200 Mbps Spectrum Internet plan goes for $49.99 a month (guaranteed for 12 months). That price includes the modem rental fee, and Wi-Fi connectivity to Spectrum mobile hotspots. Spectrum’s Ultra and Gig internet plans offer faster internet speeds, but they’re also priced higher than competing ISPs.

We’d recommend the Spectrum Internet plan because of its affordability and value. With a 200 Mbps internet plan, you’ll have enough bandwidth to support regular Netflix streaming or online gaming for a whole family.

Besides availability, one of the most convenient aspects of cable internet is being able to bundle it with TV and phone service at a discount—which any provider will hound you about.

We’re big fans of Spectrum’s TV bundles, which offer more channels and premium streaming services like HBO Max compared to other ISPs with TV services. We’d recommend Spectrum if you want cable TV and internet service from the same provider.

*For the first 12 months.
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

What to look for

When you’re shopping for cable internet service, you’ll want to consider your budget and your household’s internet speed needs. Check out our internet speed and data cap guides to learn more about the finer points of your internet plan.

How much speed do you need?

Triple-digit download speeds look impressive, but do they really affect your internet experience? Well, it depends on what you’re doing and how many others are doing it at the same time.

Cable internet performance can be slowed by not only usage in your household, but also the neighborhood—cable shares bandwidth, so peak hours (like when everyone jumps online after work around 5 p.m.) will sometimes be noticeably sluggish.

Here are some basic cable internet download speed guidelines to follow:

• 25–50 Mbps: One- or two-person household; internet browsing, video streaming.
• 50–100 Mbps: Four- or five-person household; internet, video streaming, gaming.
• 100–200 Mbps: Six-or-more-person household; internet, video streaming, gaming, work-from-home activity.
• 200–500 Mbps: Internet to your heart’s content.

What about upload speed?

If you’re working from home, chances are you’ll be uploading large files and video-conferencing between gaming sessions and YouTube breaks (no judgement here).

If that’s the case, you’ll need to know that cable internet upload speeds, as with DSL, are typically a fraction of its download speeds.

Depending on your baseline cable internet speed, it could take an hour or more to upload the latest episode of your true-crime podcast—can your fans wait that long?

If you need faster upload times, look into fiber internet, which offers equal download/upload speeds.

And what about data caps?

If you’re working from home, chances are you’ll be uploading large files and video-conferencing between gaming sessions and YouTube breaks (no judgement here).

If that’s the case, you’ll need to know that cable internet upload speeds, as with DSL, are typically a fraction of its download speeds.

Depending on your baseline cable internet speed, it could take an hour or more to upload the latest episode of your true-crime podcast—can your fans wait that long?

If you need faster upload times, look into fiber internet, which offers equal download/upload speeds.

Final take

Cable internet is one of the most popular ways to get internet access for a reason: it’s relatively affordable, it’s widely available, and you’ll get fast download speeds.

Optimum is our top pick thanks to its excellent download speeds and introductory prices. But if you’re outside of Optimum’s coverage area, you’ll still have excellent internet options that can fit any household’s needs with Xfinity or Spectrum.

Methodology

To find the best cable internet provider, we started by considering companies with nationwide or multi-state coverage areas. We then evaluated the top cable internet providers based on availability, cost, and download speeds. We also drew star ratings from our annual customer satisfaction survey. You can learn more about our process on our “How We Rank” page.

Best cable internet providers FAQ