Top 5 Fastest Internet Deals 2021: Plans, Prices, and More

Gotta go fast with fiber internet

The year is 2020. You watch 4K Ultra HD movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, check in with your family via Google Hangouts, and team up with your friends on Overwatch.

In short, you need fast internet.

Never fear—the fastest internet packages in the US are right here.

Top 5 fastest internet plans

Data effective 4/08/20. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
**w/ Auto Pay + taxes.
† w/ No Term Agreement.
‡ per month for 12 months. Max wired speed 940/880. Actual speeds may vary. Installation, taxes & other fees apply. Services subject to availability and all applicable terms and conditions.
§ For the first 12 months. Price includes $19.00 promotional credit.
¶ For the first 3 months.

Who has the fastest internet?

For the fastest home Wi-Fi, Xfinity is uncontested. Its Gigabit Pro download speeds are twice as fast as any other internet provider’s.

But that speed will cost you, and most people won’t notice it’s faster than one-gig plans.

Xfinity also tends to have slower upload speeds and a reputation for poor customer service.

So if you’re interested in a more customer-friendly company, faster upload speeds, or more affordable plan—or even if you live in a rural community—we can help you find what you need.

Verizon Fios placed first overall in our recent customer satisfaction survey, but that’s not the only reason we recommend this fast internet plan above all the rest.

Fios Gigabit Connection is $79.99 a month (w/Auto Pay + taxes) without an annual contract and the Fios home router that runs your home Wi-Fi comes included.

Sure, the download speed isn’t one gig, but it’s close. Your two-hour HD movie will download in 35 seconds instead of 32 seconds—however will you cope with that lost time?

Fios Gigabit Connection makes posting to YouTube and online gaming a breeze. Your videos will upload in the time it takes you to get a glass of water, and the ping rate is so fast you’ll demolish* the competition in your multiplayer game. In short, we give this plan two thumbs up, and we think you will too.

*Demolition not guaranteed. First-person shooter abilities vary from player to player, but CableTV.com maintains the bias that our readers are the best at everything.

Xfinity is the residential provider offering the fastest download speeds. If you’re in the market purely for download speed, check out the Gigabit Pro plan. It’s two times faster than most gig offerings.

Despite its download speeds, we’re wary of Gigabit Pro because Xfinity doesn’t publicize its upload speeds. That makes us think this probably isn’t your dream package if you need to upload large files, like twelve hours of footage that prove Bigfoot is real. At the very least, we’re annoyed by not having upload info to round out the table above.

On the plus side, Gigabit Pro doesn’t come with a term agreement, so you can part ways amicably if you ever decide this isn’t the package for you. You should keep in mind, though, Xfinity could also change the price of this package while you’re on it. Keep an eye on this wily one.

All in all, we give this plan two cautious thumbs up. It’s pricey, but if the fastest download speed is what you’re after, Gigabit Pro is the way to go.

If you have a job or hobby that has you uploading large files to the internet regularly, fast upload speeds are a must. Just imagine how fantastic it would be to never disappoint your YouTube followers with a late daily video.

For the fastest internet upload speeds, Frontier’s FiberOptic Gig Service is the way to go. Its upload and download speeds match, so whether you’re hosting a Twitch stream or streaming in 4K Ultra HD, your experience will be seamless.

Still, there’s a two-year price guarantee, and you won’t have to sign a contract. Frontier’s FiberOptic Gig Service isn’t perfect, but if you don’t have Verizon Fios in your area, it’s certainly something to consider.

For those of us who like fast speeds but want to be misers about it: there’s hope! Windstream offers some of the fastest internet in the US at a budget-friendly $55 per month.

Kinetic GIG doesn’t come with lots of bells and whistles. But considering its download speed, 30-day money-back guarantee, and no contract, we aren’t complaining.

Unfortunately, Windstream isn’t without a drawback. It has rolled Kinetic GIG out in only a few areas. Unless you hit the internet-speed jackpot, you probably won’t have it nearby.

While gig speeds are the fastest on the market, they’re only available in select cities. That doesn’t do you a lot of good if you’re in a rural area and your closest neighbor is 20 minutes away.

But rural areas aren’t doomed to the screech of dial-up internet. Satellite internet technology has made leaps and bounds in the past few years, and you can now get up to 100 Mbps in certain areas of the US.

Viasat’s Platinum 100 is the fastest satellite internet plan currently available. It’s not cheap, but Viasat had to shoot a satellite into space to reach rural communities, so we’ll cut them some slack.

Like all satellite internet, you’ll notice latency (a.k.a. delay) as your data goes to earth, space, and back.

Also, Viasat deprioritizes your usage after the first 150 GB you use each month. That means after you download about 38 two-hour HD movies worth of data, your internet will slow down.

The movie example is working for us—what can we say?

We won’t pretend that satellite internet is the ideal situation. But having internet is a lot better than not having internet, and Viasat can make that happen for you.

What to look for in fast internet

When you’re in the market for fast internet, look for high download speeds. The fastest broadband internet service is usually 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) or higher.

The price should be around $100 per month or less if you want a good deal.

And see if you can get any extra deals or freebies. You’re paying for an internet company’s most expensive internet package, after all—they should treat you right.

High download speeds

In our opinion, the lowest speed anyone should have is 25 Mbps, the FCC standard for broadband internet. Some people can get by on less, but you shouldn’t have to.

Once you hit 100 Mbps, the party really starts. Your connection is a lot less likely to dip, downloading movies is no longer a hassle, and you can support plenty of users and smart home devices.

For a fully-automated home filled with people, 1,000 Mbps is a necessity. But even if you live alone and you’ve had enough buffering to last you a lifetime, the fastest speeds might be worth it.

Moderate pricing

Prices for gig internet speeds run anywhere from $55 per month to $200 per month, but most are less than $100 per month.

If you only have providers in your area that charge more than that for gig speeds, we’d recommend first trying out a slightly slower package to see if you’re happy with it.

Data effective 4/08/20. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
˚For the first 12 months. Price includes $19.00 promotional credit.
• For the first 12 months.
†† For the first 12 months with a 1-year agreement.
‡‡ w/Auto Pay + taxes.
§§ With 2-year agreement and Autopay.
¶¶ Plus taxes, fees, and other charges. Price for Life. Customer must remain in good standing and up to date on bill payments to remain on Price For Life.
˚˚ Rate requires paperless billing and excludes taxes. Additional fees apply. Speeds may not be available in your area. Maximum download/upload speed of up to 940 Mbps via a wired connection.
•• for 12 mos, plus taxes & equip fee. 12 mo agmt req’d. $10/mo equip fee applies. Incl unlimited internet data allowance ($30-value).
*** For the first 12 months with a 1-year agreement.
‡‡‡ per month for 12 months. Max wired speed 940/880. Actual speeds may vary. Installation, taxes & other fees apply. Services subject to availability and all applicable terms and conditions.

Our final take: Get Verizon Fios if it’s in your area

We recommend Fios Gigabit Connection from Verizon Fios Home Internet if you want the best fast internet. But any gig plan will meet your need for speed.

If these plans aren’t available where you live, we can still help you find the fastest internet provider in your area. Enter your zip code below to see your best options.