Frontier vs. Spectrum Internet

Frontier’s fiber internet plans offer better internet performance for less compared to Spectrum. But if your area doesn’t have Frontier Fiber coverage, stick with Spectrum over Frontier’s outdated DSL network.

Frontier Fiber vs. Spectrum internet pros and cons

✓ Great fiber internet plans
✓ A free combo router/modem
✗ Terrible DSL plans

✓ Contract-free plans
✓ Reliable cable internet service
✗ Expensive introductory prices

Jump to:

• Deals and promotions
• Head to head comparison
• Packages and prices
• Features

Deals and promotions

Frontier Fiber internet deals

Frontier’s top deals include Visa cash cards, multi-year price guarantees, and bundled mesh Wi-Fi hardware. Check out our internet deals guide to learn more about the latest savings.

Spectrum internet deals

Spectrum covers up to $500 in early termination fees, and they sometimes offer Visa gift cards when you sign up for Spectrum internet online. Visit our Spectrum deals guide to learn more.

Compare Frontier Fiber vs. Spectrum head-to-head

Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

* See full disclaimer.

When we say Frontier Fiber offers better plans than Spectrum, we’re talking about Frontier’s fiber-optic service, which it acquired from Verizon in 2015. These fiber internet plans are competitively priced with excellent download speeds.

In contrast, we don’t recommend Frontier’s DSL plans, which is a shame since they’re much more widely available than its fiber counterpart. Unfortunately, they don’t advertise their DSL speeds, so you’ll have to call for more information about service in your area.

By comparison, Spectrum’s internet plans are just fine for a cable ISP. Its prices aren’t spectacular, but you’ll have a decent range of download speeds to choose from and respectable customer service.

We’d recommend Frontier only if your area has Frontier fiber coverage because of the faster speeds. But if your neighborhood is stuck with Frontier DSL, grab a Spectrum cable internet plan instead.

Frontier Fiber vs. Spectrum packages and prices

Frontier and Spectrum are two very different ISPs, but they overlap in a few important areas. Here’s what you need to know about Spectrum and Frontier’s internet plans.

Frontier internet packages

Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
^ w/ Auto Pay and Paperless Bill per month. One-time charges apply.
* w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill per month. Max speeds are wired. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charge on disconnect applies.
^† w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill per month. Max wired speed 1000/1000 Mbps. Location dependent. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charge on disconnect applies.
^‡ w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill per month. Max speeds are wired. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charge on disconnect applies.
**w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill per month. Max speeds are wired. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charge on disconnect applies.

Frontier has both an old DSL network and new fiber internet infrastructure. With Frontier’s fiber internet plans, you’ll get download speeds of up to 5,000 Mbps for between $44.99–$129.99/mo..

We always recommend getting fiber internet wherever it’s available because you’ll get the best performance with it compared to cable or DSL internet. Fiber internet’s benefits include fast upload speeds and low latency.

Our favorite Frontier Fiber internet plan is Fiber 500, which offers speeds of up to 500 Mbps for $44.99 a month during your first year.

So while Frontier’s fiber plans aren’t the cheapest, they’re surprisingly competitive compared to other fiber internet providers:

Frontier fiber internet vs. competition

Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*for 12 mos.
^for 24 mos.
†in New York market area only.
**Only available in Optimum West region

But for most customers, Frontier’s fiber internet plans come with a sizable asterisk. Frontiers Fiber’s network is only in some states at the moment, including Florida, California, Texas, and Indiana. Although fiber availability is generally inconsistent for most ISPs, it’s not much of a consolation for Frontier customers stuck with the ISP’s DSL network.

And speaking of Frontier’s DSL network—hoo, boy.

We’d recommend Frontier’s DSL plans only if your home can’t get cable internet. Otherwise, consider Frontier’s DSL plans to be an option of last resort.

Spectrum internet packages

Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

* See full disclaimer.

Comparing Spectrum’s cable internet plans to Frontier’s fiber internet plans is a slightly apples-and-oranges scenario, but not in the way you’d expect.

Spectrum internet vs. Frontier fiber internet

Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Overall, you’ll get more bang for your buck on Frontier’s fiber internet plans compared to Spectrum’s cable ones, with fiber’s better reliability and equal download and upload speeds. However, if you’re in a Spectrum location where you can get your internet plan on the lowest end of the price spectrum (no pun intended), Spectrum may be the better bet.

That said, Frontier’s limited fiber availability makes these price differences a moot point if you’re not in a state with fiber coverage. And of course, we wholeheartedly recommend Spectrum over Frontier’s DSL plans; Spectrum’s cable internet packages offer fast download speeds, and the same plan selection is available regardless of your address.

For most households, we’d recommend Spectrum Internet Ultra. With 500 Mbps download speeds at $59.99–$69.99/mo. for your two years, you’ll get an excellent price and enough bandwidth to support a whole family’s internet needs.

Spectrum vs. Frontier Fiber internet features

When it comes to internet plans, price and download speeds aren’t the only things you need to consider. Let’s break down what else you should know about Spectrum and Frontier’s internet plans.

Equipment

Frontier bundles a free Wi-Fi router/modem for subscribers, while Spectrum includes only a free modem. But Spectrum customers can rent a Wi-Fi router for an additional $5.00 monthly.

We’ll give Frontier the win here (who doesn’t like free stuff?), although a free combo router/modem isn’t necessarily the biggest needle-mover. Still, it’s one less thing you’ll have to buy if you’re setting up a home network from scratch.

Customer satisfaction

Spectrum landed in 11th place out of 25 providers in our annual internet customer satisfaction survey. Spectrum subscribers disliked the ISP’s prices, although the provider still earned decent customer service scores.

By comparison, Frontier finished at 16th place out of 25 providers overall. Frontier customers didn’t hate Frontier, but the ISP rarely inspired much enthusiasm and regularly earned a bottom-half finish in our polling.

Price increase

Spectrum tacks on a $25 monthly price hike after your promotional rate ends, which is after 12 months for Spectrum Internet and 24 months for Internet Ultra and Internet Gig. Although we don’t love it when ISPs pull this move, Spectrum doesn’t have any contracts, and its modest price increase won’t break your budget.

We wish Frontier would’ve been similarly straightforward about its prices. Frontier’s DSL plans are no-contract with flat-rate pricing, but the ISP’s fiber internet plans (except for Fiber 2 Gig) lock you into a one-year agreement complete with early termination fees in order to receive expert installation.

The 500/500 Mbps plan has a one-year price guarantee and Fiber Gig stretches this to three years, while Fiber 2 Gig lacks a scheduled price increase. Frontier doesn’t openly disclose what you’ll pay after your price guarantee, but Frontier customers online have mentioned increases of around $10 depending on their location.

Frontier beats Spectrum thanks to its lower price increase, although we dislike the contract hoops you’ll have to jump through with Frontier’s fiber plans. If you’re shopping for Frontier fiber internet, we’d suggest confirming whether you’ll get a price increase and how much it will be before signing the dotted line.

Is Frontier or Spectrum better?

Spectrum wins out over Frontier’s DSL plans, but our recommendation comes with a few qualifiers if you’re in a state with Frontier Fiber internet.

Although Frontier’s customer service is lackluster at best, its fiber internet plans are a far better value than Spectrum’s cable internet plans. Keep Frontier’s customer service on a short leash, but we’d ultimately recommend Frontier’s fiber internet plans over Spectrum if you have access to them.

Frontier vs. Spectrum internet FAQ

Why you should trust us

We analyzed all eight internet plans from Spectrum and Frontier for more than 16 hours to see how they compared on price, performance, and availability. We also used our annual internet customer satisfaction survey to see what actual Spectrum and Frontier customers said about their provider.

For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.

Disclaimer

*Spectrum Internet: For 12 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Taxes, fees and surcharges extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra.

Spectrum Internet Ultra: For 24 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.

Spectrum Internet Gig: For 24 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.

◊To qualify for the Contract Buyout Program, a customer must order and install a qualifying Triple Play or limited Double Play promotion; offers not available in all areas. Offer available to qualifying customers only who have no outstanding obligations to Charter. Payment amount will be determined by the Early Termination Fee on the final bill from the previous provider, not to exceed $500. For Contract Buyout qualifications, go to Spectrum.com/buyout.

**Speed based on wired connection. Available Internet speeds may vary by address. Gig capable modem required for Gig speed. For a list of Gig capable modems, visit Spectrum.net/modem.