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 aging DSL network.

Frontier 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 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 you’ll also get 90 free days of Peacock Premium when you sign up for Spectrum internet. Visit our Spectrum deals guide to learn more.

Compare Frontier 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.

Frontier’s internet plans are the Tale of Two Providers. Back in 2015, Frontier bought Verizon’s fiber network in three states and used it to create Frontier FiberOptic. (For brevity’s sake, we’re referring to Frontier’s fiber and DSL arms when we mention Frontier.)

The internet service provider’s (ISP) Frontier FiberOptic fiber internet plans are competitively priced with excellent download speeds, but Frontier’s DSL plans are ancient and best avoided.

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 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.

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

Price per month. One-time charges apply. Maximum speeds are wired speeds. Wi-Fi, actual and average speeds vary. Service performance details at frontier.com/internetdisclosures. One-time charges apply.

* Per month for 12 mos. w/ Auto Pay. One-year agreement, early termination fee, and one-time charge apply. Max speeds are wired. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary.

^† Per month for 36 mos. w/ Auto Pay. One-year agreement, early termination fee, and one-time charge apply. Max wired speed 940/880 Mbps. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary.

^‡ Per month w/ Auto Pay. One-year agreement, early termination fee, and one-time charge apply. Max speeds are wired. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary.

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 2,000 Mbps for between $49.99 and $149.99 per month.

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 500/500 Mbps, which offers speeds of up to 500 Mbps for $49.99 during your first year.

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

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

But for most customers, Frontier’s fiber internet plans come with a sizable asterisk. Frontier’s fiber network is only in Florida, California, Texas, or Indiana at the moment. 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.

The Federal Communications Commission’s minimum for broadband internet is 25 Mbps download speeds and 3 Mbps upload speeds, but on Frontier DSL, that’s a best-case scenario. Frontier’s DSL plans offer speeds up to 25 Mbps, but as with all DSL plans, your exact speed depends on Frontier’s DSL network in your area.

In our research, we found a few addresses with speeds above 25 Mbps, but the majority of Frontier DSL customers had speeds of less than 25 Mbps. At these download speeds, your internet connection won’t be able to support more than Facebook updates and some YouTube videos for one to two people.

We’d recommend Frontier’s DSL plans only if you get download speeds greater than 25 Mbps and if your home can’t get cable internet. Otherwise, consider Frontier’s DSL plans to be an option of last resort.

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.

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

Despite fiber internet being newer and faster compared to cable internet, Frontier’s introductory pricing still beats Spectrum across the board. You’ll get more bang for your buck on Frontier’s fiber internet plans compared to Spectrum’s cable ones.

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, Spectrum runs laps around Frontier’s other 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 400 Mbps download speeds at $69.99 monthly for your first year, you’ll get an excellent price and enough bandwidth to support a whole family’s internet needs.

Spectrum vs. Frontier 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 fourth place out of 14 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 ninth-place out of 14 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 after 12 months

Spectrum tacks on a $25 monthly price hike after your first-year promotional rate ends. 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 lock you into a one-year agreement complete with early termination fees.

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.

Final take: 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.

Methodology

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.

Frontier vs. Spectrum internet FAQ

Disclaimer

*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 ® promotion price is $49.99/mo; standard rates apply after yr. 1. Taxes, fees and surcharges extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra. General Terms: INTERNET: Speed based on wired connection and may vary by address. Wireless speeds may vary. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Services not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. Enter your address to determine availability. ©2021 Charter Communications.

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® Ultra promotion price is $69.99/mo; standard rates apply after yr. 1. Taxes, fees and surcharges extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra. General Terms: INTERNET: Speed based on wired connection and may vary by address. Wireless speeds may vary. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Services not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. Enter your address to determine availability. ©2021 Charter Communications.

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 promotion price is $89.99/mo; standard rates apply after yr. 1. Taxes, fees and surcharges extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra. General Terms: INTERNET: Speed based on wired connection and may vary by address. Wireless speeds may vary. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Services not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. Enter your address to determine availability. ©2021 Charter Communications.

◊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.