What Is Xfinity and How Is It Different from Comcast?

You’re on this page because you’ve asked yourself: “Are Comcast and Xfinity the same thing?” The short answer is kinda.

You’ve probably heard of both Comcast and Xfinity—especially if you frequent our site. You may have also seen some confusing branding, like “Comcast Xfinity” or “Xfinity by Comcast.” Sometimes Xfinity and Comcast are even used interchangeably—and for good reason. Xfinity is a brand of Comcast.

Jump to: 

• Comcast’s history
• Xfinity today
• Xfinity services

Comcast’s history

What was Comcast before Comcast?

Here’s a little history: A company called American Cable Systems opened shop in the mid-1960s, and soon became Comcast Holdings. It eventually built up quite a customer base, providing cable service to tens of millions of subscribers across the US.

What is Comcast?

In the ‘90s, Comcast started offering internet service, eventually picking up over 40% of the US broadband market. Most of Comcast’s focus up to this point had been on sports programming, broadcast exclusives, and Olympics coverage.

What is Xfinity?

In 2010, right around the time of the Winter Olympics, Comcast was in the process of merging with NBC. Since Comcast was primarily known as a TV and Internet Service Provider (ISP), the marketing folks thought it might be confusing to continue adding services and products to what used to be a narrowly focused brand.

The solution was to form Xfinity: a consumer-facing internet and television brand.

Comcast remained as the parent company while it rebranded its original telecom services to Xfinity. Comcast High-Speed Internet became Xfinity Internet, Comcast TV became Xfinity TV, etc. Some enterprise and business services are still presented as Comcast, but Xfinity is the telecom brand the average consumer sees these days.

Xfinity today

Are Xfinity and Comcast the same thing?

At their roots, Xfinity and Comcast are the same thing. Comcast is the parent company, and Xfinity is Comcast’s brand for TV, internet, and home phone services.

Did Xfinity purchase Comcast?

Neither Xfinity nor Comcast purchased the other. Xfinity was formed by Comcast in 2010 to—ironically—try and avoid confusion as Comcast expanded its brand. Why’s that ironic? Considering that you’re here reading this, it doesn’t seem like Xfinity really did the job it was intended to.

If you have more questions about the difference between Comcast and Xfinity, you’re not alone. But don’t worry—we’ve got all the answers you need right here. Read on to learn exactly how Xfinity and Comcast are related.

Or, if you’re curious about what TV and internet options you have beyond Xfinity, enter your zip code below to see all the providers in your area.

Did rebranding Comcast telecom services as Xfinity work?

There is still an unfortunate amount of cross-branding (like the “Comcast Xfinity” references you’ll occasionally see), and most people don’t seem to know the difference between the two.

Although it’s been over a decade and things have generally settled down, there was initially some controversy around the rebrand. There were a couple reasons. First, it didn’t work all that well. If anything, it seemed to confuse consumers more than clarify things for them.

Second, there was some concern that Comcast undertook the rebranding in an attempt to move away from the negative image associated with the Comcast brand. Comcast’s reputation for horrendous customer service is pretty well known. In fact, there’s a pretty thriving online community built around the “Comcast sucks” catchphrase.

The claim that Comcast created Xfinity to try to erase the negative press was never verified, and the company has promised to improve its customer service across the board.

This actually seems to be working, because despite the lingering reputation, Xfinity has improved steadily in our customer satisfaction surveys. It ranks alright in most categories, and it’s number one in user experience.

So on that front at least, good job, Xfinity.

Xfinity services

What does Xfinity offer?

Xfinity provides three basic services: cable TV, internet, and phone. The company offers bundles of two or all three services, generally at a discount. Bundling is usually the best way to get value for your money with a cable service, and Xfinity is no exception.

Xfinity TV

Xfinity TV is a very solid cable TV service with a couple of channel lineups to choose from. You get access to a good sports selection and all the usual premium channels like HBO^® and STARZ^®.

Xfinity also offers a huge on-demand library, which is great if you know what you want to watch already.

Xfinity TV packages will vary depending on your zip code and region. Typically, we recommend a mid-tier package from Xfinity because of their higher channel counts and affordable pricing.

Check out our in-depth review of Xfinity TV for more info.

Xfinity internet

Xfinity’s internet service is fast and reliable. Speeds range from 75 Mbps to 1,200 Mbps for most areas, and some markets get access to a blazing 6,000 Mbps connection.

The most commonly advertised connection speed is a very respectable 200 Mbps. The service is widely available and consistently fast, so it’s hard to go wrong here.

Stand-alone service is a little pricey, but you can often add fast internet service to a bundle for a very reasonable price. Xfinity bundle packages and pricing vary by area, so check out our expert review to see what’s available it your town.

What are the channel packages for Xfinity?

Channel packages for Xfinity vary by region. Across regions, you can pay anywhere between $20.00–$89.99 for 10–185+ channels.

We don’t recommend basic cable packages from Xfinity because you can get the same channels with an HD antenna. We do, however, love Xfinity’s mid-tier TV packages because you get a load of channels for about $60 per month, depending on your zip code.

Check out our Xfinity Channel Lineups page to get the right Xfinity package for you.

Comcast and Xfinity: the same but different

As you can see, Xfinity and Comcast are different brands of the same company. Xfinity is the TV and internet service provider for consumers, while Comcast is the company that owns Xfinity (and other brands, like NBCUniversal). That’s not so confusing after all, right? 

In the end, the important thing to know is that Xfinity’s TV and internet services are consistent and reliable—and come in solid bundle deals.