Compare Cable Providers in Your Area

Is cable TV good?

While cable television may be the first thing folks think about when they want TV service at home, cable TV plans tend to be pricier than live TV streaming services. But on the upside, you don’t need a fast internet plan with lots of data to enjoy your favorite shows in HD video quality when you’ve got cable TV.

Choose cable TV if you’ve got an affordable cable TV provider in your area—especially if you can get a deal bundling your TV plan with internet.

Cable TV pros and cons

• High video quality
• Lots of channels
• Occasional discounts when bundled with internet

• Higher costs than streaming
• Often requires annual contracts

Jump to:

• Compare cable TV providers
• Cable TV vs. the competition
• How cable TV and internet work
• Is cable internet good?
• Cable internet vs. the competition

Best cable TV providers

• Spectrum—cheapest
• Xfinity—best for user experience
• Astound Broadband powered by RCN—best price per channel
• Cox—excellent DVR
• Optimum—no contracts

Compare cable TV providers

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

Basic cable packages cost around $20 to $50 a month, but plans with more channels can cost over $100 a month. And while channel counts are a good place to start when looking at cable plans and prices, check channel lineups to ensure your cable provider has the channels you want.

Cable TV channel lineups

• Cox channel lineup
• Optimum channel lineup
• Spectrum channel lineup
• Xfinity channel lineup

Cable TV vs. the competition

Cable TV isn’t the only TV service out there—here’s how it compares to satellite TV, fiber TV, and streaming live TV.

Cable vs. satellite TV

Using satellites in orbit, satellite TV can offer service in areas where coaxial cable networks don’t reach. But with its extensive channel lineups, satellite TV is prevalent even in urban areas.

But satellite TV comes with expensive fees to install its bulky satellite dish equipment, and bad weather conditions can affect the clarity of your TV picture.

Cable TV installation is often an inexpensive DIY affair, which is a plus. But keep in mind that your cable service could drop if construction accidentally disrupts a coaxial cable on your network.

Check out our complete comparison article to learn more about how cable and satellite services stack up.

Cable vs. fiber TV

There aren’t as many fiber TV providers as a few years ago, which is a real shame for TV plans. Fiber technology can deliver a higher-quality video and audio experience than cable.

But since fiber providers also offer high-speed internet, many customers take advantage of those fast download speeds to stream live TV instead.

Cable vs. streaming live TV

Streaming live TV tends to be more affordable, customizable, and flexible than cable TV. Your streaming service won’t lock you in with annual contracts, so you can pick it up for a big event and drop it the next month.

But streaming live TV is usually limited to 720p video quality—less crisp than cable’s 1080p HD video quality. And your streaming service relies on a solid internet connection, so you may be disappointed by streaming if you’ve got spotty Wi-Fi.

To learn more about how cable and streaming live TV stack up, check out our in-depth comparison article.

How cable TV and internet work

Cable providers use coaxial cables to deliver TV and internet service to your home. Fiber-optic backbones help improve the speed and reliability of existing cable networks, which has helped cable stay competitive as technology advances.

Is cable internet good?

Cable internet download speeds reach as high as 1,000 Mbps—enough to support working from home, streaming live TV, and using smart home devices. But your cable internet plan will have much slower upload speeds than download speeds, and it may also come with data caps.

Cable internet pros and cons

• Broadband speeds up to 1,000 Mbps
• Wider availability than fiber internet

• Slower upload speeds than download speeds
• Data caps

Best cable internet providers

• Xfinity—best for performance
• Spectrum—best no-contract internet
• Optimum—unlimited data
• Cox—prepaid internet option

Compare cable internet providers

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

Depending on where you live and the internet providers in your area, cable internet prices run from $15 to over $100 a month. Prices also vary by internet speed, and most cable companies offer plans as fast as 1,000 Mbps.

Cable internet vs. the competition

Cable internet’s primary competitors are fiber internet, DSL internet, and satellite internet.

Cable vs. fiber internet

Fiber internet plans reach 5,000 Mbps—five times faster than the fastest cable internet plans. On top of that, fiber plans usually have matching upload speeds, making video calls smoother, among other advantages.

But if you don’t need superfast speeds, basic cable internet plans are usually a better budget option than fiber plans.

Cable vs. DSL internet

DSL internet is more widely available than cable internet because it uses existing phone lines to send internet data. But DSL plans can reach up to only 100 Mbps—plus, they’re not usually cheaper than cable internet plans and don’t offer a lot of bang for your buck.

Cable vs. satellite internet

While you’ll get a similar experience with either cable or satellite TV, cable internet is miles ahead of satellite internet in terms of affordability and performance. Satellite internet prices are astronomical (pardon the obligatory space joke), and satellite internet service suffers from latency.

If you’ve got the option, you should choose cable internet over satellite internet every time.

Final take: Cable TV and internet gets the job done

While cable technology tends to be a middle-of-the-road option, we’d rather be on the road than in the ditch. Check to see if cable is in your area by entering your zip code below.

Methodology

Our experts have years of experience writing about TV and internet technology types. We spend hours each month keeping up with the latest information about the technical and social aspects of TV and internet services.

We base our recommendations on bang for your buck, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction. To learn more, check out our How We Rank page.