If you’re currently a Cox Communications customer looking for an alternative service provider, we’ve got you covered. Xfinity offers the best mix of TV and internet services, but we’ve laid out all the alternatives to Cox below, including what perks and frustrations you can expect from each.
Cox alternatives pros and cons
| Provider | Pro | Con | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Best overall Xfinity |
Great internet and TV hardware selection | Inconvenient price increases after your contract ends | Learn more |
| Spectrum | Great customer service | Limited availability in the southeastern US | Learn more |
| AT&T | Cheaper plans than Cox | DSL no longer offered | Learn more |
| DISH | One of the best DVRs available, the Hopper 3 | A satellite that must be physically installed at your house | Learn more |
| DIRECTV | Two-year price guarantees | Picture quality that can be affected by bad weather | Learn more |
| Astound Broadband | Strong programming and bundles | Inconvenient price increases after your contract | Learn more |
| Xtream by Mediacom | Reasonable prices for internet and TV service | Poor customer satisfaction ratings in CableTV.com’s surveys | Learn more |
| Frontier | Excellent download and upload speeds for fiber internet customers | Poor upload and download speeds for non-fiber internet customers | Learn more |
| CenturyLink | No contracts or scheduled price increases | Inconsistent internet options depending on your address | Learn more |
How is Xfinity different from Cox?
We’d recommend moving onto Xfinity if you’re unsatisfied with Cox’s internet service and performance.
Xfinity offers a more advanced DVR system and significantly faster internet speeds than Cox (up to 6 Gbps in some areas). Xfinity’s fast internet plans and low starting prices helped the provider earn the Fastest Provider award on our best internet provider rankings.
In our internet customer satisfaction survey, Xfinity also beat Cox in overall customer satisfaction and internet performance.
Xfinity overview
Xfinity has robust on-demand offerings and plenty of sports channels and pay-per-view options, all at a decent monthly rate. Along with hardware like cable modems and streaming devices, the cable company offers bundles for TV, internet, and voice products to help save you money.
Xfinity provides a somewhat flexible contract system, with some packages allowing a choice of no contract or a two-year contract with a $10 per month savings. But once you reach the end of an Xfinity contract, prepare for a price hike or get ready to negotiate with Xfinity for a lower bill.
Xfinity availability
Cox and Xfinity share several coverage areas:
- Arizona
- Virginia
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Florida
- Louisiana
- Rhode Island
How is Spectrum different from Cox?
We’d recommend moving on to Spectrum if you’re interested in bundling premium cable channels along with other services.
Spectrum and Cox are fairly similar in that they’re both cable internet providers. Spectrum actually offers fewer channels than Cox, while prices are about the same. But Spectrum’s TV bundle offerings, which include premium cable services like Max (formerly HBO Max), helped the provider earn a spot on our best TV provider guide.
Spectrum overview
Spectrum offers 155–160+ channels and reasonably priced bundles that include internet, TV, cloud DVR, and phone service. Spectrum also earned strong marks in our TV customer satisfaction survey.
Spectrum doesn’t have the biggest footprint In the southeastern United States, so subscribers in that area must look elsewhere for an alternative to Cox.
Spectrum availability
Spectrum and Cox primarily overlap in five states:
- Virginia
- Florida
- Ohio
- Nebraska
- California
How is AT&T different from Cox?
We’d recommend moving on to AT&T if you’re interested in gigabit speeds, live in an area that gets AT&T’s gigabit internet plan, and can use a streaming service for your live TV.
AT&T also has one of the fastest internet plans with gigabit speeds, which helped the provider earn a spot on our best internet providers guide.
AT&T overview
AT&T’s internet prices are much cheaper than Cox.
DSL no longer offered
AT&T availability
AT&T TV and Cox overlap in every Cox state:
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
How is DISH different from Cox?
Consider moving to DISH if you’re interested in benefits like DISH’s two-year price guarantees.
DISH earned our Editor’s Choice spot as the best TV provider thanks to its mix of excellent hardware, free installation costs, and parental controls. Since it’s a satellite service, DISH is also available almost anywhere in the country.
DISH overview
DISH offers a variety of packages to fit any budget. The provider’s entry-level package offers over 190 channels. Furthermore, the DISH Hopper 3 is one of the best DVRs on the market, and it offers a ton of features to make your viewing experience better.
Satellite television requires a satellite dish, and some homeowners associations and apartment complexes might not let you install a unit. Satellite TV picture quality can also be affected by storms.
DISH availability
Since it’s based on satellite technology, DISH is available almost anywhere in the US. In fact, we’d be surprised if you didn’t have DISH service available where you live.
How is DIRECTV different from Cox?
DIRECTV earned a spot on our best TV provider rankings thanks to its selection of sports packages and hefty two-year price guarantee. Consider moving on to DIRECTV if you want better sports coverage or satellite TV service.
Since DIRECTV is a satellite service, it’s available nationwide. That means you can keep the same service when moving without needing to worry about hunting for a new provider and learning how to use a new DVR.
DIRECTV overview
DIRECTV offers a good number of channels (330+) and reasonable prices that range between $69.99–$159.99/mo. DIRECTV also has a great lineup of sports programming and a deluxe two-year price guarantee.
Since DIRECTV is a satellite provider, it also suffers from potential weather interference, and DIRECTV also lacks a little in channel count compared to Cox. The Genie DVR is also great, with plenty of space for recordings and enhanced sports features, but it’s no longer included for free. Instead, you’ll have to pay a $15 monthly hardware fee.
DIRECTV availability
DIRECTV is available nationwide. As long as you have a clear view of the sky, you should be able to pick up a DIRECTV signal.
How is Mediacom different from Cox?
With its affordable internet and TV plans, Xtream Powered by Mediacom might work as a Cox alternative if your key concern is a lower monthly bill.
Mediacom offers fewer channels than Cox, but makes up for it with a better TiVo DVR system. TiVo a great DVR in its own right not only for storing your favorite TV shows, but also because it works with nearly any basic cable provider.
Mediacom overview
Mediacom offers fast internet speeds, a great DVR, and reasonable pricing.
Mediacom offers a relatively low channel count. The provider also earned low marks in our TV customer satisfaction and internet customer satisfaction surveys.
Mediacom availability
If Mediacom sounds appealing, you’ll find overlap with Cox in several states:
- Arizona
- Florida
- California
- Virginia
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
How is Astound Broadband powered by RCN different from Cox?
Thanks to its excellent prices, Astound Broadband was the only provider to land on both our best TV provider and best internet provider rankings. We’d recommend Astound Broadband if you’re fortunate enough to live in a city with Astound Broadband coverage.
Astound Broadband offers fiber internet in some of its coverage areas, so you’ll get faster and more reliable internet compared to Cox’s cable internet plans. In areas where Astound Broadband uses cable, the two providers should be pretty similar in terms of reliability.
Astound Broadband powered by RCN overview
Astound Broadband customers benefit from excellent prices and fast fiber speeds in some service areas.
Astound Broadband has extremely limited availability, so you’re out of luck if you don’t live in a city with Astound Broadband service.
Astound Broadband availability
The best areas to find Astound Broadband as a Cox alternative are in Virginia and Boston.
How is Frontier different from Cox?
We’d recommend Frontier as a Cox alternative if you’re in an area that gets Frontier fiber service.
Frontier offers fiber-optic service in a lot of areas, so customers benefit from faster internet speeds in areas where fiber is available. But Frontier placed ninth in our internet customer satisfaction survey, likely due to its many slow DSL areas.
Frontier overview
Frontier customers in areas with fiber networks get fast download and upload speeds at affordable prices.
In non-fiber areas, Frontier offers only DSL internet that’s extremely slow and a poor value compared to cable internet like Cox’s.
Frontier availability
Frontier shares coverage areas with Cox in several states around the country:
- Connecticut
- California
- Rhode Island
- Florida
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Nevada
How is CenturyLink different from Cox?
We’d recommend moving on to CenturyLink if you want a bill with no surprise price hikes, and if you live in an area with fast CenturyLink internet plans.
CenturyLink offers only internet service, so you’ll need to look for another streaming, cable, or satellite alternative if you want to replace your Cox TV service.
CenturyLink overview
CenturyLink has no contracts and doesn’t have scheduled price increases on its plans.
The biggest issue with CenturyLink is that internet speeds vary widely from location to location. Some areas might get only 15 Mbps, while others might get 1 Gig. This unpredictability helped CenturyLink earn lackluster marks in our customer satisfaction survey.
CenturyLink availability
CenturyLink internet service overlaps with Cox in a number of states:
- Florida
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Nevada
- Arizona
Which Cox alternative is worth it?
Xfinity is our top Cox alternative because its internet and TV packages offer excellent value. You’ll get strong hardware like the Xfinity X1 DVR and internet plans that match any budget or performance requirements.
When you’re evaluating Cox cable TV and internet alternatives, it’s important to think about what you want out of your provider. Do you want a lot of channels? The ability to record multiple shows at once? Fast internet speeds? Or a price that doesn’t break the bank?
Knowing exactly what you want and what’s available will help you choose a provider with the features most important to you.
