EarthLink Internet Review: Plans, Pricing, and Our Verdict
Learn more about EarthLink's pros and cons with our expert review.
Our EarthLink Review TL;DR
EarthLink internet speeds vary wildly by location, and its plans are pricey, but it has a decent customer service reputation.
If you can find an EarthLink internet plan that fits your needs and you’re comfortable paying for it, you can count on an internet service that really pulls for you.
Except don’t count on that customer service during the installation process.
Based on our testers’ feedback and user reviews, you should count on it being a real pain in the butt.
Reviewing Earthlink internet plans and pricing
| Package | Price† | Download speeds up to | Upload speeds up to | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber 100 | $39.95/mo. | 100 Mbps | 100 Mbps | Fiber | View Plan |
| Fiber 300 | $49.95/mo. | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | Fiber | View Plan |
| Fiber 500 | $79.95/mo. | 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | Fiber | View Plan |
| Fiber 1 Gig | $74.95/mo. | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | Fiber | View Plan |
| Fiber 2 Gig | $129.95/mo. | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | Fiber | View Plan |
| Fiber 5 Gig | $189.95/mo. | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | Fiber | View Plan |
| Unlimited 5G Home Internet | $59.95/mo.‡ | 425 Mbps | 15 Mbps | 5G Home Internet | View Plan |
| 18 Mbps–75Mbps | $64.95/mo.* | 18–75 Mbps | 1–8 Mbps | DSL | View Plan |
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*with a 12 month contract. Actual speeds may vary depending on the distance, line-quality, phone service provider, and number of devices used concurrently. All speeds not available in all areas.
†DSL and Fiber Plans require a 12 month contract and may have a cancellation fee to be determined upon cancellation.
‡ Actual speeds may vary depending on the distance, line-quality, phone service provider, and number of devices used concurrently. All speeds not available in all areas. Exclusions, taxes, fees, or modem service charges may apply. Not available in all areas. Limited-time offer; subject to change.
Compared to other internet service providers’ introductory rates, EarthLink’s DSL and fiber internet plans are overpriced. If you look on the sunny side, that means your price won’t jump once your one-year contract expires.
But if you look past the silver lining, this storm cloud is made of a whole year of missed savings.
Other providers raise their prices once your first year is up, sure, but you can compel most to cut you some dollar-sign slack if you sign up for another contract. That means you can’t leave your internet service whenever you want, but you’re still getting a discount.
Still, if all that bureaucracy makes your head hurt, EarthLink is just what the doctor ordered (with hefty co-pay, LOL).
If you’re a real speedster and live in an area where EarthLink’s fiber internet service is available, choose the 1,000 Mbps plan. But most folks should be just fine with the download speeds offered by the 300 Mbps plan.
We also appreciate EarthLink’s newest internet offering, Unlimited 5G Home Internet. Joining the ranks of T-Mobile and Verizon, 5G Home Internet is an affordable option for folks who want better speeds than DSL but don’t live in a fiber area.
As with other ISPs, EarthLink’s also pushing new customers onto this plan while sunsetting its aging DSL network. And most importantly, this 5G Home internet plan doesn’t require a contract — score!
EarthLink offers respectable reliability, internet performance
| Test | Score |
|---|---|
| Internet reliability approval rating | 67% approval |
| Internet speed approval rating | 66% approval |
EarthLink’s network comes from larger ISPs like AT&T and Verizon, so you’ll get a steady baseline level of internet performance. Although EarthLink didn’t qualify for our Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey because it fell below our respondent minimum, the customers we spoke to felt EarthLink’s performance was merely fine. (We consider 70% approval to be a passing mark in our survey.)
Notably, the majority of the customers we spoke to were EarthLink Fiber customers. Interestingly, EarthLink fell into a similar 60% approval range tier as smaller fiber ISPs like Brightspeed, Quantum Fiber, and Windstream Fiber. These days, it’s not simply enough to offer fiber internet — network management matters just as much as download speeds.
Reviewing EarthLink specs and features
EarthLink’s internet plans partially rely on networks from providers like AT&T and this setup gives EarthLink some unique features. Let’s break down what you’ll need to know about EarthLink’s fine print.
EarthLink installation problems
“What’s with the enigmatic warning about EarthLink installation in this article’s intro?” you ask. Excellent question.
Like how EarthLink contracts with other internet providers to use their networks, EarthLink also contracts to use those providers’ technicians. EarthLink doesn’t have direct control of your technician’s schedule, branding, or training.
That means on installation day, your installation technician may show up late in an AT&T van (or CenturyLink, Verizon, etc.). They may not know much about EarthLink as a company, and they might even claim their company owns EarthLink (it doesn’t).
These contracted technicians will probably install your internet just fine, but EarthLink customers aren’t their priority. You may end up scheduled last for your technician’s appointments that day or get rescheduled if an emergency pops up.
All this hassle is a bummer, especially since EarthLink charges you $19.95 for installation.
But your installation day could always go off without a hitch. And if you can get through a potentially turbulent installation day, you’ll be cradled back in the capable arms of EarthLink’s customer service team. They’ll look after you.
EarthLink equipment
EarthLink modem/router rental costs $14.95 per month, and it’s not optional. But even though many internet services let you bring your own gateway, they usually charge $10 if you’re renting equipment, so EarthLink isn’t giving you too bad a deal.
Unlike cable internet, DSL and fiber internet don’t have standardized modem tech. DSL networks, in particular, are a mix of different technologies (we discuss this in our CenturyLink modem article), and it’s hard to find the right modem for the job without a lot of tech know-how.
Keep this cost in mind, but don’t let it weigh too heavily on you. As far as hidden internet fees go, it’s not all that bad.
EarthLink data cap
Let’s see . . . we highlighted EarthLink’s customer service reputation and dragged its pricing, so what’s left? It looks like it’s time to bring up the joys of unlimited data and the trouble with internet plans that vary by location.
EarthLink joins the elite ranks of internet providers that don’t arbitrarily limit your internet use with crummy data caps. You won’t have to worry about EarthLink throttling your speeds or slapping you with fines because you overindulged in a Netflix marathon. What a chum!
While unlimited data is a perk you’ll find in nearly every EarthLink plan, consistent prices, speeds, and availability are not.
See, EarthLink doesn’t own its own internet network. It basically rents bandwidth from better-connected internet providers (like AT&T or CenturyLink) and sells it to you, so it can’t control your internet connection quality.
Earthlink may try to offer the best speeds it can for the DSL or fiber network it’s borrowing, but there’s only so much it can do.
At least EarthLink tries to even out prices across the US. Your area probably has download speeds in the ballpark of at least one plan spelled out below, and your package will fall in line with that price point. But you can’t know what you’re working with until you contact EarthLink.
EarthLink vs. the competition
| Package | Price | Download speed up to | Data cap | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EarthLink Fiber 100 | $39.95/mo. | 100 Mbps | None | View EarthLink Plans |
| WOW! Fiber 100 | $30.00/mo. | 100 Mbps | None | Read Our WOW! Review |
| CenturyLink Simply Unlimited Internet 100 Mbps | $55.00/mo. | 100 Mbps | None | Read Our CenturyLink Review |
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. WOW!: Price per month with AutoPay & paperless billing. Additional equipment, taxes, and other fees extra.
EarthLink’s fiber plans are in the middle of the pack in price compared with comparable 100 Mbps plans from WOW! and CenturyLink, which offer internet service in many of the same areas.
Although EarthLink offers unlimited data, you’ll still have to sign a one-year service contract with a hefty $200 early termination fee, plus mandatory equipment and installation fees.
EarthLink should be especially worth considering if you’re in an area with EarthLink fiber coverage and only DSL plans from competitors like Frontier.
Although Earthlink’s 1,000 Mbps isn’t the cheapest fiber internet plan on the market, we still recommend fiber internet over DSL or cable internet if it’s in your neighborhood. Fiber internet offers the fastest upload and download speeds.
What do real EarthLink customers think of EarthLink?
As part of CableTV.com’s annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, we talked to thousands of real-life internet customers, asking how they felt about their internet providers. EarthLink didn’t qualify for a spot in our survey results due to a lack of respondents, but among the customers we spoke with, the ISP generally scored in the middle-of-the-road range.
- 67% of EarthLink respondents were highly or fully satisfied with their internet service.
- 68% of respondents felt it was easy to work with EarthLink and that they effectively met their needs.
- But merely 48% of respondents approved of EarthLink Fiber’s modem — likely due to the mandatory rental fee.
EarthLink has standard customer support features like a self-help hub, along with phone and chat agents. But it’s slightly hamstrung by lacking the kind of resources (like retail stores and a dedicated hardware team) you’d find with bigger ISPs. Here’s what some of these real EarthLink customers told us.
I was always satisfied with the quality of service they provided. This includes communication with my internet provider as well as quality of internet services.
Billing is very hard to deal with. We have outages several times a month and signal is weak due to area we live in.
Earthlink came within three days to connect after we contacted them and made the installation. There was one post install phone call that we initiated for clarification on a point. After that it has been nothing but absolute pleasure using the Earthlink service. So glad they are in our area.
They are a good ISP with good service. When I have called about service issues, they stay with me and ask questions to help identify what is going on. I do have a router/modem with them for DSL. If there is a modem/router issue, THEY will call AT&T, report issue and schedule a time for a tech to come.
Is EarthLink internet worth it?
EarthLink internet is worth the switch if you’re sick of your current internet provider’s lousy customer service and data caps.
But if you’re currently with a major internet provider, your internet connection likely won’t magically become better when you make the switch because EarthLink uses major internet providers’ networks.
And EarthLink’s plans are kind of pricey, so be aware that this isn’t the best switch for saving money.
Interested in EarthLink? Enter your zip code below to see if EarthLink is available in your hood.
EarthLink internet FAQ
Can I get EarthLink internet?
EarthLink internet is one of the farthest-reaching internet service providers (ISPs) in the US — there's a pretty good chance EarthLink offers internet service near you. To find out for sure, enter your zip code below.
What kind of internet is EarthLink?
EarthLink provides DSL, fiber, and 5G Home Internet service, but your service type will depend on your location and internet plan.
Is EarthLink secure?
EarthLink internet comes with virus and spam protection, but you’ll have to pay more for its advanced security option, EarthLink Secure. EarthLink Secure offers five different levels of protection, starting from $7.95 to $24.95 per month. You can compare them all on EarthLink Secure's webpage, under Pricing and Features. Heads up if you use EarthLink's email service: Its email encryption is only an option, not a rule. You should make sure you've selected secure email settings before you send out any more emails. And never use EarthLink email for HIPAA-protected information — it's not secure enough for that.
Why you should trust us
To determine how EarthLink stacked up against the 5G home internet, DSL, and fiber internet competition, we evaluated factors, including pricing, online reputation, and internet speeds, against leading internet providers like CenturyLink and WOW.
For more information on our methodology, check out our Editorial Policy page.
Eric Chiu is a CableTV.com internet editor who covers internet tech, entertainment, and sports news. He’s written about consumer technology for nearly a decade for outlets including CNN Underscored, Wirecutter, Newsweek Media Group and TopTenReviews/Future. In his free time, he enjoys playing any instrument he can find, rooting for the Michigan Wolverines, and hunting for the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
Related Posts
