Best Cheap Internet Providers and Plans | September 2023
Optimum is our pick for the best cheap internet provider, with Xfinity as a close second as the cheapest provider available.
Price: $40.00/mo.
Speed: 300 Mbps
Connection type: Cable
Price: $40.00/mo.
Speed: 300 Mbps
Connection type: Cable
Price: $35.00/mo.
Speed: 400 Mbps
Connection type: Cable
Price: $35.00/mo.
Speed: 400 Mbps
Connection type: Cable
Price: $50.00/mo.
Speed: 72–245Mbps
Connection type: 5G internet
Price: $50.00/mo.
Speed: 72–245Mbps
Connection type: 5G internet
Price: $49.99/mo.
Speed: Up to 300 Mbps
Connection type: Cable
Price: $49.99/mo.
Speed: Up to 300 Mbps
Connection type: Cable
Price: $49.99/mo.
Speed: 300 Mbps
Connection type: Fiber
Price: $49.99/mo.
Speed: 300 Mbps
Connection type: Fiber
We’ve gathered up the best affordable internet plans from major providers across the US—each one costs around $50 per month. Our top recommendation for a cheap internet plan is Optimum 300 because of its 300 Mbps download speed, unlimited data allowance, and affordable price.
Compare cheap internet plans
| Plan | Starting price | Download speeds | Designation | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optimum 300 | $40.00/mo.˚ | 300 Mbps | Editor's choice |
View plan Read Optimum review |
| Xfinity Fast | $35.00/mo.* | 400 Mbps | Cheapest | View PlanRead Xfinity review |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | $50.00/mo. | 72–245Mbps | Best for rural | View PlanRead T-Mobile review |
| Spectrum Internet | $49.99/mo.‖ | Up to 300 Mbps‖ | Most flexible | View PlanRead Spectrum review |
| Verizon Fios Internet 300/300 | $49.99/mo.† | 300 Mbps | Best in customer satisfaction |
View Plan Read Verizon review |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* For 24 months with 1-year term contract. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Taxes and equipment not included.
† w/ Auto Pay + taxes & equipment charges
‡ Paperless billing or prepaid required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest Internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 140 Mbps.)
‖ For the first 12 months. Standard rates apply after year 1. No additional charge for modem; other equipment, install, taxes, fees & surcharges may apply. Speeds may not be available in your area.
˚ for 1 yr. Plus taxes, equip. charges and fees
We’ve chosen widely available internet service providers (ISPs) that offer at least 100 Mbps on their less-expensive plans. You could save money if you stooped to lower speeds, but bandwidth matters, and a few saved bucks aren’t going to soothe the pain of a connection that buffers or drops out during your Netflix marathons. We want to get you cheap internet and cable, not a headache.
Best cheap internet packages
You shouldn’t have to pay through the nose for high-speed internet, and these ISPs recognize that. Read on to learn about any standout deals, equipment, or add-ons you can get with these cheap internet Wi-Fi providers.
Best cheap internet providers
- Optimum—Editor’s choice
- Xfinity—Cheapest
- T-Mobile—Best for rural
- Spectrum—Most flexible
- Verizon Fios—Best in customer satisfaction
Optimum 300: Editor’s choice
Optimum 300 earned our Editor’s Choice award because it strikes the perfect balance between cost and performance. With 300 Mbps download speeds, you’ll have enough bandwidth to support a whole family’s internet needs—you can download movies and stream Netflix without missing a beat.
With an introductory price of only $40 per month, it’s also a great deal for a cable internet plan. By comparison, most cable ISPs charge closer to $50 for a 300 Mbps plan. Optimum’s price increases are also staggered, so you won’t have to worry about a massive price increase after 12 months.
Xfinity Fast: Cheapest
In 2022, Xfinity bumped up its speeds in many areas of the US, which means depending on where you live you might be able to snag 400 Mbps for only $35.00 per month. For the record, that’s an amazing price among cheap Wi-Fi plans.
At only $35.00 per month for the first 12 months, Fast is one of the most affordable cable internet plans from a major ISP. The plan won’t be a great fit if your family’s regularly watching Netflix or downloading video games, but it’s a strong deal if you simply need affordable internet access.
Xfinity’s prices for internet-only plans also vary by region, so check out our table below to see how much Xfinity internet costs across the country. If you’re looking for more Xfinity internet deals, check out our Xfinity cheap internet and prepaid internet guides.
Cheapest Xfinity internet plans by region
| Package | Price | Max download speed | Region | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connect | $19.99/mo.* | 75 Mbps | West | View PlanRead Xfinity review |
| Connect More | $35.00/mo.* | 200 Mbps | West | View PlanRead Xfinity review |
| Connect | $30.00/mo.** | 75 Mbps | Central | View PlanRead Xfinity review |
| Connect More | $35.00/mo.† | 200 Mbps | Central | View PlanRead Xfinity review |
| Fast | $35.00/mo.** | 400 Mbps | Northeast | View PlanRead Xfinity review |
| Superfast | $60.00/mo.‡ | 800 Mbps | Northeast | View PlanRead Xfinity review |
*For the first 12 mos. w/ 1-yr. agreement
**For 24 months. No term contract. Taxes and equipment not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount.
†No term contract. Taxes not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount.
‡ For 36 months. No term contract. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Taxes and equipment not included.
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Spectrum Internet: Most flexible
Spectrum Internet is the most affordable of Spectrum’s three internet plans. And even though this cheap Wi-Fi plan costs nearly $50 per month, you’ll save a bunch on Spectrum’s equipment. In fact, Spectrum will even throw in a modem with your plan for zero more dollars. Since most providers lease those at about $10 per month, you’re getting some serious savings on cheap Wi-Fi equipment.
Spectrum’s no-contract internet plans are also a plus if you’re looking for flexibility. If you need to move or end service before 12 months, you won’t have to worry about expensive early termination or hardware return fees on Spectrum.
Spectrum also offers an affordable TV plan with competitive prices for premium channel add-ons. Check out our Spectrum cable TV guide to learn more about Spectrum’s TV offerings.
Verizon Fios Internet 300/300: Best in customer satisfaction
We can describe Verizon Fios Internet 300/300 in three words: fast, fast, and fast.
Since this cheap internet plan is fiber-based, your internet will run on some of the fastest and most reliable internet lines in the US. Forget about internet that slows down during peak usage hours—Verizon Fios will snatch the word “buffering” right out of your vocabulary.
Verizon Fios was also one of the best-performing major ISPs in our annual customer satisfaction survey. If you have problems with your internet service, Verizon will come through in a pinch.
And Verizon Fios boldly touts its matched download and upload speeds in the plan name—as it should. Many ISPs don’t even tell you what their upload speeds are because they’re so darn slow. But with Verizon Fios Internet 300/300, you won’t have to sit on your hands for hours waiting for a simple video or large photo file to upload.
Instead, you can look forward to getting all your cool Tik Tok videos online ASAP. Verizon Fios will put you this much closer to being the next big thing.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet offers flexible internet service, and if you’re a T-Mobile customer, you’ll also get some of the cheapest internet rates around. With a qualifying T-Mobile Magenta MAX plan, you’ll pay only $30 monthly for internet service. As a 5G home internet service, its rural availability depends heavily on your location and T-Mobile’s coverage in your neighborhood. But unlike standard cable internet providers, you won’t have to deal with price increases or expensive hardware fees.
Additional cheap internet providers
You won’t be left out in the cold if our top cheap ISP picks aren’t available in your area. Our runner-up selections still offer great value and low monthly prices for fast internet service.
CenturyLink Simply Unlimited
CenturyLink Simply Unlimited could give you up to 140 Mbps for $55 per month‡—but it might have only lower speeds in your area. Be sure to verify if you’re getting a good internet speed before you sign up.
If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where CenturyLink Internet uses a fiber connection instead of a DSL connection, you can trade up the CenturyLink Simply Unlimited plan for the Internet 500 Mbps plan, which offers 500 Mbps for the lower price of $50 per month.‡
Check the speeds you’ll get with CenturyLink Internet in your area before you decide on this cheap internet plan. But if the speeds are a good fit, we say jump on it.
‡ Paperless billing or prepaid required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest Internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 140 Mbps.)
Xtream Prime Internet 300
Xtream powered by Mediacom isn’t as widely available as bigger networks like Xfinity and Spectrum. But if it’s available in your town, we recommend Xtream’s Prime Internet 300 plan. Sure, there’s an even cheaper internet plan that offers 100 Mbps for $24.99 per month˚, but it comes with a nasty little 200 GB data cap.
Prime Internet 300 comes with a 1,000 GB data cap instead. That’s much more reasonable—you can watch Netflix and scroll through Instagram without worrying about being penalized for going over your data allowance.
Don’t skimp with Xtream. Our recommended plan may cost $20 more per month than the starter plan, but you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches (and overage fees) in the long run.
˚ For the first 12 months.
Cox Go Fast
While Cox Go Fast doesn’t stand out for anything in particular, we felt it necessary to mention. This tidy little plan meets our price and internet speed requirements, so we recommend giving it a look if you’re in Cox’s network area.
However, if the internet competition in your area includes Verizon Fios, AT&T, Xfinity, or Spectrum, we recommend looking at those provider’s cheapest plans first. While Cox did well on our recent customer satisfaction survey, those four internet providers shone brighter.
WOW! Internet 100
WOW! is one of the cheapest and fastest cable internet services in the Midwest and Southeast. If it’s available in your area, we recommend WOW!’s Internet 100 plan—that is, if you’re okay with the pesky 100 Mbps data cap. That amount is sufficient for social media scrolling and online shopping, but for consistent streaming, video calling, and the like, we’d recommend you go higher. If that’s you, we recommend that you check out WOW’s Internet 200 Mbps and Internet 500 Mbps plans for $39.99 per month and $54.99 per month, respectively.
Frontier Fiber 500
We like Frontier’s internet plans because equipment fees and unlimited data are included with their pricing, so there are no hidden fees that’ll sneak up on you. We recommend Frontier Fiber 500, their cheapest fiber plan.
Frontier also offers a bundle with YouTube TV, with customers getting $10 off their YoutubeTV subscription for twelve months. If bundling with the Fiber 500 plan, for example, the price will be $112.98 monthly.
If you don’t live in a Frontier Fiber area, Frontier also offers a DSL internet plan called Frontier Internet, and the download speeds vary by area. Check out if they’re in your area below.
Ways to save on internet
If you want to pay even less for internet, here are some ways to lower your monthly bill.
Avoid overage fees
Many internet providers have data caps—and if you go over, you have to pay up big time. Read our data caps guide to see which providers have caps and how to avoid overage charges.
Buy your modem/router
Your internet provider may charge you $10 a month or more to rent your internet equipment. But some providers let you bring your own equipment instead. Check out our recommendations for modems and routers:
Get government assistance
Programs like Affordable Connectivity Program save low-income households up to $30 per month off internet. To learn more and see if you qualify, check out “Free and Low-income Internet Plans.”
Sign up for a slower internet package
This suggestion breaks our heart, but if you choose a slower internet plan, you’ll probably pay less on internet. To see if you can get by with slower internet speeds, check out our internet speed guide.
Cheap internet FAQ
Who has the fastest and cheapest Internet?
Optimum has the fastest and cheapest internet plan. Optimum 300 costs $40 per month and comes with 300 Mbps download speeds.
Check out our Optimum internet review to learn more.
Who has the cheapest Internet right now?
Right now, Xtream powered by Mediacom is the cheap internet provider with the best value, offering 300 Mbps at $44.99 per month. But we prefer the better customer service from Xfinity, which offers a plan with 400 Mbps for $35.00-$55.00 per month (depending on region). There are cheaper plans out there, but we don’t feel comfortable recommending anything with slow speeds and low data caps.
Can low-income families get free internet?
Yes, low-income families can often get assistance from the government to pay for their internet costs. Many ISPs even offer special discounted packages for low-income families, students, and seniors. Check out our guide to low-income internet plans to learn about how you can sign up for these plans—and which ones will save you the most money.
What’s the difference between Wi-Fi and internet?
Wi-Fi is internet service broadcast wirelessly, usually with an in-home router. Wi-Fi is a common term to replace internet, but it’s just the way many people access their internet service. The internet itself is this cool place we’re hanging out in right now.
How can I get wireless internet without cable TV?
If your internet provider used to require you to bundle your internet with cable TV, it almost certainly doesn’t anymore. You can call your provider and cancel your TV subscription—be sure to return your cable equipment, so you don’t incur any extra fees. To learn more about how to get internet without TV and phone, check out our high-speed internet FAQ page.
Our methodology
For this article, we reviewed all available internet plans from major internet providers. We narrowed the list down to those that cost around $50 per month, offer at least 100 Mbps download speeds (a solid data rate for home internet), and have data allowances of at least 1,000 GB per month.
If you’d like to learn more about how we choose our top plans, check out our How We Rank page.
