Best Fiber Internet Providers for 2023: Prices, Speeds, and More

Out of all internet technology types, fiber-optic internet is the fastest and most reliable.

Many East Coast folks have access to our pick for best fiber internet, Verizon Fios or runner-up Optimum. These providers compete in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut, so if you’re in the Verizon Fios vs. Optimum zone, there are fiber internet deals galore.

But even if you’re not on the East Coast, you can find fiber internet in many major US cities. We’ll go over all your options for the best fiber internet providers, including AT&T and Ziply, below.

Jump to:

• Head-to-head comparison
• Other top fiber internet providers
• What to look for

Best fiber internet providers

• Verizon Fios—best overall
• Optimum—best deals
• Ziply—fastest
• AT&T Fiber—best for performance

Compare top fiber internet providers

Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
**w/ Auto Pay for 1 yr + taxes, equip. charges, & other fees.

If you’re looking for the absolute best fiber internet available, we recommend Verizon Fios for its competitive pricing, sign-up incentives, and high customer satisfaction.

In terms of bang for your buck, we like Optimum for its no-contract plans, competitive pricing, and excellent speeds.

But since we’re talking about fiber internet, pretty much every option is a great option. That’s why we’ve also included our takes on the fastest gig speeds (Ziply) and best for performance (AT&T Fiber).

If our top picks for fiber-optic internet providers aren’t in your area, consider other fiber providers like CenturyLink, Google Fiber, or Frontier Fiber. Also, some cable internet providers have fast internet speeds, and they’re often more readily available than fiber internet networks.

But overall, if you can get fiber internet in your neighborhood, you should definitely go for it.

Best overall: Verizon Fios

When we surveyed over 5,000 people about their internet service, Verizon Fios customers were the most satisfied by far. In fact, Verizon Fios topped the categories in internet speed, reliability, customer support, and monthly bill price.

If Verizon Fios is available in your area, we say go for it. Its price range fits comfortably in most budgets, and Verizon woos new users with extra deals like free hardware and streaming service subscriptions. We certainly wouldn’t turn down the chance to binge-watch more TV with our internet service.

Between high customer satisfaction and sign-up incentives, there’s a lot to recommend Verizon Fios as the best overall fiber provider.

**w/ Auto Pay for 1 yr + taxes, equip. charges, & other fees.

Best deals: Optimum

Optimum is a relatively new contender on the fiber scene. But Optimum builds up its hype by offering flash deals. Sign up at the right time and you can snag massive discounts. Couple Optimum’s low cost with the fact that it offers sleek equipment and built-in fiber-optic Wi-Fi, and you can see why we like Optimum.

Keep in mind, however, that our survey revealed that the Optimum customers aren’t among the most satisfied internet customers. We suspect that our Optimum participants may be in Optimum’s cable internet areas, which don’t have quite the same reliability or upload speeds.

But if you’ve got Optimum fiber internet in your area, keep checking Optimum’s website for savings and then jump on those reduced prices.

Fastest: Ziply

If you want the fastest gig internet on the market, then you’re gonna want Ziply Fiber internet.

Even though the average customer won’t need the insanely high speeds (and equally high price) of their $300 per month 10 Gig plan, Ziply offers plenty of other fiber plans to fit your needs from 50 Mbps to 10,000 Mbps.

Plus, Ziply doesn’t have annual contracts, so you’re free to leave and switch providers with no extra fees. The downside is Ziply’s limited availability—their plans are only available in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

Best for performance: AT&T Fiber

Not only is AT&T Fiber affordable, but it came in second overall in our internet customer satisfaction survey and now features no annual contracts.

So why isn’t AT&T Fiber our pick for best value? It was a close call, but ultimately AT&T Fiber’s limited availability and myriad hidden fees put it just behind Optimum.

Still, AT&T Fiber is a great value, so if you’re one of the lucky ones to have it in your area, we say sign up for it today.

Other top fiber internet providers

Google Fiber

WOW!

MetroNet

Frontier

CenturyLink

Sparklight

Sparklight plans are best for internet users who surf casually—and we mean really casually. Light email checking and social media scrolling are what Sparklight is best suited for, thanks to their restrictive data caps and overage fees.

If that sounds like you—or maybe you’re just tired of the other ISPs in your area—Sparklight can be an acceptable option.

What to look for in a fiber internet provider

When it comes to fiber internet, you should look for the same things you would with any other type of internet provider:

• Speeds that match your needs
• Affordable prices
• High customer satisfaction

Speed

Most fiber internet options come with speeds that comfortably cover today’s internet needs. Download speeds around 100 Mbps will make streaming a breeze, and faster speeds are great for families whose members use the internet at the same time.

Keep in mind that upload speeds are also important, especially if you video chat, play online games, or put big files up online.

As a general rule, fiber plans have higher upload speeds than cable, DSL, or satellite internet, but providers who advertise matched upload-download speeds probably have the best upload speeds.

Price

While prices vary from provider to provider, there are a couple of benchmarks to keep in mind:

• 300 Mbps plans average just under $50/mo.
• 940 Mbps or 1 gig plans tend to be just under $100/mo.

And be sure to see how long you can keep the price you signed up with. Some companies offer lower promotional prices for only a year, though some guarantee prices for two years.

You’ll also want to consider equipment costs. Some plans include a modem/router in the pricing, while others require you to lease them for about $10 per month. That extra fee can be a real pain if you’re not prepared for it.

Customer satisfaction

Be aware of any highlights or pitfalls you can expect with your service provider. Our survey can be a good source for this.

You could also check with online forums, but don’t let a surplus of bad reviews make you despair over your available providers—people are more likely to share negative experiences than positive ones.

Our final take

Fiber providers offer the most advanced internet service available today. In our opinion, we think the best of the best is Verizon Fios because of its competitive pricing, free goodies, and high customer satisfaction.

We also highly recommend Optimum, AT&T Fiber, and Ziply if they’re available in your area. Check your zip code below to see if one of the providers we suggested is available in your neighborhood.

Best fiber internet providers FAQ

Our methodology

We researched every major fiber internet provider and ranked them according to price, speed, and customer satisfaction scores from our annual survey. We also looked at hidden fees, contracts, and sign-up incentives to bring you the best fiber internet providers out there.

For more information about our methodologies, feel free to peruse our How We Rank page.