Xfinity vs. Optimum Internet

Xfinity internet packages

Xfinity Northeast pricing listed. Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See full disclaimer.

Xfinity’s plans vary between its three regions (Northeast, Central, and West), while Optimum’s are mainly the same between its two regions (West and East). Xfinity’s recently streamlined its plans to better compete with competitors like Optimum. Unfortunately, there’s only a one-year price guarantee on Xfinity’s plans for non-contract customers, so keep a lookout for your scheduled price increase after your first year.

Depending on what region you’re in, you could be paying slightly more or less than the prices listed in the table above. But on Xfinity’s mid-range and higher-end internet plans, you could still get bonuses like two-year price guarantees, no contracts, free Wi-Fi equipment, and unlimited data.

Unfortunately, Xfinity’s entry-level plans still have contracts and data caps. Plus, in any region, Xfinity’s upload speeds are pretty low compared to Optimum’s.

Optimum internet packages

Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See full disclaimer.

Optimum’s cable internet plans offer decent value and speed options. Although Optimum lowered its cable internet upload speeds back in 2021, you’ll still get faster upload times across the board compared to Xfinity. You’ll get the most from Optimum’s cable internet upload speeds if you’re regularly taking Zoom calls (you’ll get through that full day of calls, bud) or uploading files.

Optimum’s biggest advantage over Xfinity is its growing fiber internet network. Although it’s not as widely available as its cable internet plans, Optimum’s fiber internet packages are affordable and priced in line with its standard internet plans. Xfinity’s fiber coverage is a fraction of its cable network and expensive, which put it out of range for most households.

Optimum’s fiber internet plans have equal upload and download speeds that’ll be a benefit if you’re regularly doing large cloud backups or uploading large files for work. Fiber internet offers the fastest performance compared to cable or DSL internet, and we’d wholeheartedly recommend Optimum’s fiber internet plans over Xfinity if they’re available in your neighborhood.

Xfinity internet deals

Xfinity’s best internet deals include student and military discounts. Check out our Xfinity deals guide for the latest Xfinity offers.

Optimum internet deals

Optimum’s offers regularly include Visa gift cards, free Wi-Fi equipment, free iPhones, and bundle discounts. Visit our Optimum deals guide to learn about Optimum’s current offers.

Xfinity equipment

Xfinity’s xFi Gateway ($15 per month, free with certain internet plans) integrates with other Xfinity services and hardware like the xFi Pods. If you’re planning to get additional Xfinity products, the xFi Gateway’s integrations could be a plus if you don’t want to worry about the installation process.

Optimum equipment

Optimum’s included Wi-Fi 6 Gateway doesn’t have an expanded hardware ecosystem like Xfinity. But—as with the xFi Gateway—the Gateway 6 comes with Wi-Fi 6 support, which provides faster Wi-Fi performance. (If you upgrade to a 1 Gig or above plan, you’ll get Optimum’s newer Wi-Fi 6E Gateway, which comes with Wi-Fi 6E support for faster transfer speeds.)

All three gateway devices are convenient options if you want someone else to take care of your internet equipment. However, we’d recommend buying your own Optimum-compatible or Xfinity-compatible equipment if you’re comfortable with fully managing your home network.

Xfinity data cap

Xfinity’s standard and premium internet plans now have unlimited data, so you won’t have to deal with overage fees. But Xfinity’s budget internet plans still have a 1.2 TB data cap, although you can get unlimited data for an additional $30 per month. Xfinity won’t charge overage fees the first time data-capped customers exceed 1.2 TB of monthly data. Afterward, it’ll cost $10 for every additional 50 GB of data you use, with an overage fee limit of $100 per month.

Optimum data cap

Optimum doesn’t have a data cap, so you can stream 4K video or albums off Spotify to your heart’s content. We’re always fans of ISPs that give you unlimited data right off the bat. Especially in larger households, it’s easy to blow past a data cap if multiple people are regularly downloading large games or streaming video.

Xfinity internet price after 12 months

Price increases after your first or second year of service are standard practice at most cable ISPs, and neither Optimum nor Xfinity cover themselves in glory here. Xfinity’s standard prices are generally worse than Optimum’s, but Xfinity at least tapers off its price hikes starting with the Fast Plan.

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

Optimum internet price after 12 months

We’ve dinged Optimum in the past for its price hikes, but we’ll give the ISP credit for offering more ways to avoid them. In addition to lowering its non-promo internet rates, Optimum also offers price lock guarantees of up to five years on its gigabit and multi-gig internet plans. You’ll generally have to sign an Xfinity contract and upgrade to a higher-end plan if you want to get a multi-year internet price guarantee from the ISP.

Optimum also staggers out its price increases once you leave your promotional price period. According to Optimum, your internet bill will increase every year by up to $15 until it hits Optimum’s current rate, and you’ll be informed of a change on your prior month’s bill. Although we’re hardly fans of price increases, Optimum’s staggered price structure helps minimize the sticker shock you’d find on competitors like Xfinity.

While we’d prefer flat-rate pricing over having to deal with price guarantees, it’s generally the cost of doing business if you’re searching for fiber internet in the greater New York area. For example, Verizon Fios, a big Optimum competitor with a similar tri-state footprint, also uses price guarantees on its fiber internet plans.

*Following promo period, monthly price will increase in annual increments of up to $15.
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.