Ziply vs. Spectrum: Comparing Speeds, Pricing, Deals, And More
Spectrum offers great bundle options, but it can’t keep up with Ziply’s fiber internet plans.
$20.00–$900.00/mo.
$20.00–$900.00/mo.
$39.99–$79.99/mo.
$39.99–$79.99/mo.
Is Ziply or Spectrum better?
We generally recommend fiber internet over cable internet in most scenarios, and when it comes to Ziply and Spectrum, we stand by this blanket rule. You’ll get much faster speeds on Ziply’s fiber network plans compared to Spectrum’s cable network internet plans.
We recommend Spectrum over Ziply in only two scenarios: your area doesn’t get Ziply Fiber coverage, or your household wants a multi-service internet, TV, or cell phone bundle. Ziply offers only internet and home phone service. Spectrum also outperformed Ziply in CableTV.com’s annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, also neither provider did extraordinarily well: Spectrum finished 11th in overall satisfaction, while Ziply landed further down in 20th place.
Still stuck between Ziply or Spectrum? Keep reading for a head-to-head breakdown between both providers.
Compare Ziply or Spectrum internet head to head
Prices starting at
$20.00/mo.
Max download speeds up to
50,000 Mbps
Service Type
DSL/Fiber
Prices starting at
$49.99/mo.
Max download speeds up to*
1,000 Mbps
Service Type
Cable
* Speed based on wired connection. Available Internet speeds may vary by address. Gig capable modem required for Gig speed.
Pricing, speed and availability not guaranteed. Subject to change.
Ziply vs. Spectrum: internet plans and prices
Ziply Fiber’s internet plans come with excellent download speeds and affordable pricing, while Spectrum has steady internet service and wide-ranging customer support resources. Read on to see which provider reigns supreme.
Ziply internet packages
| Package | Price* | Download speeds |
|---|---|---|
| DSL Internet | $50/mo. | 1–115Mbps |
| Fiber 100/100 | $20/mo. | 100Mbps |
| Fiber 300/300 | $30/mo. | 300Mbps |
| Fiber Gig | $50/mo. | 1,000Mbps |
| Fiber 2 Gig | $60/mo. | 2,000Mbps |
| Fiber 5 Gig | $80/mo. | 5,000Mbps |
| Fiber 10 Gig | $300/mo. | 10,000Mbps |
| Fiber 50 Gig | $900/mo. | 50,000Mbps |
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See full disclaimer.
Ziply’s a smaller provider compared to Spectrum, but the internet provider has a much larger catalog of internet options. Along with its standard DSL plan, Ziply offers a whopping seven fiber internet plans.
We’re fans of Ziply’s affordable pricing on their Fiber 100/100 through Fiber Gig plans, which all cost $50 or less monthly during your first year of service. Most fiber internet providers leave budget-conscious customers by the wayside, so it’s nice that Ziply provides pricing flexibility for budget-conscious households.
At the same time, we wish Ziply was more generous with the download speeds on these plans. While 100Mbps is fine for one or two light internet users, you’ll hit a hard performance ceiling if more than a few people want to watch Hulu at the same time. Spectrum’s internet plans start at 300Mbps, and even cable internet providers like Xfinity have faster speeds on their budget internet plans.
Spectrum internet packages
| Plan | Price | Max download speed |
|---|---|---|
| Spectrum Internet | $39.99–$49.99/mo. for 12 mos. | 300 Mbps |
| Spectrum Internet Ultra | $49.99–$69.99/mo. for 24 mos. | 500 Mbps |
| Spectrum Internet Gig | $59.99–$79.99/mo. for 24 mos. | 1 Gbps |
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See full disclaimer.
Spectrum’s three internet plans cover the basics, but whether you’re looking at pricing or download speeds, they can’t hold up to Ziply Fiber’s advantages as a fiber internet provider.
Simply put, you’ll pay more for less on Spectrum compared to Ziply Fiber. Like with Spectrum Internet 500 Mbps, you’ll pay $59.99 monthly for 500Mbps download speeds. With Ziply Fiber’s comparable plans, you’ll pay $50 monthly for 1,000Mbps download speeds and $60 monthly for 2,000Mbps download speeds. Spectrum’s Internet Gig plan does start at $49.99 in some areas (the same price as Ziply’s), but it’s dependent on location. Be sure to enter your zip to see the rates you’d be getting with Spectrum where you live.
We’d recommend Spectrum over Ziply only if your area is limited to Ziply’s slower DSL plan, as DSL internet is slower than cable internet providers like Spectrum. Otherwise, fiber internet providers like Ziply Fiber will almost always win out over cable providers when it comes to internet performance.
Ziply vs. Spectrum: customer satisfaction
As part of CableTV.com’s annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, we talked to more than 7,000 real internet customers across the U.S. to see how they felt about their internet providers.
Ziply was weighed down by its legacy DSL network, as it ranked a dismal 20th in overall satisfaction and landed near competitors like CenturyLink and Windstream. Ziply closed its retail stores in 2022, but the provider still maintains a limited network of payment kiosks throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
- 70% of Ziply customers felt like Ziply’s prices were satisfatory compared to the competition.
- 62% of respondents felt satisfied with Ziply’s customer service.
- But only 60% of Ziply customers would recommend them to someone else.
What do real Ziply internet customers think about Ziply?
Cuts out a lot of freezes. The slightest weather changes makes it not want to run properly. I usually have to run an Ethernet cable just to get it to work. Good pricing, but needs some work. I do love their way of making the bill cheaper if you are in SNAP or disability.
By comparison, Spectrum landed in 11th place on our survey. Spectrum’s customer service was generally middling, but the provider’s high prices dragged down its overall scores. Spectrum also has a large network of retail stores for easy equipment exchanges and service troubleshooting.
- 67% of Spectrum customers felt highly satisfied after dealing with Spectrum customer service.
- 71% of survey respondents would continue to subscribe to Spectrum internet.
- But only 57% of Spectrum customers would recommend them to someone else.
What do real Spectrum internet customers think about Spectrum?
I have had spectrum for one month now and the service has been great. But the customer care has been bad from the start. I have spent a few hours trying to fix the agents mistakes with my address, phone number and card number.
How reliable is Ziply and Spectrum internet?
| Ziply | Spectrum | |
|---|---|---|
| Average latency | 13.7 milliseconds (9.7 ms for fiber internet) | 27.7 milliseconds |
| Internet reliability satisfaction rating | 74% positive | 68% positive |
| Internet speed satisfaction rating | 70% positive | 73% positive |
Ziply earned solid marks on our internet speed research, as more than 70% of customers were satisfied with Ziply’s average uptime and internet speeds. Similarly, Ziply Fiber’s latency mark of 9.7 milliseconds was best-in-class among all internet providers. This latency data comes from speed tests from our partners at HighSpeedInternet.com.
In addition, 73% of Spectrum customers were highly satisfied with Spectrum’s internet speeds. However, the provider dropped below the 70% mark for internet reliability.
Is Ziply or Spectrum internet available in your neighborhood?
Ziply and Spectrum have overlapping coverage maps, although it’s largely an extension of Ziply’s modest footprint. Ziply operates out of Idaho, Washington, Montana, and Oregon. Spectrum is also available in these states as part of its 41-state internet network.
- Idaho
- Montana
- Washington
- Oregon
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Spectrum vs. Ziply: specs and features
Ziply and Spectrum are as different as two internet providers can be and that also extends to everything beyond its internet plans. Let’s break down what else you should know about Spectrum and Ziply’s internet service options.
Does Ziply or Spectrum have good internet deals?
Ziply internet deals
Ziply’s internet deals are similarly bare-bones as Spectrum. Ziply occasionally offers deals like waived installation fees and a free month of service, but you won’t have many of the bonus programs you’d find from larger internet providers.
Visit our Ziply internet review to check out current Ziply Fiber internet deals.
Spectrum internet deals
Spectrum’s best deals include covering early termination fees for new customers and occasional multi-year price guarantees depending on your region. But Spectrum doesn’t necessarily roll out the carpet for new customers like its competitors—don’t expect much in the way of free streaming subscriptions or bonus equipment.
Visit our Spectrum deals guide to learn more about current Spectrum internet deals.
Expect hidden fees from Spectrum and Ziply
Ziply Fiber fees and extra charges
| Fees | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wi-Fi router rental | Optional $10/mo. |
| Whole-Home Wi-Fi | Optional $20/mo. |
| Post-promotional price increase | $20–$30/mo. |
Ziply offers a handful of equipment rental options for households that prefer to outsource the Wi-Fi installation process. Unfortunately, Ziply also relies on promotional pricing, which involves a lower first-year internet price followed by a second-year price increase. Ziply’s price hike isn’t massive, but fiber internet providers rarely do this price trickery, and we’ll always beat the drum against it.
Spectrum fees and extra charges
| Fees | Amount |
|---|---|
| Data overage fee | None |
| Wi-Fi router rental fee | Optional $5/mo. |
| Late payment fee | $8.95 |
| Post-promotional price increase | Up to $35/mo. |
Spectrum’s one of the rare cable internet providers with unlimited data, so you won’t have to worry about expensive data overage charges. Additionally, Spectrum has the standard slate of optional rental fees, along with a first or second-year price hike on its internet plans.
Check out our Spectrum hidden fees guide for a full breakdown of the provider’s extra charges.
Spectrum’s cable bundles can’t be beat
Ziply bundle options
Ziply offers landline phone service for $20 monthly but doesn’t have other bundled services. If you’re a Ziply customer who wants to watch TV, you’ll likely have to spring for a satellite or streaming TV service like DISH or YouTube TV.
Spectrum bundle options
Like other national internet providers, Spectrum offers a full suite of cable TV, landline phone, and cell phone services, so you can assemble a Spectrum internet bundle for the biggest savings. We’re fans of Spectrum Mobile, which offers some of the cheapest cell phone plans for an internet provider-affiliated cell phone carrier.
Ziply vs. Spectrum FAQ
Is Ziply Fiber better than Spectrum?
Ziply Fiber is much better than Spectrum because of its faster internet speeds and lower monthly pricing.
Is Ziply Fiber faster than Spectrum?
Ziply Fiber is faster than Spectrum. Ziply Fiber has download and upload speeds up to 50,000Gbps. By comparison, Spectrum’s download speeds top out at 940Mbps, and its upload speeds are limited to 35Mbps.
Why you should trust us
Our experts drew from our existing Ziply and Spectrum coverage, rating both ISPs on internet speeds, pricing, and availability. We also used our annual customer satisfaction survey to see how real customers felt about each ISP.
For more on our process, see our How We Rank page.
Disclaimer
Spectrum Internet
*Spectrum Internet: For 12 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Taxes, fees and surcharges extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra.
Spectrum Internet Ultra: For 24 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.
Spectrum Internet Gig: For 24 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.
◊To qualify for the Contract Buyout Program, a customer must order and install a qualifying Triple Play or limited Double Play promotion; offers not available in all areas. Offer available to qualifying customers only who have no outstanding obligations to Charter. Payment amount will be determined by the Early Termination Fee on the final bill from the previous provider, not to exceed $500. For Contract Buyout qualifications, go to Spectrum.com/buyout.
**Speed based on wired connection. Available Internet speeds may vary by address. Gig capable modem required for Gig speed. For a list of Gig capable modems, visit Spectrum.net/modem.
Ziply Internet
For new residential customers only. No annual contract required. Prices shown are before taxes and fees and require autopay and paperless billing.
*for the first 12 mos. with autopay and paperless billing
