WOW! Internet Review 2023

Is WOW! any good?

WOW! provides no-contract cable internet service to nine states in the eastern half of the US, despite the acronym standing for “Wide Open West.” Its internet plans are fast (ranging from 100 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps) and relatively cheap ($39.99 to $74.99 a month). So far, so good for WOW!

WOW! has other perks besides fast, inexpensive internet, like no-contract plans and whole-home Eero mesh Wi-Fi upgrades. In the world of cable internet, WOW! is a viable contender among larger companies like Xfinity and Spectrum (and the name is more fun, too).

WOW! pros and cons

Jump to:

• Internet plans
• TV bundle packages
• Equipment
• Deals and promotions

WOW! internet plans and prices

*With enrollment in AutoPay and paperless billing. Equipment and speed availability vary by area. Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

WOW! doesn’t bother with plans below 100 Mbps of upload speed, which is essentially the baseline for keeping an internet-hungry household humming. The chances of encountering data logjams between multiple users decrease as speeds increase, which makes WOW!’s 1 Gig plan pretty attractive for the price.

As with many cable ISPs, WOW! has data caps on all four of its internet plans and you’ll have overage charges of $10 per 50 GB (up to $50 monthly). While we’re not the biggest fans of data caps, WOW!’s data caps of 1.5 TB to 3 TB are generously sized, and you can upgrade to unlimited data on WOW!’s Internet 1 Gig plan for an additional $30 per month. Competitors like Xfinity and AT&T have data caps that top out at around 1 TB.

Since WOW! internet is delivered over coaxial cable, its upload speeds are a fraction of its download speeds—something to consider if you’re working from home or running a business. With fiber-optic internet, you get equal download and upload speeds, allowing for easier and faster transfers of large files and smoother video-conferencing. Fortunately, WOW! does have fiber internet plans for businesses in limited areas.

A note on advertised speeds: you don’t necessarily get the amount you see at sign-up with any provider. “Up to” means you could achieve that speed through a directly wired Ethernet cable connection, but not with Wi-Fi; the convenience of wireless may cut that number by almost half.

WOW! internet plus TV bundles and prices

*With enrollment in AutoPay and paperless billing. Equipment and speed availability vary by area. Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

While WOW! offers traditional cable TV services, it tends to steer customers away from this service. WOW! recommends you use its fast internet speeds to enjoy affordable streaming live TV services instead.

But if you have your heart set on WOW!’s cable TV, you can talk to a WOW! customer representative to sign up. Your options are Small TV (exclusively local channels), Medium TV (some basic cable channels), and Large TV (includes premium cable channels).

Although WOW! tv+ isn’t the cheapest cable TV service we’ve seen, we’d ultimately recommend Medium TV if you’re interested in bundling services. With the package, you’ll still have a decent selection of basic cable channels and fast internet for only $139.89 per month.

Alternatively, you can sign up with third-party live internet-streaming TV outlets (specifically YouTube TV, fuboTV, Sling TV, or Philo) during the checkout process. You can also bundle WOW! cable internet with digital VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) landline phone service for an extra $9.99 a month.

WOW! internet equipment

As with most internet service providers, WOW! gives you the option of renting a modem/router from them ($14.00 a month) or buying your own compatible third-party equipment. If you plan on being with WOW! for more than a year, we recommend buying your own modem/router—it’ll more than pay for itself in the long run.

WOW! also offers Eero whole-home mesh Wi-Fi for an extra $9.99 a month. If you’re unfamiliar, mesh Wi-Fi works like a range extender (or multiple range extenders) but doesn’t appear as separate Wi-Fi points—you’re always connected to the same network. They’re good for larger homes, but this is another piece of gear you could buy on your own instead of renting.

WOW! deals and promotions

For new customers, WOW! regularly offers free installation, Visa prepaid gift cards, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on its internet service. WOW!’s packages are also contract-free.

Final take: Is WOW! worth it?

The prices are right, and so are the speeds—WOW! is a sweet deal if you’re in an area to take advantage of it. WOW! is comparable to, and in some cases cheaper than, the cable internet competition. And unlike the others, WOW! doesn’t lock you into a multi-year contract—a big win.

WOW!’s cable TV packages are servicable options, and we also see WOW!’s third-party outsourcing as a plus. It gives you more choices, and more choices are always good (in addition to WOW!’s four livestreaming TV suggestions, know that Hulu + Live TV and DIRECTV STREAM are also available).

Methodology

We analyzed each of WOW!’s cable and internet plans to see how they stacked up against the competition, rating each package on areas including cost, channel selection, and value. For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.

WOW! FAQ