12 Best Cheap Internet Providers

WOW! is the cheapest overall internet provider, with plans starting at $19.99. Whether it’s worth getting from your home will depend on various factors, though. Keep reading to find them.

And other cheap alternative providers if WOW! isn’t viable for your home.

I’ve spent countless hours researching internet service providers to find the cheapest option. That led me to create this guide comparing some of the cheapest ISPs throughout the United States.

You’ll find the following points throughout this guide:

• Map of cheapest providers by state
• Cheapest ISPs compared
• Ways to get more affordable internet
• How to get free internet
• Internet package buying guide

Let’s go!

Cheapest Internet Provider By City & State

To find the cheapest ISP in your area, check out this map:

Best Cheap Internet Providers Compared

Compare the cheapest internet providers before diving into the details:

ISP	Avg. Starting Price *	Avg. Max. Speed (DL) †	Internet Type
WOW!	$19.99–$94.99/mo.	50–1,200 Mbps	Cable
T-Mobile 5G Home	$50/mo.	33–182 Mbps	Fixed wireless access (5G)
Optimum	$40–$180/mo.	300–5,000 Mbps	Fiber & cable
Brightspeed	$50–$70/mo.	140–940 Mbps	DSL, fiber, & fixed wireless access (5G)
AT&T Fiber	$55–$180/mo.	300–5,000 Mbps	Fiber
CenturyLink	$50/mo.	20–140 Mbps	Fiber & DSL
HughesNet	$64.99–$174.99	25 Mbps	Satellite
Verizon Home	$50–$70/mo.	85–1,000 Mbps	Fixed wireless access (LTE & 5G)
Cox Communications	$50–$79.99/mo.	100–1,000 Mbps	Cable
Xfinity Comcast	$20–$299.95/mo.	75–6,000 Mbps	Cable & fiber
Frontier	39.99–$149.99/mo.	500–2,000 Mbps	Fiber & DSL
Spectrum	$49.99–$89.99/mo.	300–1,000 Mbps	Cable

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region. Pricing may already account for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

The following sections will cover the following points for each provider:

• Overview
• Packages & speeds compared
• Best plans for different uses
• State coverage
• Deals, promotions, & freebies

Keep reading and find a competitively-priced provider.

1. WOW!: Cheapest Overall Internet Provider

Internet Types Offered	Cable internet
Data Cap	1,024–unlimited
Contract	No
Other Products Offered	TV & cell phone (no bundle discounts)
Installation Fee	$0.00–$99

WOW! Internet Pricing & Speeds Compared

Here are WideOpenWest’s (WOW) internet packages:

Tier	Starting Price *	Standard Price	Max. Speed (DL & UL) †	Best For
Internet 50	$9.99/mo.	$19.99/mo.	50/5.0 Mbps	1080p streaming
Internet 200	$29.99/mo.	$44.99/mo.	200/10 Mbps	4K streaming
Internet 500	$44.99/mo.	$54.99/mo.	500/500 Mbps	Homes with >5 people
Internet 1 Gig	$64.99/mo.	$74.99/mo.	1,000/50 Mbps	Homes with >9 people
Internet 1.2 Gig	$94.99/mo.	NA	1,200 Mbps	Homes with >9 people

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region. Pricing already accounts for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

Let’s cover a few of their best and most affordable plans.

Internet 50: Best for Homes With Fewer Than 3 People

• Starting price: $9.99/mo.
• Standard price: $19.99/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.39
• Gateway/modem fee: $14/mo.
• Connection type: cable
• Data cap: 1,024 GB

WOW! Internet 50 works best for homes with 1 or 2 people who mainly use the internet to do the following:

• Watch Netflix (or similar platforms) in 720p
• Check emails
• Browse the internet
• Browse social media
• Online gaming: console, PC, & mobile

Yeah, the 1,024 gigabyte (GB) data cap sucks. Households with fewer than 3 people who don’t stream much 4K video or download files likely won’t notice an impact. Because it would allow people to stream more than 350 hours of 720p HD [1].

Be careful about downloading files larger than 100 GB, though. It’ll propel you toward paying the nasty data overage surcharge. A charge that’s $10 per additional 50 GB your home uses.

And the modem rental fee.

Buy your own modem and waive this fee. You can’t use any modem, though. Have to get one that WOW! approves. We’ve compiled a list of them in a separate guide.

Yeah, it requires an upfront investment ($100+). But you’ll save $168 a year. And you won’t have to worry about unreturned or damaged equipment fees whenever you cancel WOW!

Internet 1.2 Gig: Best for Remote Workers

• Starting price: $94.99/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.07
• Gateway/modem fee: none
• Connection type: fiber
• Data cap: unlimited

The 1.2 Gig plan provides equal download and upload speeds without enforcing a data cap. Because of these perks, work-from-home(ers) will have much faster upload speeds to deliver files to clients with.

There’s also no equipment rental fee, since fiber internet connections don’t use modems. But they use optical network terminals (ONT). The biggest issue with these devices stems from the $99 installation fee.

But that’s nothing compared to equipment rental fees.

WOW! Internet Availability

WOW! internet packages are available in the following 9 states:

Alabama	Florida	Georgia	Illinois
Ohio	Indiana	Michigan	South Carolina
Tennessee

Availability will vary by ZIP code.

WOW! Internet Deals

WOW! offers the following discounts for their internet products:

• New customer pricing:
  • All plans (except 1.2 Gig) receive a $10 monthly discount for 1 year
  • The 1 Gig promotional pricing lasts 2 years
• 1 Gig and 1.2 Gig customers receive HBO MAX free for a year (saves $120)
• Customers getting corresponding plans will get a free Visa Rewards Card:
  • Internet 200: $50
  • Internet 500: $100
  • Internet 1 Gig: $200
  • Internet 1.2 Gig: $300

If you get one of the higher tiers, use the Visa card to buy your own modem. It’ll save you $168 a year.

2. T-Mobile 5G Home: Best Value for Price

• Starting price: $50/mo. (with AutoPay enabled)
• Speed:
  • Download: 33–182 Mbps
  • Upload: 6.0–23 Mbps
• Cost per megabit: $1.5–$0.27
• Gateway/modem fee: free
• Activation fee: none
• Connection type: fixed wireless access (5G)

T-Mobile 5G Home is an excellent solution for homes anywhere to access high-speed internet without data caps. Or slower speeds if you live further from your ISP. Remote workers will also love 5G home internet because they could use it as a backup connection in case of an internet outage.

The cost per megabit isn’t the best. But consider these cost savings:

• They offer a free gateway (modem/router combo) rental
• Unlimited data usage: no data overage surcharge
• Discounts for existing T-Mobile customers: could lower the cost per megabit to $0.15
• Price lock: guarantees no future price hikes
• Contract buyout program: lets you flee from your current ISP without cancellation fees

I’ve found some issues with T-Mobile 5G Home that may make it unappealing. During peak usage times, folks may experience slower internet speeds. Hence, the 33 Mbps I listed above. There’s also a somewhat major flaw with fixed wireless access.

Fixed wireless access (FWA) sends frequencies from their wireless towers to receiver antennas at customers’ homes. Customers may have lower speeds and higher latency if obstacles block the signals.

Or no internet access at all.

Who are the plan’s speeds best for?

Use T-Mobile 5G Home if you’re in a household with 3 or fewer people who don’t frequently download large files. Since these speeds fluctuate, you shouldn’t stream 4K video or game through the cloud on more than a single device.

The unlimited data does allow folks to download unlimited files. But if others in your home are hogging bandwidth, downloading files will likely take much longer.

Imagine this:

The whole family’s home and its peak usage time. They use around 10 Mbps of bandwidth, and you want to download World of Warcraft Dragonflight (around 100 GB). It’ll take you 9 hours to download WoW.

Find out where 5G Home is available.

T-Mobile 5G Home Availability

T-Mobile is available in many areas throughout every state [2]. You’ll need to visit t-mobile.com/coverage/coverage-map and enter your address to see whether T-Mobile offers support in your area.

T-Mobile 5G Home Deals

T-Mobile offers the following deals for 5G Home customers:

• Those on Magenta Max family plans can shave $20 off their 5G Home bill
• Contract buyout: they’ll buy you out of your contract for up to $750
• Price lock: they won’t raise your plan prices
• Test their internet service for 15 days
• Paramount+ free for 1 year

3. Optimum: Fastest Low Cost Internet

Internet Types Offered	Cable & fiber
Data Cap	None
Contract	None
Other Products Offered	TV & mobile (no bundle discounts)
Installation Fee	Free (when ordering online)

Optimum Internet Packages & Speeds Compared

Optimum’s internet plans are as follows:

Tier	Starting Price *	Max. Speed (DL & UL) †	Best For
300	$40/mo.	300 Mbps	Homes with >5 people
500	$60/mo.	500 Mbps	Remote workers
1 Gig Fiber Internet	$80/mo.	1,000 Mbps	Livestreamers & frequent file downloads
2 Gig Fiber Internet	$100/mo.	2,000 Mbps	Home server management
5 Gig Fiber Internet	$180/mo.	5,000 Mbps	Home server management

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

The following sections will cover details surrounding the most recommended plans.

300: Best for Homes With 5 or More People

• Starting price: $40/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.13
• Gateway/modem fee: none
• Connection type: cable

The Optimum 300 internet package works best for homes with 5 or more people and will accommodate most online tasks. Except for fast massive file downloads.

I’ll cover an alternative in the next recommended plan.

Optimum offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and symmetrical speeds. Optimum offers free public and private Wi-Fi hotspots if you’re away from home. Private hotspots will protect your internet connection from eavesdroppers and conserve a phone’s mobile data.

You’ll also find cable TV channels with Optimum.

But it’s $35 a month for their lowest-tier, which includes 50 channels. Then there’s the $11 monthly TV box fee, the $9.99 broadcast TV fee, and $10 regional sports cost.

That brings the monthly price to $65.99 ($1.31 per channel). YouTube TV—provides more than 100 live TV channels—costs $0.64 per channel. And it doesn’t include all the fees above.

5 Gig Fiber Internet: Best for Home Server Management

• Starting price: $180/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.03
• Gateway/modem fee: none
• Connection type: fiber internet

5 Gig Fiber isn’t available in many areas. But it’s the best option for households that manage home media servers. Since you’ll frequently back up your files, you’ll want the fastest speeds available to save you the most time.

Plus, you can’t beat $0.03 per megabit. 

Optimum Fiber Internet Availability

Optimum fiber optic internet is available in the following 21 states:

Arizona	Arkansas	California	Connecticut
Idaho	Kansas	Kentucky	Louisiana
Mississippi	Missouri	Nevada	New Jersey
New Mexico	New York	North Carolina	Ohio
Oklahoma	Pennsylvania	Texas	Virginia
West Virginia

Whether Optimum’s available in your area will vary by address. Though they’re in “X” state, they likely won’t service most ZIP codes.

Optimum Fiber Internet Deals

Optimum doesn’t offer any discounts. However, they’ll buy you out of your current internet provider for up to $100.

4. Brightspeed: Cheapest Business Internet

Internet Types Offered	Fiber
Contract	No
Other Products Offered	VoIP
Installation Fee	$99

Brightspeed Business Packages & Speeds Compared

Brightspeed offers the following business internet products [3]:

Tier	Starting Price *	Max. Speed (DL & UL) †
Simply Unlimited	$50/mo.	Up to 140 Mbps
Fiber 200	$30/mo.	Up to 200 Mbps
Fiber 500	$50/mo.	Up to 500 Mbps
Fiber Gigabit	$70/mo.	Up to 940 Mbps

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

I’ll cover more details surrounding Brightspeed Business’ best plans in the following sections.

Fiber 200: Best for Businesses With <5 Employees

• Starting price: $30/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.15

Brightspeed Business Fiber 200 works best for businesses with 5 or fewer employees. Or for the following industries or company types:

• Restaurants & coffee shops: streaming videos on TVs, guest Wi-Fi, & POS systems
• Clinics: checking emails, streaming on guest room TVs, & occupancy management

You could get enterprise solutions to scale up larger businesses or receive business advice. The dedicated support for the latter service will help you get the right internet plan for your business.

Fiber Gigabit: Best for Offices With >15 Employees

• Starting price: $70/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.07

940 Mbps download speeds will work best for businesses with 15–20 team members. So long as everyone isn’t downloading 1.0 GB files simultaneously.

Read the table above. I mentioned the 940 Mbps download and upload speeds. That means offices will have no issues having 15 people simultaneously engage in video calls on Zoom. Meanwhile, you could run more than 20 cloud security cameras.

Speaking of video conferencing. Fiber optic internet has an average latency rate of 8.1 milliseconds or lower. Because of this, your team likely won’t encounter any lag during video calls.

Which is critical in ensuring you understand everything the person on the other side of the call says.

Brightspeed Business Internet Availability

You’ll likely have access to Brightspeed Business in these states:

Alabama	Arkansas	Georgia	Illinois	Indiana
Kansas	Louisiana	Minnesota	Michigan	Mississippi
New Jersey	North Carolina	Ohio	Oklahoma	Pennsylvania
South Carolina	Tennessee	Texas	Virginia	Wisconsin

Availability will vary by the ZIP code your business lies within.

Brightspeed Business Internet Deals

Brightspeed doesn’t offer any discounts or bundles with their business products.

5. AT&T Fiber: Cheapest Fiber Internet

Internet Types Offered	Fiber
Data Cap	None
Contract	No
Other Products Offered	TV, DSL internet, & mobile plans
Installation Fee	$99

AT&T Fiber Packages, Pricing, & Speeds Compared

AT&T Fiber offers these optical internet packages:

Plan	Starting Price *	Max. Speed (DL & UL) †	Best For
AT&T Fiber 300	$55/mo.	300 Mbps	Smaller families and single users
AT&T Fiber 500	$65/mo.	500 Mbps	Large families and small businesses
AT&T Fiber 1 Gig	$80/mo.	1,000 Mbps	Medium-sized businesses
AT&T Fiber 2 Gig	$110/mo.	2,000 Mbps	Larger businesses
AT&T Internet 5 Gig	$180/mo.	5,000 Mbps	Super intensive work among many

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region. Pricing may already account for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

Fiber 300: Best for Online Gaming & Remote Work

• Starting price: $55
• Cost per megabit: $0.18
• Connection type: fiber

AT&T Fiber 300 works best for remote workers who need high upload speeds for uploading files. Or for online gamers who want low-latency internet, but don’t want to pay for 500 Mbps speeds from other providers.

Don’t misinterpret my recommendation as online games requiring 500 Mbps. They need at least 3.0 Mbps [4]. The 300 Mbps speeds will work great if you frequently download games or patch files. Or if you want to get into livestreaming.

This package works best for gamers because fiber internet has the lowest latency (ping) among other internet types. Latency is responsible for determining whether you have lag. The lower the ping, the less likely you’ll experience match-costing lag.

300 Mbps upload speeds surpass the 6.0–8.0 megabit requirement to livestream on platforms like Twitch [5].

Internet 5 Gig: Best for Home Server Management

• Starting price: $180
• Cost per megabit: $0.03
• Connection type: fiber 

AT&T Fiber 5 Gig works best and is viable for homes that manage home servers and frequently back up files. Otherwise, these speeds are unnecessary for most.

Optimum and AT&T offer the lowest cost per megabit with their 5.0-gigabit internet plans. Whatever one you choose depends on their availability in your area. AT&T won’t give you discounts when bundling their cellular plans with fiber products.

So don’t use that as a deciding factor.

AT&T Fiber Internet Availability

AT&T’s fiber optic internet is available in some ZIP codes throughout these states:

California	Nevada	Texas	Oklahoma
Kansas	Missouri	Ohio	Kentucky
Michigan	Indiana	Illinois	Wisconsin
Arkansas	Louisiana	Tennessee	Mississippi
Alabama	Georgia	Florida	North Carolina
South Carolina

AT&T Fiber Internet Deals

AT&T Fiber offers these deals:

• $300 contract buyout: they’ll pay up to this amount for your current ISP’s cancellation fee
• $100 gift card when getting on the 300 & 500 Mbps plans
• $150 gift card when getting the 1.0, 2.0, & 5.0 Gbps plans

Students, teachers, seniors, veterans, and other groups won’t find special discounts on any of AT&T’s internet products.

6. CenturyLink: Cheapest DSL Internet

Internet Types Offered	DSL internet & fiber
Data Cap	None
Contract	None
Other Products Offered	TV (no bundle discounts)
Installation Fee	Up to $150

CenturyLink DSL Packages & Speeds Compared

CenturyLink offers these DSL internet packages:

Tier & Speed *	Starting Price †	Best For
20 Mbps	$50/mo.	480p streaming
40 Mbps	$50/mo.	480p streaming
60 Mbps	$50/mo.	480p streaming
80 Mbps	$50/mo.	720p streaming
100 Mbps	$50/mo.	1080p streaming & homes with <3 people
120 Mbps	$50/mo.	homes with <3 people
140 Mbps	$50/mo.	homes with <3 people

* Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

† Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region.

140 Mbps: Best for Homes With 3 or Fewer People

• Starting price: $50/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.35–$2.5
• Gateway/modem fee: $15
• Connection type: DSL

I only recommend CenturyLink DSL for single-person households. Because the speeds you receive will vary. If you’re the unlucky soul who receives 20 Mbps, this plan will work best for the following:

• Streaming 1080p video on up to 5 devices simultaneously
• Zoom group call in 720p
• Online gaming on at least 3 devices

But it’s horrendous for quick file downloads. The plan also provides 10–12 Mbps upload speeds. Not bad for running 2 cloud security cameras or running a Zoom group call in 720p.

You see:

DSL suffers from a phenomenon known as attenuation. The further you live from your provider’s Digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), the slower your internet. And there’s no known way to determine your distance from this hardware.

Meaning, CenturyLink could assign you any of these speeds while charging $50.

Despite the gamble of receiving good internet speeds, CenturyLink offers the best deal and most transparent pricing for their DSL.

Want to strip that $15 gateway rental fee from your bill? Check out our recommended modems and gateways that are compatible with CenturyLink DSL. Get one and save $180 a year.

CenturyLink Availability

CenturyLink DSL packages are available in some ZIP codes throughout these states:

Arizona	Colorado	Florida	Idaho	Minnesota
Montana	Nebraska	Nevada	New Mexico	North Dakota
Oregon	South Dakota	Utah	Washington	Wyoming

States where CenturyLink DSL internet is available.

CenturyLink Deals

CenturyLink offers all new internet customers a free $100 MasterCard card [6]. They don’t offer additional discounts to new and existing customers.

7. HughesNet: Cheapest Satellite Internet

Internet Types Offered	Satellite
Data Cap	15–100 GB
Contract	2 years
Other Products Offered	None
Installation Fee	None

HughesNet Packages, Pricing, & Speeds Compared

You’ll find these satellite internet packages with HughesNet:

Plan	Starting Price *	Max. Speed (DL & UL) †	Soft Data Cap	Best For
15 GB	$64.99/mo.	25/3.0 Mbps	15 GB	Browsing only
30 GB	$74.99/mo.	25/3.0 Mbps	30 GB	Light 480p video streaming
Fusion 50 GB	$99.99/mo.	25/3.0 Mbps	50 GB	Online gaming
Fusion 100 GB	$174.99/mo.	25/3.0 Mbps	100 GB	Online gaming

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region. Pricing already accounts for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

The following sections will cover the best internet packages HughesNet offers

Fusion 100 GB: Best for Online Gaming

• Starting price: $124.99/mo.
• Standard price: $174.99/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $6.99
• Gateway/modem fee: $15 
• Connection type: satellite

HughesNet Fusion 100 GB supposedly offers lower latency than the 400 ms their other plans allegedly provide. However, I can’t find the numbers. Making me believe it’s a “trust me bro” perk.

25 Mbps gives you much more speed than the 3.0 Mbps you need for gaming. But the 100 GB data cap doesn’t give you much wiggle room to download AAA games. Since many AAA games are more than 80 GB these days.

However:

Customers who use data between 2:00 am and 8:00 am get an additional 50 GB monthly for free. If you use all your plan’s data, you must pay an additional $3.00 per GB.

30 GB: Best for Backup Internet & Basic Online Tasks

• Starting price: $49.99/mo.
• Standard price: $64.99/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $2.59
• Gateway/modem fee: $15
• Connection type: satellite internet

The 30 GB plan works best as a backup internet connection or for homes in rural areas without access to LTE home internet. The 25 Mbps gives you more than enough speeds to do the following:

• Browse the internet
• Scroll through social media
• Game online
• Check for important emails
• Check Slack, Zoom, or similar software for important messages

Don’t stream videos using this plan. Your household will get 42 hours of 420p SD video before requiring data top-ups.

HughesNet Availability

HughesNet offers satellite internet coverage in the following states and territories:

Alabama	Alaska	Arizona	Arkansas
California	Colorado	Connecticut	Delaware
District of Columbia	Florida	Georgia	Hawaii
Idaho	Illinois	Indiana	Iowa
Kansas	Kentucky	Louisiana	Maine
Maryland	Massachusetts	Michigan	Minnesota
Mississippi	Missouri	Montana	Nebraska
Nevada	New Hampshire	New Jersey	New Mexico
New York	North Carolina	North Dakota	Ohio
Oklahoma	Oregon	Pennsylvania	Rhode Island
South Carolina	South Dakota	Tennessee	Texas
Utah	Vermont	Virginia	Washington
West Virginia	Wisconsin	Wyoming	Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands

HughesNet doesn’t offer much coverage throughout Alaska. Neither does Viasat, though. Alaskans who need internet in rural areas will want to consider local satellite internet providers.

HughesNet Deals

HughesNet offers new customers the following discounts:

• $25 off 30 GB: lowers the price to $49.99/mo.
• $25 off Fusion 50 GB: lowers the cost to $74.99/mo.
• $50 off Fusion 100 GB: lowers the price to $124.99/mo.

Otherwise, they don’t offer special plans for seniors, students, veterans, or anyone else.

8. Verizon: Cheapest Fixed Wireless Internet

Internet Types Offered	Fiber, cellular, & fixed wireless access internet
Data Cap	No
Contract	Home (no); cellular (yes)
Other Products Offered	Cellular & TV
Installation Fee	None

Verizon Fixed Wireless Access Pricing & Speeds Compared

Verizon offers the following fixed wireless access packages:

Plan	Starting Price *	Max. Speed (DL & UL) †	Best For
5G Home	$50/mo.	85–300/10 Mbps	4K video streaming
5G Home Plus	$70/mo.	300–1,000/50 Mbps	Homes with >5 people
Verizon LTE Home	$50/mo.	25–50/4.0 Mbps	Backup internet connection

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region. Pricing already accounts for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

I’ll cover details regarding Verizon’s best plans throughout the following sections.

5G Home: Best for 4K Video Streaming

• Starting price: $50/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.16–$0.58
• Gateway/modem fee: none
• Connection type: fixed wireless access (5G)

Verizon’s 5G broadband internet plan works great for homes with more than 4 people who want to watch 4K video, game online, download files, and whatever else. The 300 Mbps download speeds give you speeds similar to cable providers.

Without the data caps and contracts.

This plan and Verizon’s LTE home plans include a free network gateway (modem/router combo). You won’t need to pay equipment rental fees. However, you can’t use your own modem for more features.

Since fixed wireless access requires special modems.

If Verizon 5G is available in your area, and you need a backup internet connection, consider this next option.

LTE Home: Best for Backup Internet Connection

• Starting price: $50/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $2.00–$1.00
• Gateway/modem fee: none
• Connection type: fixed wireless access (LTE)

LTE Home doesn’t offer the most speeds, but it’s suitable for homes with 1–2 people who don’t want to watch 4K video. Or stream cloud games.

However, it provides unlimited data, doesn’t require a contract, and offers a price guarantee. Meaning you won’t experience random price increases because of “the economy.”

$50 isn’t bad if you need a backup internet connection. It’ll ensure remote workers can continue working during an internet outage.

Existing Verizon Wireless cellular customers will pay $25 a month for this plan. Reducing the cost per megabit to $1.00–$0.50.

Verizon Fixed Wireless Access Internet Availability

Verizon offers 4G and 5G internet throughout every state. But not U.S. territories. If you consider Verizon Home internet, check their website to see whether they offer 5G support in your area.

Many areas may not support 5G connectivity.

Verizon Home Internet Deals

Verizon offers these deals on their fixed wireless access plans:

• 50% off FWA home plans for customers with 5G wireless plans
• 2-year price lock:: no price hikes
• $500 contract buyout

9. Cox: Cheapest Prepaid Internet

Internet Types Offered	Cable
Data Cap	1.25 terabytes (TB)
Contract	Varies
Other Products Offered	TV, landline, & mobile
Installation Fee	No

Cox Cable Internet Packages, Pricing, & Speeds Compared

Cox Communications offers the following prepaid and postpaid internet packages:

Tier	Starting Price *	Max. Speed (DL & UL) †	Best For
StraightUp Prepaid	$50/mo.	100/5.0 Mbps	Contract-free internet
Essential 100	$49.99/mo.	100/5.0 Mbps	Homes with <3 people
Preferred 250	$59.99/mo.	250/10 Mbps	Homes with >4 people
Ultimate 500	$79.99/mo.	500/10 Mbps	Homes with >6 people
Gigablast	$79.99/mo.	1,000/35 Mbps	Constant file downloads

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region. Pricing already accounts for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

Most of Cox’s plans require varying contracts. To get out of a contract, you’ll need to pay an additional $10 monthly for an “add-on.”

This section isn’t about their postpaid plans, though. I will only cover the prepaid plan.

StraightUp Prepaid: Best Prepaid Internet

• Starting price: $50/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.50
• Gateway/modem fee: free
• Connection type: cable
• Data cap: 1.25 terabytes (TB)

Cox Communication’s StraightUp Prepaid plan works best for homes with 3 or fewer people, anyone living in short-term rentals, or folks with a shady credit history.

The plan also gives you access to more than 4 million Wi-Fi hotspots and doesn’t require a contract.

It comes with a 1.2 terabyte (TB) data cap, which gives your home up to 205 hours of 4K video streaming. Or more than 350 hours of 1080p streaming. You likely won’t pass this data cap with most online tasks.

If someone loves downloading files, you may find yourself susceptible to a data overage surcharge. It’s $10 per additional 50 GB used past your data cap. People will need to budget the number of large files they download monthly.

Cox Availability

Cox offers access to their services in the following 19 states:

Arkansas	Arizona	California	Connecticut
Florida	Georgia	Iowa	Idaho
Kansas	Louisiana	Massachusetts	Missouri
North Carolina	Nebraska	Nevada	Ohio
Oklahoma	Rhode Island	Virginia

10. Xfinity: Cheapest Cable Internet

Internet Types Offered	Cable & fiber
Data Cap	1.2 terabyte (TB)
Contract	Varies
Other Products Offered	TV, mobile, & landline (bundle discounts)
Installation Fee	$89.99 (professional installation)

Xfinity Cable Internet Packages, Pricing, & Speeds Compared

Compare Xfinity Comcast’s hybrid cable-fiber internet packages:

Tier	Starting Price *	Max. Speed (DL & UL) †	Best For
Connect (Performance Starter)	$20–40/mo.	75/10 Mbps	Homes with <2 people
Connect More (Performance)	$40–60/mo.	200/10 Mbps	Homes with <4 people
Fast (Performance Pro)	$50–60/mo.	400/10 Mbps	Homes with <8 people
Superfast (Blast!)	$65–70/mo.	800/20 Mbps	Constant file downloads
Ultrafast (Extreme Pro)	$70–80/mo.	1,000/20 Mbps	Constant file downloads
Gigabit	$80–110/mo.	1,200/35 Mbps	Constant file downloads
Xfinity Gigabit X2	$120/mo.	2,000/200 Mbps	Hard to categorize because of data cap
Gigabit Pro	$299.95/mo.	6,000/6,000 Mbps	Home server management

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region. Pricing already accounts for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

I’ll cover more details on Xfinity’s plans throughout the following sections.

Gigabit Pro: Best for Remote Workers

• Starting price: $299.95/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.04
• Gateway/modem fee: no 
• Connection type: fiber

Gigabit Pro is Xfinity’s only plan that doesn’t include a data cap and provides symmetrical speeds. Making it an ideal option for remote workers who frequently upload massive files.

But 6.0 Gbps speeds are ideal for folks who manage home media servers. However, the $300 price tag makes Xfinity’s multi-gig option less appealing than AT&T Fiber and Optimum.

But it’s an option.

Connect More (Performance): Best for Homes With <5 People

• Starting price: $20–40/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.10–$.20
• Gateway/modem fee: $14–$25
• Connection type: cable

Xfinity’s Connect More plan is an excellent solution for families without many other internet options. The 200 Mbps speeds will accommodate all online tasks for light-to-medium bandwidth users. That means people don’t frequently download massive files.

A 1.2 terabyte (TB) data cap stands in your home’s way of watching unlimited 4K video, though. You could buy your way out of this data cap for $25–$30 monthly. But this guide’s about saving money.

Settle for streaming 1080p video, or consider a provider who offers unlimited data.

Buy your own modem or gateway and save yourself $168 a year. Here’s a list of modems we recommend for their plans. Xfinity approves customer use of all these devices.

Xfinity Availability

Comcast offers their services in many ZIP codes throughout the following states:

Alabama	Arizona	Arkansas	California
Colorado	Connecticut	Delaware	Florida
Georgia	Idaho	Illinois	Indiana
Kansas	Kentucky	Louisiana	Maine
Maryland	Massachusetts	Michigan	Minnesota
Mississippi	Missouri	New Hampshire	New Jersey
Nevada	New Mexico	New York	North Carolina
Ohio	Oregon	Pennsylvania	South Carolina
Tennessee	Texas	Utah	Vermont
Virginia	Washington	West Virginia	Wisconsin

Xfinity Comcast Deals

Comcast Xfinity offers the following deals:

• $35 off Xfinity Mobile plan
• Over 22% off internet plans the first year or 2
• Discounted pricing when bundling with cable TV (discount varies)

11. Frontier: Cheapest Internet for Gaming

Internet Types Offered	Fiber & DSL
Data Cap	None
Contract	No
Other Products Offered	None
Installation Fee	$85: free if you get Fiber 2 Gig

Frontier Fiber Internet Packages, Pricing, & Speeds Compared

Frontier offers these fiber optic internet packages and speeds:

Plan	Starting Price *	Max. Speed (DL & UL) †	Best For
Fiber 500	$39.99/mo.	500 Mbps	Remote workers & online gaming
Fiber 1 Gig	$75.99/mo.	1,000 Mbps	Constant file downloads
Fiber 2 Gig	$149.99/mo.	2,000 Mbps	Home server management

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region. Pricing already accounts for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

I’ll cover more details surrounding these plans throughout the following sections.

Fiber 500: Best for Competitive Online Gaming

• Starting price: $39.99
• Cost per megabit: $0.07
• Gateway/modem fee: none
• Connection type: fiber

Symmetric 500 Mbps speeds give gamers more than enough speeds to game online, livestream, and download game files. Without having to pay an arm and a leg.

Frontier’s plans allegedly have 15 ms or fewer latency [7]. Making it an ideal choice for online gaming. As a gamer, you want lower latency to get less lag.

These plans don’t have contracts or data caps. You could watch 4K documentaries on a second monitor while grinding in a game without worries.

Fiber 1 Gig: Best for Remote Workers

• Starting price: $75.99/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.07
• Gateway/modem fee: none
• Connection type: fiber

Remote workers will love Fiber 1 Gig because it’s reasonably-priced and provides symmetric speeds without a data cap. Perfect for sending and receiving massive files from employers.

The lower latency also makes this plan great for video conferencing. Because the lower the latency, the less lag you’ll have in video calls.

Frontier Fiber Internet Availability

Some ZIP codes throughout the following states provide access to Frontier’s fiber internet:

Alabama	Arizona	California	Connecticut
Florida	Georgia	Illinois	Indiana
Iowa	Michigan	Minnesota	Mississippi
Nebraska	Nevada	New Mexico	New York
North Carolina	Ohio	Pennsylvania	South Carolina
Tennessee	Texas	Utah	West Virginia
Wisconsin

Frontier Fiber Internet Deals

Frontier fiber offers the following deals:

• Free VISA prepaid gift cards based on plan purchased:
  • Fiber 500: $100
  • Fiber 1 Gig: $200
• Fiber 2 Gig includes free installation, premium technical support, and a VoIP line
• Contract buyout up to $500

12. Spectrum: Cheapest Unlimited Internet

Internet Types Offered	Cable
Data Cap	None
Contract	No
Other Products Offered	TV, voice, & mobile
Installation Fee	$19.99 (self-installation fee)

Spectrum Packages, Pricing, & Speeds Compared

Spectrum provides these internet packages:

Tier	Starting Price *	Max. Speed (DL & UL) †	Best For
Internet	$49.99/mo.	300/10 Mbps	Homes with <4 people
Internet Ultra	$69.99/mo.	500/20 Mbps	Homes with <6 people
Internet Gig	$89.99/mo.	1,000/35 Mbps	Constant file downloads

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region.

 † Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

Spectrum has a single internet plan that stands out.

Internet: Best for 4K Video Streaming

• Starting price: $49.99/mo.
• Cost per megabit: $0.16
• Gateway/modem fee: $5.00/mo. 
• Connection type: cable

Though Spectrum doesn’t have data caps, they impose an inescapable self-installation fee. However, the former ensures households can stream all the 4K UHD video they want without limits.

Otherwise, Spectrum doesn’t offer noteworthy features with their plan. It’s one of few cable internet providers who don’t force you into a data cap. And they offer competitive pricing.

Spectrum Availability

Here are the states where you could get Spectrum internet:

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 Deals & Promotions

Spectrum customers won’t get any discounts. But they could get access to Peacock Premium free for 90 days. That’ll give customers access to more than 80,000 hours of content.

How to Get Cheaper Internet

Follow these tips to pay less for your internet bill:

• Negotiate with your ISP once your promotional pricing ends: call your provider & see whether they could provide additional discounts
• Buy your own modem & router: avoid hardware rental fees & get more device features
• Downgrade: move to a cheaper tier
• Apply for the ACP: I’ll provide details in the next section

I’ll cover another means to get discounted internet in the next section.

How to Get Free Internet

Get free internet by applying for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) on internet packages under $30. Or check whether your provider offers free plans for ACP recipients.

The ACP is a $30 recurring credit the government gives to those who participate in one of the following programs:

• Women, Infants, Children (WIC)
• School Breakfast Program (SBP)
• Head Start
• Medicaid
• Food Stamps (SNAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• VA Survivors or Veteran’s Pension
• Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Tribal TANF
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
• Federal Pell Grant
• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance

Visit affordableconnectivity.gov to see whether you qualify. If so, you’ll need to contact your ISP to apply your credit or receive their special plan.

There’s also the $9.25/mo. Lifeline discount that the government offers. Customers can only apply the ACP or Lifeline discount on their internet plan. However, you could use the Lifeline discount to trim your cellular bill.

Cheap Internet Buying Guide

Use these criteria to find a cheap internet plan:

• Pay attention to hidden fees: these could make a seemingly affordable plan cost more than competitors
• Only get the speeds you’ll need: figure out how much speed your household needs
• Avoid plans with data caps if possible: these add additional costs
• Check fine print with pricing policies: ensure the ISP won’t charge random fees
• Opt for self-installation when applicable: you could save $80+ on professional installation costs
• Consider customer service response records: why choose a provider if they can’t help during an internet emergency?
• Look for contract buyouts: if you’re with an ISP that has a cancellation fee, a new provider can pay this fee

If you also want cable TV alongside your internet, reconsider. While you could get bundle discounts, cable TV packages come with broadcast TV and regional sports charges.

Opting for a live TV streaming platform like DirecTV Stream gives you access to more than 100 live TV channels without paying these fees. All you need is at least 8.0 Mbps of bandwidth available per device you stream on.

FAQs: Cheapest Internet Providers

Read these FAQs covering finding affordable internet providers.

Bottom Line

You’ll need to use the map above to find the cheapest internet providers in your city. Otherwise, it’s difficult to determine “the cheapest” internet providers in the United States. Due to factors like regional pricing, taxes, and more.

Learn more about the providers mentioned in depth. Explore our various ISP reviews and guides.