Internet

Best Internet Providers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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What is the best internet provider in Philadelphia?

Verizon Fios will be your go-to fiber provider in Philadelphia and is our pick for the best Philly internet service provider overall. That said, don’t count out Philadelphia’s top cable internet provider, Xfinity. Though the cable service won’t deliver quite the same upload speed and reliability of a 100% fiber-optic service, you’ll have more, and potentially faster and cheaper, internet options with Xfinity.

Astound Broadband offers the cheapest internet option, offering a 300 megabit per second connection for $25 per month. Xfinity’s Gigabit X2 service offers the fastest internet speed in Philly, with a speedy 2-gigabit connection available at a limited number of residential locations. Otherwise, Xfinity’s 1.2Gbps tier is the fastest option on the market for most Philadelphia households.

CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Philadelphia across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers’ terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.

Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your options is to plug your address into a provider’s website. 

Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider’s pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what’s available in Philadelphia. The prices referenced within this article’s text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month — a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services. 

To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.

Best internet in Philadelphia

Speed range

300 – 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $120 per month

Our take – Verizon Fios checks all the right boxes: fast speeds for the price, a reliable fiber connection with symmetrical or near-symmetrical download and upload speeds, no contracts and no data caps. On top of that, Verizon Fios often offers a bonus, like gift cards, streaming subscriptions or free electronics, just for signing up. 

... Or call to learn more: (877) 545-6781

Check with Verizon

Speed range

300 – 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $120 per month

Connection

Fixed wireless

Speed range

85 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $70 per month

Our take – Verizon didn’t land on my list of top Philadelphia ISPs twice because I’m partial to the provider — it’s because it currently has the best 5G home internet service in the area. The price is right, and 5G’s potential to shake up the broadband industry is exciting, but for Philadelphia residents, I’d still recommend a cable or fiber connection versus 5G. But, if you’re ready to cut the broadband cord with a simple wireless connection and qualify for the $15-$25 discount, Verizon 5G Home Internet is certainly worth a look.

... Or call to learn more: (877) 545-6781

Check with Verizon

Connection

Fixed wireless

Speed range

85 – 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$50 – $70 per month

Speed range

75 – 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 – $120 per month

Our take – Xfinity boasts great availability and multiple high-speed, low-priced plans in Philadelphia. Upload speeds are less impressive, however, and there is a looming price increase to be aware of when considering Xfinity.

... Or call to learn more: (877) 498-5506

Check with Xfinity

Speed range

75 – 2,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 – $120 per month

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Philadelphia

Astound Broadband: Formerly known as RCN, Astound is available primarily to the west of Philadelphia and east/south of Springfield in areas such as Yeadon, Darby and Ridley Park. If Astound is available at your address, it’ll be your best bet for cheap internet. The provider’s overall cheapest pricing can be found in the Philadelphia area, with plans ranging from 300Mbps starting at $20 a month to 1,500Mbps starting at $60 a month. The intro pricing is tempting, but be prepared for steep price increases after the second year of service.

Satellite internet: A satellite connection is available pretty much anywhere, including throughout Philadelphia, but is best suited for rural internet connections. However, Philadelphia residents will have faster, cheaper internet options than HughesNet or Viasat.

PhillyWhisper: Local fixed wireless provider PhillyWhisper advertises a single residential internet plan starting at $50 monthly for minimum speeds of ranging from 100 to 600Mbps. Since PhillyWhisper doesn’t lock you into a contract, there’s no risk to seeing what kind of speeds are available at your address.

T-Mobile Home Internet: Another major 5G home internet provider, T-Mobile offers speeds ranging from 72 to 245Mbps starting at $50 per month ($30 for qualifying T-Mobile customers). Like Verizon 5G, equipment and unlimited data are included, and no contracts are required, but T-Mobile doesn’t quite deliver the same speed potential for the price as Verizon. T-Mobile home internet coverage is also somewhat spotty throughout Philadelphia, covering only about a third of homes in the area.

Cheap internet options in Philadelphia

Astound Broadband and 5G home internet from Verizon or T-Mobile (if you qualify for a discount with either) will be your cheapest internet options in the Philadelphia area. Aside from those providers and circumstances, expect to pay at least $40 to $50 monthly for home internet.

Most providers we’ve mentioned also participate in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which gives eligible low-income households a $30 monthly discount (or up to $75 for households on tribal lands) for high-speed internet. You can use the ACP toward any internet plan — not just the cheapest ones — from participating providers. 

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Philadelphia

The best internet deals and top promotions in Philadelphia depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. 

Philadelphia internet providers, such as Comcast Xfinity and Astound Broadband, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including Verizon and T-Mobile, run the same standard pricing year-round. 

For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals. 

How fast is Philadelphia broadband?

With a high availability of gigabit plans from Xfinity and Verizon throughout the area, median download speeds are higher in Philly than in the rest of Pennsylvania. However, your potential speeds could be much higher depending on your chosen provider and plan.

Xfinity will be the fastest Philadelphia internet provider whether your address is eligible for its 2-gigabit service. Xfinity’s fastest plan advertises max download speeds of up to 2,000Mbps, but many households will only be eligible for its 1.2-gigabit plan. Astound also offers a 1,500Mbps plan and a lower starting price than Xfinity, but the provider is primarily available just outside Philadelphia.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Whats a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines — and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics — browsing the internet, sending and receiving email, streaming low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Philadelphia

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. So what’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov. 

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication. 

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions: 

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? 
• Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying? 
• Are customers happy with their service? 

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to yes on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

Whats the final word on internet providers in Philadelphia?

When it comes to the best internet providers, the ones that I would recommend and consider if I lived in Philadelphia would be Verizon and Xfinity. While Xfinity offers the fastest plan in the city — 2,000Mbps for $120 per month — Verizons fiber-optic service, Verizon Fios, cant be beaten regarding speeds, pricing and service details.

Internet providers in Philadelphia FAQs