Xfinity vs. Optimum: Which Internet Provider Is Worth Your Money? (2024)

Aug 01, 2024

9 min read

Honest reviews written by real people

Our fact-based research process centers on interviews with internet customers across the country, helping us understand how internet services hold up against diverse needs and challenges.

To put together this review, we looked at results from our speed test, pulled data from customer satisfaction surveys, and pored over the fine print to compare prices and speeds between the two providers. To flesh out our analysis, we also interviewed Xfinity and Optimum customers to get their first-hand insights. We let their experiences guide our research and shape our conclusions. We also speak with ISP spokespeople and industry experts to get insights into connection types, speed capabilities, and other technical issues related to internet service.

Speed and reliability

Xfinity gets top speeds for a cable internet provider, coming in third place in Reviews.org’s Fastest Internet Providers report, according to our speed test results. Cable providers have older, less reliable technology compared with fiber providers, but Xfinity users still got average download speeds of 182.50Mbps, which is great for a few people, and you have the option to upgrade to a faster plan if you want.

Optimum Fiber, by nature of its fiber-optic connection, is faster, more reliable, and gets symmetrical speeds for a smoother uploading experience. Sadly, most Optimum customers are on the less impressive cable plan, which only goes up to 1Gbps. Some customers also report having issues with slower speeds than what they’re paying for and frequent outages.

Xfinity gets far better customer reviews, and is in first place for speed out of 15 national providers in HighSpeedInternet.com’s Customer Satisfaction Survey. Optimum, on the other hand, shares last place with four other providers. Even though Optimum offers fiber internet, Xfinity gets better performance with 93% of Xfinity customers reporting that their internet speeds meet their needs.

Dollar value

Xfinity and Optimum are marginally different in terms of monthly price, but Xfinity does let you keep promo rates for 24 months (12 months on the 150Mbps plan) opposed to Optimum’s 12-month intro period. This delays your price hike for a year, but choosing your internet is usually a long-term decision. In the end, you’re still going to have to face a price increase with both providers.

Xfinity gives new customers a good deal to start, but after 12 or 24 months, prices go up by $20 to $40, and are subject to change. Unfortunately, price hikes are a fairly common practice among internet providers. You also don’t get unlimited data with Xfinity, but the data cap is so high (1.2TB monthly) that it’s unlikely that you will ever need to pay for extra or unlimited data unless you’re going to download hundreds of movies or stream 4K videos all day long, everyday.

Optimum is fairly similar to Xfinity, but offers more plans if you’re willing to fork out for the super-fast, super-expensive multi-gig plans. Optimum has price hikes after your first 12 months of service by $10 to $30 per month. You might not find the price increase worth it on cable because the service isn’t always reliable and speeds can be below expected.

You could always try negotiating with Optimum or Xfinity customer service to haggle down your plan price, but we’ve heard that those who live in areas with multiple competing providers are successful, versus those who only have one viable option. Josh Michael, a non-profit director and long-term Optimum customer in Brooklyn, says that approach worked for him when he called customer service and threatened to change to Verizon Fios. “Once I got to somebody in the right role, they were perfectly happy to honor the promotional price,” he says.

Customer experience

Xfinity customers have mixed experiences, but on a whole, they get more positive reviews than Optimum. One customer told Reviews.org that he hasn't needed to reach out to Xfinity customer support for any technical issues and mostly gets a smooth experience. Another customer figured out a handy hack that allowed him to extend his Xfinity promo rates for several years.

Some customers aren’t happy about Xfinity simply because of its poor brand reputation. Others struggle to get deals but can’t: Albuquerque resident Bridget Guterriez has tried to renegotiate her contract, to no success. “They always say, ‘Oh, only this [plan] is available,’ and pretty much you don’t have a choice,” she says. This may be due to the fact that Xfinity is the only high-speed internet provider available in her neighborhood.

Optimum, on the other hand, gets consistently low ratings for customer service. Several customers tell Reviews.org that outages are common and speeds are far slower than what they pay for. Getting a technician to come out and fix any issues costs $80 each time, so there’s not a big incentive to fix problems when they arise. It can also be difficult to get issues resolved through the customer service phone line or chat, although you could try getting Optimum’s attention on Twitter/X.

Overall quality: Which internet provider should you pick?

It’s best to opt for Xfinity if you want a provider you can count on for fast speeds and reliable service. For a cable provider, Xfinity delivers impressive speeds at a price that doesn’t break the bank. Most users will find that it gets the job done just fine. The price hikes aren’t ideal, but if you’re on a plan 300Mbps or higher, you don’t need to face those until 24 months have passed.

Optimum doesn’t have the happiest customers, but if you can get fiber, you should get Optimum. Otherwise, the cable plans are fast and affordable at first, but with the company’s reputation for underperforming on speed and service, you may end up feeling that you’re not getting what you paid for.

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