When selecting an internet service provider, things can feel confusing. With several providers and dozens of plans to choose from, making the right selection can be intimidating – but it doesn’t have to be. If you’ve narrowed your choices down to Xfinity vs AT&T, this comparison guide is made for you. Below, we’ll cover differences between AT&T and Xfinity internet plans, with a focus on pricing, availability, features, speeds, and customer service.
Check out our roundup of Best Internet Providers
AT&T vs Xfinity: At a glance
| AT&T | Xfinity | |
| Service Type | DSL & Fiber (+ Fixed Wireless in some areas) | Cable & Fiber |
| Speeds | 5-1,000 Mbps | 20 Mbps – 2 Gbps |
| Cost | $49.99/mo | $20-$299.95/mo |
| Contract | No contract required (certain packages offer better pricing with a contract) | Up to 2 years (no-contract available for additional fee) |
| Equipment Fees | Up to $10/mo | Up to $14/mo |
| Installation Fee | $99; self-installation for $35 | $15-$89.99 |
| Availability | 21+ states | 40+ states |
| Data Cap | 1 TB | 1.2 TB |
AT&T offers high-speed internet plans, with both DSL and fiber connections available. In areas where AT&T Fiber plans are available, the service presents a fantastic bargain. Pricing is just $49.99 per month for all plans, whether DSL or fiber – which is an unbeatable price on fiber plans, and about average for DSL plans. One huge benefit of AT&T is that they do not require contracts, so you can pay month-to-month. One notable downside of AT&T is that it’s not very widely available (currently in 21+ states). That said, AT&T covers many very densely populated areas.
See the full review of AT&T here.
Xfinity offers high-speed home internet plans, with both cable and fiber connections available. It has much wider availability, with coverage in 40+ states. They offer a wide variety of internet plans, with everything from basic budget-friendly plans to expensive fiber optic packages. Speeds are solid, and for areas without access to fiber plans, Xfinity tends to offer a better value. However, Xfinity almost always requires a contract to get the best pricing, and pricing also varies depending on your location.
See the full review of Xfinity here.
AT&T vs. Xfinity: Plans & pricing
When it comes to pricing and specific internet service plans, AT&T is much simpler. Xfinity (Comcast) has more than 10 different plans, and details vary from region to region. AT&T, on the other hand, has only two: a basic AT&T Internet plan (DSL connection, with speeds up to 100 Mbps depending on location), and a 1 Gig Internet (fiber) plan.
AT&T plans & pricing
Note: Plan availability and pricing may vary depending on your area. Check AT&T’s website for the availability and up-to-date pricing.
| Package | Service Type | Cost | Speed |
| AT&T Internet | DSL | $49.99/mo* | Up to 100 Mbps |
| 1 Gig Internet (AT&T Fiber) | Fiber | $49.99/mo* | Up to 1,000 Mbps |
*Price excludes taxes, fees, and equipment charges.
AT&T Internet plans are non-contract, which is a significant selling point for many consumers. As you can see, the price for AT&T’s internet plans is the same across the board, at $49.99 per month. The price is the same for standard AT&T Internet plans and AT&T Fiber internet 1 GIG Internet plans. This means that AT&T presents a much better value in regions with fiber connections.
AT&T offers competitive bundling deals that can save you money if you’re also subscribing to TV services. The standalone price for AT&T Internet is $49.99 per month, but that comes down to $39.99 per month when bundled with TV. AT&T’s DIRECTV service, HBO Max, and the new AT&T TV (formerly U-Verse) streaming service are all available in bundle packages. Various TV packages are available – availability and pricing varies by location, so check AT&T’s website for details.
Xfinity plans & pricing
Note: Plan availability and pricing may vary depending on your area. Check Xfinity’s website for availability and up-to-date pricing.
| Package | Service Type | Cost | Speed |
| Performance Starter | Cable | $20-$49.95/mo* | Up to 25 Mbps |
| Performance Select | Cable | $34.99/mo* | Up to 100 Mbps |
| Performance | Cable | $40-$77.95/mo* | 60-100 Mbps |
| Performance Pro | Cable | $39.99/mo* | Up to 200 Mbps |
| Performance Pro Plus | Cable | $49.99/mo* | Up to 200 Mbps |
| Blast! | Cable | $50-$59.99/mo* | 200-300 Mbps |
| Extreme | Cable | $60/mo* | Up to 300 Mbps |
| Extreme Pro | Cable | $69.99/mo* | Up to 600 Mbps |
| Extreme Pro Plus | Cable | $74.99/mo* | Up to 600 Mbps |
| Gigabit | Cable | $79.99-$84.99/mo* | Up to 1,000 Mbps |
| Gigabit Pro | Fiber | $299.95/mo* | Up to 2,000 Mbps |
*12-month contract is required. Lower pricing applies to the first 12-months only. Offers may vary by location. Additional fees may apply.
Xfinity’s plans and pricing vary significantly in different regions. The table above contains all of their plans, but keep in mind that most areas will only have a handful of plans available. As you can see, there’s a wide range of speeds and price-points, with packages from $20 to $300 a month.
Xfinity’s pricing is fairly competitive on most of their cable plans. They offer a few plans that are cheaper than AT&T’s offerings, and that offer similar (or faster) speeds. With that said, Xfinity’s pricing structure requires a 12-month contract, and the advertised pricing typically only lasts for the initial 12 months. Without a contract, and/or after the initial 12-month period, the costs can be substantially higher. Xfinity’s best pricing also requires enrollment in AutoPay and paperless billing.
When it comes to fiber plans, Xfinity’s offerings are blazing-fast but pricey. Their Gigabit plan is at least $79.99 per month, compared to AT&T’s Fiber Internet’s $49.95 price-point. Gigabit Pro costs $299.95/mo, where available, but it offers some of the fastest speeds available to consumers.
Xfinity bundling options are available, which can help bring costs down. Xfinity is a TV provider, offering traditional TV channels as well as bundled streaming services (and phone service). Check Xfinity’s website to explore TV bundles, as details vary regionally.
AT&T vs Xfinity: Features & performance
When comparing AT&T and Comcast Xfinity, or any other internet providers, you’ll want to think about features, internet speeds, and overall performance. Some of the most important factors are discussed below.
Internet speed
When it comes to average internet speeds, Xfinity shines. Xfinity offers much more options when it comes to speed, and generally, its performance is superior to AT&T’s DSL internet service.
Xfinity has standard cable plans ranging from 25 Mbps to up to 1,000 Mbps (download speeds). AT&T, on the other hand, has DSL speeds ranging from 20 to 100 Mbps, depending on the region.
With that said, both providers offer fiber plans, both with blazing-fast speeds. Both Xfinity’s Gigabit plan and AT&T’s 1 Gig Internet plan offer speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps. Technically, Xfinity also has a 2,000 Mbps fiber plan, but the availability is extremely limited – and the plan is very expensive, at $299.95 per month.
In short: If you have fiber in your area, AT&T’s plan offers the same speed as Xfinity for significantly cheaper. If you don’t, Xfinity tends to offer more bang for your buck when it comes to speed – and certainly offers more options to choose from.
What speeds do you need?
It’s wise to consider what you actually use the internet for, in order to estimate the type of internet speeds your household may need. Various factors will influence your speed requirements, including:
- The physical size of your house
- The number (and type) of internet-connected devices that are in use
- The type of activities you engage in (web browsing, social media, gaming, streaming)
- The reliability required (do you work from home, or engage in distance learning?)
- The type of connection used (Wi-Fi or wired connection)
There’s no simple formula for determining the speeds you need, but these factors will help. Most households will do well on speeds of at least 40 Mbps, which allows for streaming and internet browsing. Households with several active internet users, people working from home, or competitive gamers will want to consider faster speeds.
Reliability
Reliability is an important consideration, particularly if you work or study from home and require a stable connection. It’s a difficult factor to measure, as the reliability of an ISP depends greatly on the region you are in, and the infrastructure in that area.
Fiber will almost always be more reliable than cable or DSL connections (whether it’s from Xfinity or AT&T). Both ISPs offer similar fiber infrastructure, so reliability should be similar.
Xfinity scored well in a broadband usage report put together by the FCC. It generally ranks a bit higher than competitors in reliability factors like outages, server uptime, and speed stability. But again, this definitely varies by region.
Internet service type
There are different types of internet connections, each with unique pros and cons. It’s wise to understand the differences before selecting a provider.
- Fiber – Also called fiber-optic, fiber is widely considered to be the fastest and most reliable internet service available today. Unfortunately, it’s not very widely available yet, although coverage is expanding. Fiber speeds can easily exceed 1,000 Mbps (1 Gig), which is faster than almost any cable or DSL connection. Both AT&T and Xfinity offer fiber options but in limited areas.
- Cable – Cable is a standard and popular high-speed internet delivery system that utilizes cable TV infrastructure. It’s typically considered to be reliable and offers good speeds. During peak times, internet speeds can be slowed over a cable connection. Xfinity is a cable internet service provider.
- DSL – DSL utilizes telephone infrastructure to deliver high-speed internet. It’s often less reliable than cable, but this really depends on the age and quality of the infrastructure in use in your area. AT&T is primarily a DSL internet service provider.
Data caps
Data caps, or data allowance limits, come into play for households that use an above-average amount of internet data. Basically, ISPs can charge you extra if you use more than the allowed amount of data in a given month. Fortunately, most households will never need to worry about these limits. But if you work from home in a data-heavy industry, tend to download or upload a lot of large files, etc. then you’ll want to take note of the data caps from Xfinity and AT&T.
Xfinity – 1.2 TB per month. Xfinity allows 1.2 TB of data before the cap is hit. This applies to all plans, excluding Gigabit Pro. Should your household exceed the 1.2 TB limit, Xfinity can charge you $10 for each additional 50 GB of data, up to 10 times (for a maximum additional charge of $100). Certain Xfinity internet plans offer an unlimited data option for $30 extra per month.
AT&T – 1 TB per month. Applies to AT&T Internet plans only (AT&T Fiber includes unlimited data). Note that AT&T DSL and AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet have lower limits of 150 GB and 250 GB, respectively (these plans are not common in most areas). AT&T can charge you $10 per 50 GB of data exceeding your data limit, although they will typically give you a 1-2 month grace period before applying additional fees. Some AT&T plans offer unlimited data options for an additional fee.
Equipment
To utilize Wi-Fi at home from either AT&T or Xfinity, you’ll need a modem and a router. You can purchase equipment separately, or rent it from the ISP directly.
- Equipment rentals – Modem rentals from AT&T run around $10 per month, while Xfinity charges $14 per month. The quality of equipment is similar to both providers.
- Equipment purchases – Xfinity does not currently offer equipment for sale directly, although you can purchase compatible devices from third party retailers. AT&T offers some equipment for purchase.
Availability
Neither provider is available everywhere. In the USA, Xfinity has a presence in over 40 states, compared to 21 for AT&T. With that said, AT&T’s extensive coverage of densely populated areas mean that the two companies actually serve a similar number of residents.
AT&T is highly concentrated in the South, the Midwest, parts of the East Coast, and California and Nevada on the West Coast.
Xfinity has a strong presence on the East Coast, parts of the South and Midwest, and in populated areas of the West Coast.
To verify availability in your area, check each provider’s website. Coverage areas vary.
Xfinity vs AT&T: Customer service & ratings
Internet service providers (ISPs) tend to not have great reputations. They seem to be a favorite category of companies to complain about. Whether this reputation is deserved or not is up for debate. Regardless, it can be useful to weigh how each company compares to one another, in terms of customer satisfaction and customer service.
According to a 2019 American Customer Satisfaction Index survey, AT&T customers rated the service higher. AT&T earned a 69/100 rating, compared to a 61/100 for Xfinity. Other surveys and online review platforms show similar figures.
AT&T vs Xfinity: Pros & cons
| Provider | Pros | Cons |
| AT&T |
|
|
| Xfinity |
|
|
