DSL vs. Fiber Internet: Which One Is Right for You? (2024)

Disclaimers

Top fiber internet providers (return to top)

*Terms and Conditions: Plus taxes and fees. Service not available in all areas. If you live in an apartment or condo, Google Fiber’s ability to construct and provide Fiber is subject to the continued agreement between Google Fiber and the property owner. Upload/download speed and device streaming claims are based on maximum wired speeds. Actual Internet speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on factors such as hardware and software limitations, latency, packet loss, etc.

†Available in select markets only. Plus taxes and fees. Upload/download speed and device streaming claims are based on maximum wired speeds. Actual Internet speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on factors such as hardware and software limitations, latency, packet loss, etc.

¶Verizon

Price per month without select 5G mobile plans.
Available in select areas only. Price per month without select 5G mobile plans.

^‡AT&T

The best fiber internet plans (return to top)

*Speed may not be available in your area. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply. Offer Details. Online ONLY. Free Modem.

**Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes & fees. Monthly State Cost Recovery Charge in TX, OH, NV applies. One time install chrg may apply. Ltd. avail/areas. Call or go to www.fiber.att.com to see if you qualify.

^‡Rate requires paperless billing. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Speeds may not be available in your area. Maximum download/upload speed of up to 940 Mbps via a wired connection.

^§Terms and Conditions: Plus taxes and fees. Service not available in all areas. If you live in an apartment or condo, Google Fiber’s ability to construct and provide Fiber is subject to the continued agreement between Google Fiber and the property owner. Upload/download speed and device streaming claims are based on maximum wired speeds. Actual Internet speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on factors such as hardware and software limitations, latency, packet loss, etc.

^║w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Max wired speed 1000/1000 Mbps. Location dependent. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charges apply.

You can get gigabit speeds over a fiber plan so long as you’re willing to pay a premium price for fiber internet. That will give you all the firepower you need to do pretty much anything online with lots of devices at the same time.

But you’ll still get excellent speeds if you choose a more budget-friendly option. A speed of 300 Mbps will be enough to support streaming 4K video, online gaming, Zoom calls, and a lot of other activities on several devices at once.

Top DSL internet providers (return to top)

*Paperless billing or prepay required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 100 Mbps).

^†for 12 mos, plus taxes & equip. fee. Autopay & Paperless Bill req’d. $10/mo equip. fee applies

^‡with a 12 month contract.

^§ w/ Auto Pay and Paperless bill per month for 24 mos. One-time charge on disconnect applies. In select areas where available.

^║For the first 12 months. No data caps. No overage charges.

The best DSL internet plans

^†Paperless billing or prepay required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 100 Mbps).

^‡Plus taxes. Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Monthly State Cost Recovery Charge in TX, OH, NV applies.

^§with a 12 month contract.

^║For the first 12 months. No data caps. No overage charges.

Windstream Broadband Label available at: https://www.windstream.com/support/labels/

Most DSL plans work on a flat-fee basis—you pay a set price for whatever speeds are available in your area. Some providers can deliver max speeds of up to 140 Mbps, but realistically speaking, you’re more likely to get speeds in the range of 10–40 Mbps. Expect a slower connection in rural areas and city outskirts as you get farther away from the provider’s central server.

Author - Peter Holslin

Peter Holslin has more than a decade of experience working as a writer and freelance journalist. He graduated with a BA in liberal arts and journalism from New York City’s The New School University in 2008 and went on to contribute to publications like Rolling Stone, VICE, BuzzFeed, and countless others. At HighSpeedInternet.com, he focuses on covering 5G, nerding out about frequency bands and virtual RAN, and producing reviews on emerging services like 5G home internet. He also writes about internet providers and packages, hotspots, VPNs, and Wi-Fi troubleshooting.

Editor - Rebecca Lee Armstrong

Rebecca Lee Armstrong has more than six years of experience writing about tech and the internet, with a specialty in hands-on testing. She started writing tech product and service reviews while finishing her BFA in creative writing at the University of Evansville and has found her niche writing about home networking, routers, and internet access at HighSpeedInternet.com. Her work has also been featured on Top Ten Reviews, MacSources, Windows Central, Android Central, Best Company, TechnoFAQ, and iMore.