If you’ve been with the same internet provider for a while, it probably seems like it gets more expensive by the year. In fact, 63% of adults are paying $195 more on average for internet than they did last year, and high prices are the no. 1 reason people choose not to have a home internet connection at all.
After analyzing over 150 plans from the country’s biggest internet providers, I found that the median price for internet in the US is $63 per month for all speeds available, with autopay discounts applied. That price doesn’t include the cost to rent equipment, which, on average, adds another $15 to your monthly bill. So the actual total comes to around $78 per month for home internet — which is below the $89 monthly that US News & World Report found when it surveyed approximately 2,500 people in 2024.
That’s a large expenditure, to be sure — especially when you factor in price increases that many internet service providers build into their plans — but the price for broadband has risen more slowly than overall inflation. According to an FCC analysis, the inflation-adjusted price for the internet declined by 19% between 2009 and 2023.
To find out the real cost of internet service in the US, I turned to CNET’s database of ISPs, which is updated regularly by inputting addresses around the country for 35 of the largest providers.
There’s an enormous range of prices available. Astound, Mediacom, Xfinity and Ziply Fiber all offer plans starting at just $15 to $20 monthly. Ziply also has the most expensive (and fastest) internet plan in the country by a mile: $900 a month for an absurdly over-the-top 50Gbps plan.
For many people, $78 per month probably sounds like a pretty good deal. Consider this a wake-up call if you’re paying significantly more than that. You can take steps to lower your costs, like negotiating your bill, purchasing your own equipment or downgrading to a cheaper plan. But the best option might be to switch providers altogether or find a low-income internet plan. There are also newer technologies like 5G home internet, which tends to be a bit cheaper and usually includes equipment in your total cost. If you haven’t evaluated your options in a while, you might be surprised to find some new internet providers on the block.
Internet cost by connection type
How much you pay for internet is heavily impacted by the connection type you’re using. This analysis confirms what many rural internet customers have known for years: Rural providers are the most expensive, with the slowest connections too.
DSL and satellite internet — often the only options in rural areas — were the slowest connections by far. DSL was particularly sluggish, with median download speeds of just 40Mbps, which doesn’t meet the FCC’s minimum definition for broadband internet.
Satellite internet was prohibitively more expensive than other connection types. Satellite providers had a median price of $110 per month for download speeds of 100Mbps.
Prices for cable internet tend to start pretty low, but these providers are most likely to raise their prices after a year or two (or both). Fiber internet was also on the pricier side, but plans don’t typically come with price increases. The median price for fiber internet was $75 per month in the first year and $83 in the third — much less severe than cable’s $28 jump from the first year to the third.
Which ISP has the lowest monthly starting costs?
The cheapest internet plans are typically an ISP’s slowest internet plans — though sometimes ISPs will slash the prices of faster plans to get you interested in signing up (before driving the price up after a year). As a result, most of the cheap internet plans presented here are the ISP’s starting tiers, excluding low-income plans.
Frontier and Starry tied for the cheapest internet plans, but ISPs often offer promotional pricing, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of these plans switch places over time.
Additionally, nearly all the internet plans listed below have a price increase after the first year. In most cases, that price increase is only $10 to $15 a month. The most egregious offenders were Kinetic and Consolidated Communications’, with $25 and $20 price increases, respectively.
Note: The prices presented here include auto-pay discounts and exclude taxes and other regional, variable fees.
Which ISP has the highest monthly starting costs?
As noted in my overall analysis, satellite internet providers have the highest monthly starting costs. Satellite equipment is expensive and typically requires an up-front payment, as is the case with Starlink. Nomad Internet, a fixed wireless rural internet option, came in second place, as it also requires a steep up-front equipment payment and high monthly costs. In fact, with the exception of Google Fiber, most of the providers listed here are rural internet providers and are likely the only option (besides a local fixed wireless provider) for rural communities trying to get online.
Note: The prices presented here include auto-pay discounts and exclude taxes and other regional, variable fees.
Equipment fees
About half the internet plans I looked at included a monthly fee for equipment, but you always have the option to keep your monthly broadband bill lower by purchasing your own modem and router instead of renting them each month from your ISP. The median equipment fee was $15 per month. Rise Broadband, Spectrum, WOW and Astound have the lowest equipment costs, at $10 per month, while Starlink has the highest, with a required up-front equipment purchase of anywhere from $349 to $2,500.
The following providers don’t charge extra for equipment:
Some providers jack up prices after a year or two
Skyrocketing bills are one of the most frustrating parts of being an internet customer, and this analysis revealed just how much your bill will grow in the second (or third) year. In fact, in a recent survey I conducted, I found that 63% of adults are paying $195 more for internet this year than they did last year — likely due to price hikes.
Though the median price in the first year (not including your equipment rental) was $63 per month, it rose to $76 in the second year and to $80 in the third year. Some of the providers with the steepest price increases were Mediacom ($45 in the second year), Sparklight ($31 in the second year) and Spectrum ($20 to $30 in the third year). Here are the average price increases associated with each provider:
Junk fees
These are the extra charges internet providers tack on to your bill for vague purposes like “network maintenance” or “technology service.” Thankfully, these are largely a thing of the past. Altice, the company behind Optimum, was forced to pay $15 million in a class action lawsuit in 2023 for these kinds of charges. I found only a handful of providers that currently impose junk fees.
How to lower your internet bill
If you’re paying too much for internet, there are several steps you can take to reduce your monthly costs. Here’s what you can do:
- Buy your own modem and router: This is the low-hanging fruit of lowering your internet bill. If your provider is charging you for equipment, purchasing your own modem and router will almost always pay for itself within the first year. I learned this myself the hard way when I spent almost $1,000 renting equipment from Xfinity for six years. You can usually get both for a little over $100. CNET’s pick for the best Wi-Fi router is currently available for $75, and you can get a decent modem for around $50. Just make sure it’s compatible with your internet provider before you go that route. As an added bonus, you might also see a nice boost in internet speeds.
- Negotiate with your current provider: Internet providers used to be willing to work with customers when prices got out of control, but that’s changed somewhat in recent years. Still, sometimes getting a better price is as simple as calling your ISP and asking for one. Before you call, research what prices they’re offering new customers and what plans are available from competitors in the area. And if there’s a store in your area, go visit in person. Many customers have had better luck talking face-to-face than getting an actual human on the phone.
- Lower your plan: Many of us are likely paying for more internet speed than we need. The median internet plan offers 600Mbps download speeds — enough to stream Netflix in 4K on 40 TVs at once. The speeds advertised by providers are for a wired connection, and Wi-Fi will slow it down considerably, but you get the point. If you’re getting speeds over 500Mbps, I recommend evaluating whether you could get by with a slower plan.
- Switch providers: If all else fails, the best way to get a better price on internet is to switch ISPs altogether to take advantage of first-year pricing. You can see exactly which providers are available to you by entering your address on the FCC’s broadband map. From there, you’ll have to input your address on each provider’s website to find details on their plans and prices.
