Verizon Fios Home Internet vs. Xfinity Internet Review 2022

We dug into prices, analyzed download speeds, and did a little sleuthing to uncover the pros and cons of these two internet service providers (ISPs). Let’s dig in to our Verizon vs. Xfinity comparison and find out which offering is best for you.

Both Verizon Fios Home Internet and Comcast Xfinity offer fairly competitive prices. But even at first glance, it’s easy to see that Verizon’s prices are more straightforward than Xfinity’s.

Take a peek at the fine print, and the difference between these two ISPs becomes even clearer. Most of Xfinity’s internet plans require a contract, and the promotional pricing you see lasts for anywhere from 12 to 36 months.

On the other hand, Verizon Fios Home Internet comes with no annual contracts and no surprise fees, really. Even its Fios Gigabit Connection does away with the equipment rental fee, which comes included in your monthly price.

That’s not to say that Verizon Fios Home Internet prices won’t go up in the future. But it’s refreshing to see no annual contracts are required. Plus, the prices you pay for the speeds advertised are quite competitive.

Xfinity’s prices also start out competitive, but you’ll see your monthly bill go up after a while.

While we’re on the topic, we should also mention that Xfinity prices vary greatly depending on where you live. Below, you’ll find a snapshot of Xfinity internet promo prices for the northeastern US.

For the most part, Xfinity’s promo prices mimic the prices you’d pay for similar speeds from Verizon Fios Home Internet. But there are two Xfinity plans that may seem out of place: Performance Starter Plus and Performance Select.

The prices for these two plans are extremely high for the speeds you get. What you’re paying for here is to wad that Xfinity contract up and toss it in the bin. But we’re raising an eyebrow over here because Verizon Fios Home Internet’s prices are consistently low with no annual contracts in sight.

Xfinity may have raised the stakes by boosting its top plan’s speeds to 1,200 Mbps, but Verizon Fios Home Internet’s top download speeds of up to 940 Mbps are nothing to laugh at.

And when it comes to upload speeds, Verizon Fios Home Internet’s fully fiber network can’t be beat. Upload speeds are more critical for anyone who uploads large files to the internet. So if you’re a photographer, videographer, or work-from-home pro, we recommend Verizon Fios Home Internet.

Advertised speeds are all well and good, but what we all really want to know is what download speeds will we actually get when we log on to stream Netflix or play Rainbow Six Siege.

Turns out, both Verizon Fios Home Internet and Comcast Xfinity held up well when we analyzed internet speeds in our fastest internet service providers report.

We’re pretty confident that you’ll get excellent internet speeds from both of these providers. (And if you’re not, check out our tips on what you can do at home to speed up your internet.)

But Verizon Fios Home Internet scored higher than Xfinity, likely thanks to its fiber-optic network. Fiber internet is a newer technology than the cable tech Xfinity uses. And it gives you faster download and upload speeds, plus fiber internet connections tend to be more reliable.

So, in terms of internet speed, Verizon Fios Home Internet gets our vote.

Talking data caps gets a little fuzzy when it comes to Verizon Fios Home Internet: The ISP doesn’t state what its data policy is. Xfinity, on the other hand, now limits all its users to 1.2 TB of data per billing cycle. (Some Xfinity customers in the Northeast previously didn’t have a data cap.²)

• Verizon Fios Home Internet data cap: Unknown
• Xfinity internet data cap: 1.2 TB

But until it says otherwise, we’ll assume that Verizon Fios Home Internet comes with no data caps, making it the superb choice if you work from home or have lots of internet users in your household.

That’s not to say Xfinity’s data cap is horrible. To be honest, 1.2 TB of data is pretty standard. And you can purchase an unlimited Xfinity data plan for a little extra each month.

Verizon Fios Home Internet and Xfinity both scored well in HighSpeedInternet.com’s latest look at customer satisfaction.

In fact, the two providers were about neck-and-neck for internet speed, reliability, and technical support, though Verizon Fios Home Internet edged into the lead for customer service satisfaction and how customers felt about their monthly bills.³

In general, internet providers aren’t known for great customer service. (Though we’ve heard glowing remarks about Verizon Fios Home Internet and not-so-glowing remarks about Xfinity.) If you do need to call your ISP’s customer service, check out these tips for an easier customer service call.

If you can get it in your area, Verizon Fios Home Internet is the way to go. It elbows past Xfinity with low prices, no annual contracts, faster, more reliable internet speeds and better customer service. (It may also come with no data caps, but the ISP neither confirms nor denies that.)

But Xfinity is still a great choice for low promotional prices and fast internet speeds, plus you’re more likely to find it in your neighborhood.

• Price: Verizon Fios Home Internet. Both ISPs offer low prices, but Verizon Fios Home Internet doesn’t require an annual contract on any of its plans.
• Internet speed: Verizon Fios Home Internet. Thanks to its fiber internet network, Verizon Fios Home Internet offers fast download speeds that tend to be more reliable. Plus it comes with fast upload speeds that are perfect for creatives and those who work from home. Xfinity internet speeds are still great though, and will work well for a majority of people.
• Data caps: Tie. Xfinity caps your data at the usual 1.2 TB, while Verizon Fios Home Internet has its lips sealed when it comes to its data cap. We’ve got a hunch the Verizon Fios Home Internet doesn't come with data caps, though.
• Customer service: Verizon Fios Home Internet. Both ISPs scored well in a customer satisfaction survey, but Verizon Fios Home Internet rose to first place with slightly better scores for customer service and low monthly bills.

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