Best No-Contract Internet Providers for 2023 – CNET [CNET]

June 15, 2023 Trey Paul technology

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Google Fiber – Best overall ISP for no-contract internet (if you can get it)

Price: $100 per month
Speed: 2,000Mbps
Unlimited data

Astound Broadband – Best promo pricing for no-contract internet

Prices from $20 – $80 per month
Speeds from 100 – 1,200Mbps
Unlimited data

AT&T – Best no-contract ISP for fiber coverage

Prices from $55 – $180 per month
Speeds from 300 – 5,000Mbps
Unlimited data

CenturyLink – Best no-contract ISP for DSL value

Prices from $30 – $70 per month
Speeds from 200 – 940Mbps
Unlimited data

Kinetic by Windstream – Best no-contract internet alternative for rural areas

Prices from $40 – $70 per month
Speeds from 100 – 1,000Mbps
Unlimited data

Sometimes it feels like you have to sign away your firstborn child — or at least, the next two years of your life — to get internet service in your area. It’s easy to be swayed by slimmed-down introductory prices, but lurking behind that first-year cheer can be a hefty bill increase and unrelenting extra fees if you dare change your mind or (shudder!) have to move.

Thankfully, that’s changing. As we become more dependent on our broadband connections, competition is starting to brew among internet service providers. That’s one reason why some ISPs have dropped their contract requirements. You may even find internet deals offering to buy you out of your contract to get you to switch.

That’s good news for anyone looking to explore their home internet options. If you’re in the market for a new provider and prefer one that won’t ask you to sign on the dotted line, keep reading for our rundown of no-contract internet providers.

One bit of business first: Just because you don’t have to sign a term agreement, that doesn’t always mean you’re getting the best price. Some providers will put a premium on their pay-as-you-go plans while their contract rate will be much cheaper. To help keep your costs in perspective, I’ll note the cost per megabit per second for each listed no-contract internet provider. It’s an excellent way to compare apples to apples.

Google Fiber

Best overall ISP for no-contract internet (if you can get it)

Product details

Price $100 per month Speed 2,000Mbps Connection Fiber Highlights Unlimited data, no contract, no equipment fees

At first glance, Google Fiber plans seem expensive. There are only two options, one at $70 per month and the other at $100 monthly. However, those two plans offer gigabit (1,000Mbps) and two-gigabit speeds, so the actual cost per Mbps is 7 and 5 cents, respectively, which is excellent. You’re getting a fast connection for your money. On top of that, your equipment is included in your monthly price, which is a great deal.

The biggest challenge here is availability, as Google Fiber can be found only in a handful of metro areas across the country: Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Huntsville, Alabama; Kansas City, Missouri; Nashville, Tennessee; Orange County, California; Provo, Utah; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Salt Lake City; San Antonio and West Des Moines, Iowa. Google Fiber does have plans for 2023 expansion into the Arizona cities of Chandler and Mesa, as well as Lakewood and Westminster in Colorado and Omaha, Nebraska.

Read our Google Fiber review.

Additional no-contract internet providers to consider

Cox Communications: There’s flexibility here, but it comes at a cost. Cox doesn’t require you to sign a contract to receive internet service, but it does encourage customers to sign a one-year agreement, which takes $10 off the monthly bill. If you agree to the contract, you are paying an average of 53 cents per Mbps, while those who pass on the term agreement must pay an average of 67 cents per Mbps. Cox also offers StraightUp Prepaid Internet, which provides the simplicity of one plan (100Mbps download) with all equipment, installation and taxes included in the price. For that streamlined approach, you’ll pay 50 cents per Mbps, which is better than the average of all other plans Cox offers but doesn’t give you any options for faster download speeds.

Frontier Communications: You won’t have to worry about binding contracts if you can access Frontier Internet (DSL) or Frontier Fiber. In addition to that, equipment fees are included in the monthly price, too. Customers of Frontier Fiber will see an average cost of 7 cents per Mbps for first-year pricing, while DSL customers can expect to pay $2.17 per Mbps.

Mediacom: Though you’ll need to contend with data caps, Mediacom’s Xtream internet selections do not require you to sign a long-term contract. Across all four plans, you can expect to pay an average of 28 cents per Mbps during your first year; after that, the average cost per Mbps jumps to 43 cents. It should be noted that its fastest plans (Internet 300, 600 and the Gig plan) have an additional scheduled increase after 24 months.

Metronet: This Midwest fiber-optic internet provider serves 16 states across the country. No term contracts are required for any plans, nor are there additional equipment fees. The promo prices are decent, especially for its gigabit plan, which is a nifty 6 cents per Mbps. But the average cost per Mbps of its regular rates is 22 cents, which is fair, but nothing special.

Optimum: All Optimum plans feature no data caps, no contracts and some of the best promo pricing for cable internet. Your first-year pricing will feature an average cost per Mbps of just under 12 cents, one of the most affordable rates we’ve seen for that internet connection type. After 12 months, however, the average cost per Mbps jumps to 46 cents, which is middle of the road.

Rise Broadband: This fixed wireless internet provider features service with download speeds of either 25Mbps or 50Mbps, and with both, you can select unlimited data or a 250GB data cap. The average cost per Mbps in the first year is $1.40, increasing to $1.70 afterward.

Sparklight: This ISP is a bit unusual among cable internet providers in that it doesn’t play the game of trying to entice you with a promo price that then jumps up after 12 months. Instead, what you pay now — an average cost per Mbps of 19 cents — is essentially what you’ll be paying later. However, it does discount its Freedom Connect 600Mbps plan for the first three months of service. Also, Sparklight enforces data caps, so there’s the potential for additional fees if you exceed your monthly limits.

Starlink: Elon Musk’s budding internet service is unique among satellite internet providers because it doesn’t require a contract. Also, the average cost per Mbps of its standard plan (100Mbps) is just over $1, which is excellent for that connection type. The premium plan, which offers 250Mbps, knocks the average cost per Mbps down to 54 cents. That’s pretty impressive for an internet technology known to fall on the pricier side. That said, Starlink still requires a bit of a commitment — you must make a one-time equipment purchase of $599 (or a whopping $2,500 if you’re purchasing the premium plan). That’s a sizable chunk of change that most cable and fiber internet customers get to avoid. But this could be a digital lifeline for rural regions of the country that don’t have access to those connections.

Starry Internet: This fixed wireless provider offers a solution similar to 5G home internet, using millimeter-wave technology. It features no contracts, and the price includes equipment, installation costs and unlimited data. The average cost per Mbps for Starry Internet is a reasonable 25 cents.

T-Mobile Home Internet: Similar to Starry, T-Mobile Home Internet features everything under one price, with no contracts required. All equipment, installation fees and taxes are included at $50 a month (or $30 per month for eligible mobile customers). That said, the cost per Mbps is difficult to pin down since speeds will vary by address. T-Mobile claims most customers will average between 72 to 245Mbps download speeds. However, when CNET tested T-Mobile Home Internet, we hit a max of 132Mbps, and we’ve also received anecdotal evidence of customers hitting speeds of up to 300Mbps in some areas. Meanwhile, per T-Mobile, it’s possible some could potentially max out at 72Mbps. In other words, your mileage may vary — but if your address has a strong connection to a nearby cell tower, T-Mobile could be well worth a shot.

Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon 5G Home Internet (its 5G fixed wireless internet solution) is squishy too, because its download speeds, ranging from 85 to 1,000Mbps, aren’t guaranteed. But assuming the average of 300Mbps, the average cost per Mbps would be 17 cents. However, Verizon 5G Home Internet is an all-in price that includes taxes, fees and equipment. Additionally, qualified Verizon Wireless customers can get 50% off the cost, significantly cutting your bill and making this an intriguing option.

WOW: WideOpenWest, which prefers to go by WOW, aims to wow its customers by requiring no contracts and very competitive starting rates. This cable internet provider offers five different plan options, with a highly competitive average cost of just over 12 cents per Mbps for its promo price and 21 cents after the first year of service.

Xfinity: Unfortunately, Xfinity requires customers to sign a contract to get its lowest price on internet service. Sometimes, and for some plans, it even calls for a two-year commitment. That said, Xfinity does offer a Prepaid Internet option that requires no contract and gives you 30 days of internet service for $45. No deposit is required, and no fees, but you must make a one-time modem purchase of $35. The max download speed offered is 50Mbps, meaning this service has an average cost of 90 cents per Mbps, much higher than the 25 to 39 cents per Mbps other Xfinity customers will pay.

Ziply Fiber: This company began offering service in 2020 after acquiring Frontier Communications networks in four Northwest states. It aims to simplify the purchasing process by skipping credit checks, data caps and term agreements. It features DSL and fiber plans, with the average cost per Mbps at 25 cents for the promo period and 40 cents after the first year.

Best no-contract internet providers FAQs

DSL, cable internet is better than satellite, and fiber internet trumps them all. 5G home internet, which made significant strides in 2022, is also becoming a legitimate option for many nationwide.

Wi-Fi separately from their internet service. But that’s not the case, generally. You often get Wi-Fi when you sign up with an internet provider, as many will provide you with a gateway. That’s a combination of a modem (which connects your home to the internet) and a router (which takes that internet signal from the modem and broadcasts it wirelessly to the other devices in your home). Even if your ISP only provides the modem, you can rent a router or use your own. Basically, if you can get an internet connection at your address without signing a contract, you should have options to have Wi-Fi at your home without committing to a contract.

Best No-Contract Internet Providers for 2023 – CNET [CNET]

Google Fiber

Best overall ISP for no-contract internet (if you can get it)

Product details

Astound Broadband

Best promo pricing for no-contract internet

Product details

AT&T

Best no-contract ISP for fiber coverage

Product details

CenturyLink

Best no-contract ISP for DSL value

Product details

Kinetic by Windstream

Best no-contract internet alternative for rural areas

Product details

Spectrum Internet

Best no-contract cable internet for keeping things simple

Product details

Verizon Fios

Best no-contract ISP for customer satisfaction

Product details

Additional no-contract internet providers to consider

Best no-contract internet providers FAQs

Google Fiber

Best overall ISP for no-contract internet (if you can get it)

Product details

Astound Broadband

Best promo pricing for no-contract internet

Product details

AT&T

Best no-contract ISP for fiber coverage

Product details

CenturyLink

Best no-contract ISP for DSL value

Product details

Kinetic by Windstream

Best no-contract internet alternative for rural areas

Product details

Spectrum Internet

Best no-contract cable internet for keeping things simple

Product details

Verizon Fios

Best no-contract ISP for customer satisfaction

Product details

Additional no-contract internet providers to consider

Best no-contract internet providers FAQs

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