Best Internet Providers in Seattle, Washington

Any metropolis that may say it is the birthplace of Starbucks and Jimi Hendrix should be doing one thing proper. Nonetheless, Seattle is not precisely within the espresso lane in terms of high-speed web choices. Although the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area is among the many nation’s high 20 most populous metro areas, it may muster solely a 97th-place end among the many quickest cities within the US for broadband.

That is based mostly on the newest knowledge from the speed-testing firm Ookla, which tracks the highest 100 cities within the US and categorizes them based mostly on their median obtain speeds. Per Ookla’s second-quarter report for 2023, Seattle positioned within the backside 5 — barely above Denver, Atlanta and Detroit — with a median obtain velocity of simply over 115 megabits per second. 

The Ookla report additionally famous that Seattle’s quickest supplier, based mostly on median obtain velocity, was Xfinity (Comcast’s cable web service), whose common velocity within the space was roughly 217Mbps. As we have written many occasions in CNET’s broadband protection, cable web connections supply quick speeds and respectable reliability however aren’t the speediest mode accessible. That declare belongs to fiber-optic web service. And whereas you may get fiber web in and round Seattle, every supplier, together with CenturyLink and Ziply Fiber, additionally provides web service by way of DSL connections, that are far slower than fiber and fewer reliable than cable. That brings these common speeds again right down to Earth — and it additionally means there’s lots to maintain observe of when you’re purchasing for a brand new web plan in Seattle. 

That is the place CNET might help. We contemplate customer support, accessible web speeds, pricing and total worth to advocate the very best broadband choices for you. Let’s dive into the very best web suppliers in Seattle.

Greatest web suppliers within the Emerald Metropolis

Whether or not you have relocated to the world or are a longtime Seattleite, you have obtained some choices for getting related. Let’s study your selections and discover Seattle web suppliers. Yet one more phrase as we start: all costs on this web page embrace the accessible reductions for establishing automated month-to-month funds. If you happen to select to obtain paper billing, your costs will probably be larger.

Be aware: The costs, speeds and options detailed within the article textual content might differ from these listed within the product element playing cards, which symbolize suppliers’ nationwide choices. Your specific web service choices — together with costs and speeds — rely in your tackle and will differ from these detailed right here.

CenturyLink/Quantum Fiber

Greatest fiber service

Value vary

$30 – $70 monthly

Velocity vary

200 – 940Mbps

Connection

Fiber

Key Data

Limitless knowledge, no contracts, gear included with gigabit tier

To be clear, not all CenturyLink service in Seattle is fiber-optic web service. In response to the Federal Communication Fee’s knowledge, you may nonetheless discover DSL connections in lots of areas throughout town, maybe as a lot as 50% in some areas. But when you may get CenturyLink’s fiber service, you may discover a high quality providing that is additionally referred to as Quantum Fiber in some, however not all, areas. (Do not ask; it is simply rebranding.) 

Availability: Most of CenturyLink’s fiber service will probably be in and round Seattle, however some folks will discover availability as far south as Bonney Lake, Gig Harbor and Orting. You can even discover it east of Seattle in Issaquah or west of town in Poulsbo, simply off Liberty Bay.

Plans and pricing: Anticipate particularly good worth with the gigabit plan, which provides matching obtain and add speeds of as much as 940Mbps for $70 monthly. That is a superb worth of simply over 7 cents per Mbps, which is robust even by fiber requirements. By comparability, cable plans usually run between 20 and 50 cents per Mbps, which matches even larger as soon as the promo value wears off after a 12 months. 

Charges and repair particulars: CenturyLink fiber service options limitless knowledge and would not ask you to signal a time period settlement to get the bottom value. On high of that, your modem rental, which prices a further $15 month-to-month when you select the 200Mbps choice, is included with CenturyLink’s gigabit plan.

Learn our CenturyLink dwelling web evaluation.

Test CenturyLink availability

Astound Broadband

Greatest web supplier for affordable web

Value vary

$20 – $80 monthly

Velocity vary

100 – 1,200Mbps

Connection

Cable

Key Data

Limitless knowledge, low promo costs, no contracts

This cable web supplier is hard to beat for aggressive beginning charges. 

Availability: Astound Broadband covers simply over 10% of the Seattle metro space, together with Bellevue, Bremerton and downtown Seattle. 

Plans and pricing: Its least expensive plan is $5 greater than Xfinity’s least expensive providing at $20, however it’s notably sooner. Xfinity is at 75Mbps obtain velocity, whereas Astound will get your speeds as much as 100Mbps. Which means you are getting a good worth of 25 cents per Mbps in comparison with Xfinity’s larger price per Mbps of 27 cents.

You may additional emphasize that worth whenever you have a look at Astound’s quickest plan, which provides 1,200Mbps for $80 month-to-month. That comes out to only below 7 cents per Mbps. 

Charges and repair particulars: However (and also you needed to really feel it was coming), there is a caveat: Astound Broadband options among the highest charge will increase amongst ISPs. Per the corporate’s charge card, that $25 plan may bounce as excessive as $70 month-to-month. Whereas a spokesperson for the corporate informed CNET that almost all prospects wouldn’t see a full enhance to the usual retail charge, I believe you want to concentrate on what would possibly await you after the rosy returns of the primary 24 months.

Learn our Astound Broadband evaluation.

Test Astound Broadband availability

T-Cellular Dwelling Web

Greatest mounted wi-fi service

Value vary

$50 monthly ($30 for eligible cellular prospects)

Velocity vary

72 – 245Mbps

Connection

Fastened wi-fi

Key Data

Limitless knowledge, gear included, no contracts, no further charges

T-Cellular has been aggressively campaigning for its dwelling web product. Exhibit A: Its “Web Freedom” push included the tagline, “Free your self from web BS.” Clients appear to reply properly too: T-Cellular Dwelling Web was tops amongst all non-fiber suppliers within the ACSI survey of People’ satisfaction with their ISPs.

Availability: The largest catch with T-Cellular Dwelling Web is that it nonetheless is not uniformly accessible. Whereas the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue market is among the many 50 million households that may get it (and technically, about 95% of individuals within the space ought to have the ability to get it), you may nonetheless want to find out if it is accessible at your tackle. For instance, I can get T-Cellular 5G cell service at dwelling, however my tackle nonetheless is not eligible for T-Cellular Dwelling Web. To comply with up in your family’s availability, plug in your tackle (T-Cellular prospects may also use their cell phone quantity) on the T-Cellular Dwelling Web website.

Plans and pricing: T-Cellular Dwelling Web is appealingly easy — there’s one plan, costing $50 monthly. That one plan will get you speeds starting from 72 to 245Mbps. Moreover, T-Cellular provides a $20 low cost for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max prospects. 

Charges and repair particulars: That one month-to-month payment covers all of your gear wants, and you will not have to fret about time period agreements, knowledge caps or added charges. All new prospects, irrespective of in the event that they’re additionally wi-fi prospects or not, can strive the service for 15 days with out penalty and with a full money-back assure.

Learn our T-Cellular Dwelling Web evaluation.

Test T-Cellular availability

Xfinity

Greatest availability

Value vary

$20 – $300 monthly

Velocity vary

75 – 6,000Mbps

Connection

Cable

Key Data

Knowledge caps on some plans, a lot of plan choices, stable buyer satisfaction numbers

You may need to look far and vast earlier than discovering a supplier that gives as many choices as Comcast’s cable web service, Xfinity. 

Availability: In response to the FCC’s Nationwide Broadband Map, Xfinity is on the market to over 94% of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan space.

Plans and pricing: Seven completely different tiers assist you to discover the correct match to your family, from one of many space’s least expensive web plans (75Mbps for $20 a month) to the area’s quickest residential providing (10,000Mbps for $300 monthly). Xfinity’s Gigabit Professional is notable not only for its superior velocity but additionally as a result of it is Xfinity’s solely fiber-to-the-home product. Which means you may get symmetrical obtain and add velocity, whereas all different Xfinity plans may have a max add velocity of 10 to 35Mbps. That stated, Gigabit Professional is restricted to pick addresses, so there is a good likelihood it is not accessible at yours. It is not low-cost, both — it is probably the most costly broadband plans on the market. You may get lots however pay lots, too.

Charges and repair particulars: Xfinity additionally does properly in buyer satisfaction surveys. It scored two factors above the trade common in the newest American Buyer Satisfaction Index report and completed above common in three of 4 areas within the J.D. Energy examine for 2022.

So why is not it the very best total? Cable, contracts and caps. Cable web, whereas dependable, would not carry out in addition to fiber web, with add speeds restricted to 35Mbps. Additionally, to get the very best promo charges with Xfinity, you should signal a contract (often one 12 months, however Gigabit Professional requires a two-year dedication). Lastly, some Xfinity plans have a month-to-month knowledge cap of 1.2 terabytes. You may join limitless knowledge, however that’ll add additional charges to your month-to-month invoice. 

Learn our Xfinity Web evaluation.

Test Xfinity Web availability

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

Different accessible Seattle residential web suppliers

Town set on Puget Sound has extra ISPs looking for what you are promoting than the 4 we highlighted above. Listed below are among the different web suppliers in Seattle. 

• Google Fiber Webpass: Do not be confused by the fiber within the identify. It is a fixed-wireless choice from Google Fiber that is centered solely on residence buildings. Regardless that it is not fiber web, it is nonetheless lots zippy: It provides symmetrical gigabit speeds for $70 a month (or a median of $63 a month when you join the yearly plan by way of a full, $750 upfront cost). Webpass additionally options free set up, limitless knowledge and no gear charges. In case your constructing can not assist the total gig speeds, Webpass will scale back the pricing. Yow will discover Google Fiber Webpass inside Seattle metropolis limits, together with the Belltown, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Fremont, Queen Anne and Uptown neighborhoods.

• Satellite tv for pc web: This all the time appears like dishonest, nevertheless it should be stated that irrespective of town or space during which you reside within the US, this mode of web connectivity is all the time an choice. Is it a fantastic choice for Seattle residents? If you happen to reside within the metropolis, no. You may have a lot sooner and cheaper selections accessible to you. Even areas south of Tacoma or north of Everett ought to have some viable options, but when you end up in a rural city with restricted choices, you would possibly contemplate it. HughesNet and Viasat will probably be your high picks, though each require you to decide to a two-year contract. A extra intriguing risk is Starlink, which simply turned accessible within the space in 2023. It options sooner obtain speeds and no time period settlement.

• Verizon 5G Dwelling Web: Why select Verizon’s mounted wi-fi dwelling web product over T-Cellular Dwelling Web? On the plus aspect, it has a a lot sooner common obtain velocity (300Mbps) than T-Cellular, and when you’re amongst eligible Verizon Wi-fi subscribers, it is cheaper too, with the identical “all-in” method the place gear, set up and costs are all coated in your flat, month-to-month charge. The place it falls wanting T-Cellular is availability. Its heavy reliance on its 5G community — T-Cellular makes use of its 4G LTE community extra aggressively, along with 5G, to spice up its protection territory — means it would not fairly hit the identical attain. 

• Ziply Fiber: Regardless of being comparatively new to the sport — it launched providers in the course of 2020 — Ziply Fiber is a viable choice when you’re eligible for its fiber web, which boasts limitless knowledge and no long-term contract necessities. Nonetheless, regardless of its identify, a few of its footprint consists of the a lot slower DSL kind. A Ziply spokesperson tells CNET that the corporate is actively constructing a fiber different for these communities, together with over 112 initiatives in Seattle and the larger Northwest. Additionally, Ziply Fiber is rolling out a number of multi-gigabit plans, together with a zippy 10Gbps choice. Confirmed cities round Seattle the place multi-gig plans are at the moment accessible embrace Bellevue, Bothell, Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Kenmore, Kirkland, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Redmond, Shoreline, Snohomish and Woodinville.

Common pricing for Seattle web suppliers 

When you think about the beginning costs of all ISPs (the promo costs, not the common charges that take maintain after the introductory charge), the typical value for web service in Seattle is slightly below $42 monthly. That is in regards to the center of the pack among the many cities CNET has examined up to now. That features Brooklyn ($36 a month), Los Angeles ($38 month-to-month), Denver ($39 monthly), San Francisco ($40 a month), New York ($41 monthly), Austin, Dallas and Philadelphia ($43 a month), Houston ($45 monthly), Phoenix ($46 month-to-month), Atlanta ($47 a month), Orlando and San Antonio ($48 monthly) and, all at $50 a month, Charlotte, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego and St. Louis. 

However digging in a bit on particular choices, you may discover the bottom beginning value of $20 a month shared by two suppliers: Xfinity and Ziply Fiber. Ziply Fiber options 100Mbps obtain speeds at that value level, whereas Xfinity begins at 75Mbps. Additionally, Xfinity’s barely slower plan has an information cap (1.2TB). Ziply Fiber, however, options limitless knowledge.

Low-cost web choices in Seattle

Additionally, each time speaking about low-cost web, we should always all the time point out there are further, low-income web choices. Such is the case in Seattle. All suppliers we have talked about take part within the FCC’s Reasonably priced Connectivity Program, which supplies eligible low-income households a $30 month-to-month low cost for high-speed web. You need to use the ACP towards any web plan (not simply the most affordable ones) from taking part suppliers. Moreover, a number of suppliers joined forces with the White Home on its plans to handle the digital divide. They’ll make accessible plans of no less than 100Mbps that prospects get at no cost as soon as they be part of the ACP low cost. 

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

What qualifies as quick web in Seattle?

As I discussed close to the beginning of this text, Seattle is not precisely lighting issues up concerning common obtain speeds. That stated, you’ll find loads of choices when you really feel the necessity for excessive velocity. The primary caveat is that among the quickest plans within the space aren’t extensively accessible all through the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area. However a few of our associates within the Bellevue space, for instance, ought to have entry to Ziply Fiber’s quickest multi-gig plans as much as 10 gigs, or 10,000Mbps. Choose addresses all through Seattle might be able to entry Comcast’s Gigabit Professional plan, additionally with symmetrical speeds of 10 gigs (10,000Mbps). 

Supply: CNET evaluation of supplier knowledge

What is the backside line on Seattle web suppliers?

If you happen to’ve been maintaining with CNET’s protection of the very best web suppliers throughout the nation — and I actually hope you could have — you will have observed fewer choices in Seattle than in different massive US cities. However, Seattle can brag that it has cheaper web choices than most cities and extra multi-gig suppliers. They’re unfold out all through the world, however they’re there. Xfinity’s seven completely different cable web plans are essentially the most extensively accessible in Seattle, however Astound Broadband’s 4 cable web tiers are cheaper and do not require you to signal a contract to get the bottom value. However as we all the time say, when you’re serviceable for fiber web — and in Seattle, that features CenturyLink, Ziply Fiber or, in rarer circumstances, Xfinity’s Gigabit Professional plan — that ought to be your high choice. 

How CNET selected the very best web suppliers in Seattle

Web service suppliers are quite a few and regional. In contrast to the newest smartphone, laptop computer, router or kitchen software, it is impractical to personally check each ISP in a given metropolis. So what’s our method? We begin by researching the pricing, availability and velocity data drawing on our personal historic ISP knowledge, the supplier websites and mapping data from the Federal Communications Fee at FCC.gov.

However it would not finish there. We go to the FCC’s web site to examine our knowledge and guarantee we contemplate each ISP that gives service in an space. We additionally enter native addresses on supplier web sites to seek out particular choices for residents. We have a look at sources, together with the American Buyer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Energy, to judge how comfortable prospects are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and costs are topic to frequent adjustments; all data offered is correct as of the time of publication.

As soon as we’ve this localized data, we ask three predominant questions: 

1. Does the supplier supply entry to fairly quick web speeds? 
2. Do prospects get respectable worth for what they’re paying? 
3. Are prospects proud of their service? 

Whereas the reply to these questions is commonly layered and complicated, the suppliers who come closest to “sure” on all three are those we advocate. Inside these suggestions, we additionally search for the most affordable and quickest ISPs from that area. To additional discover our course of, go to our how we check ISPs web page.

Web suppliers in Seattle FAQs