Article Summary
- Xfinity and Astound each deliver ultra-fast speeds with prices that start at around $40/month and $30/month respectively, but Xfinity boasts double the bandwidth–to over seven times Astound's reach
- Both Astound and Xfinity don't cap their data, and both companies are pretty close in the competition for the best customer reviews
- Read on to find out more about how each provider compares in value, pricing, speeds, coverage, customer reviews, and bundle deals
Xfinity vs Astound
Xfinity vs Astound: Internet Speeds
Winner: Xfinity
Xfinity and Astound each offer customers internet speeds that climb all the way up to gigabit levels, but instead of tapping out at 1.5Gbps like Astound, Xfinity's stops short at just 1.2Gbps.
If broadband speeds weigh heavily on your internet provider selection, make a note that connection type has a lot to do with the speeds you experience day-in-day-out. While Xfinity offers high speed internet using two of the most stable broadband infrastructures—cable and fiber, Astound only provides internet via fiber.
The main difference between each is that cable uses the existing cable infrastructure which is a shared web of cable wires in your neighborhood and fiber optics use dedicated lines for each home. This is key information because it slows your service down during peak hours when cable networks become congested due to heavy broadband traffic. Fiber optic networks aren't subject to those issues, no matter how many people in your area are streaming data at the same time.
Data and Value
Winner: Astound
Monthly Cost
When comparing plans comprised of gigabit speeds, your monthly output between Xfinity and Astound will be about the same. The real issue here is that the upfront fees for Xfinity's fiber plans are a lot higher than Astound's, which makes Astound's fibers plans more attractive. Those upfront fees allow them to lay dedicated fiber lines to your home—so they're not simply overcharging—but they are expensive.
The story changes a bit when you begin comparing megabit plans from each provider. With cable plans, Xfinity offers low upfront fees. Xfinity's prices are also stable across the board. This is a pretty common difference between large and small internet providers and is often due to the costs incurred by the provider in each region. That stated, if you're looking for a plan under $40/month: Astound offers great speed at an affordable pricepoint. That's just the starting price of Xfinity's cable plans.
Data Allowance
Astound is able to offer its customers unlimited data, no matter which plan you've signed up for. This means that you'll never pay overages or have your internet slowed due to your data usage at any point.
Xfinity has also joined suit by eliminating all data caps on its internet plans. That means there are no overage charges to hike up your monthly bill either.
Astound and Xfinity tie as far as data allowances go.
Availability: Xfinity vs Astound
Winner: Xfinity
In terms of availability, Xfinity is available in about 40 states, whereas Astound is available in 11 states. With numbers like these, it's pretty clear that Xfinity's customer bandwidth is much higher than Astound's.
Customer Reviews: Xfinity vs Astound
Winner: Xfinity and Astound
A lot of factors can impact the quality of your internet service—and some issues are simply out of a provider's control. However, customer service is not one of them, but sadly some customers don't feel they've received satisfactory service from either company.
Nevertheless, while both companies have a lot of room for improvement, you can set yourself up to win by knowing the details of your agreement and getting everything you've been promised in writing—so the whole process goes as smoothly as possible for you. At the end of the day, cold-hard contracts are hard to refute.
Another customer satisfaction tip is to note that Xfinity and Astound each offer promotional pricing. There are several complaints about the price increase after the promotion has ended for both companies. The best way to avoid issues here is to fully know the terms of your agreement before you sign a contract with Xfinity. Often times, they're more than willing to keep your promotional pricing going for the full term of your agreement. If their price increases after your agreement is over, you have the freedom to choose to stay or switch. Astound won't make you sign a contract at any point, so you're free to switch to a new provider if you feel that their regular pricing is too high.
Bundle Packages: Xfinity vs Astound
Winner: Astound
Both Xfinity and Astound offer bundle packages for internet plus phone plans.
Even though both Xfinity and Astound each offer customers phone bundle deals, Astound's mobile bundles go above and beyond by offering customers capped or unlimited data plans. The only downside is that they're only available in 11 states.
Regardless, both Xfinity and Astound offer great bundles. What's more, if you time your purchase right, they'll often throw in free installation and/or a modem, too.
Winner: Xfinity vs Astound
With Xfinity, you'll get the fastest speeds, a low monthly cost, great reliability, unlimited data—and most importantly—better coverage. It's hard to go wrong with an internet provider that offers their customers stellar features like that. To top it all off, they'll give you a 30-day money-back guarantee, too.
If you're one of the few that has access to Astound and you're looking for a great deal on a phone bundle, it would be silly not to check them out. They won't make you sign a contract either and you'll get a great rate with super fast internet. After all this, we hope you realize that it seems pretty hard to lose with either company.
If you want to do some comparing on your own, take a look below to see how Xfinity's and Astound's plans stack up for you.
Xfinity Internet Plans
|
#1
|
Xfinity
300 Mbps
$40/mo
5 year price guarantee
|
|
#2
|
Xfinity
1.2 Gig
$100/mo
5 year price guarantee
|
|
#3
|
Xfinity
500 Mbps
$45/mo
5 year price guarantee
|
|
#4
|
Xfinity
1 Gig
$50/mo
5 year price guarantee
|
|
#5
|
Xfinity
300 Mbps + Unlimited
$80/mo
5 year price guarantee + FREE mobile line for 12 months
|
|
#6
|
Xfinity
1.2 Gig + Unlimited
$140/mo
5 year price guarantee + FREE mobile line for 12 months
|
|
#7
|
Xfinity
1 Gig + Unlimited
$90/mo
5 year price guarantee + FREE mobile line for 12 months
|
|
#8
|
Xfinity
500 Mbps + Unlimited
$85/mo
5 year price guarantee + FREE mobile line for 12 months
|
Astound Broadband Powered by RCN Internet Plans
|
#1
|
WOW!
Internet 300
$20/mo
with AutoPay
+ $10 Upfront
|
|
#2
|
Breezeline
Internet 100
$20/mo
for 24 months then $45.00/month. Includes $10/mo EcoSave/ AutoPay discount.
|
|
#3
|
Kinetic
100 Mbps
$24.99/mo
for 12 months. This advertised price includes a $5.00 credit for AutoPay enrollment.
|
|
#4
|
Optimum
300 Mbps Internet
$25/mo
with $10/month eligible Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas.
|
|
#5
|
Mercury Broadband
Mercury Foundation
$25/mo
with AutoPay
+ $45 Upfront
|
|
#6
|
Frontier
Fiber 500 Internet
$29.99/mo
with AutoPay
|
|
#7
|
Brightspeed
200 Mbps
$29.99/mo
Limited availability/areas. Taxes and fees extra. Autopay required. Pricing Subject to change.
|
|
#8
|
Astound
300 Mbps Internet
$30/mo
Observed speeds may vary | One-time fees extra | Restrictions apply | Not available in all areas | New residential customers only
+ $14.99 Upfront
|
Lauren Hannula
Managing Editor
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