Quantum Fiber is the best internet provider overall for most households in Seattle. In addition to offering symmetrical speeds, unlimited data is included in the monthly cost. If service for Quantum Fiber isn’t available at your address, Astound Broadband, T-Mobile and Xfinity are also solid options.
We’ve also found the top options for the cheapest and fastest plans. Seattle’s most affordable internet service provider is a tie between Ziply Fiber and Xfinity, each offering a broadband plan for $20 per month. Ziply Fiber’s plan features 100 megabits per second download speeds, while Xfinity’s Connect plan falls just shy of that at 75Mbps. The fastest internet you’ll find in Seattle is Ziply Fiber’s 50 gigabit per second plan, costing a hefty $900 monthly. If that’s more speed than you need, Ziply and Xfinity also offer a 10Gbps tier, which is more than enough speed to power most households.
Our methodology
Speed range
200 – 8,000Mbps
Price range
$30 – $165 per month
Our take – CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber are owned by the same company (Lumen Technologies), yet most residents are more familiar with CenturyLink. All Lumen fiber service in the area now falls under the Quantum Fiber brand. According to the Federal Communication Commission’s data, you’ll still find CenturyLink DSL connections in many areas across the city, perhaps as much as 50% in some areas. You’ll find a quality broadband offering if you can get Quantum Fiber service.
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Speed range
200 – 8,000Mbps
Price range
$30 – $165 per month
Connection
Cable
Connection
Cable
Speed range
72 – 245Mbps
Price range
$60 per month
Our take – T-Mobile has been aggressively campaigning for its home internet product. Exhibit A: Its “Internet Freedom” push included the tagline, “Free yourself from internet BS.” Customers seem to respond well too: T-Mobile Home Internet was tops among all non-fiber providers in the ACSI survey of Americans’ satisfaction with their ISPs.
...
Speed range
72 – 245Mbps
Price range
$60 per month
Connection
Cable
Connection
Cable
Show more (3 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
Other available internet providers in Seattle
Google Fiber Webpass: Don’t be confused by the fiber in the name. This is a fixed-wireless option from Google Fiber that’s focused solely on apartment buildings. Although it’s not fiber internet, it’s still plenty zippy: It offers symmetrical gigabit speeds for $70 a month (or an average of $63 a month if you sign up for the yearly plan via a full, $750 upfront payment). Webpass also features free installation, unlimited data and no equipment fees. If your building cannot support the full gig speeds, Webpass will reduce the pricing. You can find Google Fiber Webpass within Seattle city limits, including the Belltown, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Fremont, Queen Anne and Uptown neighborhoods.
Satellite internet: This always feels like cheating, but it must be said that no matter the city or area in which you live in the US, this mode of internet connectivity is always an option. Is it a great option for Seattle residents? If you live in the city, no. You’ll have much faster and cheaper choices available to you. Even areas south of Tacoma or north of Everett should have some viable alternatives, but if you find yourself in a rural town with limited options, you might consider it. Hughesnet and Viasat will be your top picks, although both require you to commit to a two-year contract. A more intriguing possibility is Starlink, which just became available in the area in 2023. It features faster download speeds and no term agreement.
Verizon 5G Home Internet: Why choose Verizon’s fixed wireless home internet product over T-Mobile Home Internet? On the plus side, it has a much faster average download speed (300Mbps) than T-Mobile. If you’re among eligible Verizon Wireless subscribers, it’s cheaper too, with the same “all-in” approach where equipment, installation and fees are all covered in your flat monthly rate. Where it falls short of T-Mobile is availability. Its heavy reliance on its 5G network — T-Mobile uses its 4G LTE network more aggressively, in addition to 5G, to boost its coverage territory — means it doesn’t quite hit the same reach.
Ziply Fiber: Despite being relatively new to the game — it launched services in the middle of 2020 — Ziply Fiber is a viable option if you’re eligible for its fiber internet, which boasts unlimited data and no long-term contract requirements. However, despite its name, some of its footprint includes the much slower DSL type. A Ziply spokesperson tells CNET that the company is actively building a fiber alternative for those communities, including over 112 projects in Seattle and the greater Northwest. Also, Ziply Fiber is rolling out several multi-gigabit plans, including 10Gbps and 50Gbps options. Confirmed cities around Seattle where multi-gig plans are currently available include Bellevue, Bothell, Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Kenmore, Kirkland, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Redmond, Shoreline, Snohomish and Woodinville.
Cheap internet options in Seattle
The average price for internet service in Seattle is just under $42 per month. If you’re looking for a cheaper internet plan, you’ll find the lowest starting price of $20 a month shared by two providers: Xfinity and Ziply Fiber. Ziply Fiber features 100Mbps download speeds at that price point, while Xfinity starts at 75Mbps. Also, Xfinity’s slightly slower plan has a data cap (1.2TB). Ziply Fiber, on the other hand, features unlimited data.
Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you’re looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you’ll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here’s an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.
0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video.
5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing.
40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth to satisfy the demands of modern telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming.
100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming.
500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities all at the same time.
How CNET chose the best internet providers in Seattle
Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What’s our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary database of pricing, availability and speed information that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.
It doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.
Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:
Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds?
Do customers get decent value for what they’re paying?
Are customers happy with their service?
While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.
To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.
What’s the final word on internet providers in Seattle?
If you’ve been keeping up with CNET’s coverage of the best internet providers across the country — and I certainly hope you have — you may have noticed fewer options in Seattle than in other big US cities. On the other hand, Seattle can brag that it has cheaper internet options than most towns and more multi-gig providers. They’re spread out throughout the area, but they’re there. Xfinity’s seven cable internet plans are the most widely available in Seattle. Still, Astound Broadband’s four cable internet tiers are cheaper and don’t require you to sign a contract to get the lowest price. As we always say, if you’re serviceable for fiber internet — and in Seattle, that includes Quantum Fiber, Ziply Fiber or, in rarer cases, Xfinity’s Gigabit Pro plan — that should be your top option.
Internet providers in Seattle FAQs
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