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A stable and robust internet connection for work and entertainment increasingly requires consistently high speeds with no room for lag or service disruptions. Whether you’ve heard of CenturyLink or Xfinity likely depends on what region of America you live in. Combined, the two companies cover 46 states with internet service along with Washington, D.C. The companies only have overlapping coverage in 10 states.
Given each company’s varying availability across the U.S., it’s important to know what you’re actually getting with each internet service provider (ISP) and where you can get it. This article will compare CenturyLink and Xfinity to help you find out which one is right for your needs.
CenturyLink vs. Xfinity Comparison
CenturyLink at a Glance
CenturyLink serves customers in 16 states with DSL broadband and fiber internet services. The company keeps things simple by offering only two low-price plans. Unlike the competition, CenturyLink has no contracts, surcharges, usage fees or hidden costs. However, it doesn’t offer bundling, so customers can’t save by having multiple services under one roof.
In addition, plan availability varies greatly by region. Fiber internet is not available in most of the markets CenturyLink serves, and the DSL broadband coverage is significantly slower. Plus, the plans are all internet-only.
Xfinity at a Glance
Xfinity is the brand name of Comcast Corporation’s internet, telephone and wireless services. It’s the largest cable company in the United States, providing Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC) service in 35 states and Washington, D.C.
Xfinity’s wide selection of plans puts it on our list of the top internet providers. Customers can choose from more than five cable internet plans with speeds up to 2,000 Mbps, which puts Xfinity among the companies with the fastest download speeds in most regions of the U.S. However, you are paying for the privilege, as plans can be more expensive than the competition, even though there’s some variation in price and service depending on your location.
The service offerings include internet bundle options, so customers can save money if they put their home phone, smartphone and TV service under the Xfinity banner. However, customers can expect an increase in price after the first few years of service.
CenturyLink vs. Xfinity Head-to-Head
Below, we pit CenturyLink and Xfinity against each other in various categories, from available plans, pricing, connection types, and service areas to customer support, reputation, data cap requirements and more.
Plans and Pricing
CenturyLink keeps things simple with two choices: Customers can choose a DSL connection via the Simply Unlimited Internet plan or a fiber internet plan. However, fiber internet isn’t available everywhere. Of the 16 states CenturyLink serves, fiber is only available in select cities. It doesn’t typically reach more rural areas.
| CENTURYLINK | ||
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Cost Per Month | Speed |
| Simply Unlimited Internet | $55 | Up to 100 Mbps |
| Fiber Internet | $75 | Up to 940 Mbps |
Xfinity has a much broader range of plans featuring a cable internet connection. Plans vary by location when it comes to pricing and availability. You have to enter your address on the Xfinity website to determine what services are available and the monthly internet cost. Some of Xfinity’s plans each come with a two- to three-year price guarantee, after which your rates will increase. That said, Xfinity offers a few plans at a lower cost than CenturyLink.
| XFINITY | ||
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Cost Per Month* | Speed |
| Connect | $19.99 | 150 Mbps |
| Connect More | $35 | 300 Mbps |
| Fast | $55 | 500 Mbps |
| Gigabit | $75 | 1,000 Mbps |
| Gigabit X2 | $100 | 2,000 Mbps |
Connection Types
Xfinity offers only cable internet under different plans and price points.
CenturyLink, on the other hand, offers DSL broadband and fiber broadband internet service without offering cable. DSL runs over copper landline telephone wiring, and CenturyLink’s DSL connection maxes out at internet speeds of 100 Mbps. This relatively slow option won’t suit households with multiple simultaneous internet users or power users constantly gaming and streaming.
Fiber internet is the best internet available in terms of speed and smoothness. However, CenturyLink is only available in select cities among the 16 states where the service is available. If you are lucky enough to live in one of these cities, it is worth examining whether the fiber plans and pricing are right for you and your goals.
Availability
Xfinity and CenturyLink vary in their availability nationwide. Xfinity is available in 35 states and Washington, D.C. CenturyLink is available in just 16 states, mostly centered in the Western part of the country.
| XFINITY STATE AVAILABILITY | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Louisiana | Oregon |
| Arizona | Maine | Pennsylvania |
| Arkansas | Maryland | Rhode Island |
| California | Massachusetts | South Carolina |
| Colorado | Michigan | Tennessee |
| Connecticut | Minnesota | Texas |
| Delaware | Missouri | Utah |
| Florida | Mississippi | Vermont |
| Georgia | New Hampshire | Virginia |
| Illinois | New Jersey | Washington |
| Indiana | New Mexico | West Virginia |
| Kansas | New York | Wisconsin |
| Kentucky | Ohio | |
| CENTURYLINK STATE AVAILABILITY | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Montana | South Dakota |
| Colorado | Nebraska | Utah |
| Florida | Nevada | Washington |
| Idaho | New Mexico | Wyoming |
| Iowa | North Dakota | |
| Minnesota | Oregon | |
Customer Support
The usual suspects of customer support are available from CenturyLink. Phone support is available, but is limited by business hours. You can also communicate with a person via live chat. Email support is also available with most questions answered between 24 and 48 hours. There’s also a mobile app that can be downloaded. Most common questions can be answered there.
Xfinity offers similar support channels, including phone service and a mobile app of its own, but it doesn’t offer email support.
Customer Sentiments
As is common for the internet, customer reviews trend downward for both companies. Both CenturyLink and Xfinity have a relatively low average rating of 2 out of 5 stars across all platforms surveyed as of this writing, including the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Trustpilot and Consumer Affairs. For what it’s worth, customers tend to complain about the customer service they experienced from both companies.
Customer Survey
In our survey of 2,200 customers who purchased home internet in the last two years, Xfinity generally performed better overall. For instance, 81% of Xfinity customers surveyed said the company handled issues as soon as it was alerted to them, compared to 67% of Centurylink customers. Additionally, 79% of Xfinity customers were happy with the company’s pre-installation customer service compared to 70% of Centurlink customers. It’s worth noting that Xfinity’s scores were overall mixed in comparison to other companies, but were still generally higher than Centurylink’s.
Contracts and Data Caps
Customers pay for CenturyLink internet service on a month-to-month basis with no contract necessary. Xfinity, on the other hand, has contracts for some of its plans and charges an extra fee for a no-contract option. The company also charges a fee of $10 if you break your contract early for every month still left on your contract.
Additionally, a 1.2 TB data cap accompanies most Xfinity plans. There is a fee for going over, but most households won’t exceed the generous amount of data they give you right out the gate. Conversely, CenturyLink has no data caps or extra fees, so users can use the service as much, or as little, as they want.
Additional Considerations
Both Xfinity and CenturyLink offer professional installation. If you feel confident in your DIY skills and wish to forgo the extra cost of having a technician visit your home, you can go for a self-installation option with both companies. Typically, they will mail you all the equipment and then ask you to access detailed instructions through the mobile app. If you run into trouble or have questions, you can reach out for help the same way.
Key Differences Between CenturyLink and Xfinity
- CenturyLink offers DSL and fiber, while Xfinity offers cable primarily.
- Xfinity has a much larger service area of 35 states.
- CenturyLink requires no long-term contracts or data caps.
- Xfinity has a large range of plans to choose from, depending on where you live, while CenturyLink has two.
CenturyLink vs. Xfinity Verdict
What provider is right for you will likely depend on what plans between the two companies are available where you live. If you are lucky enough to live in a city where CenturyLink offers fiber internet, go with that. Fiber is faster than the coaxial cable provided by Xfinity and certainly faster than the much slower DSL also offered by CenturyLink. Fiber is hands down the fastest internet you’ll get for the price.
However, if the choice is between Xfinity’s cable internet and CenturyLink’s DSL, and you don’t mind contracts with your internet service, then Xfinity’s cable is a good option because it’s much faster than CenturyLink’s significantly slower DSL.
What We Like About CenturyLink
- No data caps or contract requirements
- Simple pricing structure
- Fiber internet in some markets
Learn more: CenturyLink review
What We Like About Xfinity
- More than five plans with different speeds and price points
- Options to save money by bundling
- Offers the fastest internet speeds in many markets
Learn more: Xfinity review
Provider Comparison
CenturyLink Comparisons
Xfinity Comparisons
Methodology: How We Selected Internet Providers
To determine the best internet providers, the Forbes Home editorial team compared 22 major internet providers across 39 unique metrics, such as average monthly cost, download speed and fiber availability.
You can learn more about how Forbes Home rates internet providers on our detailed methodology page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are CenturyLink and Xfinity the same?
No, they are two totally different internet providers. CenturyLink offers DSL and fiber internet, albeit in limited markets, and Xfinity primarily provides cable internet.
Is CenturyLink really fiber?
CenturyLink offers both DSL and fiber, but fiber is limited to certain cities. Given that CenturyLink only serves 16 states to begin with, the opportunity for fiber internet is even more limited.
Who has the best cable and internet service?
Forbes Home ranked AT&T internet as the best provider overall based on our methodology; Xfinity comes in third. Of course, customers should always compare prices and plans depending on what is offered in their location and their internet needs despite our recommendations. Ultimately, the provider you pick should be the one that’s right for you.
Which internet connection is best for your home?
Even though fiber internet provides the fastest internet speed on the market, it’s only available in select markets nationwide, especially when it comes to the fiber service offered by CenturyLink, which only provides internet service to 16 of the 50 states. Therefore, even if fiber is objectively the fastest internet, it may not be the best connection option available in your area. Ultimately, the best internet connection for your home depends on the speed and quality you can get in your area for the price and the level of customer service that comes along with that.
