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Finest Web Suppliers in San Francisco

Finding the best internet provider in your area means knowing what makes a great internet provider. When we assess ISPs for a specific region, we look for internet providers that excel in availability, speed, affordability, reliability, and customer service. As one of the most competitive internet landscapes in the country, San Francisco is home to over a dozen internet providers.

While every provider performs differently, each of the following internet providers provides significant city coverage and delivers on one or more of our other core attributes.

Our Top Internet Provider Picks in San Francisco

Price range: $55-$180 per month
speed range: 25Mbps – 5Gbps
Fine print: No contracts or data caps; router included
Connection types: Fiber, DSL, and fixed wireless

Why You Should Choose AT&T

  • Wide selection of fiber internet speeds
  • Largest fiber internet network in San Francisco
  • Frequent gift cards and sign-up perks

Who AT&T Suits Best

  • Large households with numerous devices
  • Individuals who need upload speeds, such as content creators or remote workers

Get AT&T Internet

AT&T San Francisco offers the best combination of speeds, affordability, and reliability. With exceptional download and upload speeds up to 5 Gbps, AT&T’s fiber network covers more neighborhoods in San Francisco than all other fiber internet providers in the area — including Xfinity.

While Xfinity may be faster overall, AT&T offers competitively priced fiber plans for any household. Xfinity, on the other hand, only offers one expensive fiber plan. AT&T internet plans also frequently come with discounts and perks, such as Visa Reward cards for signing up and access to AT&T’s nationwide free public Wi-Fi network. AT&T has also won awards for its long-standing reliability and outstanding customer service, beating Xfinity in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) multiple years in a row.

Price range: $24.99-$299.95 per month
speed range: 50Mbps – 6Gbps
Fine print: Contracts optional, unlimited data and free router on plans above 300 Mbps
Connection types: Cable and fiber

Why You Should Choose Xfinity

  • Lightning fast fiber internet speeds
  • Multiple home services, including TV, phone, mobile, and home security
  • Exclusive and significant bundling discounts

Who Xfinity Suits Best

  • Homes with various home service necessities
  • People who like the convenience of one all-inclusive provider

Get Xfinity Internet

Xfinity offers convenience, value, and expansive availability to subscribers in San Francisco. Unlike AT&T and T-Mobile, Xfinity provides customers with a multitude of home service options, including TV, phone, mobile, and home security. By putting everything on one bill, Xfinity can provide discounts on multiple services and deliver lightning speeds up to 6 Gbps at the same time.

While Xfinity cable internet services are available virtually everywhere in San Francisco, Xfinity fiber services are more limited in the Richmond District, Sunset District, Twin Peaks, and Bernal Heights.

Price: $50 per month
speed range: 33-182Mbps
Fine print: No contracts or data caps, Wi-Fi Gateway included
Connection type: 5G Home Internet

Why You Should Choose T-Mobile

  • One plan, one price model
  • Effortless self-installation process
  • Various perks for signing up

Who T-Mobile Suits Best

  • People looking for uncomplicated internet with no hidden fees or commitments
  • Smaller households with flexible internet needs

Get T-Mobile Internet

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet breaks from the provider pack by offering straightforward plan pricing, simple installation, and no hidden fees. Operating on the company’s award-winning 5G network, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet only offers one plan for $50 per month with download speeds up to 182 Mbps. While AT&T and Xfinity will require you to pay more for increased speeds, T-Mobile lets you tap into the full power of the included and easy-to-install 5G Wi-Fi Gateway at no extra cost.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet has no hidden fees or data caps, so you won’t have to pay for installation or other monthly charges like with AT&T and Xfinity. When you sign up with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, you also don’t have to sign anything to get started or qualify for perks, such as free streaming services or discounted prices. Simply sign up, install the service yourself, and start enjoying your 5G internet.

Side-by-Side Overview of the Best Internet Providers in San Francisco

Categories Best overall internet provider Fastest internet provider Cheapest internet provider Best 5G internet providers Best bundling internet provider
providers AT&T Xfinity Astound Broadband Powered by Wave T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Xfinity
Price range $55 to $180 per month $24.99 to $299.95 per month $19.95 to $50 per month $50 per month $24.99 to $299.95 per month
Download speeds Up to 5 Gbps Up to 6 Gbps Up to 1.2 Gbps Up to 182Mbps Up to 6 Gbps
Contract requirement No contracts Contract optional No contracts No contracts Contract optional
Data caps Unlimited 1.2TB to unlimited Unlimited Unlimited 1.2TB to unlimited
ACSI score 69 out of 100 66 out of 100 N / A 71 out of 100 66 out of 100
Bundles TV, mobile, and phone TV, phone, mobile, and home security phones mobile TV, phone, mobile, and home security
Connection types Fiber, DSL, and fixed wireless Cable and fiber cables 5G home internet Cable and fiber

Fastest Internet Providers in San Francisco

If you need the absolute fastest internet in San Francisco, then you should sign up for Xfinity’s Gigabit Pro plan. With speeds up to 6 Gbps, this Xfinity fiber internet plan comes at a premium price of $299.95 per month to match all that speed.

While having the fastest internet around is great for bragging rights, we recommend going with the AT&T Internet 5000 plan in comparison. This plan offers almost the same performance as Xfinity, with speeds up to 5 Gbps, for nearly half the price at $180 per month. AT&T also offers 2 Gbps and 1 Gbps plans, all of which are more than enough speed for large households to stream movies, play games online, and work remotely on multiple devices simultaneously.

Internet provider Fastest plan Price Download speeds (up to) Upload speeds (up to) Connection type
Xfinity Gigabit Pro $299.95 per month 6 Gbps 6 Gbps fiber
AT&T Internet 5000 $180 per month 5 Gbps 5 Gbps fiber
Astound Broadband Powered by Wave 1.2 gig internet $50 per month 1.2 Gbps 50Mbps cables
Google Fiber web pass 1 gig $70 per month 1Gbps 1Gbps fiber
monkey brains Residential Internet $35 per month 300Mbps 300Mbps Fixed wireless

Cheapest Internet Providers in San Francisco

Even though many home services are becoming more expensive, there are plenty of cost-effective internet options out there. The 100 Mbps Internet plan from Astound Broadband Powered by Wave is the cheapest internet solution in San Francisco. With download speeds up to 100 Mbps, this plan is suitable for smaller households looking to watch television, listen to music, and casually play online games. At $19.95 per month, this internet plan comes to just $0.20 per Mbps.

Another affordable option in San Francisco is Xfinity’s Connect plan, with download speeds up to 50 Mbps for $24.99 per month. With 50 Mbps, one or two individuals can simultaneously browse, shop, and do remote work online. However, this plan on Xfinity’s cable internet network pales in comparison to local internet provider Monkeybrains. Offering download speeds up to 300 Mbps for $35 per month, Monkeybrains offers extraordinary service for the price.

Internet provider Cheapest plan Price Download speeds (up to) Internet value Connection type
Astound Broadband Powered by Wave 100 Mbps Internet $19.95 per month 100Mbps $0.20 per Mbps cables
Xfinity Connect $24.99 per month 50Mbps $0.50 per Mbps cables
monkey brains Residential Internet $35 per month 300Mbps $0.12 per Mbps Fixed wireless
T Mobile 5G home internet $50 per month 182Mbps $0.27 per Mbps 5G home internet
AT&T internet 300 $55 per month 300Mbps $0.55 per Mbps fiber

Best Internet Providers in San Francisco Based on Your Lifestyle

With all these speeds, prices, and features, picking the right internet provider can be a challenge. Instead of exhausting yourself trying to compare every single plan, check out these picks for service providers in San Francisco based on your lifestyle:

Best Internet for Gamers and Streamers: AT&T

If there’s one thing gamers and streamers have in common, it’s a need for speed. Whether you’re streaming in 4K, watching movies on multiple devices, or top fragging in your favorite FPS online multiplayer game, quick and symmetrical internet speeds are a must-have. If these activities describe your house, go with AT&T’s fiber internet with symmetrical speeds up to 5 Gbps.

Best Internet for the Budget-Conscious: Xfinity

Everything is getting more expensive these days: your morning coffee, a slice of pizza, and other necessities. If you’re looking to save on internet service in San Francisco, we recommend going with Xfinity. Not only are Xfinity’s plans affordable, but combining the internet with your other home services, such as landline, mobile phone, and home security, can help you save big time.

Best Internet for the Commitment Phobic: T-Mobile

Maybe you’re not looking for anything serious in your internet provider. If that’s the case, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet offers value without all the strings that come with other providers. Not only does T-Mobile 5G Home Internet come without hidden fees and contracts, if you don’t like your service within 15 days, you can return everything for a full refund, no questions asked.

Best Internet for Remote Workers: AT&T

Between Zoom, Slack, and every other alphabet-soup telecommuting software, there’s nothing worse than going online for an important meeting and messaging the group, “Sorry, I’m having internet issues.” For the most reliable internet service in San Francisco that won’t let you down in the middle of a Q3 presentation, choose AT&T for quick, consistent service with high-quality customer service to match.

Other Internet Providers in San Francisco

As everyone knows, sometimes the place with the most customers or reviews isn’t the one that wins your heart. Instead, that special local flavor is what draws your attention. Here are a few other great local internet providers in San Francisco that we didn’t mention above:

  • starry A newcomer to the internet scene, Starry is an innovative 5G fixed wireless internet solution with download speeds starting at 200 Mbps for just $30 per month. With unlimited data, a free Wi-Fi router, and no long-term contracts, Starry offers a constellation of savings.

  • Etheric Networks: Connecting customers in the Bay Area since 2003, Etheric Networks provides fast fixed wireless speeds throughout San Francisco. Whether you’re in a traditional residence, an RV, or a boat in the marina, Etheric Networks service offers a quick and reliable way to cut the wired internet cord starting at $99 per month.

  • sonic Originating north of San Francisco in Santa Rosa, Sonic is a homegrown California internet provider steeped in a desire to provide customers with tremendous service for reasonable prices. With gigabit-level speeds, a history of awards for privacy protection, and prices starting at $49.99 per month, Sonic is a great alternative option to the mainstream providers in the area.

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