GoNetspeed and Comcast are both good internet options to consider if they are available at your service address. For most people with access to both services, GoNetspeed is likely the best choice. The performance you can get with a fiber-based internet service is unmatched.
However, there are several good reasons to consider Comcast (Xfinity) as well. The primary benefit is bundle savings. If you plan to get Xfinity Cable TV Service or Xfinity Voice Service, it makes perfect sense to bundle your internet into your plan as it will save you a significant amount of money vs buying internet service separately.
| GoNetspeed | Comcast | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Technology | Fiber | Cable |
| Release Date | 1998 | 1996 |
| Download Speeds | 300 – 1000 Mbps | 200 – 2000 Mbps |
| Upload Speeds | 300 – 1000 Mbps | 10 – 35 Mbps |
| Latency (Ping) | 8 ms – 20 ms | 12 ms – 25 ms |
| Ping Stability | Very Good | Very Good |
| Ease of Setup | Easy | Easy |
| Upfront Cost | $0 | $0 |
| Monthly Service Cost | $55 – $90 | $45 – $200 |
| Contracts | No | No |
| Free Trial | No | No |
| Data Caps | No | 1.2 TB Hard Cap |
| Publicly Routable IP Address | Extra $10 per month | Included |
Table of Contents
GoNetspeed vs Comcast (Xfinity) Key Differences
- GoNetspeed upload speeds are much faster.
- Comcast offers faster downloads on their top plan.
- GoNetspeed has no data caps, whereas Comcast has a 1.2 TB cap.
- Comcast includes a publicly routable IP with its internet.
- GoNetspeed charges $10 per month extra for a publicly routable IP address.
- Comcast has a much wider service availability than GoNetspeed.
Pricing Comparison Between GoNetspeed and Comcast
GoNetspeed will cost you between $55 and $90 per month for internet service, depending on your choice of plan. These prices include discounts for autopay and paperless billing. If you do not opt into autopay and paperless billing, your bill will increase by $10 – $15 per month. However, if you are a gamer, use port forwarding, or host a Plex server, there is an additional expense that you will incur with GoNetspeed.
Pricing for GoNetspeed does not include a publicly routable IP address. Instead, they include a CGNAT private IP address. If you need a publicly routable IP, it will cost you an additional $10 per month.
Comcast costs between $45 – 200 per month, depending on which plan you choose to subscribe to. As with most ISPs, the faster plans, on average, cost more. The 2 Gbps plan from Comcast is by far their most expensive service at $200 per month.
Most people have no need for internet speeds over 1 Gbps. For many, 200 Mbps is more than enough, especially for a single-user household. Most people can get Xfinity at a discounted rate for 6 -12 months by signing up for one of their many new customer promotions. Expect to spend between $45 – $80 per month to get internet service from Xfinity.
One important thing to know about Comcast (Xfinity) is that they charge you through the roof for renting a modem.
You can expect to pay an additional $15 monthly in modem rental fees if you use their modem. You can easily get around this by purchasing your own modem and router instead. In most cases, I would highly recommend getting your own modem and router anyway, as it tends to perform better and be more secure overall.
Data Caps
All GoNetspeed plans currently include unlimited data. There is no caps, no throttling, and no overage fees.
Xfinity has a hard data cap of 1.2 TB that you are not allowed to exceed without getting charged for additional data. This is standard for Comcast in most regions. Interestingly in the Northeast Region, Comcast includes unlimited data on all of its plans.
Most people do not use more than 1.2 TB of data per month. Regardless, it is something that you should be aware of for sure if you are considering Comcast Internet.
GoNetspeed vs Comcast Download and Upload Speeds
GoNetspeed and Comcast (Xfinity) both offer similar plans. There are some differences between the speeds offered 200 Mbps vs 300 Mbps plans and 400 Mbps vs 500 Mbps plans. Still, download speeds advertised are very similar between both providers.
Real-world testing shows that both GoNetspeed and Comcast reliably deliver between 95% – 120% of advertised download speeds. When it comes to download speeds, you really can’t go wrong with GoNetspeed or with Comcast. If you go with a gigabit plan, you will consistently get 940 Mbps+ with either ISP.
| Advertised Download Speed | Average Download Speed | Advertised Upload Speed | Average Upload Speed | |
| GoNetspeed 300 Mbps Plan | 300 Mbps | 307 Mbps | 300 Mbps | 310 Mbps |
| Comcast 200 Mbps Plan | 200 Mbps | 238 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| GoNetspeed 500 Mbps Plan | 500 Mbps | 502 Mbps | 500 Mbps | 514 Mbps |
| Comcast 400 Mbps Plan | 479 Mbps | 479 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
| GoNetspeed 1 Gbps Plan | 1 Gbps | 945 Mbps | 1 Gbps | 943 Mbps |
| Comcast 1 Gbps Plan | 1 Gbps | 943 Mbps | 35 Mbps | 42 Mbps |
Upload speeds are not so similar due to differences in technology used to deliver service. This is to be expected as fiber-based internet services are generally symmetrical in nature, whereas cable-based internet services are generally asymmetrical in nature.
GoNetspeed upload speeds are significantly higher than what is currently offered by Comcast (Xfinity). Comcast currently offers a max of 35 Mbps upload speed on its gigabit plan and upload speeds as slow as 10 Mbps on its lowest plans. Comcast is planning to dramatically increase upload speeds in the next 12 – 24 months with the rollout of DOCSIS 4 and 10g technology from CableLabs.
If upload speed is important to you, GoNetspeed is the better option, at least for now. DOCSIS 4 could be a game changer, but fiber will likely continue to hold the advantage in upload performance.
Latency and Stability
| GoNetspeed Internet | Comcast Internet | |
| Average Latency (Off Peak Hours) | 7 ms – 20 ms | 10 ms – 25 ms |
| Average Latency (Peak Hours) | 7 ms – 23 ms | 10 ms – 30 ms |
| Latency (Max Spikes) (Off Peak) | 30 ms – 35 ms | 40 ms – 45 ms |
| Latency (Max Spikes) (Peak) | 30 ms – 40 ms | 45 ms – 55 ms |
Both internet services offer outstanding connection stability and low latency. Whether you work from home, attend virtual meetings via Zoom, play online games, etc., you can benefit from having a stable and consistent internet connection.
In general, the fiber network design of GoNetspeed gives it a small advantage in overall latency. However, most people would be hard-pressed to notice any appreciable difference.
GoNetspeed Fiber vs Comcast Internet for Gaming
Both GoNetspeed and Comcast are great choices for online gaming. There are pros and cons to each. GoNetspeed does, however, come with one important caveat that you should be aware of.
Latency and jitter are both very low with GoNetspeed and Xfinity. This makes both a solid choice for gaming. Ping stability is generally more important than raw speed for gaming. Whether you game on PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, or Steam, performance is not an issue with either internet service.
The biggest issue that some people will run into with gaming on GoNetspeed is NAT type issues due to the use of CGNAT IP addresses rather than publicly routable IP addresses. If you wish to get a publicly routable IP address with GoNetspeed, it will cost you an additional $10 per month. If you are serious about gaming, you will want to go that route, as you can’t forward ports or take advantage of UPnP without having a public IP address assigned directly to your router.
As with most large ISPs, Comcast assigns its residential customers a dynamic, publicly routable IP address. This is included and does not require paying additional money each month.
Service Reliability
Based on my experience and the experience shared by others on Reddit, Quora, and Facebook GoNetspeed is generally very reliable and experiences minimal downtime. This makes sense given that generally, internet-delivered via fiber is more reliable than internet delivered via copper.
However, I was extremely pleased with the reliability I saw during my testing with Comcast (Xfinity) Internet. During my 90-day period testing Comcast Internet, overall reliability was 99.87%, according to Uptime Monitor. This is extremely good for a best-effort residential-class internet service and borders on what you would expect with a lower-end business-class internet connection.
Customer Service
Comcast offers customer service to their residential and commercial customers via email, chat, phone, and in-person via Xfinity Stores. Overall I found that their support is generally acceptable but often involved a lengthy wait on hold if I called during peak hours. Another complaint I had with Xfinity support was the fact that I had to be transferred multiple times on each call, and sometimes during the transfer, the call would just drop.
GoNetspeed is kind of a mixed bag when it comes to support quality. Depending on who you talk to, you may get someone who is genuinely helpful, or you may get a person reading off the script that was given to them 5 years ago. Based on reviews from Yelp, BBB, and Trust Pilot, I would rate GoNetspeed’s customer service as 3/5 stars.
This is slightly higher than the industry average but nothing to write home about. It is pretty average quality support.
Overall I would say that Comcast and GoNetspeed offer a similar support experience, and the quality of support will vary depending on the support rep you get when you call.
Who is GoNetspeed Internet Best For
GoNetspeed is a really good choice for anyone who lives in their service areas. They offer fair pricing and fast internet speeds in both directions. Customer service was acceptable, and able to resolve issues most of the time on the first call.
GoNetspeed is ideal for anyone who needs a very reliable internet connection. If you work from home, run a business from home, or have other critical needs, GoNetspeed is a decent choice, and its pricing is pretty competitive.
Who is Comcast Internet Best For
Like GoNetspeed, Comcast (Xfinity) Internet is also a really good choice for most people, including those who need a fast and reliable connection to the Internet. Comcast Internet is suitable for virtually all internet users, including gamers, streamers, remote workers, and more. The only downside that I found with Xfinity was lower upload speeds. For most people, this will not make much of a difference, and Comcast upload speeds are likely going to increase in the coming months anyways.
Alternatives to GoNetspeed and Xfinity to Consider
There are several other internet service providers that you should also consider looking into. A short list of my personal recommendations includes:
- Spectrum Internet
- Verizon Fios Internet
- Fidium Fiber Internet
- AT&T Fiber Internet
- Breezeline Internet
GoNetspeed or Comcast Internet Service: Which is Better
For most people, either service would be fine. Given the option of either service at my home, I would go with GoNetspeed for the faster upload speeds. That said, Comcast is also a solid option. Not needing to pay extra for a publicly routable IP address is also a plus.
Bundle pricing makes Comcast a logical choice for people who also wish to keep their cable TV service. In contrast to that, the unlimited data offered with all GoNetspeed plans makes it ideal for cord-cutters who do lots of streaming. The question of going with GoNetspeed vs Comcast for home internet is really about what is right for your specific situation. Both services perform solidly in all key areas.