AT&T vs. Cox

Compare AT&T and Cox internet and TV packages to find the best fit for you.

Is AT&T or Cox better for you?

AT&T and Cox offer comparable internet and TV services in many of the same areas. If your home is eligible for both services, you may be wondering, “Is AT&T or Cox better?” Depending on what you’re looking for, either service could prove to be the better one for your home.

AT&T vs. Cox quick summary

  • Affordability – While Cox offers the overall cheapest plan ($29.99/mo.), this plan will only get you 10 Mbps. For just $5/mo. more, you can get 300 Mbps with AT&T.
  • Plans options – Cox is more likely than AT&T to offer a wider variety of internet plan options in your area, especially if you are looking for plans with lower speeds.
  • Gig-speed plans – AT&T and Cox both offer gigabit internet plans with speeds up to 940 Mbps, but AT&T’s gigabit service is available in more areas and for a lower price. 
  • Bundling discounts – Cox provides discounts for bundling internet and TV and AT&T does not.
  • Customer satisfaction – AT&T ranked considerably higher in customer satisfaction than Cox for both TV and internet services in 2020, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Read on for our full breakdown of AT&T vs. Cox services, or click a link to jump to specific comparisons:

Internet packages

TV services

Internet and TV bundling

Availability

FAQs

AT&T vs. Cox internet packages

Learn more about AT&T and Cox  internet packages to find out which plan will best match your needs.

AT&T vs. Cox internet side-by-side comparison

    • Fiber optic internet and DSL (fiber/copper hybrid)
    • Starting price $35/mo.*
    • Download speeds 300 to 940 Mbps
    • No contract required
    • $10/mo. equipment fee
    • 2020 ACSI score 68/100
    View plans
    • Cable internet
    • Starting price $29.99/mo.*
    • Download speeds 10 – 940 Mbps
    • One-year service agreement required
    • $10.99/mo. equipment fee, use your own modem optional
    • 2020 ACSI score 61/100
    View plans

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 04/18/21.

Cox requires a one year service agreement for the 12-month promotional pricing and AT&T does not require any contract agreement. However, after 12 months, both providers increase prices.

In cases of early termination for AT&T, your fee will be prorated based on your plan. For Cox, all plans may be canceled within the first 30 days of service at no cost to the subscriber. After 30 days, a termination fee of up to $120 will be charged to your account.

AT&T vs Cox internet overview

AT&T: Per mo for 12 mos + taxes & equip fee. $10/mo equip fee applies. Incl 1TB data/mo. $10 chrg for each add’l 50GB (up to $100/mo)

Cox: Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 04/18/21.

*Per mo for 12 mos + taxes & equip fee.$10/mo equip fee applies. Incl unlimited internet data allowance ($30 value). Ltd avail/areas; speeds vary, Download max typically 940 Mbps. not gt’d.

**Per mo for 12 mos + taxes & equip fee.$10/mo equip fee applies. Incl unlimited internet data allowance ($30 value). Ltd avail/areas; speeds vary, Download max typically 940 Mbps. not gt’d.

Shop plans

Additional fees

AT&T: With AT&T, you will pay an additional $10/mo. for your equipment. AT&T offers the Wi-Fi Gateway, which is a modem and router combo. The installation fee for AT&T costs $99; however, you can get the fee waived if you bundle with DIRECTV or AT&T TV.

Cox: Cox’s equipment rental fee is slightly more expensive at $10.99/mo. for the Panoramic Wifi Gateway – a modem and router all-in-one. However, Cox allows you to purchase your own modem and router, which can help save you money. Just note, you will not have access to tech support if you have any issues with your equipment. Additionally, your installation bill is $20 for self-installation or $75 for professional installation. However, if you bundle with Cox TV, the self-installation fee is waived and the professional installation fee drops to $50. 

Plan spotlight: Cheap internet plans

Cox offers the cheapest internet plan out of the two providers with 10 Mbps for $29.99/mo. However, you are better off purchasing AT&T’s 100 Mbps plan for $34.99/mo., if available in your area, since you get significantly faster speeds for only a slightly higher cost. 

AT&T Internet 300

  • $35/mo. for first 12 months
  • $55/mo. after promotional 12 months 
  • 300 Mbps
  • Unlimited data
  • 1 year service agreement and then no contract required 
  • Fiber optic internet

Cox Internet Starter 10

  • $29.99/mo. for first 12 months 
  • $44.99/mo. after promotional 12 months 
  • 10 Mbps 
  • 1.25 TB monthly data cap ($10 charge for every 50 GB exceeding the data cap)
  • 1 year service agreement and then no contract required 
  • Cable internet

Plan spotlight: Internet 1000 vs. Gigablast

At $40 less each month and no data caps, AT&T’s Internet 1000 package is a considerably better deal than Cox’s Gigablast package.

AT&T internet 1000

  • $60/mo. starting price for first 12 months 
  • $80/mo. after 12-month promotional offer 
  • 940 Mbps 
  • Unlimited data
  • 1 year service agreement and then no contract required 
  • Fiber optic internet

Cox Gigablast

  • $99.99/mo. starting price for first 12 months 
  • $119.99/mo. after 12-month promotional offer 
  • 940 Mbps
  • 1.25 TB monthly data cap ($10 charge for every 50 GB exceeding the data cap)
  • 1 year service agreement and then no contract required 
  • Cable internet

Final verdict- AT&T’s plans offer a superior value 

Overall, AT&T’s fiber optic plans are a better value than any of Cox’s internet plans. In fact, AT&T fiber’s superior value remains even after the 12-month discount expires. 

With AT&T fiber, you spend less money to receive high-speed internet (above 25 Mbps). This not only includes faster download speeds, but also faster upload speeds. 

The only downside of AT&T is that its fiber service is not widely available. If you live in an area that offers AT&T DSL (fiber/copper hybrid) internet or fixed wireless internet instead of fiber optic, you may want to go with a Cox internet plan instead.

See what Cox internet plans are available, and how they compare to AT&T plans in your area. Click “Shop plans” to get started.

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AT&T vs. Cox TV service

When comparing AT&T vs. Cox, you’ll find TV services to be where the two providers differ most. AT&T has the advantage over Cox in terms of number of available packages and channels, as well as streaming options and availability. Cox does, however, feature better DVR technology with their Ultimate DVR Service, a cloud service capable of recording an insane number of shows at once, 24. 

  • AT&T

    • Satellite TV (DIRECTV or AT&T TV) or streaming service (AT&T TV NOW)
    • Plans starting at $59.99/mo.*
    • 65 – 330+ channels
    • More than 10 packages to choose from 
    • Available throughout all 50 states
    • 2-year contract

  • Cox

    • Cable TV (Cox TV) 
    • Plans starting at $25/mo.*
    • 75 – 250+ channels
    • Add-on packages for sports, premium networks or international channels
    • Record up to 24 shows at once
    • Stream live or On Demand TV with the Cox Contour App
    • 1-year contract

Which TV service should you choose?

If you are looking for a traditional live TV streaming service, then an AT&T TV NOW plan will be ideal for you. However, if you prefer something more similar to a typical cable TV subscription, then AT&T TV, DIRECTV or Cox TV are better options. 

AT&T TV vs. AT&T TV NOW: With AT&T TV NOW, you subscribe on a month-to-month basis and you don’t require any additional equipment to stream your shows, just like with Netflix. With AT&T TV, in contrast, you must commit to a two-year contract and purchase additional streaming device equipment. In exchange, you receive more channels with AT&T TV than you do with AT&T TV NOW for similar pricing in the first year. 

Expert tip – If you are looking for traditional cable TV service, go with DIRECTV

DIRECTV and Cox TV are your most traditional TV options as DIRECTV is a typical satellite service and Cox TV is a typical cable service. DIRECTV is considerably less expensive than Cox TV. For instance, to receive 250+ channels, you would pay $171.49/mo. with Cox vs. $84.99/mo. with DIRECTV. Both DIRECTV and Cox TV offer more channels than either AT&T TV or AT&T TV NOW offer.

Plan spotlight: Cox Contour TV vs. AT&T TV Xtra

Cox Contour TV

  • $69.99/mo. starting price 
  • $91.49/mo. after 12-month promotional period 
  • 140+ channels (includes ESPN, Discovery, History, A&E, TNT, HGTV & more)
  • 1-year service agreement 
  • Records up to 6 shows at once for an additional $12.99-$19.99/mo. (500 GB to 2 TB storage capacity)

AT&T TV Xtra

  • $74.99/mo. starting price 
  • $124.99/mo. after 12-month promotional period 
  • 105+ channels (regional sports network included)
  • 2-year contract
  • 500 hours of DVR storage

Final verdict- Cox TV is a better deal than AT&T TV

AT&T TV neither offers the number of channels as cable TV offers or the ease of live streaming that other services provide. With only 105+ channels, a two-year contract and additional streaming device equipment required, you are better off going with Cox TV if you want to maximize your channel selection at the best value possible. At $5 less each month and 35 more channels than AT&T TV Xtra, the Cox Contour TV package is the better value.

Learn more

AT&T vs. Cox bundling TV and internet

AT&T and Cox offer bundles with various combinations of internet, TV and home phone services. Cox also offers home security services available to add to your bundle. Only Cox offers discounts for bundling. Usually with Cox, the more expensive the bundle, the greater the savings.

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 04/18/21.

AT&T internet and TV bundles

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Speeds may vary. As of 04/18/21.

AT&T TV: Requires high speed internet. Recommend minimum Internet 25 plan (min 8 Mbps per stream for optimal viewing). Limit 3 concurrent AT&T streams. 

*$19.95 ACTIVATION, EARLY TERMINATION FEES OF $15/MO. FOR TV FOR EACH MONTH REMAINING ON AGMT., INTERNET EQUIPMENT NON-RETURN & ADD’L FEES APPLY. Price incl. AT&T TV Pkg. & is after $10/mo. bundle discount on TV for up to 12 mos. 1 AT&T TV device included for well-qualified customers; otherwise $120. New approved residential customers only, excluding DIRECTV and U-verse TV customers. Restr’s apply. See details.

Cox internet and TV bundles

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Speeds may vary. As of 04/18/21.

Final verdict- Cox offers more affordable bundle deals

Although AT&T offers better internet deals when sold without TV services, Cox offers the better bundle deals. For instance, both AT&T and Cox’s cheapest bundle package is $89.99/mo. and Cox offers both faster internet speeds (150 Mbps vs 100 Mbps) and more channels (140+ vs 65+) in this package. 

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AT&T vs. Cox availability

Roughly 18 million residents across the U.S. will have the option of AT&T and Cox internet for their home. Here’s a look at some regions and major cities where AT&T and Cox serviceability overlaps.

Important to know – Cox is more likely to offer all of its packages in your area than AT&T 

One of Cox’s greatest selling points in comparison to AT&T is that Cox is likely to give you more internet package options than AT&T, with up to five packages ranging from 10 to 940 Mbps in most areas. While AT&T also offers five packages, it is less likely to offer all five packages in your area. Instead, AT&T’s internet package options vary by whether AT&T fiber/copper hybrid internet, AT&T fixed wireless or AT&T fiber is available.

Is AT&T or Cox available in your area, or perhaps in the city you’re moving to? See more details on AT&T and Cox availability or enter your ZIP code above with our provider search tool.

AT&T vs. Cox FAQs

Can I get NFL SUNDAY TICKET with Cox?

NFL SUNDAY TICKET is a DIRECTV exclusive through the 2020 NFL season. Therefore, NFL SUNDAY TICKET is not currently available with Cox TV service or AT&T TV.

You can order both services together but getting internet from one provider and TV from another may disqualify you for savings you would get for bundling with the same provider.

Internet pricing varies by location, but Cox offers cheaper standalone internet with plans starting at $29.99/mo.* AT&T does, however, offer gigabit internet for a lower price, starting at $60.00/mo.* vs. $99.99/mo.* for Cox.

AT&T’s Fiber 1000 plan gives users download speeds up to 940 Mbps. Cox’s Gigablast internet gives users download speeds up to 1,000 Mbps. Though Cox offers slightly faster download speeds, AT&T has faster upload speeds and brings their fastest internet plan to more areas.

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Speeds may vary. As of 04/18/22.

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Taylor Gadsden

Written by:

Taylor Gadsden

Writer, Broadband & Wireless Content

Taylor is a veteran member of the Allconnect content team and has spearheaded a number of projects, including a data piece on the top fiber cities in the U.S. and a troubleshooting guide on how to connect your p… Read more

Robin Layton

Edited by:

Robin Layton

Editor, Broadband Content

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