AT&T vs. Cox

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).

AT&T vs. Cox ratings 

Overall, if AT&T fiber is in your area, that is almost always your best option for internet service. AT&T offers a great value for high-speed internet and is one of the most reliable internet providers available. 

Cox internet is a good option, but because it uses cable internet instead of fiber internet, it’s not as reliable with its service and you won’t get close to the value you can get with AT&T fiber. If you are choosing between AT&T DSL and Cox, however, Cox is your better option.

How we scored internet providers

We evaluate broadband providers in four categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to impact the provider’s overall score.

We evaluate broadband providers in four categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to impact the provider’s overall score.

For each sub-factor, we score all providers on a continuous scale of 1 to 5, relative to the industry as a whole. Because the average download speed in America is currently 180 Mbps, for example, we assigned all plans with download speeds between 100 and 299 Mbps a score between 3 and 4. Xfinity’s 200 Mbps plan received a 3.50 score for download speed, while Spectrum’s 400 Mbps plan got a 4.16.

We only considered standardized data points in our scoring system. More abstract data like consistency of service and brand reputation is still part of our analysis, but we opted to let our writers address them in the context of each review.

Learn more about our methodology

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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 internet

*PABP & Paperless billing + taxes and equip fee. Price includes $5/mo. AutoPay & Paperless billing discount (within 2 bills). $10/mo. equip. fee applies. Prices updated 05/07/21.
**ABP & Paperless billing + taxes and equip fee after $5/mo. AutoPay & Paperless billing discount (within 2 bills). $10/mo. equip. fee applies. Incl. 1TB data/mo.; overage chrgs apply. Prices updated 09/01/21.

Cox internet

*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. Last updated 09/01/21

Which plan should you choose?

Best overall internet plans: AT&T Fiber Internet 300 and 500 

AT&T offers the best internet plans overall. If you are looking for cheaper internet, go with the 300 Mbps plan for $35/mo. However, if you want the best deal overall, we would recommend choosing the AT&T 500 Mbps plan for $45/mo. The 500 Mbps plan is best for households with 4+ people who use the internet heavily. If AT&T fiber isn’t available to you, however, we would recommend going with the Cox Internet Preferred 150 plan for $49.99/mo. 

Cheapest internet plans: Cox Internet Starter 25 and Cox Internet Essential 50 

Cox’s main selling point over AT&T is that it offers cheaper internet plans. Its cheapest internet plan provides 25 Mbps for $19.99/mo., and if you are looking for slightly faster speeds, you can upgrade to 50 Mbps for just $10/mo. more. These plans are best for light internet users who want the cheapest internet plan they can get while still receiving broadband speeds. 

Fastest internet plans: AT&T Fiber Internet 1000 and Cox Gigablast 

Both AT&T and Cox offer Gig speed internet plans. We would recommend going with AT&T since AT&T offers Gig speeds for a cheaper price and it provides faster upload speeds than Cox. For instance, while Cox offers a Gig plan of 940/35 (download/upload) Mbps for $99.99/mo., AT&T offers a Gig plan of 940/940 Mbps for $60/mo. 

Low-income internet options 

Both Cox and AT&T offer cheap internet plans for low-income households. Through Access from AT&T, qualifying participants can access speeds up to 25 Mbps for $10/mo. Cox offers a similar package deal through its program Connect2Compete. Through Cox Connect2Compete, qualifying participants can access speeds up to 15 Mbps for $9.95/mo. 

Another option currently available is the Emergency Broadband Benefit. Although this program is temporary, qualifying households can receive a $50/mo. discount on internet service with select internet providers. Both AT&T and Cox accept the EBB discount. 
Learn more about low-income internet options

Additional costs 

Equipment fee

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. 

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. 

Contracts and promotional pricing

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. You can expect a price increase of $20/mo. With AT&T and a price increase of $25-$30/mo. with Cox. 

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 bundling TV and internet

AT&T no longer offers any TV services. However, customers looking to bundle can still choose to bundle AT&T Internet and DIRECTV together. You won’t receive any bundle deals or even receive a joint bill, but you will be able to receive high-quality internet and TV service. Cox, on the other hand, does offer excellent bundle deals, including major discounts for bundling any combination of internet, TV, home phone and even home security. Usually with Cox, the more expensive the bundle, the greater the savings.

AT&T Internet and DIRECTV bundles

Limited availability. May not be available in your area. Call to see if you qualify.

*$19.95 ACTIVATION, EARLY TERMINATION FEE OF $20/MO. FOR TV FOR EACH MONTH REMAINING ON AGMT., EQUIPMENT NON-RETURN & ADD’L FEES APPLY. Price incl. Internet after $5/mo. autopay & paperless discount and TV Pkg., monthly service & equip. fees for 1 HD DVR & is after $5/mo. autopay & paperless bill discount for up to 12 mos. Discounts start w/in 3 bills. New approved residential customers only. Equipment lease and credit card req’d. Restr’s apply. See details. *With 24-mo. agmt and [CHOICE or ULTIMATE/OPTIMO MAS or MAS ULTRA] Package (min. $69.99/mo. for 12 mo. before discounts. Price higher in 2nd year. Regional Sports Fee up to $9.99/mo. applies). HBO Max, Cinemax®, SHOWTIME®, STARZ®, and EPIX® are included for 3 months and auto-renews thereafter at then prevailing rates (currently $14.99/mo. for HBO Max, $10.99/mo. each for Cinemax, SHOWTIME and STARZ and $5.99/mo. for EPIX), unless you call to change or cancel. Req’s you to select offers.

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 09/01/21.

AT&T vs. Cox TV service

AT&T does not offer its own TV service anymore, but DIRECTV is still available. DIRECTV offers both a satellite TV service and a new streaming service, known as DIRECTV STREAM. DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t offer as many channels as DIRECTV, but it also doesn’t require contracts or installation. 

Cox TV, on the other hand, is a cable TV service. Cox TV provides three main TV plans with channels ranging between 140 and 250+ channels.

Expert tip: If you’re looking for a traditional 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 a better value than Cox TV. For instance, to receive 250+ channels, you would pay $130/mo. with Cox vs. $84.99/mo. with DIRECTV. If you’re looking to cut the cord, however, go with DIRECTV STREAM.