Compare Cox vs. CenturyLink

Is Cox or CenturyLink better for you?

At Allconnect®, we’ve researched Cox and CenturyLink for you so you can easily compare and choose the best provider and services for your home. Depending on where you live, what internet speeds you want and what TV entertainment you prefer, you may find that either Cox or CenturyLink better fits your unique needs. 

As ranked by Reviews.com as of 8/7/18 and 8/10/18.

• Best internet price-lock guarantee: CenturyLink lets you keep the same monthly internet service rate as long as you have CenturyLink service, and you don’t have to sign a contract.
• Best for internet plan variety: Cox offers more standalone internet plans and speeds than CenturyLink with 10 Mbps, 30 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 300 Mbps and 1,000 Mbps plans available.
• Best for high cable TV customer satisfaction: Cox ranks higher than other cable companies according to the ACSI subscription television service 2018 ratings. Cox received a 60 out of 100 rating in 2018.

Reviews.com is owned and operated by an affiliate of Allconnect, Inc. However, Allconnect, Inc. is not involved in or responsible for the production of Reviews.com content, including the rankings cited on this page.

Cox vs. CenturyLink quick comparison

Cox and CenturyLink both offer fast internet with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps, and both providers offer no-contract internet plans. While CenturyLink has more availability across the U.S., CenturyLink fiber speeds are only offered in select cities.

*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 9/24/18.

To learn more about how CenturyLink and Cox stack up, check out a full comparison of their TV plans, internet packages and bundles.

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Cox vs. CenturyLink availability

Cox offers internet, TV and home phone services in select areas of 18 states. CenturyLink offers internet, TV and home phone services in certain regions of 35 states.

Regions where the two providers overlap include Las Vegas, Nevada, Phoenix, Arizona, parts of eastern Kansas, the Florida panhandle and other regions.

Areas where service availability differs significantly include southern California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Minnesota and many other states. For instance, Cox offers services along the southeast coast of Virginia and near Washington, D.C., while Cox offers services throughout central and western Virginia.

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Cox vs. CenturyLink packages

Cox provides cable internet, TV and digital phone packages while CenturyLink offers high-speed DSL internet, home phone and fiber internet plans. If you want a CenturyLink TV package, CenturyLink partners with DIRECTV to offer satellite TV bundles.

Cox gives customers more internet speed package options, but CenturyLink offers more TV package choices through DIRECTV. While Cox standalone TV services cost more than DIRECTV plans, Cox packages offer customers higher savings and lower overall prices when you bundle.

*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 9/24/18.

A Cox bundle can be especially valuable to you if you already plan to get Cox TV services—by bundling internet with TV, you can essentially add internet service for $25 instead of $50.

What shoppers should consider in different regions

CenturyLink’s pricing is pretty consistent across the U.S., but the highest speed ranges may not be available depending on your address. Cox doesn’t have as much availability as CenturyLink, but where both providers are available, Cox will likely offer a better package deal.

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Cox vs. CenturyLink internet

Compare speed options based on lowest starting price

	Starting price	Starting speeds	Fastest speeds	Data caps	Included equipment	Contract	Wi-Fi hotspots	Buy now
	$19.99/mo.*	10 Mbps	1,000 Mbps	1 TB	None, equipment available to rent	No contract & 1-year term agreements available	Access to 500,000+ with qualifying plans	Shop now
	$45/mo.*	3 Mbps to 20 Mbps	1,000 Mbps	1 TB with DSL, no limit with Gigabit	None, equipment available to rent	None required	Not available	Shop now

*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 9/24/18.

One thing to note is that Cox gives you the option to get standalone internet plans without a contract. No-contract, standalone internet plans cost slightly more, but even with the higher prices, most Cox internet plans cost less than CenturyLink internet plans with similar speeds. However, CenturyLink’s fastest internet plan with speeds up to 1 Gbps costs $85/mo.* compared to Cox’s fastest gig speed internet plan, which costs $119.99/mo.* Another major difference between the two internet providers is CenturyLink’s lack of Wi-Fi hotspots.

*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 9/24/18.

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Cox vs. CenturyLink cheap internet plans

The cheapest internet plan in your area will likely be an Cox internet plan unless you are looking for gig speeds. If you want speeds up to 1,000 Mbps, CenturyLink offers a better deal with fiber internet speeds up to 1,000 Mbps for $85/mo.* Plus, with CenturyLink, you can lock in your price for life and enjoy super fast internet for $85/mo.* as long as you keep CenturyLink.

Overall, Cox offers a higher variety of internet speeds and tends to have lower pricing for comparable speeds.

*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 9/24/18.

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Cox vs. CenturyLink fastest internet plans

Cox and CenturyLink both offer gig speed internet plans. CenturyLink 1 Gbps internet plans cost less than Cox 1 Gbps internet plans.

Is CenturyLink internet fast?

Most areas with CenturyLink internet have access to CenturyLink’s DSL internet. DSL internet can reach up to 140 Mbps, which supports streaming and multiple devices. CenturyLink also has internet plans with speeds up to 1 Gbps. Using a fiber internet connection, CenturyLink offers gig speed internet in select U.S. cities, including Denver, CO, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, and other major metro 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. As of 9/24/18.

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Cox vs. CenturyLink TV

CenturyLink partners with DIRECTV to give customers TV options. DIRECTV is great for sports watchers and gives customers many more channel package choices compared to Cox’s main TV plan, Cox Contour TV. As you compare Cox TV to DIRECTV, consider the following:

Comparing these factors can help you find the best TV provider and plan for you.

Cox vs. CenturyLink/DIRECTV TV costs

DIRECTV plans and equipment cost less than Cox Contour TV. Not only do DIRECTV packages start at a lower cost than Cox Contour TV options, equipment and installation cost less too.

You should also consider the cost of adding more channels to Cox Contour TV with Cox Channel Paks. While the Cox Contour Economy Pak gives you 23 additional channels for $15/mo.*, many of the channels in the Cox Economy Pak come with DIRECTV’s cheapest TV plan.

If your TV choice comes down to cost, you should also consider that CenturyLink offers exclusive savings on certain DIRECTV packages. You can save on your monthly rate when you choose DIRECTV XTRA or DIRECTV ULTIMATE.

*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 9/24/18.

Cox vs. CenturyLink/DIRECTV TV channel packages

Cox offers 1 standalone channel package. However, if you bundle TV with other Cox services, you can choose from additional TV plan options such as Cox Contour TV Ultimate. Cox’s highest channel count is more than 250 channels. In contrast to Cox’s single, standalone TV plan, DIRECTV offers 5 channel packages with CenturyLink. 

Cox doesn’t offer as many packages as DIRECTV, but as a cable TV provider, you’re less likely to experience service interruptions. Cox also doesn’t tie you up in a contract. However, DIRECTV offers more package options, lower prices and better sports channel lineups.

Is DIRECTV or Cox better for sports?

DIRECTV is the better option for sports watchers. Cox Contour TV includes some sports channels that DIRECTV SELECT does not. Channels Cox Contour gives you that aren’t offered with DIRECTV SELECT include ESPN, ESPN 2, FOX Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Golf Channel, Outdoor Channel and Spectrum Sportsnet. However, DIRECTV CHOICE costs $50/mo.* and offers many of these channels such as ESPN, ESPN2 and FOX Sports 1. You’ll also get NFL SUNDAY TICKET, NFL Network, NBC Sports Network, MLB Network, SEC Network and the Big Ten Network with DIRECTV CHOICE, all for less than Cox Contour TV’s starting price.

*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 9/24/18.

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Cox vs. CenturyLink customer satisfaction

In 2018, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) ranked Cox 1 point ahead of CenturyLink in its internet service providers rankings. Cox received a 59 out of 100 and CenturyLink received a 58 out of 100.

ACSI internet service providers ranking

	2017	2018
	62	59
	59	58

Cox has a 1.6 star rating on ConsumerAffairs while CenturyLink has a 1.2 star rating.

Last updated 9/24/18.