Xfinity vs Cox: America's Two Largest Cable ISPs
Xfinity and Cox rarely compete directly in the same address — their footprints mostly don't overlap — but both regularly come up in national ISP comparisons. Using our combined testing datasets from both providers, here's how they stack up on the metrics that matter.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Xfinity | Cox | |
|---|---|---|
| Top consumer tier | 6 Gbps | 2 Gbps |
| Measured delivered speed (1 Gig tier) | 91% of advertised | 87% of advertised |
| Data cap | 1.2TB (most states) | 1.25TB (StraightUp: none) |
| Flat-rate no-increase option | No equivalent | StraightUp Internet |
| Footprint | ~40 states | ~19 states |
| Support avg. wait | 2-5 min (chat) | 2-4 min (chat) |
Where Xfinity Wins
Top-end speed and broader national availability — Xfinity's Gigabit Extra and Gigabit Pro tiers have no direct Cox equivalent, and Xfinity simply covers more of the country.
Where Cox Wins
Pricing transparency — Cox's StraightUp Internet flat-rate option with included unlimited data has no true equivalent in Xfinity's lineup, where every plan eventually steps up in price and caps data by default.
The Verdict
Since the two rarely overlap at the same address, the practical answer is usually "whichever one serves your area." Where you happen to have a genuine choice, Cox slightly edges out on pricing simplicity, while Xfinity wins for anyone who wants speeds above 1.2 Gbps.