Best Internet Providers in Cleveland, Ohio

What is the best internet provider in Cleveland?

Spectrum is CNET’s pick for the best Internet provider for Cleveland residents, due to the availability and affordable options in the city. Of course, Spectrum isn’t the only internet game in town, but your options depend on where you live in Forest City. AT&T’s fiber optic internet service offers speeds of up to 5,000 megabits per second, making it the fastest internet provider in Cleveland. Unfortunately, AT&T fiber is only available at a small portion of addresses in the area.

Cleveland residents also have access to 5G home internet (from Verizon and T-Mobile) and satellite internet from HughesNet, Viasat and Starlink. If you already have a cell phone plan through Verizon or T-Mobile, you get access to home internet discounts that make these providers quite attractive. Plans start from $35 per month. Otherwise, Spectrum offers the cheapest internet plan in Cleveland for $50 for 500 Mbps. Some areas also support the $30 per month plan that gets you 100 Mbps speed.

Best Internet Providers in Cleveland, Ohio

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

All available residential internet providers in Cleveland

Some Cleveland residents may be fortunate enough to have a few choices when it comes to their ISP. If you find yourself in this situation, we recommend fiber optic internet if available for its speed and stability. For those who live in parts of the city without access to the options mentioned above, here are the other choices:

• HughesNet: Hopefully, if you’re in Cleveland or the surrounding suburbs, you won’t need satellite internet. It’s only available at speeds of 25 Mbps, with prices starting at $50 with a two-year contract and equipment costs.
• Starlink: Cleveland is one of the cities with access to SpaceX’s satellite internet, but like the other satellite internet options, we don’t recommend it for city dwellers. First of all, it’s pricey, with a starting price of $600 for equipment, and the speeds don’t match most wired connections.
• T-Mobile Home Internet: Cleveland residents also have access to T-Mobile’s 5G internet, which is available for $50 to $70 per month and offers speeds up to 245 Mbps.
• Viasat: Viasat’s monthly prices start at $50 and go up to $300, with speeds ranging from 25 to 100 Mbps, depending on your chosen plan.

Pricing information for home internet service in Cleveland

Like its sister cities in Ohio, Cleveland residents can expect an average monthly starting price of $51 for home internet. The cheapest plan is Spectrum’s $50 per month plan for 500 Mbps download speeds.

Cheap Internet Options in the Cleveland Metro Area

If you want the most affordable internet in Cleveland, Spectrum is the place for you. While it’s not available to every address, this provider offers 500 Mbps internet starting at $50 per month (some areas may also qualify for the 100 Mbps plan for $30). Other options include AT&T Fiber, which costs just $5 more per month.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What is the state of broadband in Cleveland?

The average download speed in Cleveland is around 216 Mbps, and there are options available from Spectrum and AT&T that exceed that. Plans that offer speeds around a gig are available for select AT&T and Spectrum addresses.

Fastest Internet Providers in Cleveland

AT&T Fiber multi-gigabit plans may be available in certain areas of Cleveland, but availability is extremely limited. For most residents, the fastest plans are available around a performance and are available from Spectrum and AT&T Fiber.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What’s the final word on internet providers in Cleveland?

Cleveland’s internet options can be quite confusing because the same ISP charges different prices based on address. Most providers hope you don’t notice because they think you’re stuck with the options they offer you. But the arrival of 5G home internet service means consumers now have some additional options, even if that just means extra leverage to negotiate better with your ISP. One thing is certain: if you have access to fiber optic internet, we recommend that you opt for it.

How CNET chose the best Internet providers in Cleveland

Internet providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what is our approach? We’ll start by researching the price, availability, and speed information using our own historical ISP data, carrier sites, and Federal Communications Commission mapping information at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our records and make sure we’re considering every ISP that provides service in a given area. We also enter local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. To assess how satisfied customers are with an ISP’s service, we look to sources such as the American Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate at the time of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

• Does the provider offer access to reasonably high internet speeds?
• Do customers get a good price for what they pay?
• Are customers satisfied with their service?

Although the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, we recommend the providers who come closest to ‘yes’ to all three questions.

Visit our How We Test ISPs page to explore our process in more depth.

Frequently Asked Questions About Internet Service Providers in Cleveland