Which San Francisco internet service provider is right for you?
Hitoshi Nishimura/Getty Images, Tanya Ta/Hearst
Finding the best internet provider in your area means knowing what makes a great internet provider. The best internet providers perform strongly in at least one of five key ways: availability, speed, affordability, reliability, and customer service. Depending on their needs, different people value different aspects of internet performance. But how do you really know how well an internet service will work for you before you subscribe? That’s where we come in.
Californians are fortunate to have the eight-fastest internet speeds in the nation, according to tests run by HighSpeedInternet.com. San Francisco specifically is a very competitive internet market. It has more than a dozen internet providers focused on keeping the city’s tech-savvy population connected — which makes finding the right service a daunting task.
Luckily, it’s become easier in the past year to find a good value. Even as average download speeds rose between 2015 and 2022, the average cost declined, dropping 52.7% over the same period, according to the most recent Broadband Pricing Index. And that speaks to one of the most important factors when choosing an internet provider — what you’re getting for your money.
We’ve done that hard work for you. When evaluating internet providers, we assess ISPs for a specific region, and look for providers that excel in availability, speed, affordability, reliability, and customer service.While every provider offers a different blend of qualities, each of the companies we recommend delivers reliable and fast city coverage and performs consistently well on one or more of our other core attributes. Whether you’re a casual internet scroller, a hard-core gamer, a tech magnate, or a small business owner, leave it to us to find the right internet provider for you.
Editor's Note: Prices and service information are updated as of June 19, 2023.
Best Internet Providers in San Francisco
Best Overall Internet Provider in San Francisco
Availability: 96.2%
Plans and pricing: $55-$80 per month
Speed range: 25 Mbps - 5 Gbps
Service details: No contracts or data caps; router included
Connection types: Fiber, DSL, and fixed wireless
Why You Should Choose AT&T
- Wide selection of fiber internet speeds
- Largest fiber internet network in San Francisco
- Frequent gift cards and sign-up perks
Who AT&T Suits Best
- Large households with numerous devices
- Individuals who need upload speeds, such as content creators or remote workers
Check AT&T Internet Availability
AT&T offers San Francisco the best combination of speeds, affordability, and reliability. With exceptional download and upload speeds up to 5 Gbps, AT&T’s fiber network covers more neighborhoods in San Francisco than all other fiber internet providers in the area — including Xfinity.
While Xfinity may be faster overall, AT&T offers competitively priced fiber plans for any household. Xfinity, on the other hand, only offers one expensive fiber plan. AT&T internet plans also frequently come with discounts and perks, such as Visa Reward cards for signing up and access to AT&T’s nationwide free public Wi-Fi network. AT&T has also won awards for its long-standing reliability and outstanding customer service, beating Xfinity in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) multiple years in a row.
Fastest Internet Provider in San Francisco
Availability: 97.8%
Plans and pricing: $24.99-$299.95 per month
Speed range: 75-6000Mbps
Service details Contracts optional, unlimited data and free router on plans above 300 Mbps
Connection types: Cable and fiber
Why You Should Choose Xfinity
- Lightning-fast fiber internet speeds
- Multiple home services, including TV, phone, mobile, and home security
- Exclusive and significant bundling discounts
Who Xfinity Suits Best
- Homes with various home service necessities
- People who like the convenience of one all-inclusive provider
Check Xfinity Internet Availability
Xfinity offers convenience, value, and expansive availability to subscribers in San Francisco. Unlike AT&T and T-Mobile, Xfinity provides customers with a multitude of home service options, including TV, phone, mobile, and home security. By putting everything on one bill, Xfinity can provide discounts on multiple services and deliver lightning speeds up to 6 Gbps at the same time.
While Xfinity cable internet services are available virtually everywhere in San Francisco, Xfinity fiber services are more limited in the Richmond District, Sunset District, Twin Peaks, and Bernal Heights.
Best 5G Internet Provider in San Francisco
Availability: 98.6%
Plans and pricing: $50 per month
Speed range: 33-182 Mbps
Service details: No contracts or data caps, Wi-Fi Gateway included
Connection type: 5G Home Internet
Why You Should Choose T-Mobile
- One plan, one price model
- Effortless self-installation process
- Various perks for signing up
Who T-Mobile Suits Best
- People looking for uncomplicated internet with no hidden fees or commitments
- Smaller households with flexible internet needs
Check T-Mobile Internet Availability
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet breaks from the provider pack by offering straightforward plan pricing, simple installation, and no hidden fees. Operating on the company’s award-winning 5G network, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet only offers one plan for $50 per month with download speeds up to 182 Mbps. While AT&T and Xfinity will require you to pay more for increased speeds, T-Mobile lets you tap into the full power of the included and easy-to-install 5G Wi-Fi Gateway at no extra cost.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet has no hidden fees or data caps, so you won’t have to pay for installation or other monthly charges like with AT&T and Xfinity. When you sign up with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, you also don’t have to sign anything to get started or qualify for perks, such as free streaming services or discounted prices. Simply sign up, install the service yourself, and start enjoying your 5G internet.
The Best Internet Providers in San Francisco
| Category | Best overall internet provider | Fastest internet provider | Cheapest internet provider | Best 5G internet provider | Best bundling internet provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | AT&T | Xfinity | Astound Broadband Powered by Wave | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | Xfinity |
| Price range | $55 to $180 per month | $24.99 to $299.95 per month | $19.95 to $50 per month | $50 per month | $24.99 to $299.95 per month |
| Download speeds | Up to 5 Gbps | Up to 6 Gbps | Up to 1.2 Gbps | Up to 182 Mbps | Up to 6 Gbps |
| Contract requirement | No contracts | Contracts optional | No contracts | No contracts | Contracts optional |
| Data caps | Unlimited | 1.2 TB to unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 1.2 TB to unlimited |
| ACSI score | 69 out of 100 | 66 out of 100 | N/A | 71 out of 100 | 66 out of 100 |
| Bundles | TV, mobile, and phone | TV, phone, mobile, and home security | Phone | Mobile | TV, phone, mobile, and home security |
| Connection types | Fiber, DSL, and fixed wireless | Cable and fiber | Cable | 5G Home Internet | Cable and fiber |
Fastest Internet Providers in San Francisco
If you need the absolute fastest internet in San Francisco, then you should sign up for Xfinity’s Gigabit Pro plan. With speeds up to 6 Gbps, this Xfinity fiber internet plan comes at a premium price of $299.95 per month to match all that speed.
While having the fastest internet around is great for bragging rights, we recommend going with the AT&T Internet 5000 plan in comparison. This plan offers almost the same performance as Xfinity, with speeds up to 5 Gbps, for nearly half the price at $180 per month. AT&T also offers 2 Gbps and 1 Gbps plans, all of which are more than enough speed for large households to stream movies, play games online, and work remotely on multiple devices simultaneously.
| Internet provider | Fastest plan | Price | Download speeds (up to) | Upload speeds (up to) | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Gigabit Pro | $299.95 per month | 6 Gbps | 6 Gbps | Fiber |
| AT&T | Internet 5000 | $180 per month | 5 Gbps | 5 Gbps | Fiber |
| Astound Broadband Powered by Wave | 1.2 Gig Internet | $50 per month | 1.2 Gbps | 50 Mbps | Cable |
| Google Fiber Webpass | 1 Gig | $70 per month | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | Fiber |
| Monkeybrains | Residential Internet | $35 per month | Starts at 10mbps and goes up to 10 gig | Starts at 10mbps and goes up to 10 gig | Fixed wireless |
Cheapest Internet Providers in San Francisco
Even though many home services are becoming more expensive, there are plenty of cost-effective internet options out there. The 100 Mbps Internet plan from Astound Broadband Powered by Wave is the cheapest internet solution in San Francisco. With download speeds up to 100 Mbps, this plan is suitable for smaller households looking to watch television, listen to music, and casually play online games. At $19.95 per month, this internet plan comes to just $0.20 per Mbps.
Another affordable option in San Francisco is Xfinity’s Connect plan, with download speeds up to 50 Mbps for $24.99 per month. With 50 Mbps, one or two individuals can simultaneously browse, shop, and do remote work online. However, this plan on Xfinity’s cable internet network pales in comparison to local internet provider Monkeybrains. Offering symmetrical upload and download speeds between 10mbps and 10 gig for $35 per month, Monkeybrains offers extraordinary service for the price.
| Internet provider | Cheapest plan | Price | Download speeds (up to) | Internet value | Connection type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astound Broadband Powered by Wave | 100 Mbps Internet | $19.95 per month | 100 Mbps | $0.20 per Mbps | Cable |
| Xfinity | Connect | $24.99 per month | 50 Mbps | $0.50 per Mbps | Cable |
| Monkeybrains | Residential Internet | $35 per month | Starts at 10mbps and goes up to 10 gig | Varies depending on speed, but monthly cost fixed at $35 | Fixed wireless |
| T-Mobile | 5G Home Internet | $50 per month | 182 Mbps | $0.27 per Mbps | 5G Home Internet |
| AT&T | Internet 300 | $55 per month | 300 Mbps | $0.55 per Mbps | Fiber |
Best Internet Providers in San Francisco Based on Your Lifestyle
With all these speeds, prices, and features, picking the right internet provider can be a challenge. Instead of exhausting yourself trying to compare every single plan, check out these picks for service providers in San Francisco based on your lifestyle:
Best Internet for Gamers and Streamers: AT&T
If there’s one thing gamers and streamers have in common, it’s a need for speed. Whether you’re streaming in 4K, watching movies on multiple devices, or top fragging in your favorite FPS online multiplayer game, quick and symmetrical internet speeds are a must-have. If these activities describe your house, go with AT&T’s fiber internet with symmetrical speeds up to 5 Gbps.
Best Internet for the Budget-Conscious: Xfinity
Everything is getting more expensive these days: your morning coffee, a slice of pizza, and other necessities. If you’re looking to save on internet service in San Francisco, we recommend going with Xfinity. Not only are Xfinity’s plans affordable, but combining the internet with your other home services, such as landline, mobile phone, and home security, can help you save big time.
Best Internet for the Commitment-Phobic: T-Mobile
Maybe you’re not looking for anything serious in your internet provider. If that’s the case, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet offers value without all the strings that come with other providers. Not only does T-Mobile 5G Home Internet come without hidden fees and contracts, if you don’t like your service within 15 days, you can return everything for a full refund, no questions asked.
Best Internet for Remote Workers: AT&T
Between Zoom, Slack, and every other alphabet-soup telecommuting software, there’s nothing worse than going online for an important meeting and messaging the group, “Sorry, I’m having internet issues.” For the most reliable internet service in San Francisco that won’t let you down in the middle of a Q3 presentation, choose AT&T for quick, consistent service with high-quality customer service to match.
Other Internet Providers in San Francisco
As everyone knows, sometimes the place with the most customers or reviews isn’t the one that wins your heart. Instead, that special local flavor is what draws your attention. Here are a few other great local internet providers in San Francisco that we didn’t mention above:
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Starry: A newcomer to the internet scene, Starry is an innovative 5G fixed wireless internet solution with download speeds starting at 200 Mbps for just $30 per month. With unlimited data, a free Wi-Fi router, and no long-term contracts, Starry offers a constellation of savings.
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Etheric Networks: Connecting customers in the Bay Area since 2003, Etheric Networks provides fast fixed wireless speeds throughout San Francisco. Whether you’re in a traditional residence, an RV, or a boat in the marina, Etheric Networks service offers a quick and reliable way to cut the wired internet cord starting at $99 per month.
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Sonic: Originating north of San Francisco in Santa Rosa, Sonic is a homegrown California internet provider steeped in a desire to provide customers with tremendous service for reasonable prices. With gigabit-level speeds, a history of awards for privacy protection, and prices starting at $49.99 per month, Sonic is a great alternative option to the mainstream providers in the area.
Methodology
Here's the methodology we used to determine our list of the best internet providers in San Francisco:
- Coverage maps (Availability): We compared coverage maps and availability percentages of local internet providers to determine the most widespread providers, as well as identify internet providers missing coverage in key areas.
- Plan listings (Variability and Selection): We researched plan listings for each internet provider and compared them in terms of overall variability, selection, and connection types.
- Speeds: We compared internet provider plan download and upload speeds, focusing on starting speeds and top speeds. Used this analysis allowed us to generate the fastest internet providers in the city.
- Prices (Affordability): We evaluated the affordability of internet providers in the area by looking at starting price and top price versus speed for the fastest offerings. Using this analysis, we generated the cheapest internet providers in the city.
- Awards and ratings: We surveyed any special awards or ratings given to key internet providers. Compared these accolades as a differentiating factor between the main ISPs in the region.
- Connection types: We considered connection types in relation to availability and speed in the city. Focused primarily on fiber, cable, and 5G internet providers, as well as their offerings across the area.
- Contract requirements: We assessed the contract requirements of ISPs in city, distinguishing those internet providers with no contracts or optional contracts from those with contract requirements.
- Sign-up perks: We identified internet providers in the city with sign-up perks, bonuses, or discounts that add to the overall value of the ISP. Used these details as a differentiating factor between ISPs.
- Bundle offerings: We explored the bundle offerings from each ISP, including home phone, home security, TV, mobile phone, VPNs, or other services. These bundles were a focus for comparison between the internet provider selections.
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