Internet Providers in
San Francisco, CA

Compare Top Providers in Your Area

Best Internet Providers in San Francisco, CA

The best home internet service provider in San Francisco is AT&T Fiber. AT&T Fiber’s fastest plans offer speeds that range from 300 Mbps to 5 Gbps. Exact speeds vary in some areas of the city. AT&T Fiber’s most affordable plans start at $55 per month, while the higher end of these is $245 per month. (Like many other internet companies, AT&T offers more than one connection type. We recommend that you focus on its fiber-optic option, AT&T Fiber, rather than its IPBB option, AT&T Internet.)

Another fiber internet provider in San Francisco is Sonic, which offers symmetrical speeds that go up to 1 Gbps. It’s probably the fastest in the city, though availability will depend on location. Its plans cost anywhere between $49.99 and $49.99 per month, making it a solid alternative if AT&T Fiber isn’t available in your area.

San Francisco’s cable internet provider is Xfinity. Though fiber internet is the best connection type you can get, cable is a great broadband alternative. Xfinity plans and bundles can deliver speeds up to 1 Gbps. If your online activities don’t require fast speeds, then the lower end of Xfinity’s internet speeds is 100 Mbps. As for bundle pricing, Xfinity’s bundles, which include Xfinity Voice (home phone), Xfinity Mobile (mobile), Xfinity Home Security (home security) and Xfinity StreamSaver or Xfinity X1 (TV), start at $60 per month.

Unlike AT&T Fiber, Sonic and Xfinity, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet delivers an alternative internet experience without monthly fees or installation fees. Instead, you can order the service, plug in your 5G Wi-Fi Gateway and start using the service immediately. Starting at $60 per month, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet comes with speeds between 133 Mbps and 415 Mbps.

If you’re a new ISP subscriber, there’s a high chance that you’ll be offered a deal when you sign up for an internet plan. Xfinity is a top choice for promotions, especially if you’re interested in its bundles. Currently, it offers Apple TV+, Peacock Premium and Netflix Standard with the addition of Xfinity StreamSaver (for $15 per month) with an internet plan, a free Getting Started Kit and shipping and Wi-Fi equipment included for 24 months. If you’re looking for perks beyond streaming services, AT&T Fiber is currently offering a $150 Visa Reward Card when you sign up for its Internet 1000 plan. These deals change frequently, so you’ll have to check back to see if these deals still apply and whether or not they’re available with your internet plan.

Sonic - Fastest Provider
Spectrum - Cheapest Provider
Hughesnet - Widely Available
Viasat - Great for Rural Areas
Verizon - Offers 5G Home Internet
Sonic - Great Value

Fastest Internet Providers in San Francisco, CA

Sonic is the fastest provider in San Francisco, with speeds up to 10 Gbps.

The fastest of San Francisco’s internet service companies is AT&T Internet. With the top plan available in the city, you could get speeds of up to 1 Gbps.

For the best and most reliable performance, we recommend going with a fiber internet provider. Fiber internet connections offer faster upload speeds than their DSL and cable counterparts — unlike DSL or cable connections, fiber connections provide upload speeds that are just as fast as their download speeds.

When you’re considering speeds as you shop for internet plans in San Francisco, you should also take data caps into account. Most fiber internet providers you come across will include unlimited data with their plans, but cable internet providers tend to employ a data cap. This is where household size and user types are important factors when finding an internet plan that suits your needs. If you live in a single household and don’t engage in online activities every day, then a data cap might not affect your experience. However, if you live in a large household with multiple power internet users, then an internet plan with unlimited data is the better choice.

What’s a Good Internet Speed?

Internet Speed	Appropriate For	Providers in your Area offering this Speed	Availability in your Area
100 Mbps	Streaming Video chat Online gaming Larger households	Viasat T-Mobile EarthLink Hughesnet XNET WiFi San Bruno Municipal Cable TV Unwired Starlink	100%
1000 Mbps (1 Gbps)	Heavy streaming (4K video multiple devices etc.) Video chat Lag-free gaming Large households	Spectrum AT&T Xfinity Verizon Etheric Astound Broadband Powered by Wave Sonic	96.45%

Learn more about internet speeds:

Internet Availability in San Francisco, CA

As you’d expect from a tech hub, San Francisco is very well served by broadband internet companies. That starts with the region’s cable provider, Xfinity, which offers service at virtually every address in the city. Xfinity is a major player in San Francisco — if you’re at work downtown or using the free Wi-Fi at a coffee shop near the Presidio, there’s a good chance that you’re using Xfinity internet.

Getting AT&T Fiber, however, will depend a bit more on your area. You’ll likely be able to sign up for AT&T Fiber if you live in the Richmond District between the Presidio and Golden Gate Park. Coverage is also pretty solid south of Golden Gate Park in the Sunset District, though it drops off a bit as you reach Parkside. AT&T Fiber also serves Noe Valley, the southern part of Westwood Park, just about all of the Excelsior District, and a good chunk of the Bayview District. But in the Mission, the Haight, and the Tenderloin, AT&T Fiber’s availability gets spottier. In downtown San Francisco, there’s not much availability at all.

If you can’t get AT&T Fiber in your area of San Francisco, you may be able to get fiber internet through Sonic, which has been expanding its footprint in the city in recent years.

Provider Connection Types in San Francisco, CA

Connection Type	About this Connection Type	Availability in San Francisco, CA
Satellite	Available even in very rural areas Typically has high latency (lag)	100%
DSL	Typically about 100 Mbps Slower than Cable or Fiber	82.93%
Cable	Typically 250 Mbps - 1 Gbps Widely available A good choice for most users	98.94%
Fiber	Typically 1 Gbps or faster Upload speeds match download speeds	55.03%