AT&T vs. CenturyLink

Bottom line

AT&T gives you fast fiber internet at an excellent price, making it the obvious first pick here—but it may not be available in your area, since AT&T fiber offerings are limited. CenturyLink is also good, especially if you’re tired of promotional shenanigans. It has straightforward DSL plans, no data caps, and other ways to save on expenses.

AT&T vs. CenturyLink internet

AT&T vs. CenturyLink packages and pricing

AT&T and CenturyLink both offer two options—DSL and fiber internet. Their DSL plans are decently priced and their fiber speeds are as fast as they come.

AT&T has solid ratings in most recent customer satisfaction survey, so you’ll have fewer worries when it comes to technical support and customer service. CenturyLink, on the other hand, is a great pick if you simply want to save some cash. You can buy a CenturyLink modem instead of renting it, and you get unlimited data on all plans.

AT&T packages

AT&T’s 1 Gig Internet plan impresses us because it has very fast speeds at a decent price. Even more impressive is the 5G Internet plan—the fastest internet plan available from a major internet provider in the United States, topping out at 5,000 Mbps.

But do you really need internet that fast? For the vast majority of internet users, no. You’ll probably do great with Internet 300. This plan also runs over a fiber-optic network, delivering excellent performance—including impressive upload speeds of 300 Mbps. And it’s a very affordable plan, costing just a little more than CenturyLink’s DSL plan but delivering much faster speeds. It’s perfect for a household of several people who regularly stream, game, and Zoom on multiple devices.

CenturyLink packages

CenturyLink is a solid pick if you want a good deal on fiber or DSL internet.

CenturyLink’s fiber gigabit plan comes at a nice price. Although the baseline monthly fee isn’t quite as cheap as AT&T’s gigabit plan, CenturyLink’s offer comes with a router included and installation at no extra cost. The 200 Mbps fiber plan is also an excellent deal, costing less than even the much slower DSL plans. Plus, you get unlimited data and you can cancel any time, since there are no contracts.

Even if you have to rent a router, you can buy a CenturyLink modem/router up front, which will save you some dough in the long run compared to making monthly payments on a rental. Otherwise, its DSL modem costs $15 per month.

AT&T vs. CenturyLink deals and promotions

AT&T vs. CenturyLink: Which has the fastest internet speeds?

Internet speeds

AT&T has the fastest internet speeds available in the country, with the 5G Internet plan clocking in at a max speed of 5,000 Mbps. No other major internet provider can get you a connection that fast.

AT&T and CenturyLink also both have gigabit fiber internet plans that deliver up to 1,000 Mbps download speeds. These are great plans for big families, gamers, binge-watching TV buffs, and remote workers who spend lots of time on Zoom—although to be honest you could probably get away with slightly slower speeds and still be doing great.

If you can’t get fiber from either of these providers, then they also have DSL internet plans. DSL is not known for speed, unfortunately—it tops out around 100 Mbps, and there’s no guarantee you can even get DSL that fast where you live.

DSL is a bit like having a Ford Fiesta instead of a Ferrari. It can still get you decent speeds, just not those eye-popping Ferrari speeds. Anywhere from 50–100 Mbps will still be plenty fast for a modestly sized household with several people all using multiple devices.

Test your speed:

Not sure how much power you’ve got under the hood with your current internet plan? Download our speed test app to see how fast your internet goes.

Test your speed:

Not sure how much power you’ve got under the hood with your current internet plan? Use our speed test tool to see how fast your internet goes.

Internet types

AT&T and CenturyLink offer two types of internet—DSL and fiber.

Fiber internet is the best type of internet you can get, hands down. It’s the fastest, the most reliable—and also (*drum roll*) the rarest. Fiber is available in only select locations where ISPs have invested in building extremely costly fiber infrastructure.

If you can get fiber Wi-Fi from either of these providers, then you definitely should go for it. You’ll be getting the fastest speeds on the best type of internet infrastructure.

DSL is a bit of an ugly duckling among internet types. It waddles along through your old-school copper phone lines at speeds below 100 Mbps. But DSL plans also cost less and still give you a quality connection and decent speeds.

Fixed-wireless internet is mostly useful for rural customers who can’t get anything else in their area except for satellite internet. It’s relatively fast but AT&T’s fixed-wireless plan has a strict data cap of just 350 GB per month, with extra fees if you go over.

Do CenturyLink or AT&T offer bundles?

CenturyLink offers bundle package with internet and landline phone, but it has no bundles with TV packages. AT&T no longer offers bundle deals.

You used to be able to get bundles from AT&T that combined internet service with DIRECTV or AT&T TV, but those deals are no longer available. You can still order a TV package from DIRECTV, but it costs the same price whether you combine it with internet or not.

AT&T vs. CenturyLink fees and contracts

Here’s the thing with internet plans: whether you choose AT&T or CenturyLink (or any other ISP), the monthly sticker price is not the whole price. Like a spring-loaded jack-in-the-box toy, your bill will also be popping with installation costs, taxes, and other fees.

We went ahead and collected all those fees and put them into a table right here. This is for your education and for the betterment of a transparent society.

AT&T fees

To get your AT&T Internet up and ready, you can choose between doing self-installation or having a professional technician set it up. Self-installation is free. If you choose a DSL plan it will cost $99 for professional installation.

CenturyLink fees

When it comes to installation, getting Wi-Fi set up in your humble abode will cost a $99 flat fee if you require the services of a professional technician. If you’re fit to install it yourself, CenturyLink will mail you a standard installation kit free of charge.

Internet contracts

AT&T and CenturyLink both do not require annual commitments for their internet plans. Their services run month to month, so you can cancel without having to pay a dreaded early termination fee (ETF).

AT&T’s internet plans have a fixed price for 12 months. After that, you will see the price go up on your bill.

AT&T vs. CenturyLink equipment

Renting a modem and router

We think renting the equipment directly from the ISPs is a mighty fine option because it means you’re getting something that’s compatible with the company’s system and easy to troubleshoot or replace.

Buying a modem and router

Buying a modem and router can be good if you’re more of a tech expert and want better options to do things like online gaming, link aggregation, or setting up a guest network. Your own router can also come in handy if you want a long-range router to patch up Wi-Fi dead zones.

CenturyLink also lets you buy its router up front rather than rent it month-by-month. If you ask us, that really is the best option because then you’re saving cash and can keep it long-term.

In the long run, you’ll save money by buying your own modem and router. Just make sure that your equipment is compatible with the internet provider’s network.

Customer satisfaction

AT&T gets above-average results when it comes to customer rankings in our annual customer satisfaction survey. It lands towards the top for overall satisfaction and takes third place for price, sitting pretty high on a list of 13 major internet providers. Fiber customers responded especially well in our survey: 92% of AT&T’s fiber customers said their internet speeds “always” or “usually” meet their needs

CenturyLink ranks below average for most categories in our survey, likely because of the limitations inherent in the provider’s relatively slow DSL service. However, CenturyLink scored very well for price, taking second place.

And CenturyLink’s fiber customers showed much greater enthusiasm compared to the provider’s DSL customers. For example, 90% of CenturyLink fiber customers said their plans’ speeds are as fast as promised.

AT&T vs. CenturyLink availability

AT&T offers DSL, fixed wireless, and fiber internet across large areas of California and Texas. It’s also available in parts of the Midwest and the South.

CenturyLink has wide DSL coverage across almost all 50 states, especially in the Southwest, the Midwest, and the South. It also has fiber internet in select areas across the same regions.

Pros and cons

Our verdict: Pick AT&T for a great deal on fiber internet.

We think AT&T is the best out of these two juggernaut ISPs because it has fast, reliable internet for the best price. AT&T has solid customer satisfaction ratings and affordable prices. If you can get its fiber gigabit internet plan in your area, then you should definitely go for it because it’s a great deal for some of the speediest internet around.

CenturyLink is still worth considering, especially if you can get a fiber plan. The fiber gigabit plan delivers excellent speeds and comes with standard installation and a free modem. And the 200 Mbps fiber plan is super cheap while still fast enough for a household of up to four people. But if you’re getting DSL, make sure you can get adequate DSL speeds in your area. If the only speeds available are below 25 Mbps, don’t waste your mun-muns.

AT&T vs. CenturyLink FAQ

Why is my AT&T internet so slow?

You may be experiencing an internet slowdown as web traffic across the country spikes now that millions more Americans than usual are working from home. If you find this problem persisting, consider upgrading your internet plan or budgeting your Wi-Fi usage. For example, you can put less strain on bandwidth by reducing the number of devices people are using simultaneously in your household.

Is CenturyLink internet good?

CenturyLink offers great internet over both DSL and fiber networks. Its gigabit internet plan delivers 1,000 Mbps speeds at a very reasonable price over a coveted fiber network. Its DSL plans are slower but less expensive, and that’s ideal if you’re on a budget or don’t use Wi-Fi for advanced purposes.

Which is better: CenturyLink or AT&T?

We think AT&T internet is a better choice because it’s more affordable, with reasonable fiber plans and free self-installation. But CenturyLink is also a great option because it has a very affordable fiber gigabit plan.