Learn about our compensation methodology.
Stop overpaying for internet - Find exclusive discounts and rewards in your area.

Optimum vs. WOW Internet Providers Compared

You are currently comparing:

Optimum Vs WOW

Change providers
Rosslyn Elliott

Written by Rosslyn Elliott - Pub. Jul. 27, 2023 / Updated Jan. 30, 2026

You are currently comparing:

Optimum Vs WOW

Change providers

Plans starting at: $40

Popular Package: 1 Gig Fiber Internet

Download speeds up to: 1 Gbps

Connection Types: Fiber & Cable

Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

Plans starting at: $25

Popular Package: Fiber 5 Gig

Download speeds up to: 5 Gbps

Connection Types: Fiber & Cable

Call today & find the best WOW internet deals
1-833-864-0259

Optimum Staff rating

3.5

Optimum features good speeds but poor customer satisfaction scores

Optimum is a major national cable internet provider. Most of Optimum’s 4.4 million subscribers receive cable internet service [7]. But the ISP is also adding some all-fiber connections in select markets--most prominently in the Northeast [8]. Optimum is the internet brand name of Altice USA, which rebranded the company formerly called Suddenlink into the Optimum brand in 2022 [1]. Altice/Optimum is the 6th-largest ISP in the nation [2]. Optimum seems to check off all the right boxes for many of its offerings. You will have no data caps and no required contracts with Optimum internet plans. You will also get free equipment rental included with your monthly plan price. And Optimum’s prices are good (at least while the promotions last). So why are Optimum’s national customer satisfaction scores so low? We’ll check into that as we give you an overview of what to expect from an Optimum internet connection.

PROS

Gigabit download speeds No data caps or contracts 5-year price lock on select plans

Cons

Poor customer satisfaction scores Slower upload speeds for cable than all-fiber Price hikes after promo rates
Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

WOW Staff rating

4.0

WOW! delivers fast, reliable internet with attractive pricing

WOW! (WideOpenWest) serves customers in 6 states—Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida [1]—and is the smallest cable internet provider on our list [2]. WOW! serves over 2 million residential, business, and wholesale consumer subscribers, which is still a smaller base compared to industry cable internet giants like Xfinity and Spectrum [3]. Notably,  it serves 470,400 high-speed data subscribers as of December 31, 2024 (down from 490,100 in 2023). But WOW! provides a model of good internet performance, operational success, and general customer satisfaction. In August 2025, WOW! (WideOpenWest) agreed to be acquired by DigitalBridge Group and Crestview Partners in a $1.5 billion transaction valued at $5.20 per share [4]. WOW! uses a hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network, like the biggest national cable providers. WOW! also features very low introductory plan prices, far lower than most cable internet providers. Though prices will rise after the first year, you’ll still pay about $20 less for most WOW! plan speeds than you would with Spectrum or Xfinity.  And WOW! scores above average for customer satisfaction, too.

PROS

Best prices for cable service Good customer satisfaction Gigabit download speeds

Cons

Limited area of coverage Slower upload speeds
Call today & find the best WOW internet deals
1-833-864-0259

Optimum Internet Plans

PlanService TypeDownload SpeedMonthly Price
$200 Optimum Prepaid Mastercard! Free installation!
1 Gig Fiber InternetFiber InternetUp to 1,000 Mbps Only $80
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
$50 Optimum Prepaid Mastercard! Free installation!
500 Mbps Fiber InternetCable InternetUp to 500 Mbps Only $60
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Free Installation!
300 Mbps Fiber InternetCable InternetUp to 300 Mbps Only $40
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

WOW Internet Plans

PlanService TypeDownload SpeedMonthly Price
Visa $300 Rewards Card
Fiber 5 GigFiber InternetUp to 5,000 Mbps Only $185
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read more
Visa $300 Rewards Card
Fiber 3 GigFiber InternetUp to 3,000 Mbps Only $100
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read more
Internet 1 GigCable InternetUp to 1,000 Mbps Only $50
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read more
Internet 600Cable InternetUp to 600 Mbps Only $30
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read more
Internet 300Cable InternetUp to 300 Mbps Only $25
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read more
Call today & find the best WOW internet deals
1-833-864-0259

Optimum Pricing

3.0

Good initial prices followed by price hikes

Cable internet is the chief type of connection that Optimum provides its customers. Because of improvements to cable internet technology, you can get gigabit download speeds from many cable internet companies like Optimum. You just won’t get the same upload speeds from cable as you will from an all-fiber connection [3]. Whether you get the usual cable service or all-fiber, you will get good prices from Optimum, and, on select plans, those prices will be locked for 5 years (as of January 2026) [9]. Here’s an example. You’ll pay $40/month for Optimum’s first-tier plan, which is up to 300. That is a good price for these speeds. The catch is that after the promotional period ends, standard prices will apply, which will increase your bill. That may be why Optimum is seeing year-over-year declines in its cable customers [4]. The price hikes may be pushing people to other options at the end of their promotional period.
Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

WOW Pricing

4.0

WOW’s prices are so low they’ll WOW you

If there’s any way that WOW! can claim to have truly earned its name, it’s with low pricing. The first-tier plan will give you 300 Mbps download speed for only $25 a month. That's on the very low end of cable ISP pricing. A lightning-fast, 5000 Mbps speed from WOW! will run you $185. This plan comes from their fiber internet offerings. WOW! has no data caps, contracts, or hidden fees. Additionally, they offer a price lock, so your monthly rate won't go up as long as you stay with the same speed plan.
Call today & find the best WOW internet deals
1-833-864-0259

Optimum Reliability and Performance

4.0

Cable and fiber both provide fast download speeds, but cable's upload speeds are slower

With hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) technology, Optimum gives its cable customers gigabit download speeds but much slower upload speeds. That’s typical for cable internet service. Optimum is comparable to other major cable internet providers such as Spectrum and Xfinity, offering upload speeds at a maximum of around 35-50 Mbps. Optimum differs from the cable internet competition because it is also launching into the all-fiber internet market. As of November 2025, Optimum has over 3 million fiber passings and continues to expand [10]. Fiber internet’s most striking advantage over cable internet is its symmetrical upload and download speeds. This is a game-changer for online gaming, videoconferencing, and large homes with multiple devices. When Altice merged Suddenlink into the Optimum brand, the company had two distinct “footprints” from where the former Optimum and Suddenlink coverage had existed. Suddenlink’s coverage area had been primarily in the South and West. Optimum was strong in the Northeast, and particularly in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Now, the fiber buildout is fastest in that tristate area [1]. Your chances of getting fiber internet from Optimum is better if you live in the tri-state area.
Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

WOW Reliability and Performance

4.0

WOW! cable delivers gigabit downloads but asymmetrical upload speeds; fiber offers symmetrical multi-gigabit service

WOW's hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) cable network delivers download speeds comparable to those of national cable providers such as Spectrum and Xfinity. Upload speeds on cable plans are capped at 50 Mbps regardless of download tier. This asymmetrical speed structure is standard for cable internet technology and sufficient for typical household activities, including streaming multiple 4K devices and online gaming.

WOW's cable plans provide adequate performance for households with average internet usage patterns. The highest tier plan offers top speeds on cable, supporting simultaneous streaming, video conferencing, and gaming across multiple devices. However, the 50 Mbps upload limitation presents constraints for specific use cases. Users who regularly upload large files (such as video content creators), operate cloud-based backup systems, or require symmetrical bandwidth for enterprise-grade applications will experience performance bottlenecks with cable service.

In select Greenfield expansion markets, WOW offers all-fiber service with symmetrical speeds up to 5,000 Mbps for both downloads and uploads. Fiber service is currently available within 5.7% of WOW's total coverage footprint [8], concentrated in newer markets including Central Florida, Hernando County (Florida), Greenville County (South Carolina), and select areas in Michigan and Alabama [9]. The symmetrical nature of fiber service eliminates the upload speed constraints present in cable plans, making fiber suitable for bandwidth-intensive applications, heavy content creation, and households with 10+ simultaneous high-bandwidth users.

Call today & find the best WOW internet deals
1-833-864-0259

Optimum Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features

4.0

No equipment rental fees, free installation with Optimum plans

Optimum will provide you with a WiFi 6E gateway as a part of your monthly plan fee, with no extra rental charge [9]. If you would rather use your own modem and router, Optimum will allow it. Just be sure to check for compatibility with their specs. Standard installation is free with most Optimum plans.
Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

WOW Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features

4.0

Equipment rental fees are optional, self-installation is free for WOW!

All WOW! plans come with a free self-installation kit. If, for any reason, you’re not comfortable with self-installation, you can get pro installation for $50. WOW! now offers a free WiFi modem with your plan. You also have the option to supply your own equipment--just make sure you check with WOW! to be sure your router has compatible specs.
Call today & find the best WOW internet deals
1-833-864-0259

Optimum Experience & Support

3.0

Optimum customer satisfaction: the big question mark

With so many seemingly good points to its service and pricing, why has Optimum’s customer satisfaction scored significantly below average according to J.D. Power? [6] A sampling of online user reviews suggests two major complaints. The first is outages and failure of technical response. The second is a more general dissatisfaction with the phone system: being transferred to different departments and receiving contradictory responses from different phone reps when trying to resolve billing issues. Because this is a fairly even distribution of complaints, it’s likely that Optimum is not responding quickly enough to customer concerns, whether they are technical or billing-related. We can’t know the reason for this dysfunction. Often, these kinds of responsiveness issues happen when companies are understaffed or have high staff turnover in their customer service. But until Optimum improves its ratings, we have to give it only 3 stars for customer satisfaction.  
Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

WOW Experience & Support

4.0

WOW! maintains above-average customer satisfaction despite declining subscriber base

WOW scored 733 out of 1,000 in J.D. Power's North Central region study [10] and outperformed larger ISPs including Cox in the 2023 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study [11]. This positions WOW above the cable industry average of 68 out of 100 on the ACSI scale [12], though below top fiber providers like AT&T Fiber (80) and Verizon Fios (77) [13].

Despite these satisfaction ratings, WOW's subscriber base declined 5% year-over-year from 490,100 to 470,400 as of December 2024, with revenue decreasing 8.1% to $630.9 million. These declines reflect competitive pressure from expanding fiber networks and 5G wireless alternatives rather than service quality issues.

WOW provides 24/7 telephone support and online chat daily from 7:00 AM to 11:45 PM EST [14], plus an online account management portal, and has been named a "Best & Brightest Company to Work For in the Nation" 12 times, including 8 consecutive years as of 2025.

Ultimately, WOW's regional focus enables more personalized service than national cable giants.

Call today & find the best WOW internet deals
1-833-864-0259

Optimum FAQ's

To order or learn more, call the number on this page or visit OptimumSavings.com.
No, Optimum does not impose data caps on any of its internet plans. You will have unlimited data on both cable internet and fiber internet plans from Optimum.
Optimum offers a free internet speed upgrade service to loyal customers, providing faster speeds and better value without changing the current price.
Optimum provides two options for renting a modem: one includes tech support and equipment replacement, while the other option is for purchasing a compatible modem.
To explore different speed options for your Optimum Internet service, you can enter your zip code here at CompareInternet.com to see what plans are available in your area.
Optimum offers savings on monthly bills through their Internet + Mobile Savings program, allowing customers to save up to $30/month by combining Optimum Internet and Optimum Mobile services.
Only Optimum Mobile and Optimum Internet customers are eligible for the Internet + Mobile Savings program offered by Optimum.
Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

WOW FAQ's

WOW! does not provide a static IP address for your home internet account. But WOW! does offer home business accounts that can provide you with a static IP address.
WOW! offers security on a network level, which means you don’t have to manage it yourself. Network Security helps guard your internet connection against phishing, viruses and malware.
WOW! Internet and WOW! Whole-Home Wi-Fi can be self-installed.
Yes, you can. As long as a technician has completed the outside installation or there is an existing WOW! connection, you will be able to install and activate service using your own modem.
Take our internet speed test to find your actual upload and download speed.
The eero devices that support your Whole-Home Wi-Fi provide up to 1500 square feet of coverage per device.
Call today & find the best WOW internet deals
1-833-864-0259

Optimum Accolades

Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

WOW Accolades

Call today & find the best WOW internet deals
1-833-864-0259

Optimum Customers Review

3.0
Pricing
3.0
4.0
Reliability & Performance
4.0
4.0
Equipment, Installation & Features
4.0
3.0
Customer Experience & Support
3.0
3.5
Overall Rating
3.5
Rodger Morales
1.8
from Lake Havasu City, AZ on March 2026
Optimum is the worst company, period to use. When you decide to cancel this company's service, they will bust your butt to make it extremely difficult to do so. Once you believe you have the service canceled, during a conversation with a foreign person who hardly speaks English, they continue to attempt to steal money right out of your CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT. Today, I find they have charged my credit card $80.00, this month (March 24th, 2026) and I totally/completely cancelled their service on February 6th 2026. Very shortly, after my canceling their service, they attempted to charge me for the 'modem', which I 100% PURCHED at the on-set of their service! They couldn't make that 'stick' so they went on to trying to charge me the monthly service of $80.00, which the had just raised from $50.00! I'm not at the same address, and not even in the same State, at this time! A friend of mine, Heaven forbid, set-up for their service at my old address. At that time neither myself nor she had any Idea of how crooked this out-fit was! They offered her a very good rate to begin with, but I hope it works for her, when she decides to get 'out'! Their 'foreigner' rep. assured me all was finished between Optimum and me as of that Feb. 6th 2026 date. I 'pushed' him to say that statement three times, while on the phone and thought we were finished! If you want to spend hours on the phone with who knows how many customer service representatives who CAN'T speak English, go with Optimum. I you read another review, above, you'll find this guy was/is still fighting with them a year after he canceled their service. I and I'm positive every other customer of Optimum will warn you, DO NOT BECOME INVOLVED WITH THIS INTERNET/PHONE SERVICE! I guarantee you every word of this review is TRUE! PAY HEED!!! DO YOURSELF AND THOSE YOU KNOW A FAVOR, STAY AWAY FROM THIS BUNCH OF CROOKS!!!!!!!!!
Anita Caulder
3.0
from Hendersonville, NC on March 2026
We are stuck and have not other choice basically. The ATT service in our area is not reliable per neighbor's advice and other options are not available. So I feel as if Optimum is taking advantage of our situation. They continue to " allure" us with this fibernet with the promotion attached, but have yet that provided. Need them,, but wished for better pricing due to the situation.
Cierra Walker
3.5
from Georgetown, TX on January 2026
Internet runs great. The charges per month is high and I believe should not be over 130 for just having internet. Customer service is terrible. I had an issue because I was charged twice. Without asking me they applied a credit to my account. I request a refund and was told it could take up to 7 business days. It's been 7 business days and still have not gotten my money back. I reached back out and was now told 10-14 days. It didn't take days to take the money out of my account so it should not be taking this long to put my funds back. I am frustrated and this is trull unsettling. Will not continue with this internet service when i move.
Daniel W
1.8
from Quaker City, OH on January 2026
Senior citizen discounts all of a sudden don't apply, was $30 mo. A year ago, now $55 month, no extra streaming either. Goes out every heavy rain storm, snow, or windy day.
Keri L
1.0
from Aubrey, TX on January 2026
Forget saying that Optimum is the worst internet company to use. Optimum is the worst company, period to use. If you want a company to refuse to cancel service and steal money right out of your account, and then send you over to collections, go with Optimum. If you want to spend hours on the phone with who knows how many customer service representatives who can’t speak English, go with Optimum. If you want to finally get your case escalated to executive customer relations a year after you canceled service, and have executive customer relations give you the middle finger, go with Optimum. Or, you could save yourself all the time, trouble, and aneurysms and just not use Optimum.
Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

WOW Customers Review

4.0
Pricing
4.0
4.0
Reliability & Performance
4.0
4.0
Equipment, Installation & Features
4.0
4.0
Customer Experience & Support
4.0
4.0
Overall Rating
4.0
ROMARIO M
1.3
on January 2026
SU INTERNET SE CAE LA VELOCIDAD CONSTANTEMENTE, DURANTE CUALQUIER HORARIO, NO SE CUMPLE LO QUE DICE QUE GARANTIZA EL 70% DE LA VELOCIDAD Y EL APLICATIVO DGO IIGUAL DE TERRIBLE, EMPRESAS DE MAL SERVICIO. PESIMO
Ann Enghardt
4.0
from Warren, MI on August 2025
I pay $64 for internet per month. I would like the $30/month plan.
Vickie Eller
2.5
from Charlotte, MI on April 2025
Prices go up every month started at 50 then it went to 64.99 now it's at 83.99 I need different internet in my area
Jocelyn Peck
3.3
from Atlanta, GA on March 2022
Sonia Fry
2.8
from Warren, MI on January 2022
Call today & find the best WOW internet deals
1-833-864-0259