Learn about our compensation methodology.
Stop overpaying for internet - Find exclusive discounts and rewards in your area.
Gift Card Use code: KALA & receive a $50 gift card with your order!

Optimum vs. Ziply Fiber Internet Providers Compared

You are currently comparing:

Optimum Vs Ziply Fiber

Change providers
Rosslyn Elliott

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

You are currently comparing:

Optimum Vs Ziply Fiber

Change providers

Plans starting at: $30

Popular Package: 1 Gig Fiber Internet

Download speeds up to: 8 Gbps

Connection Types: Fiber

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

Plans starting at: $35

Popular Package: Fiber Internet Gig

Download speeds up to: 10 Gbps

Connection Types: Fiber

Call today & find the best Ziply Fiber internet deals
1-833-926-2709

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

Ziply Fiber Staff rating

3.9

Ziply Fiber offers all-fiber service with great pricing, but many customers still only have DSL option

Ziply Fiber is another newcomer to the world of internet providers, and thus far, the word on Ziply Fiber is mostly positive. Ziply Fiber provides a mix of all-fiber and DSL connections across its coverage area, with a goal to move to all-fiber as quickly as possible. With Ziply Fiber, you will get some of the best fiber internet prices in the industry. Ziply Fiber is also on the leading edge of fast fiber speeds, with an amazing 50 Gigs available across its service area as of October 2023 [1] Ziply Fiber launched in 2020 when it bought Frontier’s Northwest footprint in four states: Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon [2]. At the time, only 30% of the network was fiber and the rest was DSL. In 2021, Ziply Fiber stated a goal to move to 80% fiber by 2024 [3]. With Ziply Fiber’s commitment to fiber expansion, great pricing, unlimited data, and free installation, there’s a whole lot to like about this newcomer ISP. The only downside is that a high percentage of its customers still have only DSL access, which brings higher prices and lower internet performance.

PROS

Fiber internet brings fast, symmetrical speeds Best prices around for fiber plans No data caps and free installation

Cons

Limited area of coverage for fiber access Charges equipment rental fee DSL is much slower than fiber
Call today & find the best Ziply Fiber internet deals
1-833-926-2709

Optimum Internet Plans

PlanService TypeDownload SpeedMonthly Price
Free Professional Installation
8 Gig Fiber InternetFiber InternetUp to 8,000 Mbps Only $90
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Free Professional Installation
2 Gig Fiber InternetFiber InternetUp to 2,000 Mbps Only $60
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Free Professional Installation
1 Gig Fiber InternetFiber InternetUp to 1,000 Mbps Only $50
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Free Professional Installation
500 Mbps Fiber InternetFiber InternetUp to 500 Mbps Only $40
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Free Professional Installation
300 Mbps Fiber InternetFiber InternetUp to 300 Mbps Only $30
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

Ziply Fiber Internet Plans

PlanService TypeDownload SpeedMonthly Price
FREE INSTALLATION! FREE EQUIPMENT!
Fiber Internet GigFiber InternetUp to 1,000 Mbps Only $65
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
FREE INSTALLATION! FREE EQUIPMENT!
Fiber Internet 300/300Fiber InternetUp to 300 Mbps Only $50
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
FREE INSTALLATION! FREE EQUIPMENT!
Fiber Internet 100/100Fiber InternetUp to 100 Mbps Only $35
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
FREE EQUIPMENT!
Fiber Internet 10 GigFiber InternetUp to 10,000 Mbps Only $300
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
FREE First Month! FREE INSTALLATION! FREE EQUIPMENT!
Fiber Internet 5 GigFiber InternetUp to 5,000 Mbps Only $90
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
FREE First Month! FREE INSTALLATION! FREE EQUIPMENT!
Fiber Internet 2 GigFiber InternetUp to 2,000 Mbps Only $80
*Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Call today & find the best Ziply Fiber internet deals
1-833-926-2709

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 $30/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

Ziply Fiber Pricing

4.0

Ziply Fiber’s prices are unbeatable for all-fiber internet, but DSL internet is no bargain

Ziply Fiber is one of only a few fiber internet companies in the nation that offers a  rate of $/month for fiber internet. That’s a good deal! Ziply Fiber also offers  Mbps download/upload speed for $/month. If you are lucky enough to have access to Ziply Fiber's all-fiber network, you will save 30-40% over some competitors’ prices. But Ziply Fiber has the same split fiber/DSL profile as a couple of other start-up fiber providers. The existing network that Ziply Fiber took over from Frontier in 2020 was 70% DSL. Since then, Ziply Fiber has built out more fiber to bring fiber/DSL ratios to about 50-50 [4]. But there’s a good chance you may get DSL instead of fiber even if Ziply Fiber serves your area. And if you sign up for DSL, your prices will be much higher, even though you will get slower speeds. No matter what your DSL speed is, it won’t match the speed of Ziply Fiber’s first-tier fiber plan, and yet you will pay more for a DSL plan. That’s the way the industry works right now, and it’s certainly not fair to DSL customers. But on the positive side, Ziply Fiber’s pricing for both DSL and fiber is predictable because there are no data caps. You won’t have to worry about unexpected overage charges with a Ziply Fiber plan of either kind. You also won’t be required to sign an annual contract, which means you won’t face any early termination fees.
Call today & find the best Ziply Fiber internet deals
1-833-926-2709

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

Ziply Fiber Reliability and Performance

4.0

Ziply Fiber is super-fast on its all-fiber network, but its DSL speeds vary widely

An all-fiber connection will give you much faster, more reliable internet access than a DSL internet connection. You'll get multi-gigabit speeds for both download and upload from your fiber plan. Ziply Fiber even offers speeds as high as 10 Gigs in some places! Though Ziply Fiber’s plan says that its DSL speed goes up to 115 Mbps download/7 Mbps upload, those numbers indicate a maximum speed. Your DSL could also be as slow as 7Mbps download/1 Mbps upload, which was the speed listed for one property we tested in Shoreline, WA [5]. Or, you could get the most common range for today’s DSL speeds, which tends to be about 10-25 Mbps download, 1-3 Mbps upload. Ziply Fiber will tell you what your estimated speed will be when you sign up, but you can also test your internet speed here. Clearly, there’s no comparison between these DSL speeds and even the  speeds of the lowest-level Ziply Fiber all-fiber plan. With slow DSL, you may not be able to stream in HD or play real-time games. But if you get Ziply Fiber plans that are 100% fiber, your household will be able to stream and game on multiple devices without glitches or freezing screens.
Call today & find the best Ziply Fiber internet deals
1-833-926-2709

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

Ziply Fiber Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features

4.0

Optional equipment rental fees, free installation with Ziply Fiber plans

Ziply Fiber will provide DSL customers with a combined modem/router for between $10-20/month. You can use your own compatible modem and router to avoid the fee, but Ziply Fiber won’t be able to help you with any technical issues related to your personal equipment [6]. If you choose fiber internet from Ziply Fiber, you will get a Wi-Fi 6 fiber router for the same monthly rental fee of $10-20/month. Installation for all Ziply Fiber plans is free, which will save you up to $100 over standard ISP installation fees.
Call today & find the best Ziply Fiber internet deals
1-833-926-2709

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

Ziply Fiber Experience & Support

3.5

Customer service about average

Ziply Fiber is still too small an internet provider to qualify for independent review in the J.D. Power survey of customer satisfaction for ISPs. A sampling of online user reviews indicates that most user complaints were related to billing and account administration, especially during the time of transition, right after Ziply Fiber took over its network from Frontier. The balance of positive and negative user comments leads us to award Ziply Fiber 3.5 stars for customer service. But overall, Ziply Fiber is an excellent choice if you have access to its all-fiber plans.
Call today & find the best Ziply Fiber internet deals
1-833-926-2709

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

Ziply Fiber FAQ's

To order or learn more, call the number on this page or visit ZiplyInternet.com.
Ziply Fiber's Whole Home Wi-Fi service includes Wi-Fi extenders which rebroadcast the Wi-Fi signal to remove weak spots in your home's Wi-Fi coverage. These extenders help ensure that you can get a strong Wi-Fi connection in every room of your house.
Yes, your Ziply Fiber router is compatible with modern wireless standards, including 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac. In addition, the router's firmware updates automatically, ensuring that it always operates at its best.
To secure your Ziply Fiber network against unwanted access, you should enable encryption when setting up your router. This adds an extra layer of security to your network, helping to keep your data and personal information safe.
If you decide to switch out your Ziply Fiber router for a different one, contact the manufacturer of the new router for assistance. They can guide you through the process of connecting your smart devices to the internet using its equipment.
In addition to its range of internet plans, Ziply Fiber offers other services such as phone services, streaming TV options, and solutions for small businesses.
Call today & find the best Ziply Fiber internet deals
1-833-926-2709

Optimum Accolades

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

Ziply Fiber Accolades

Call today & find the best Ziply Fiber internet deals
1-833-926-2709

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
Jorge
1.0
from Neosho, MO on July 2026
They make u hold hours. They been charging me 60 dollars for years. They said if I need a new router cause mine was fried from a thunderstorm I need to drive 70 140 to pick up a router. They dont help on the phone the are garbage. I have to wait 14 days for them to get here with a router lol. Now im waiting moretime cause their tech didn't show up. Now they offer to drop me to 35 a month. Wow good looking out on the price reduction seriously. I had tl feel like dropping them to get the discount and they still want me to pay these last 3 weeks I haven't even had service at 60$ they are a sham
Don L
1.0
from Snyder, TX on June 2026
We finally have had enough with these thieves. Not only do they want to raise their price every few months, now when we cancelled our service they won't cancel until the billing cycle ends. My wife called to cancel the day before the billing cycle, but they said I had to cancel since my name was on the bill. They had no problem dealing with her every month when we had billing problems. I finally had the chance to call 4 days into the new billing cycle and was told I would be billed the entire month. Even though we no longer had any connection or equipment to connect to optimum. If I had of used a months’ worth of internet without paying, I'm sure they would have prosecuted me, but it seems to be alright when they are the thieves. If anyone out there is thinking about signing up with optimum, don't do it. Just take your money and flush it. That will be better than dealing with these unethical dishonest thieves.
John S
2.8
on June 2026
On the plus side, Optimum service has been very reliable. However, I am paying a great deal for basic service (100 Mbps for $115.92 a month).
Eric T
3.0
from Point Pleasant, WV on April 2026
Price is entirely too high! The price is always changing! My mother gets the same exact speed as me and she only pays 73$ a month after fees,taxes are added Why am I not getting a better deal?????????????????????
Cathy M
2.0
from Alto, TX on April 2026
I haven't had internet service going on 3 weeks now. First is was a power outage, than they send someone out. Now they are saying it's in the pole. I'm done being without internet.
Call today & find the best Optimum internet deals
1-833-337-0356

Ziply Fiber Customers Review

4.0
Pricing
4.0
4.0
Reliability & Performance
4.0
4.0
Equipment, Installation & Features
4.0
3.5
Customer Experience & Support
3.5
3.9
Overall Rating
3.9
Geneva Mercer
4.0
from Marysville, WA on March 2023
Bernadine Hurst
5.0
from Portland, OR on December 2022
Josie Kirby
4.5
from Hillsboro, OR on June 2022
Polly Ray
1.5
from Coeur d'Alene, ID on April 2022
Harriet Carpenter
4.8
from Beaverton, OR on October 2019
Call today & find the best Ziply Fiber internet deals
1-833-926-2709