Cox vs. Frontier 2023 comparison

Is Cox or Frontier the provider for you?

If Cox and Frontier services are available in your area, you may be wondering which is the better option for your household. Overall, Frontier Fiber is a better value than Cox. However, if only Frontier’s DSL service is available to you, you will likely want to go with Cox.

• Cheap internet: Frontier’s Fiber 500 plan offers a fantastic speed at a $49.99/mo. price point.
• Fast internet: Frontier offers fiber gig speed plans from 500 to 5000 Mbps. With the Frontier Fiber 1 Gig plan, you get speeds up to 1000 Mbps for only $69.99/mo. In comparison, Cox’s Super Fast Gig internet costs $109.99/mo. 
• Customer satisfaction: Cox outperformed Frontier on the 2022 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Frontier and Cox scored a 61/100.

Cox vs. Frontier ratings 

Overall, if Frontier Fiber is available in your area, that is your best option for reliable, high-speed internet. Although Cox offers slightly lower starting prices, Frontier Fiber is worth the slightly higher expense due to its higher performance and value scores. If only Frontier DSL is in your area, however, we would recommend selecting Cox instead.

Cox internet vs. Frontier internet

Cox internet plans

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Pricing, packages, and policies are subject to change, including when adjusting or removing services or equipment. Prices do not include applicable taxes, surcharges, usage-based charges (such as data, toll usage, pay-per-use service), and other fees. After any promotional period, regular rates apply (see www.cox.com). Prorated charges may appear on your bill if you change services before the billing cycle is complete. Rates, and/or when applicable, term agreements, may differ from those presented here as a result of customer’s account features, such as existing discounts, bundles, term agreements, or service address. Other restrictions may apply. All services and plans subject to Cox Residential Customer Service Agreement (including mandatory arbitration provisions), Acceptable Use Policy (including Cox’s right to terminate service for abuse of network), and other policies at: cox.com/policies. Gig plans not available in all areas. Last updated 06/27/23.

See our full analysis of Cox internet service

Frontier FiberOptic plans

*Exclusive offer for qualified addresses. For new residential Internet customers only. Max speeds are wired, Fiber 1 Gig location dependent. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. Max speed capable range for Fiber 500 (450-500 Mbps download/upload), Fiber 1 Gig (846-1000 Mbps download, 792-1000 Mbps upload), Fiber 2 Gig (1800-2000 Mbps download/upload) and requires 2 Gbps capable devices and wiring. Fiber 5 Gig (4500-5000) and requires 5 Gbps capable devices and wiring. Performance details: frontier.com/internetdisclosures. Requires Auto Pay or $10/mo fee applies. Printed bill available for $2.99/mo. Fee does not apply to select customers. $50 expert installation fee applies for Fiber 500M. A $20 equipment restocking fee per household applies when Internet is disconnected. A fee up to $150 per device for Fiber 500M, 1 Gig, and 2 Gig, and up to $400 for Fiber 5 Gig also applies if equipment is not returned. Other applicable charges and additional services are extra. Subject to availability. Price and terms subject to change. Cannot be combined with other offers. Other restrictions, Frontier policies and service terms apply. Last updated 03/01/23.

See our full analysis of Frontier internet service

Which internet plan should you choose?

Best overall internet plans: Frontier Fiber 500

Both Cox and Frontier offer great internet plans for $49.99/mo., but Frontier’s plan is the best deal overall.

Cheapest internet plans: Cox

Cox’s cheapest internet plan costs $49.99/mo. If Frontier Fiber is available in your area, the better deal for symmetrical speed will cost you $49.99/mo.

Fastest internet plans: Frontier Fiber 2 Gig 

Frontier’s Gig plan is the better deal. While Cox offers its Go Beyond Fast 2 Gig speed plan for $149.99/mo., Frontier offers theirs for only $99.99/mo. Second, Frontier offers upload speeds up to 1000 Mbps and Cox only offers upload speeds up to 35 Mbps. 

Additional fees, data caps and contracts 

Price increases – Frontier will not raise its prices as much as Cox

Cox: You can expect your internet bill to increase between $20 and $35/mo. after the first 12 months. Cox has some of the highest price jumps out of any ISP. 

Frontier: You can expect your internet bill to increase after the first 12 months, but Frontier doesn’t say how much it will be.

Equipment fees – Frontier includes equipment fees in its pricing; Cox charges extra  

Cox: Equipment rental is included in the price. 

Frontier: There is no added fee for equipment as your rental is included with the price of your plan.

Data caps – Frontier offers unlimited data; Cox does not

Cox: All Cox plans come with 1TB of data each month. Once your data limit is hit, you will be charged $10/mo. for every 50 GB exceeded. 

Frontier: All Frontier plans come with unlimited data. Although Cox’s 1TB data limit is likely plenty of data for the average household, it’s always better to choose an internet plan with no data caps. 

Contracts – Frontier does not require contracts; Cox requires one or two-year agreements

Cox: Cox internet plans may include one or two-year contract agreements.  If you opt for a contract with Cox, your plan comes with promotional pricing for the entirety of your agreement. Subscribers who go with a month-to-month plan will pay more for service.

Frontier: Frontier’s plans are month-to-month with no annual contract. Most plans increase after the first year and three years.

Frontier vs. Cox bundles

Providers offer bundle deal options for users that are interested in more than one service. If you’re interested in internet and TV or internet, TV and home phone services, you can bundle with Cox or Frontier. Frontier does not offer cable TV, but you can bundle any Frontier internet plan with DISH TV. 

When choosing which provider you want to bundle with, consider that Cox offers a lower starting price when you bundle internet and TV due to its great bundling savings. However, Frontier offers faster internet speeds and a higher channel count through DISH TV for just a little more each month. 

• Cox Go Fast 100 + TV

  • Starting at $148.99/mo.
  • Speeds up to 100 Mbps
  • Internet data cap 1 TB/mo.
  • Contour TV 140+ channels
  • Two-year contract required

• DISH America’s Top 120 + Internet 500/500

  • Starting at $108.98/mo.*
  • Download speeds up to 500 Mbps
  • Unlimited data
  • 190+ channels
  • Two-year contract with DISH

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 06/27/2023.

Cox vs. Frontier TV

Cox offers four TV packages with a channel count ranging from 75+ channels to 250+ channels. Most customers opt for Contour TV Preferred, which offers 140+ channels for $98/mo.

Frontier does not offer its own TV service, but it has partnered with DISH TV so that customers still have the option to bundle. Like Cox, DISH offers four TV packages, but these packages range from 190 to 290+ channels. If you aren’t looking to bundle, DISH offers a better value overall than Cox Contour TV.

Cox vs. Frontier customer satisfaction

Looking for provider reviews from real consumers like you? Check out the ACSI Telecommunications Report for annual internet and TV customer satisfaction rankings based on customer feedback. Here’s how Frontier and Cox stack up in customer satisfaction over the past three years.