Illinois / Chicago / Astound vs Xfinity

Astound vs Xfinity in Chicago

Chicago shoppers trade Astound’s lower starting price for Xfinity’s broader reach, faster uploads, and stronger performance where available.

The 30-Second VerdictUpdated September 21, 2026

Xfinity is the better overall pick because it reaches about 99% of Chicago, offers faster downloads and much stronger uploads where available, and still has a competitive starting price. Xfinity wins on speed and coverage, while Astound wins on price. Astound’s 1,500/50 Mbps plan reaches about 48% of the city, and its $20/mo starting rate suits budget-focused households. Xfinity is better for larger homes, gaming, work-from-home, and shoppers who want broader availability; Astound is right for lighter use when it reaches your address. Their speed scores are 93 and 91, respectively.

By Austin Shrum and Ali Yazdi, co-founders. Both spent years selling internet plans online before building this site. Every figure above comes from FCC Broadband Data Collection filings and monthly price checks; here is how we rank providers.

At a glance

Astound vs. Xfinity, side by side.

Provider	Type	Top speed	City coverage	Starting price	Best for
Astound	Cable	1 Gig 50 Mbps upload	54%	$20/mo	Budget-friendly
Xfinity	Cable	2 Gig 300 Mbps upload	99%	$40/mo	Fastest plans here

Coverage map

Two different questions, two views. Top speed shows who offers the faster plan where you can actually get it. Coverage shows who reaches more of each ZIP. Or pick a single provider to see just its footprint.

View

Showing the provider with the faster available plan in each ZIP. Click any ZIP for the breakdown.

Neighborhood breakdown

The head-to-head can shift by ZIP code and neighborhood because cable availability varies block to block. Xfinity reaches about 99% of Chicago overall, while Astound reaches about 54% across all its technologies, so check your exact address before choosing.

ZIP	Neighborhoods	Coverage		Top speed		Rank score		Winner
ZIP	Neighborhoods	Astound	Xfinity	Astound	Xfinity	Astound	Xfinity	Winner
60628	Roseland, Pullman, West Pullman	100%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	82	Xfinity
60639	Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Cragin	3%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	2	82	Xfinity
60629	Chicago Lawn, West Lawn, Marquette Park, Gage Park	91%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	58	82	Xfinity
60634	Dunning, Belmont Heights, Montclare, Portage Park	0%	100%	—	2 Gig	—	82	Xfinity
60630	Jefferson Park, Portage Park, Gladstone Park, Mayfair	22%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	14	82	Xfinity
60617	South Chicago, South Deering, Hegewisch, The Bush	99%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	81	Xfinity
60632	Brighton Park, Archer Heights, McKinley Park	2%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	1	82	Xfinity
60643	Beverly, Morgan Park, Washington Heights	100%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	82	Xfinity
60647	Logan Square, Bucktown, Wicker Park	97%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	63	82	Xfinity
60618	Avondale, North Center, Irving Park, Roscoe Village	100%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	82	Xfinity
60638	Garfield Ridge, Clearing, Ford City	0%	100%	—	2 Gig	—	82	Xfinity
60620	Auburn Gresham, Washington Heights, Gresham	98%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	63	82	Xfinity
60619	Chatham, Avalon Park, Grand Crossing, Burnside	78%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	51	82	Xfinity
60609	Back of the Yards, Canaryville, New City, Fuller Park	14%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	9	81	Xfinity
60636	West Englewood, Gage Park, Chicago Lawn	38%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	24	82	Xfinity
60641	Irving Park, Portage Park, Avondale, Old Irving Park	29%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	19	82	Xfinity
60646	Sauganash, Edgebrook, Forest Glen	16%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	11	82	Xfinity
60651	Humboldt Park, Austin, West Humboldt Park	3%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	2	82	Xfinity
60608	Pilsen, Little Village, Bridgeport, Heart of Chicago	8%	97%	1 Gig	2 Gig	5	80	Xfinity
60623	North Lawndale, South Lawndale, Little Village	0%	99%	—	2 Gig	—	81	Xfinity
60624	East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, Homan Square	7%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	5	82	Xfinity
60659	North Park, West Ridge, Budlong Woods	79%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	51	82	Xfinity
60622	Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, West Town, Bucktown	99%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	82	Xfinity
60625	Albany Park, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, North Park	61%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	39	82	Xfinity
60631	Edison Park, Norwood Park	14%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	9	82	Xfinity
60612	East Garfield Park, West Town, Near West Side, United Center	41%	98%	1 Gig	2 Gig	26	81	Xfinity
60649	South Shore, Jackson Park Highlands	20%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	13	82	Xfinity
60652	Ashburn, Scottsdale, Wrightwood	100%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	82	Xfinity
60656	Norwood Park, O’Hare, Union Ridge	3%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	2	81	Xfinity
60616	Chinatown, Bronzeville, South Loop, Armour Square	61%	95%	1 Gig	2 Gig	39	78	Xfinity
60621	Englewood, New City, Back of the Yards	6%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	4	81	Xfinity
60614	Lincoln Park, DePaul, Old Town, Sheffield	98%	98%	1 Gig	2 Gig	63	80	Xfinity
60644	Austin, West Garfield Park	6%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	4	82	Xfinity
60645	West Ridge, Rogers Park, West Rogers Park	100%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	82	Xfinity
60655	Mount Greenwood, Morgan Park	100%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	82	Xfinity
60660	Edgewater, Andersonville	100%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	82	Xfinity
60637	Hyde Park, Woodlawn, Washington Park	4%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	3	82	Xfinity
60657	Lakeview, Wrigleyville, Boystown	100%	98%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	81	Xfinity
60613	Wrigleyville, Lakeview, Uptown, Boystown	99%	97%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	80	Xfinity
60642	Noble Square, Wicker Park, West Town, Goose Island	87%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	56	81	Xfinity
60607	West Loop, University Village, Little Italy, Greektown	81%	96%	1 Gig	2 Gig	52	79	Xfinity
60640	Uptown, Andersonville, Edgewater	95%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	61	82	Xfinity
60653	Bronzeville, Kenwood, Oakland	94%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	61	81	Xfinity
60626	Rogers Park	100%	100%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	82	Xfinity
60633	Hegewisch, South Deering, East Side	81%	97%	1 Gig	2 Gig	52	80	Xfinity
60654	River North, Near North Side	99%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	81	Xfinity
60615	Hyde Park, Kenwood, Washington Park, Oakland	38%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	25	81	Xfinity
60610	Gold Coast, Old Town, River North, Near North Side	99%	98%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	81	Xfinity
60661	West Loop, Fulton River District, Greektown	90%	93%	1 Gig	2 Gig	58	76	Xfinity
60605	South Loop, Printers Row, Museum Campus, Prairie District	97%	95%	1 Gig	2 Gig	62	78	Xfinity
60606	The Loop, West Loop, Financial District	98%	96%	1 Gig	2 Gig	63	79	Xfinity
60603	The Loop, Grant Park, Financial District	97%	89%	1 Gig	2 Gig	62	73	Xfinity
60601	The Loop, New Eastside, Millennium Park	98%	96%	1 Gig	2 Gig	63	79	Xfinity
60602	The Loop, Downtown	100%	99%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	81	Xfinity
60666	O’Hare International Airport	1%	86%	1 Gig	2 Gig	0	70	Xfinity
60604	The Loop, Printers Row, Financial District	96%	87%	1 Gig	2 Gig	62	71	Xfinity
60611	Streeterville, Magnificent Mile, River North, Gold Coast	99%	96%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	79	Xfinity
60694	The Loop, Downtown Chicago	100%	97%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	79	Xfinity
60690	The Loop, Downtown Chicago	100%	97%	1 Gig	2 Gig	64	79	Xfinity

Rank score (0–100) is each provider’s Speed Score, discounted for weak upload, times the share of that ZIP it reaches — the same rule that orders providers on the Chicago city page, so it moves as availability changes street to street.

Which is better for…

The right pick comes down to what you actually do online.

Gaming

Xfinity

Xfinity’s 2,000/300 Mbps plan reaches about 49% of the city, where available, giving households more download and upload capacity for multiplayer play and busy networks.

Streaming

Xfinity

Xfinity’s 1,200/35 Mbps plan reaches about 99% of the city, while its 2,000/300 Mbps plan reaches about 49%. That gives more households a strong option for multiple streams, where available.

Video calls

Xfinity

Xfinity’s 2,000/300 Mbps plan reaches about 49% of the city, while Astound’s 1,500/50 Mbps plan reaches about 48%. Xfinity wins because its 300 Mbps upload is much stronger than Astound’s 50 Mbps upload for calls, file sharing, and other work-from-home traffic.

Just the basics

Astound

Astound starts at $20/mo, compared with Xfinity’s $40/mo starting price. Where Astound reaches your address, its 1,500/50 Mbps plan is ample for browsing, email, and occasional streaming.

Get connected

Pick your provider and check availability at your address.

Check plans

Top speed1 Gig

Upload50 Mbps

Coverage54%

From$20/mo

1 Gig down · 50 Mbps up Cable
1 Gig down · 1 Gig up Fiber

Check plans

Top speed2 Gig

Upload300 Mbps

Coverage99%

From$40/mo

2 Gig down · 300 Mbps up Cable
1 Gig down · 35 Mbps up Cable

See what’s actually available at your address

Coverage changes from one street to the next. Check your exact address in seconds.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Astound or Xfinity available at my Chicago address?

Xfinity reaches about 99% of Chicago overall, while Astound reaches about 54% across all technologies. Availability can still vary block to block, so check both providers with your exact address before signing up.

Which is cheaper, Astound or Xfinity, and what will I actually pay?

Astound starts at $20/mo, while Xfinity starts at $40/mo. These are promotional starting rates, so confirm the post-promo rate, equipment fees, and any contract before signing; then compare the full terms for your address.

Which is faster for gaming, work from home, or 4K streaming?

Xfinity’s 2,000/300 Mbps plan reaches about 49% of the city, while Astound’s 1,500/50 Mbps plan reaches about 48%. Xfinity is the stronger performance choice where available, so check which tier your address can receive.

How we compare. Coverage is the share of a ZIP where a provider offers a genuinely good plan (≥ 1 Gbps download, ≥ 20 Mbps upload, non-satellite), from FCC Broadband Map serviceability data. “Fastest available” ranks the providers present in a ZIP by top advertised download speed. Pricing reflects current promotional starting rates. Provider order and each ZIP’s winner follow the site’s one ranking rule (Speed Score, discounted for weak upload, times coverage); read the full methodology.