Best Internet Providers in Missouri

A fiber internet connection will be preferable to any other internet connection type almost every time. The speed potential — both upload and download — plus the reliability and overall value are unmatched. If you’re looking for fiber internet in Missouri, AT&T will be your best option.

Availability: AT&T Fiber is available throughout much of Missouri’s three largest metro areas: Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield. Those in Jefferson City and Farmington may be serviceable as well.

Plans and pricing: AT&T Fiber offers three standard plan selections: 300, 500 and 1,000Mbps (actual max advertised speeds are 940Mbps), starting at $55, $65 and $80 per month, respectively. Select areas may also have access to the provider’s two multigigabit plans of 2,000Mbps ($110 per month) and 5,000Mbps, starting at $180. 

As with most fiber services, customers can expect symmetrical or close upload and download speeds with each AT&T Fiber plan.

Fees and service details: AT&T Fiber includes your equipment at no additional cost. There are no data caps or contracts required.

Cable internet is a close second to fiber in terms of speed and value. It also has the advantage of being available to many more households. In Missouri, for example, cable internet is available to over 70% of households, whereas only around 38% are serviceable for fiber. Spectrum is the largest cable internet provider in Missouri.

Availability: Kansas City and St. Louis have the greatest Spectrum availability, but you’ll also find service in Columbia, Perryville, around the Lake of the Ozarks and in communities along the Mississippi River in the southeast part of the state.

Plans and pricing: Spectrum keeps it fairly simple with three plan options in most areas: 300Mbps starting at $50 per month, 500Mbps for $70, and 940Mbps for $90. Depending on the local competition, select locations may only have the option of 500Mbps for $50 per month and 940Mbps for $70 per month.

Spectrum’s pricing is on par with other top providers, at least for the first 12 months. After that, pricing on all Spectrum plans spikes by $30. That’s not uncommon for cable internet service, but it is something to be aware of. 

Fees and service details: Like AT&T Fiber, Spectrum Internet service has no contracts or data caps. Your modem is included at no extra cost, but a $5 equipment fee will apply if you want to rent a router for Wi-Fi service.

Wireless home internet services, specifically those using 5G technology, bring promising broadband improvements to rural areas. Still, I’d recommend a traditional wired connection when available, like the one you get with Kinetic by Windstream.

Availability: In many states, Missouri included, Kinetic sticks to the suburbs and small towns. As such, you’ll find Kinetic in random pockets throughout the state, including west of Springfield, northwest of St. Louis and to the south in Donophan, Piedmont and surrounding communities. DSL or copper-based connections are the most common, but Kinetic also offers fiber service in select areas.

Plans and pricing: Kinetic pricing varies from market to market, but expect DSL service to range from $30 to $60 per month for speeds up to 50Mbps. Faster speeds may be available at your address but will likely come with a higher price tag.

If you’re fortunate enough to be eligible for Kinetic fiber, service starts at $40 per month for speeds up to 200, 400 or 500Mbps, depending on your location. Like with the DSL service, customers may have the option to upgrade to faster speeds for an added monthly fee.

Fees and service details: Kinetic Internet also has unlimited data and no contract requirements. A $10 equipment fee will add to your monthly bill should you choose to rent, though customers can use their own equipment and skip the fee.

If you can’t get a wired connection from Kinetic or another provider, 5G home internet from T-Mobile may be the next best option. It may even be a better choice for rural internet than Kinetic, depending on what kind of speeds and reliability you can get at your address.

Availability: T-Mobile Home Internet is available to around 70% of Missouri households, according to the FCC. Availability varies from county to county, but those in Reynolds County, particularly around Centerville and West Fork, are least likely to be eligible for service. 

Plans and pricing: T-Mobile recently increased its 5G Home Internet plan speeds from 33 to 182Mbps up to 72 to 245Mbps. Upload speeds now range from 15 to 31Mbps. Pricing is the same at $50 per month or $30 per month for qualifying T-Mobile cellular customers.

Fees and service details: There are no equipment fees, data caps or contracts with T-Mobile Home Internet.

Kinetic and T-Mobile are Missouri’s top rural internet options, but they’re not available everywhere. Look to satellite internet, like that from HughesNet, to fill those broadband gaps. HughesNet isn’t your only satellite internet option, but it will likely be the cheapest.

Availability: HughesNet is available wherever you are in Missouri, provided your property has a clear view of the southern sky.

Plans and pricing: All HughesNet plans offer max speeds of 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up, but the amount of data you get varies with each plan. 30GB of data starts at $50 per month, while the most you can get, 100GB, starts at $125 per month. Regardless of your plan, anticipate a price increase of $25 to $50 after six months.

Fees and service details: Equipment is not included with HughesNet, so you’ll need to rent it for an additional $15 per month or purchase it upfront for $450. Service also comes with a two-year contract.

HughesNet has no hard data caps, meaning there is no fee for going over your limit. However, HughesNet may slow your download speeds to 3Mbps or lower once you’ve reached your data cap.