Best Internet Providers in Germany [2024 English Guide]

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Researched & written

by Jen Palacios

Updated

Having a reliable and high-speed home internet connection in Germany is crucial, especially if you work from home. In this guide, I’ll give you the lowdown on the best internet providers in Germany. Here is a sneak peek:

  1. Vodafone – Fastest cable internet provider in Germany
  2. Telekom – Best coverage for DSL internet connection
  3. eazy – Cheapest cable internet provider in Germany
  4. 1&1 – Best DSL internet provider without a contract

VodafoneTelekom eazy1&1 Internet
English Website & Supportx iconx iconx iconx icon
Connection TypeCableDSL CableDSL
Max. Download / Upload Speed1000 / 50 Mbit/s250 / 50 Mbit/s40 / 5 Mbit/s250 / 40 Mbit/s
Cheapest Connectionfrom €29,99from €34,95from €13,99from €29,99
Contract Length2 years2 years2 yearsflexible

The best internet providers in Germany are generally the big national players in the industry: Telekom, Vodafone, and 1&1. Some regions in Germany might have local internet providers (e.g. NetCologne, EWE, and htp); however, they are very region-specific and are not always available in every city or suburban area.

Internet availability by address in Germany

You can check if the most popular internet providers in Germany offer their services in your area through the links below:

DSL or cable internet connection in Germany?

A DSL internet connection runs through your copper telephone lines. A cable connection uses your TV cable lines to connect to the internet. The price for DSL and cable connections doesn’t differ that much.

For a long time, DSL was considered the best internet connection in the market. DSL is still the most popular internet connection in Germany because it remains the most available option for internet access in Germany.

In the past years, Vodafone has expanded its cable network in Germany significantly, making them the main owner of this network.

Good To Know

According to speedtest.net, Germany is only number 31 on the Global Internet Speed Index. Don’t be expecting super high-speed internet here.

DSL – pros and cons

✅ Not shared with neighbors, so there is no lag during peak times

⛔️ Very susceptible to interference, the further away you are from the internet provider, the slower it gets

Cable – pros and cons

✅ Faster than DSL

⛔️ Sometimes slow if the bandwidth is being used by too many people

⛔️ Not available everywhere in Germany

What is good WIFI speed in Germany?

If you are an average internet user and only use it to write emails, surf the web, watch some YouTube videos, and stream Netflix, you should be fine with up to 16 Mbit/s download.

Simple Germany’s Hot Tip

The minimum required speed for streaming Netflix is 3 Mbit/s download for SD (standard definition) quality, at least 5 Mbit/s download for HD quality, and 25 Mbit/s download for 4K quality. 

If you share a flat with other people, have a lot of online calls, or play a lot of online games, then you should consider getting the highest broadband available in your region. All big internet providers in Germany (Telekom, Vodafone, 1&1) offer DSL internet connections that have up to 250 Mbit/s download and 40 Mbit/s upload.

If you are a hardcore internet user, and you do things like upload YouTube videos to your channel, have tons of video conferences, play a lot of video games, or stream a lot, then you should consider getting a cable connection (if available in your region). The internet provider with the fastest cable internet connection in Germany is Vodafone, their best plan is up to 1.000 Mbit/s download and up to 50 Mbit/s upload for 50 euros a month.

Read Our Related Guide

Streaming in Germany

Which is the best internet provider in Germany?

Here are our top picks for the best internet providers in Germany.

1. Vodafone – Fastest with Cable

Vodafone Internet Homepage
Source: Vodafone

Vodafone offers the fastest internet service in Germany through its cable contracts. Cable contracts at Vodafone start at 29.99 euros for up to 50 Mbit/s download and up to 5 Mbit/s upload. Their fastest and most expensive cable contract is 49.99 euros for up to 1000 Mbit/s download and up to 50 Mbit/s upload.

Vodafone is the second-largest internet provider in Germany, and they have the biggest cable network in the country.

A word of warning though, cable connection is not available everywhere in Germany. Make sure to check the availability with Vodafone. Also, the speed of your internet will depend highly on the cable lines installed in your home. 

2. Telekom – Best Coverage for DSL

Telekom Internet Homepage
Source: Telekom

Deutsche Telekom, which was state-owned until 1996, is Germany’s number one internet provider. It has over 13 million DSL customers nationwide, and 39% of the market share.

They only offer DSL connections. Their cheapest contract is around 34 euros for up to 16 Mbit/s download and up to 2.4 Mbit/s upload. Their most expensive contract is around 54 euros for up to 250 Mbit/s download and up to 50 Mbit/s upload.

If you are under 28 years old, you get their cheapest contract for around 29 euros and their most expensive one for around 48 euros a month

If you compare it to other internet providers in Germany, Telekom is usually a bit more expensive. Due to their high number of telephone lines, they offer the best coverage in rural areas. 

3. eazy – Cheapest in the market

Eazy Internet Homepage
Source: eazy

Eazy, who uses Vodafone’s cable network, is not only the cheapest cable internet provider in Germany but also the simplest to understand. 

They only offer two tariffs. The cheapest internet contract in Germany is the eazy20, for 13.99 euros a month for up to 20 Mbit/s download and up to 2.5 Mbit/s upload. Another cheap option is the eazy40 for 17.99 euros a month for up to 40 Mbit/s download and 5 Mbit/s upload.

4. 1&1 – Internet Without a contract

1&1 Internet Homepage
Source: 1&1

If you are looking for a short-term internet provider in Germany, you have to check the DSL offers from 1&1. They are the third-largest German broadband provider after Telekom and Vodafone.

1&1’s internet tariffs without a contract have the same price as the tariffs with a 24-month contract. 1&1 cheapest offer without a contract is 29.99 euros a month for up to 16 Mbit/s download and up to 1 Mbit/s upload. Their most expensive contract is 44.99 euros a month for up to 250 Mbit/s download and up to 40 Mbit/s upload.

Even though you do not have a 24-month contract, you still need to send your cancellation request three months in advance, as with any other internet provider in Germany.

Comparison of Internet Service Providers in Germany

If you would like to compare your internet options with some local providers or even get a better deal for Telekom or Vodafone, you can use the comparison tool CHECK24. You will need to select, whether you are looking for just internet, or internet combined with a landline phone and TV cable.

Next, you will have to enter the area code of the landline numbers of the city you live in. Here are a few examples:

030 – Berlin 
089 – Munich 
040 – Hamburg 
069 – Frankfurt 
0211 – Dusseldorf 
0711 – Stuttgart  

For more details on German phone numbers, check out our guide below.

After you have entered your area code, CHECK24 will show you results, based on the availability. You can now compare providers and tariffs. Be sure to always take a look at the full details, to not be tricked with a great price only for the first few months.

CHECK24 - Internet Provider Comparison


Compare Internet Providers
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

3 things you should know about internet contracts in Germany

Since December 2021 a new telecommunication law is in place, giving a lot more rights to the consumer.

  1. Duration of the contract: Usually contracts are for 24 months. After that you can cancel your contract with a notice period of one month.
  2. Pay special attention to the prices! Internet providers like to offer things like 5 euros for the first 6 months and 50 euros after the 6th month. So make sure to check for the real price of the contract and not the special offer for the first months.
  3. Monthly fees for the wireless router: A lot of internet providers charge a monthly fee for having a router. This fee can range from 2 to 6 euros.

Simple Germany’s Hot Tip

To cancel your existing contract, you can access our FREE template to cancel contracts in Germany.

4 things you should know about internet providers in Germany

  1. Speed: It is possible that you will not get the promised speed from the internet provider. This is due to the fact that some lines are quite old or have not been connected properly to the cable networks. You can always measure your internet speed through the Federal Network Agency’s speed test.
  2. No English support: None of the big internet providers in Germany offer their services in English. We recommend you translate their websites with the help of Chrome’s ‘Translate to English’ feature. If you need to call or go to a shop personally, we recommend you take a friend or coworker to help you out.
  3. Customer service generally sucks: Dealing with telecommunication companies in Germany is sometimes a real pain. Sometimes they hang up on you, leave you waiting for a long time, ask you to call other numbers, and it might sometimes feel that they don’t want to help you out. 
  4. It might take some time to get an internet connection: If a technician needs to come to your home to do some sort of work, you might be looking at weeks of waiting. So keep this in mind when looking for offers. And be sure to make getting internet for your home a priority once you move in.

How much does internet cost in Germany?

An internet connection is an important part of your cost of living in Germany. An internet contract in Germany can be as cheap as 13.99 euros a month for a cable connection that has up to 20 Mbit/s download and up to 2.5 Mbit/s upload through a contract with eazy. Vodafone offers tariffs for 70 euros a month for a fiberglass connection with up to 1.000 Mbit/s download and up to 50 Mbit/s upload. Fiberglass connections are not that common in Germany, though, as the infrastructure is slowly starting to expand.

Conclusion

Eazy is a straightforward, simple, and cheap cable internet service provider to consider. If you would like a high-speed internet connection, you should consider the cable contracts from Vodafone. If you live in a rural area without cable internet lines, most likely, Telekom will be the only available DSL internet provider. If you don’t want to have a 24-month contract, consider the DSL tariffs from 1&1.

Simple Germany’s Hot Tip

If you do not have a mobile phone contract yet, take a look at our guide for the best mobile network and contract providers in Germany. When you combine mobile with a home internet contract, you often receive benefits or a better price.

This article contains affiliate links. When you click on the links to the products we mention in this article and purchase them, we will receive a small commission. It will not make any difference to you in price; however, it allows us to keep Simple Germany alive and striving.

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About the Author

Jen Palacios is a researcher and writer at Simple Germany specializing in aiding international skilled workers to navigate the complexities of German life.

Jen brings a unique immigrant perspective to her writing. Beyond her professional pursuits, Jen is an avid learner with interests ranging from woodworking to web development.

She is committed to writing guides and producing YouTube videos for Simple Germany that provide practical guidance for internationals aiming to settle into life in Germany more smoothly.