Best internet speed tests of 2025

USA Today

a day ago

Best internet speed tests of 2025
Is your internet slower than usual? Some signs of slow internet include buffering, lag and dropped video calls. If you're experiencing this issue, it's a good idea to test your internet speed on your phone, laptop, or tablet.
A speed test will reveal factors like your download and upload speeds, jitter and latency. You'll want a speed test that is digestible, accurate and reliable. It's also a good idea to run speed tests multiple times throughout the day. This ensures you're getting the most precise measurements of your internet speeds.
We'll walk you through how and why you should run a speed test. And which ones are accurate and worth trying.
What internet speed test should you use?
You want a speed test that is accurate, easy to use and pairs well with your Wi-Fi device. The speed tests below offer reliable results to test the speed of your internet connection. That said, results can vary based on factors like how many devices are connected to your Wi-Fi at one time.
Cloudflare: Very accurate
Fast.com: Easiest to use
OpenSpeedTestTM: Best open source
SpeedSmart: Good for any Wi-Fi device
Speedtest by OoklaⓇ: Most widely used
TestMy.net: Good unbiased option
Cloudflare and OpenSpeedTest are two reliable and accurate speed test sites. Both tests use servers in multiple locations and measure different aspects of your connection, like the speed and latency. Cloudflare has a cleaner interface, but both are relatively simple to use.
We highlighted speed tests that not only test upload and download speeds, but also jitter and latency. It's a good idea to run a few of these tests to get your average internet speed, since results will vary based on location of the speed test servers and its underlying software.
Cloudflare – Very accurate
User-friendly interface with easy-to-read graphs.
Easy-to-understand symbols next to each speed result that define jargon terms like jitter and packet loss.
Cloudflare's 'Network Quality Score" lists the online activities that will perform best with your internet speed, like streaming.
Fast.com – Easiest to use
Very minimalist interface, with no ads or extras.
Automatically tests Wi-Fi speed, with a 'show more info' button that reveals latency, upload speed and server location.
Unlike other speed tests, Fast.com shows unloaded and loaded latency
Fewer data points and statistics compared to some other speed tests. If you want a deeper analysis of your network, try a different site.
Owned and operated by Netflix, so it is a useful test if your primary internet activity is streaming.
OpenSpeedTestTM – Best open source
Basic interface with a bit of clutter from sidebar ads.
Tests download and upload speeds, plus jitter and ping rates.
Results in under a minute.
Uses HTML5 (the newest iteration of HTML), which has the added benefit of working with all operating systems without apps or plugins.
Automatically selects a server to use when running the assessment.
SpeedSmart – Good for any Wi-Fi device
Clean interface.
Tests download and upload speed, jitter and ping with the click of a button.
Uses HTML5 technology for more accuracy.
Free SpeedSmart app for iPhone and Android.
Uses over 100 test servers, including international locations in Canada, Mexico and Spain. There's a drop-down box at the bottom of the page that allows you to switch server locations.
Speedtest by OoklaⓇ — Most widely used
Provides download and upload speeds, and the simultaneous ping test shows three different latency measurements: idle, download and upload. Idle latency is the latency measurement when your network is in standby mode, however, this isn't all that important to know for a speed test.
Tests Wi-Fi speed on various servers and has a native app for multiple devices and browser systems, such as Windows, Mac and AppleTV.
Simple interface, but there are banner ads.
One of the most popular online speed tests, with a database that can help users find statistics about global internet speeds, the fastest providers and other research.
TestMy.net – Good unbiased option
Calculates download and upload in separate tests, which means faster results than some other speed test sites.
Uses HTML5, which increases the reliability of the speed results.
Servers in various locations that aren't affiliated with provider networks, which means more objective results.
Useful data on your internet speed by comparing it to your host and city average. That means you can determine if your high-speed internet plan is good compared to others in your area.
The interface isn't as clean as some competitors, and there are some pop-up ads.
You can get the best results by comparing multiple speed tests to determine your home's median or average outcome. Use the following tips and tricks to increase the accuracy of your network speed test:
Connect only the device you want to test. Having many devices running at once will slow down your test.
Having many devices running at once will slow down your test. If possible, do not test over a Wi-Fi connection. Home Wi-Fi speeds are more variable and will not give as accurate a measurement as a hard-wired device.
Home Wi-Fi speeds are more variable and will not give as accurate a measurement as a hard-wired device. Plug your device into your gateway with an Ethernet cable . An Ethernet connection gives the truest speed results.
. An Ethernet connection gives the truest speed results. For Wi-Fi devices, get close to your router . If an Ethernet connection is not an option, get as close to your wireless router as possible to get a more accurate result. A faulty or outdated router can cause slower speeds. If you notice a significant difference between a speed test with and without an Ethernet connection, it might be time to buy a new router.
. If an Ethernet connection is not an option, get as close to your wireless router as possible to get a more accurate result. A faulty or outdated router can cause slower speeds. If you notice a significant difference between a speed test with and without an Ethernet connection, it might be time to buy a new router. Do not test your speed while moving around . Walking around with your device while performing a speed test will affect the outcome.
. Walking around with your device while performing a speed test will affect the outcome. Check your speed at different times of the day . For shared connections like cable and 5G internet, network congestion at busy times (evenings, weekends) will yield a slower speed. The time of day should not affect dedicated connections like fiber internet. Your internet service provider may throttle speeds during busy times, giving a speed test lower-than-normal results.
. For shared connections like cable and 5G internet, network congestion at busy times (evenings, weekends) will yield a slower speed. The time of day should not affect dedicated connections like fiber internet. Your internet service provider may throttle speeds during busy times, giving a speed test lower-than-normal results. Comparison to your previous speed test results . Comparing your internet speed test to your previous results helps establish a baseline for what constitutes good internet performance in your area. It can also help you decide if the speed you're paying for matches your speed test results.
. Comparing your internet speed test to your previous results helps establish a baseline for what constitutes good internet performance in your area. It can also help you decide if the speed you're paying for matches your speed test results. Consider the speed test server location. A speed test using a nearby server can accurately assess your internet speed under your typical conditions. However, occasionally internet traffic may be routed to other servers due to network congestion. As a result, some speed tests allow you to connect to more distant servers, enabling you to compare performance under various conditions.
A speed test using a nearby server can accurately assess your internet speed under your typical conditions. However, occasionally internet traffic may be routed to other servers due to network congestion. As a result, some speed tests allow you to connect to more distant servers, enabling you to compare performance under various conditions. Use tests with HTML5 site structure and open source sites. HTML5, the newest interaction of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), helps the site perform faster, a key attribute when measuring speed. 'Open source' means anyone can review the site's code to ensure the speed test is delivering accurate results.
If you notice your internet is slow, it's a good idea to run a speed test to see how it's performing. When you use a speed test, the results may seem like a foreign language. Here's a breakdown of key terms to know when interpreting the results of your speed test.
Download and upload speed
Definition: Measurements of how fast data is transferred to and from the server to your computer or other devices.
Measurements of how fast data is transferred to and from the server to your computer or other devices. How it's relevant in a speed test: This shows how fast your download and upload speeds are when you're doing online activities.
Ping test & latency
Definition: The gap of time between when you issue a command on your device and when the response arrives. A ping test measures latency in milliseconds (ms).
The gap of time between when you issue a command on your device and when the response arrives. A ping test measures latency in milliseconds (ms). How it's relevant in a speed test: An internet connection with a lot of latency will perform poorly and may result in lag for activities like streaming live TV.
Jitter
Definition: A measurement of abrupt changes in ping rate and latency.
A measurement of abrupt changes in ping rate and latency. How it's relevant in a speed test: A jitter rate of over 30 ms can poorly affect video and voice calls, which isn't great if you're working from home.
Packet loss
Definition: When some data doesn't reach its online destination.
When some data doesn't reach its online destination. How it's relevant in a speed test:If you have a high packet loss, then your internet signal is likely unreliable for data transfer. The result of packet loss can be lag or buffering.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good download and upload speed?
The internet speed you need will depend on your primary online activities. If you're mainly only online to browse, a good speed is 10–100 Mbps. If you're a live gamer or streamer, you'll typically 100–500 Mbps or more, depending on how many connected devices you have.
What does ping mean?
Ping is actually an acronym for Packet Inter-Network Groper. Ping is a computer command that verifies an IP address. It is used to diagnose connectivity issues and test data transfer rates. According to HP, a ping rate of less than 100 milliseconds (ms) is good for most online activities, but 20 ms or less is best for gaming.
What does latency mean?
Latency is the time it takes data to travel from your computer to its destination, measured in milliseconds. The ping test measures latency, and thhat's why the terms are often used interchangeably.
What does jitter mean?
Jitter measures the delay between when your computer sends a signal and when your network receives it. Jitter should typically be two milliseconds (ms) or less. However, some internet connections will have a higher jitter rate, like satellite internet.
Why is my internet slow if my speed test is fast?
If you find you get good speed test results but your device is still running slow, it might just be that the device is old or outdated. If your smartphone is overloaded with apps, this might also result in a slow connection.
Contributing: Lisa Iscrupe and Hannah Whatley, Allconnect