What’s the difference between the Essential and Pro plans?

What’s the difference between the Essential and Pro plans?

The main difference between the Essential and Pro plans is upload speed. All Pro plans include higher upload speeds. While many customers focus primarily on download speed when choosing internet, upload speed is just as important in today’s connected homes — especially with remote work, video calls, smart devices, and cloud services becoming standard.

Download speed affects:

  • Streaming Netflix or YouTube

  • Watching 4K content

  • Browsing websites

  • Downloading apps and software updates

  • Online shopping

  • General web usage

Upload speed affects:

  • Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet calls

  • Uploading files to Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox

  • Sending large email attachments

  • Posting content to social media

  • Online gaming stability and responsiveness

  • Live streaming

  • Security camera video feeds

  • Working from home

  • Remote desktop connections

Who should choose Essential?

The Essential plan is ideal for light to moderate internet users who mainly stream, browse, and download content. It’s a great fit for smaller households without heavy upload needs.

Who should choose Pro?

The Pro plan is designed for households that:

  • Work from home

  • Attend frequent video meetings

  • Upload large files

  • Have multiple users online at once

  • Use cloud backups or smart security cameras

  • Want smoother performance during gaming or live streaming

In short, if your household uploads content, joins video calls regularly, or runs multiple devices at the same time, Pro will provide a noticeably better experience. If you’re unsure which plan is right for you, our support team is happy to help.

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