If you’ve swapped internet service providers or suspect that your current one isn’t giving you the speeds they promised, use an Internet speed test to see how fast everything is running. If you want to verify your Internet speed, we recommend using one of the best Internet speed test site options.
Tip: testing your phone’s Internet speed? Check out the best Internet speed test apps for Android.
1. Google
No, we don’t mean using Google to find speed tests! Google has its own speed test that you can find by searching for “Internet speed test.”
Click, the first search result: a blue button that says “Run Speed Test.” Google will launch a speed test using automatic settings.
The speed test is very bare-bones: you can’t choose a server, and there are no statistics past the download and upload speed. This makes it a pretty poor choice for accuracy, as there’s no real way to control it.
However, if you just want to perform a quick test to get a rough idea of how fast your Internet speeds are, the Google Internet speed test is probably the quickest way to do it. Just search the term, run the test, and you’ll have a speed result in seconds.
2. Fast.com
Fast.com is another easy, uber-fast way to check your Internet speed. It takes even fewer steps than the Google speed test. When you visit fast.com, the site will automatically measure your Internet speed and show you your download speed in megabits (Mbps).
This test is perfect for the times you’re in doubt about whether it’s your ISP at fault or something else clogging up your Internet speed. A super-fast download speed result will remove ISP from suspicion.
Although fast.com doesn’t provide you with much control over the test, you can click the Show more info button to view your upload speed, latency, and the server used for running the test. Click the Settings button to change things like test duration and number of parallel connections. You can also save your configuration changes to always see both the download and upload speed in the result.
FYI: Internet slowing down? Check out the best ways to increase network speed via Regedit in Windows.
3. Measurement Lab (M-Lab)
The Measurement Lab is a non-profit Internet speed test that’s supported by organizations like Google, Mozilla, and Cloudflare. This easy-to-use site runs a slightly longer test to measure both your download and upload speed.
The M-LaB Internet speed test provides some additional information compared to other tests, such as retransmission percentage and data from two different tests: NDT and MSAK. The MSAK test is hosted by M-Lab and measures the throughput and latency of network connections.
Although the M-Lab test seems to be more informative than some of the tests above, it’s virtually similar to them. The positives are that it has a nice interface and shows no ads at all.
4. Ookla
Ookla’s SpeedTest is one of the best Internet speed test site options in the world and an obvious recommendation. It’s one of the oldest and most trusted players in the business.
If you’re not keen on messing around with details, click the GO button, and it will pair you with the most recommended server. Alternatively, select a server near you for a more customizable experience. The results show you the download speed, upload speed, and the ping information about your connection.
Ping denotes the time it takes for packets to reach the server, then arrive back at your computer. It’s a measure of how responsive your connection is. Ookla also shows which services may be down at the moment, so you know who’s at fault. You can also use the Speedtest global index to see how your Internet stacks up against the global averages. A downside of this test is the high number of banner ads, which get annoying quickly.
Tip: facing high ping in games? Learn how to lower ping to get a good ping speed.
5. TestMySpeed
TestMySpeed is quite similar to Ookla’s Speedtest in both the interface, settings, and results, as it licenses Ookla’s measurement test for its own website.
Similar to the Ookla Speedtest, you get the option to choose the nearest server for more accurate results. It can also suggest the best Internet options based on zip code. While it returned no results for me, you can try it out for yourself.
Besides the download speed, upload speed, and ping, it also displays the jitter information about your connection. This is a measurement of the variation in the time it takes for packets to arrive at your computer. Both ping and jitter measure speed lag and showcase the quality of your connection.
6. SpeedOf.Me
If you’re looking for something more thorough than the options above, try SpeedOf.Me. For one, its speed test is actually a few little tests bundled together. It uploads and downloads a sample file in the background and repeats with a larger file if your Internet can download it within eight seconds. This continues until your connection takes longer than eight seconds.
This method is better than some others, as you’re downloading and uploading actual files, meaning the results will relate directly to your experience when you’re browsing the Web. The website even has a history tab, where your past tests are stored. This makes SpeedOf.Me a great pick for comparing speeds at different times, such as when you’re changing your router, computer/router placement, or ISP.
While these tests are very thorough, they’re only useful if there’s a server near you. SpeedOf doesn’t have great coverage worldwide, and there’s no way to choose your own server. It also shows display and video ads, so only use this website if the server it gives you is close enough for an accurate result.
Good to know: confused between Wi-Fi standards? Learn the differences between Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, and Wi-Fi 6E.
7. TestMy.net
Fancy comparing your speeds against other people, whether that would be other users of your ISP, your country’s average, or even the world? Try TestMy.net, a download and upload speed checker that’s been around for more than 20 years. For the more curious users, it’s perhaps the best Internet speed test site available.
You have the option of running a download or upload speed test, plus an automatic speed test which can test your connection regularly over time. You can also click the Test My Internet button, then choose Combined to test both your download and upload speeds.
The actual test process can be disorienting if you have a fast connection. Each stage of the test has its own webpage, so if your fast Internet blazes through the first steps, you’ll see a lot of pages appear and vanish again. Also, while you can select the server to use for the test, the range is very limited. As such, TestMy.net may not be ideal if the website doesn’t offer a server near you.
Regardless of whether you are comparing ISPs, checking whether your new router is faster than your old one, or just curious to see how fast your Internet is, each of the Internet speed test site options above can be the best one for you, depending on where you live and how much information you’re looking for.
If you’re facing slow download speeds, speed up your Chrome downloads using a mix of simple and advanced fixes. If you’re one of the people with their Ethernet speed capped at 100Mbps on Windows, you can fix it with some quick solutions.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Tanveer Singh.
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