How Much Internet Speed Do You Actually Need in 2025?
Every ISP wants to sell you the fastest plan possible. "Get our 1 Gig plan!" But do you actually need 1000 Mbps? Probably not. I spent a month tracking exactly how much bandwidth different activities use, and the results were honestly surprising.
Here's what you actually need vs what companies want you to think you need.
Streaming Video (The Big One)
This is what most people are worried about. Can I stream Netflix in 4K? Will YouTube buffer?
| Quality | Speed Needed | Data per Hour |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix SD (480p) | 3 Mbps | ~700 MB |
| Netflix HD (1080p) | 5 Mbps | ~1.5 GB |
| Netflix 4K (Ultra HD) | 25 Mbps | ~7 GB |
| YouTube 1080p | 5 Mbps | ~1.2 GB |
| YouTube 4K | 20 Mbps | ~5 GB |
| Disney+ 4K | 25 Mbps | ~6 GB |
| HBO Max 4K | 50 Mbps (!) | ~10 GB |
Real talk:
Most people watch in 1080p, not 4K. Even if you have a 4K TV, a lot of content isn't available in 4K. So basing your internet plan around 4K streaming is probably overkill unless you're really into it.
Multiple Streams
Here's what you need if multiple people are streaming simultaneously:
- 2 people streaming 1080p: ~15 Mbps (so a 25 Mbps plan works)
- 3 people streaming 1080p: ~20 Mbps (a 50 Mbps plan is comfortable)
- 4 people streaming 1080p: ~25 Mbps (50-100 Mbps plan recommended)
- 2 people streaming 4K: ~50 Mbps (100 Mbps plan recommended)
I tested this in my house with 3 people all streaming Netflix simultaneously. On a 100 Mbps connection, nobody had any buffering issues. We were only using like 40% of our bandwidth.
Video Calls (The Work From Home Essential)
This is where upload speed matters just as much as download.
| Platform | Download | Upload |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom 1-on-1 (720p) | 1.5 Mbps | 1.5 Mbps |
| Zoom group call (720p) | 2.5 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| Zoom 1080p HD | 3.8 Mbps | 3.8 Mbps |
| Microsoft Teams (720p) | 1.2 Mbps | 1.5 Mbps |
| Google Meet (1080p) | 3.2 Mbps | 3.2 Mbps |
| FaceTime (1080p) | 3 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
Important: These are per person. If two people in your house are on video calls at the same time, double these numbers.
I had major issues with video calls when I only had 10 Mbps upload. The calls would freeze whenever someone else started using the internet. Upgraded to fiber with 50+ Mbps upload and the problems disappeared.
Real World Scenario
Let's say you're on a Zoom call while your partner is also on a call:
- Your Zoom call: 3 Mbps up + 3 Mbps down
- Partner's Teams call: 1.5 Mbps up + 1.5 Mbps down
- Total needed: 4.5 Mbps up + 4.5 Mbps down
So you'd want at least a 25 Mbps plan with 10+ Mbps upload to have comfortable headroom.
Gaming (It's Not What You Think)
Everyone thinks you need super fast internet for gaming. You don't. You need low latency, which is different.
| Game Type | Speed Needed | What Actually Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive FPS (CoD, Valorant) | 3-5 Mbps | Low ping (<20ms) |
| Battle Royale (Fortnite, Apex) | 3-5 Mbps | Stable connection |
| MMO (WoW, FF14) | 1-3 Mbps | Consistency |
| Console gaming (PS5, Xbox) | 3-5 Mbps | Low ping |
What kills gaming performance:
- High ping/latency (over 50ms gets noticeable)
- Jitter (inconsistent ping)
- Packet loss (even 1% is bad)
- Other people using all the bandwidth
I play competitive shooters on a 100 Mbps connection and my ping is like 15ms. My friend has gigabit internet and his ping is 18ms. The difference in gameplay? Zero.
Game Downloads Are Different
Now downloading games - THAT benefits from fast internet:
- 50 GB game on 50 Mbps: ~2.5 hours
- 50 GB game on 100 Mbps: ~1.2 hours
- 50 GB game on 300 Mbps: ~25 minutes
- 50 GB game on 1000 Mbps: ~7 minutes
So if you download a lot of games, faster speeds save time. But it doesn't affect actual gameplay at all.
Smart Home Devices
Everyone's worried about this but honestly these use almost nothing:
- Smart speaker (Alexa, Google Home): <1 Mbps
- Security camera (1080p): 2-4 Mbps per camera
- Smart lights, thermostat, etc.: Basically nothing (kilobits)
- Smart TV (just the apps): <1 Mbps when idle
I have like 20 smart devices and they collectively use maybe 5 Mbps max. The cameras are the only thing that matters, and even then, they only upload when motion is detected.
Working From Home
Here's what I use during a typical work day:
- Email, Slack, browsing: ~1 Mbps
- Cloud apps (Google Docs, etc.): ~2 Mbps
- Video call: ~3 Mbps up + 3 Mbps down
- Background cloud sync: ~1-5 Mbps upload
- Occasionally uploading files: Benefits from high upload speeds
Minimum for WFH: 25 Mbps down, 10 Mbps up
Comfortable for WFH: 100 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up
Ideal for WFH: Any fiber connection (symmetric uploads)
Social Media and General Browsing
This stuff uses almost nothing:
- Scrolling Instagram/Twitter: ~1-2 Mbps
- Watching TikTok: ~3-5 Mbps
- General web browsing: ~1 Mbps
- Music streaming (Spotify): ~0.5 Mbps
Even if you're doom-scrolling TikTok for hours, you're only using like 5 Mbps. It's not the bandwidth hog people think it is.
Real Household Scenarios
Single Person / Couple
Light use: Email, browsing, occasional Netflix
Recommended: 50 Mbps
Reality: Even 25 Mbps would probably be fine
Small Family (3-4 people)
Typical use: Multiple people streaming, video calls, gaming
Recommended: 100-200 Mbps
Reality: 100 is plenty unless everyone's streaming 4K simultaneously
Large Family (5+ people)
Heavy use: Everyone doing their own thing at the same time
Recommended: 300-500 Mbps
Reality: More devices means more chance of congestion, get the higher end
Work From Home Family
Critical use: Video calls while others stream and game
Recommended: 200+ Mbps with good upload (fiber ideal)
Reality: Upload speed matters more than download here
My Actual Usage Test
I monitored my home network for a month. Household of 2 people, both WFH, both gamers, lots of streaming.
- Average usage: 35 Mbps
- Peak usage: 85 Mbps (both on video calls + someone downloading a game)
- Our plan: 300 Mbps
- Utilization: ~28% on average
We're paying for way more than we need. But the price difference between 100 Mbps and 300 Mbps was only $10/month, so whatever.
The Bottom Line
Don't need gigabit unless:
- You download massive files daily (100+ GB)
- You have 6+ people in your household
- You run a home business with heavy uploads
- The price difference is negligible
100 Mbps is plenty for:
- Most families (3-4 people)
- 1080p streaming on multiple devices
- Working from home (if upload is decent)
- Gaming (speed doesn't matter, latency does)
Upgrade to 300+ Mbps if:
- Large family with heavy usage
- Frequent large downloads
- Multiple people streaming 4K
- You just want headroom and can afford it
See what you're actually using:
Test your speed during peak usage times to see if your current plan is enough. You might be paying for speed you don't need.