The speed you need depends on what you do and how many people are online at once. Streaming a movie needs far less than it sounds; a house full of devices needs more than you'd think. Here's a simple breakdown so you don't overpay — or underbuy.
Test your speed now →Free · No signup · ~10 seconds| Activity | Download needed |
|---|---|
| Web & social media | 5 Mbps |
| Music streaming | 2 Mbps |
| HD video (1080p) | 10 Mbps |
| 4K / UHD video | 25 Mbps |
| Zoom / Teams call | 5–10 Mbps |
| Online gaming | 15–25 Mbps |
| Downloading large files | 100+ Mbps |
Speeds stack when activities happen at once. Two 4K streams plus a video call ≈ 60 Mbps — and that's before phones, downloads and updates running in the background.
If you make video calls, post content, or back up to the cloud, you also need decent upload (10+ Mbps is comfortable). For gaming and calls, a low ping (under 50 ms) matters more than raw download speed — see Mbps vs ping.
See your real speed and provider →Powered by CloudflarePlans advertise a maximum — your real speed can be lower over Wi-Fi or at peak hours. Run a quick speed test to see your true download, upload and ping, then compare it to what you pay for. If it's far below, try a wired connection or read how to make your internet faster.