Airtel Xstream Rs 499 Vs JioFiber Rs 399 – Which Is Better?
Airtel Xstream and JioFiber are two of the top companies providing broadband plans across India. Their plans aren’t just affordable but also offer several other benefits like free calling, SMS, etc.
These two companies have broadband plans that are similar to each other in terms of data speed, price, OTT app subscriptions, etc. Hence, it might not be very easy to choose from the long list of data plans they offer.
Most of their plans have unlimited data with a FUP limit. The most inexpensive and popular broadband plan from Airtel is priced at Rs. 499, and the cheapest JioFiber plan is priced at Rs. 399. But, remember, price isn’t the only thing that matters when you choose a broadband plan. Other factors like customer service, installation charge, benefits like free OTT app membership, and more are equally important.
That being said, the two plans that are extremely popular from both the providers are Airtel Xstream’s INR 499 plan and JioFiber’s INR 399 plan. Hence, to help you with your selection process, we have curated a detailed JioFiber vs Airtel Xstream guide for you based on these specific plans. This will help you get a good idea about which plan suits best according to your needs and make an informed decision.
Airtel Xstream Rs 499 Vs JioFiber Rs 399
1. Plan Price Comparison
The Airtel Xstream plan is for Rs. 499, and JioFiber is Rs. 399. These broadband plans are not inclusive of taxes. You will have to pay 18% GST, which will make the total plan cost up to Airtel Xstream Rs.588 and JioFiber Rs. 470, respectively.
| Network Provider | Cost |
|---|---|
| Airtel Xstream | INR 499 + 18% GST |
| JioFiber | INR 399 + 18% GST |
2. Data & Calling Comparison
Both plans come with unlimited data and unlimited free calling. This is a great feature considering these are the most basic plans provided by both networks, yet boast great features and services.
The JioFiber Rs. 399 plan has a 3300 GB FUP limit, and Airtel Xstream offers a 3333 GB data FUP limit. So you do get a 33GB extra cap per month by Airtel Xstream by paying Rs. 118 more. Airtel Xstream’s unlimited free calling can be used only on phone and landline connections. Similarly, with JioFiber, you can get free calling for phone, landline connection, and the Jio app.
| Network Provider | FUP Limit |
|---|---|
| Airtel Xstream | 3333 GB |
| JioFiber | 3300 GB |
3. Plan Speed Comparison
The Airtel Xstream INR 499 plan offers 40 Mbps speed (ranging up to 45-49Mbps) which is quite good for the price it comes for. The JioFiber plan offers 30Mbps (ranging up to 28-30 MBPS) download and upload speed. Considering the price for this plan Rs. 100 lesser than Airtel Xstream’s price, it justifies the speed.
The speed offered by both networks is more than sufficient to stream any content on multiple devices without interruption, buffering, or lagging. For a single 4k HDR video stream on Netflix, it is suggested that you get a minimum of 25 MBPS speed, and both plans can help you access such content. Keep in mind, the higher the Mbps, the better your experience will be. If streaming HD videos is your primary requirement, then we suggest you go for Airtel Xstream.
| Network Provider | Speed |
|---|---|
| Airtel Xstream | 40 Mbps |
| JioFiber | 30 Mbps |
4. Plan Offers and Benefits Comparison
Airtel doesn’t provide membership for OTT apps like Amazon Prime & Disney+Hotstar as this is a basic plan. Albeit in the Xstream combo, you will get an Airtel Xstream 4K TV Box at Rs 1,499, which is for the security deposit and it is refundable. This amount is separate from the installation deposit amount. In that box, you can enjoy a collective 10,000+ movies, shows on 5 studio apps, and 7 OTT apps.
JioFiber doesn’t offer any OTT app benefits with their Rs. 399 plan. Although JioFiber does have an offer of providing a set-top box at Rs. 1000 which is a refundable amount.
| Network Provider | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Airtel Xstream | Airtel Xstream 4K TV Box at INR 1,499 |
| JioFiber | JioFiber Set-top Box at INR 1000 |
5. Installation Comparison
The installation charge by JioFiber is Rs. 1,500, out of which Rs. 500 only is refundable after 30 days. Both service providers include a dual-band wifi ONT router with a Gigabit port in their installation amount, which is a great deal.
For Airtel Xstream, the installation charge is about Rs. 1100 to Rs.1200. Airtel Xstream offers free installation if you purchase a plan for 3 or more months. However, this offer isn’t available for Rs. 499 plan. If you have been an Airtel Xstream user for over a year, you will be allowed to keep the router.
| Network Provider | Installation Cost |
|---|---|
| Airtel Xstream | INR 1100 – 1200 (Free installation for 3 months+ plan) |
| JioFiber | INR 1,500 (INR 500 refundable after 30 days) |
DTH Availability
Both companies also offer DTH (Dish-to-home) services, however, Airtel DTH’s services are more sophisticated and advanced. It’s also important to note that the Airtel DTH service is available with any plan with an extra cost of Rs. 1500 for the DTH box. With this DTH option, you can access hundreds of channels they have to offer. The monthly rental to keep the subscription active is Rs.150.
| Network Provider | DTH Availability |
|---|---|
| Airtel Xstream | Available at an additional INR 1500 |
| JioFiber | Available |
The Verdict
Airtel Xstream fiber provides a public ipv4 address, whereas JioFiber broadband provides a private ipv4 address. You can also use the Airtel ONT on bridge mode, which is not available for JioFiber.
Both companies have prompt customer service. But, Airtel is known to always go the extra mile by intimating the customer with the official contact information of the person responsible for installation through SMS.
Jio offers Fiber broadband service, which is faster and better than regular broadband networks. Airtel Xstream, in a few cases, offers VSDL technology, which isn’t as good as the Fiber network. If you are getting fiber networks for the Airtel plans, go for Airtel Xstream.
Conclusion
We hope this article helps you clear your doubts about which budget-friendly broadband plans by Jio and Airtel are best for your needs. With so many plans and providers on the market, it’s crucial to find the right provider and plan to get the best benefits. So, if you are looking for more information on broadband plans across the country, including comparisons, tips, and updates, you should stay tuned to Selectra.