Internet Speed Test
Check your real download & upload speed, ping and jitter in seconds — on a live gauge. Free, accurate and private, with no app and no sign-up. Just press GO.
Speed is measured by transferring test data to/from Cloudflare's global edge network — the same way every modern speed test works.
Know exactly how fast your internet really is
You pay for a certain internet speed — but are you actually getting it? Buffering videos, laggy video calls, slow downloads and stuttering games are all signs of a connection that isn't performing the way it should.
An internet speed test measures the four numbers that matter — download, upload, ping and jitter — so you can see your connection's real capacity and responsiveness in seconds. It's the fastest way to confirm you're getting the speed you pay for, troubleshoot a slow connection, compare Wi-Fi to wired, or decide whether it's time to upgrade your plan.
This test runs entirely in your browser against a fast worldwide network, with no app to install and no sign-up. Press GO above, and within a few seconds you'll have a clear, honest picture of how your internet is really performing — plus a plain-English breakdown of exactly what it can comfortably handle.
How much internet speed do you actually need?
Speed needs depend on what you do online and how many devices share the connection. These are widely accepted minimums per activity — for a busy household, add them together. (Recommendations align with the U.S. FCC Broadband Speed Guide.)
| Activity | Recommended download | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| General browsing & email | 3–5 Mbps | Page load speed, light use |
| HD video streaming | 5–8 Mbps | Netflix, YouTube in 1080p |
| 4K / UHD streaming | 25 Mbps | Ultra-HD per stream |
| HD video calls | 5+ Mbps | Zoom, Teams (upload matters too) |
| Online gaming | 10+ Mbps + low ping | Responsiveness depends on ping/jitter |
| Large downloads / WFH | 50–100 Mbps | Big files, cloud, multitasking |
| Busy household (4+ devices) | 100–300+ Mbps | Everyone streaming/working at once |
Understanding your results
A speed test gives four numbers. Two measure your capacity (download & upload) and two measure your responsiveness and stability (ping & jitter). A great connection scores well on all four.
Download speed
How fast data reaches you, in Mbps — it governs streaming, browsing and downloads. It's the headline number, since most internet use is downloading. Higher matters most when several devices are active at once.
Upload speed
How fast data leaves your device — vital for video calls, cloud backups, file uploads and live streaming. Many connections are "asymmetric" with slower upload; fibre is often symmetric.
Ping (latency)
Latency is the round-trip time for data, in milliseconds. It measures responsiveness, not bulk speed, and is critical for gaming and calls. Under 20 ms is excellent; over 100 ms feels sluggish. It's largely independent of your Mbps.
Jitter
Jitter is how much your ping varies over time. High jitter causes choppy calls and inconsistent gaming even when average ping is low, because data arrives unevenly. Under 5 ms is excellent; under 15 ms is good.
Accurate testing, and how the numbers are measured
Like every internet speed test, this tool measures by transferring test data between your device and high-speed servers — here, Cloudflare's worldwide edge network, accessed directly from your browser. There's no account and no sign-up, and we don't store your results.
Tips for the most accurate reading
- Use a wired connection for your true line speed — Wi-Fi adds variability from distance, interference and your device's wireless limits.
- Close other apps and devices while testing, since anything else using the connection lowers your result.
- Test a few times, ideally at different times of day, as speeds vary with network congestion — an average is more reliable than one test.
- Compare Wi-Fi to wired — if wired hits your plan but Wi-Fi is slow, the bottleneck is your Wi-Fi, not your internet service.
If your wired speed is consistently well below your plan with nothing else running, that's worth raising with your provider — a record of repeated speed tests is useful evidence.
Frequently asked questions
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