Netcrawler and TekSavvy are both independent Canadian internet providers that lease access to networks owned by the major carriers rather than owning last-mile infrastructure themselves. Netcrawler is an Ontario-only provider based in Markham, offering Cable internet over Rogers and Cogeco infrastructure, DSL over Bell lines, and a growing Fibre lineup in select Ontario municipalities, with every plan sold on a month-to-month, no-contract basis. TekSavvy operates across all 10 Canadian provinces, offering DSL service over Bell and Telus lines, Cable service over Rogers, Cogeco, Shaw, Videotron, and Eastlink infrastructure, and Fibre in select areas, with a mix of no-contract, 12-month, and 24-month plans depending on the offer. This page compares both providers on plans, pricing, speeds, coverage, contract terms, equipment, and support to help you decide which is the better fit in 2026.
Plans and pricing
Both providers advertise a discounted rate for new customers that reverts to a higher regular price after 12 months, rather than a single flat rate for life. Netcrawler applies this promo-then-reversion structure to every Cable and DSL plan it sells. TekSavvy mixes pricing models: some plans carry the same 12-month bill credit structure, while others are sold at a flat ongoing rate from day one. The cards below show representative Ontario plans from each provider, since Netcrawler serves Ontario exclusively and Ontario is also TekSavvy's most broadly available region.
At the 100 Mbps symmetrical tier, TekSavvy undercuts Netcrawler in Ontario: $38.95/mo versus $43.95/mo, for the same 100/100 Mbps speed. TekSavvy is cheaper again at the gigabit cable tier, $71.95/mo versus $74.95/mo for Netcrawler's Unlimited 1000 Pro plan. Netcrawler's cheapest entry point is its Unlimited 40 Cable plan at $36/mo for 40/10 Mbps, faster than TekSavvy's $32.95/mo entry-level 30/5 Mbps Cable 30 plan but at a slightly higher price. Both providers use a 12-month promotional structure on most plans that reverts to a higher regular rate afterward. TekSavvy's fastest available plan reaches a symmetrical 3,000/3,000 Mbps in select Manitoba, Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and Quebec markets, double the top symmetrical speed on Netcrawler's Fibre lineup (up to 1.5 Gbps symmetrical), which is live only in select Ontario addresses and priced by address rather than at a fixed rate.
Network and coverage
Geographic reach is the single biggest difference between these two providers. Netcrawler serves Ontario exclusively, with cable plans running over Cogeco infrastructure (the plans with 10 Mbps upload: Unlimited 40, 60, and 120) and Rogers infrastructure (the plans with higher upload speeds: Unlimited 100 Essential, 500, 1000 Pro, and 1500 Pro), DSL running over Bell lines (Unlimited 25), and a Fibre lineup live in select Ontario municipalities on infrastructure not specified in the data available for this page. TekSavvy reaches all 10 provinces, with DSL running over Bell and Telus lines in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia, Cable running over Rogers, Cogeco, Shaw, Videotron, and Eastlink infrastructure across eight provinces, and Fibre reaching Manitoba, Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and Quebec, which is what brings TekSavvy's total footprint up to all 10 provinces rather than 8.
TekSavvy's national reach dwarfs Netcrawler's, which currently serves a list of roughly 60 Ontario cities and municipalities including Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, London, Kitchener, and Windsor, and does not operate in any other province. Within Ontario specifically, Netcrawler's advantage is technology variety at a single address: depending on what is already built to a home, Netcrawler can offer Cable, DSL, or increasingly Fibre, similar to the mix TekSavvy offers nationally. Fibre availability for both providers is address-dependent and limited to select areas rather than province-wide.
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Netcrawler | TekSavvy |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $36.00/mo (40/10 Mbps Cable, ON) | $32.95/mo (30/5 Mbps Cable, ON) |
| 100 Mbps symmetrical tier | $43.95/mo (100/100 Mbps Cable) | $38.95/mo (100/100 Mbps Cable) |
| Gigabit tier | $74.95/mo (1000/200 Mbps Cable) | $71.95/mo (1024/200 Mbps Cable) |
| Top residential speed | 1.5 Gbps symmetrical (Fibre, select ON areas) | 3,000 Mbps symmetrical (Fibre, select provinces) |
| Data cap | Unlimited (all plans) | Unlimited (all plans) |
| Contract options | No contract on every plan, cancel anytime | Mix of no-contract, 12-month, and 24-month plans |
| Equipment costs | Free router and free shipping on all plans | $0 hardware loan, activation, and shipping on selected plans only |
| Self-install | Self-install in about 5 minutes, technician usually not required | Not confirmed in available data |
| Provinces served | 1 (Ontario only) | 10 (all provinces) |
| Bundle discounts | None confirmed | TV and Internet bundles available |
| Referral program | $40 credit for both parties on the second-month anniversary | Not confirmed in available data |
| Customer rating (Topicks.ca) | 2.5 / 5 (based on 2 reviews) | 1.8 / 5 |
Contract and pricing details
Netcrawler sells every plan, including Fibre, on a month-to-month basis with no contract and no early termination fee. Most Cable and DSL plans carry a 12-month promotional rate that reverts to a higher regular price afterward, for example the Unlimited 40 plan starts at $36.00/mo and reverts to $48.00/mo, and the Unlimited 1500 Pro plan starts at $81.95/mo and reverts to $96.95/mo. Netcrawler also offers Fibre in select Ontario areas at 100 Mbps, 500 Mbps, and 1.5 Gbps symmetrical speeds, but pricing is address-dependent and starts from a lower rate that can vary by location. Check the official Netcrawler Fibre page or use the address checker for current pricing and availability at a specific address.
TekSavvy pricing is more varied. Most plans, including Cable 100 in Ontario, Cable 1 Gbps in Ontario, and Cable 500 in Ontario, are sold on a no-contract basis but include a temporary bill credit that applies for the first 12 months before the price rises to the regular rate, for example Cable 100 Internet in Ontario starts at $38.95/mo and reverts to $74.95/mo. A smaller number of plans carry a fixed 12-month term, including Cable 30 Internet in Ontario, and the Chatham-Kent, Ontario Fibre 1 Gbps plan carries a 24-month term with a $20/month bill credit for the first 12 months, after which the price rises to $94.95/mo for the remainder of the term. Several plans, including the DSL plans in Ontario and Quebec and the Cable Unlimited plans in Quebec, carry no promotional discount and are sold at a flat ongoing rate from the start.
Equipment and installation
Netcrawler includes a Wi-Fi router with every plan and offers free shipping/delivery on equipment. Self-installation is designed to take about 5 minutes and a technician is not required in most cases; Netcrawler notes that some Fibre orders may require a technician visit, particularly at addresses where fibre has not previously been installed, and this is confirmed during the ordering process. There is no early termination fee at any point since all plans are month-to-month.
TekSavvy offers a $0 hardware loan, $0 activation fee, and $0 shipping fee on selected plans, removing several of the upfront costs that typically come with switching providers. These waivers apply to selected plans only rather than the full lineup, so the exact plans that qualify should be confirmed directly with TekSavvy at signup. Specific self-install versus professional install procedures are not included in the data available for this page; confirm installation details with TekSavvy directly.
Perks and add-ons
Netcrawler runs a referral program: when an existing customer shares their referral code and someone signs up with it, both the referrer and the new customer receive a $40 credit, applied automatically on the new customer's second-month anniversary. Netcrawler does not currently offer TV or mobile bundles.
TekSavvy allows customers to bundle TV and Internet service together under one account. On selected plans, TekSavvy also waives the hardware loan fee, the activation fee, and the shipping fee entirely, which can meaningfully reduce the upfront cost of signing up. As with the equipment waivers above, confirm which specific plans qualify for the bundle and the $0 offers directly with TekSavvy.
Customer support
TekSavvy offers a broader traditional support lineup, including 24/7 phone support, which Netcrawler does not offer. Netcrawler takes a chat-first approach through live chat, WhatsApp, and email, backed by a self-serve help center. Despite the narrower channel list, Netcrawler currently holds a higher rating on Topicks.ca at 2.5/5 versus 1.8/5 for TekSavvy, though Netcrawler's score is based on only 2 reviews so far and should be read with that in mind.
Who should choose which?
- You live in Ontario, since Netcrawler does not offer service in any other province
- You want a guaranteed no-contract plan with zero early termination fee, on every plan including Fibre
- You want equipment costs handled for you: a free router and free shipping come standard on every plan, not just select ones
- You want a fast, mostly self-serve setup, with self-install typically taking about 5 minutes and no technician needed in most cases
- You want to earn credits by referring friends: Netcrawler pays out $40 to both parties on the new customer's second-month anniversary
- You want faster upload speeds on entry-level cable plans reaching 40 Mbps, versus TekSavvy's 30/5 Mbps entry tier
- You live outside Ontario, since TekSavvy serves all 10 provinces while Netcrawler serves Ontario only
- You want the lowest starting price at nearly every comparable speed tier, including $38.95/mo for 100 Mbps and $71.95/mo for gigabit cable in Ontario
- You want the fastest available plan on this page: a symmetrical 3,000/3,000 Mbps fibre connection, double the top speed on Netcrawler's Fibre lineup
- You want to bundle TV and Internet under one provider, a combination Netcrawler does not offer
- You prefer 24/7 phone support alongside email, live chat, and social media options, a broader traditional support lineup than Netcrawler's chat, WhatsApp, and email model
- You want a choice of DSL, Cable, or Fibre technology depending on what is available at your address, across a much larger national footprint
TekSavvy wins on starting price, most comparable speed tiers, top residential speed, provincial reach, and bundling, undercutting Netcrawler at the 100 Mbps and gigabit cable tiers in Ontario, offering a 3,000 Mbps fibre option nearly double Netcrawler's top speed, reaching all 10 provinces instead of one, and allowing TV-and-internet bundling that Netcrawler does not offer. Netcrawler wins on contract flexibility, equipment costs, self-install simplicity, and its referral program, with no contract or early termination fee on every plan including Fibre, a free router and free shipping included across the entire lineup rather than select plans, a roughly 5-minute self-install process, and a $40-for-both-parties referral program TekSavvy does not offer. For shoppers outside Ontario, or anyone chasing the lowest price or fastest available speed, TekSavvy is the stronger fit. For Ontario residents who want a straightforward, contract-free setup with equipment costs bundled in, Netcrawler is worth a closer look, though its Topicks.ca rating is still based on a small number of reviews.
View the Rogers internet coverage map, Cogeco internet coverage map, Bell internet coverage map, and Telus internet coverage map on Topicks.ca for general guidance on the underlying networks both providers rely on, or use the Netcrawler address checker directly for Ontario availability. Always confirm availability at your address directly with Netcrawler or TekSavvy.
