Discover the Best Cable Railing System For Your Deck
If you’re looking to add distinctly modern style to your deck while maximizing your view, a cable railing system is a perfect choice for you. But navigating all the cable railing options on the market to find the best fit for you is no small task.
That’s where we come in. DecksDirect’s team of product experts and project planners help plan thousands of decks every year, using a wide range of different railing systems. We love helping customers find the perfect railing to suit their needs. We polled our experts to find the best cable railings of 2025 – including the key pros and cons of each system.
For help picking out a system or planning your project, give us a call at 1-888-824-5316. We’d be happy to help you build a better deck!
Table of Contents
- Best Overall Cable Railing System
- Best Cable Railing For Your View
- Best Cable Railing With A Drink Rail
- Easiest DIY Installation For Cable Railing
- Best Fascia-Mounted Cable Railing
- Best Value Cable Railing
- Best Cable Railing Infill For Wood Posts
The Best Cable Railings of 2025
The priorities of your project (view, ease of install, budget, style) will determine which cable railing is right for you. Here are our top cable railing systems in the top categories our customers tend to prioritize:
Best Overall Cable Railing System
Best Cable Railing System: Skyline Cable Railing
Pros:
- Most cost-effective cable railing system on the market
- Great views – no bottom rail and slim continuous top rail
- High-quality parts that last
Cons:
- Swaging required to attach cable fittings
- Like many cable systems, requires two posts at each corner
Before Skyline
After Skyline
All things considered, our team loves the value of Skyline Cable Railing. It’s overall combination of quality construction, beautiful looks, affordable price point, and straightforward installation make Skyline Cable Railing a perfect all-around choice for most homeowners.
The biggest highlight of the Skyline system is price. Cable railings are generally expensive compared to other railing types – but the Skyline system has simplified things down to a price point that’s almost unheard of within the category. The most cost-effective cable railing on the market, Skyline allows your budget to go further, without compromising on quality or look
Best Cable Railing For Your View
One of the best features of cable railing is how it highlights the view from your deck. Stainless steel cables are typically an organic gray color that blends into scenic backdrops. Cable runs are twisted and polished that they absorb light and disappear into the view, rather than harshly reflecting light and standing out.
But some cable railing systems go above and beyond when it comes to opening up our view:
Best View Cable Railing: Key-Link Horizontal Cable Railing
Pros:
- Beautiful craftsman looks
- Great views – no bottom rail
- Single-post corners look clean & minimal
- Swageless fittings – easy to install
Cons:
- Higher-cost cable system
- Ornate top rail doesn’t always fit ultra modern looks
All of Key-Link’s aluminum railing systems show off the brand’s intricate craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. For Key-Link’s Horizontal Cable Railing system, that means using every tool at its disposal to open up a wider deck view.
Key-Link railing is sturdy and well-built, so much so that the system doesn’t need a bottom rail. That’s a huge boost to your deck view, replacing a bulky bottom rail with another slim cable run.
Key-Link Horizontal Cable Railing also features slim intermediate balusters and a trim, minimalist top rail, both made with textured finishes designed to fade into your view. If your deck has an amazing view, Key-Link is the perfect choice to put it at center stage.
Pro tip: Check out Key-Link’s earthy Textured Bronze color if you’re looking for an especially subtle railing that’ll nearly disappear into most natural settings.
Best View Cable Railing: Skyline Cable Railing
Pros:
- Most cost-effective cable railing system on the market
- Great views – no bottom rail and slim continuous top rail
- High-quality parts that last
Cons:
- Swaging required to attach cable fittings
- Like many cable systems, requires two posts at each corner
Like Key-Link, the Skyline Cable Railing system cuts out the bottom rail to open up your view even further. Unlike Key-Link, Skyline’s posts and rails take much more of a minimalist approach that lets your view shine even more. Our experts especially like the low-profile top rail, which is essentially continuous without post tops sticking up over the top rail.
The Skyline system does require two posts at each corner, which adds a little visual obstruction. But Skyline has a clever corner kit that allows your continuous top rail to extend around corners, whether they’re standard 90-degree angles or not.
Best Cable Railing With A Drink Rail
The modern, industrial look of cable railing can pair great with a clean, functional flat-top drink rail. When it comes to cable deck railing with a drink rail, we love the look and function of AFCO Cable.
Best Cable Railing With A Drink Rail: AFCO Flat Top Cable Railing
Pros:
- Modern flat top rail
- Swageless fittings – easier installation
- Timeless look fits both modern and traditional decks
Cons:
- Requires bottom rail
- Cable has to stop and start at 90-degree corners
AFCO’s aluminum railings come with two different top rail options: the rounded-off Pro top rail and the aptly-named Flat Top railing. Our project planners love the way the Flat Top railing caps off modern cable runs with a gorgeous drink rail.
Flat Top Rail Kits come with the T-shaped railing that works as a narrow drink rail on its own, but looks even better with a deck board mounted on top.
Pro tip: Try mounting one of TimberTech’s narrow-width Vintage PVC deck boards on top of AFCO Flat Top Cable Railing for an especially classy look.
Easiest DIY Installation For Cable Railing
Some homeowners love the look of cable, but worry about how complicated installation might be with the cable runs and fittings. If you’re looking for the easiest possible DIY installation for your cable railing, check out our easy-install favorites.
Pro tip: in general, vertical cable systems will be the easiest to install, as they often come with cable pre-installed between your top and bottom rails.
Best DIY Cable Railing: Key-Link Vertical Cable Railing
Pros:
- Beautiful craftsman detailing on posts & rails
- Pre-installed cables for easier installation
- Lightweight aluminum posts and rails
Cons:
- Ornate top rail doesn’t always fit ultra modern looks
- Intermediate balusters don’t come pre-installed
Key-Link’s Vertical Cable Railing system blends the beautifully-crafted rails and posts we highlighted in Key-Link’s Horizontal system above with the ease of vertical cable railing installation.
Cables come pre-installed between the top and bottom rails, so you can just install the intermediate balusters and attach your rail panel to posts at either end.
Best DIY Cable Railing: FortressCable V-Series Railing
Pros:
- Clean, minimal look
- Sturdy steel posts and rails allow for longer spans between balusters
- Fascia mount option available
Cons:
- Steel can be heavy to transport and install
- Cables & balusters are not pre-installed
Known for the unmatched strength of its steel components, Fortress’s vertical cable railing offering is another great easy-to-install option.
FortressCable V-Series comes with cables installed between the slim top and bottom rails, allowing you to cut down the panel to the size you need and install it between Fortress’s user-friendly posts and brackets.
One nice benefit of FortressCable V-Series: the strength of steel allows you to use thinner, 2-inch by 2-inch posts so you have less structure in the way of your deck view without compromising on strength.
Best Fascia-Mounted Cable Railing
If you’re looking to maximize the space on top of your deck, you can mount your railing to the outside edges of your deck frame. This is known as fascia mounting.
Not every railing system offers a fascia mount option, but those that do help you maximize your deck space as well as your view.
Best Fascia Mount Cable Railing: Skyline Cable Railing
Pros:
- Most cost-effective cable railing system on the market
- Great views – no bottom rail and slim continuous top rail
- High-quality parts that last
Cons:
- Swaging required to attach cable fittings
- Like many cable systems, requires two posts at each corner
The versatile Skyline Cable Railing system has a fascia mount option that allows you to attach posts to the outside of your deck frame, rather than the surface. The result is more deck surface area to use.
That’s really the hallmark of everything in the Skyline brand – maximizing. Skyline’s value helps maximize your budget with more bang for your buck. Skyline’s slim, simple system maximizes your view, and the fascia mount option maximizes the available deck space you’ve got to work with.
Best Value Cable Railing
For some, a barrier to the cable railing look they love is cost – but it doesn’t have to be. Without proper planning, cable railing costs can balloon with wasted materials. But efficient project planning can help you get the right cable lengths and the perfect amount of fittings, saving you countless dollars (and hours measuring and cutting during installation).
That’s why we always recommend giving our team a call at 1-888-824-5316 with any questions you have while planning your cable railing. We’re here to help you plan your new railing as efficiently as possible.
Beyond that, you can save even more by planning your project with our Best Value Cable Railing.
Best Value Cable Railing: Skyline Cable Railing
Pros:
- Most cost-effective cable railing system on the market
- Great views – no bottom rail and slim continuous top rail
- High-quality parts that last
Cons:
- Swaging required to attach cable fittings
- Like many cable systems, requires two posts at each corner
Skyline Cable Railing is a simple, straightforward system designed to make cable railing attainable on a budget. It’s the best-value cable railing you’ll find, combining sleek, simple aluminum posts and rails with clean, modern cable runs.
Skyline isn’t just cost-effective – it’ll also save you time and headaches with a straightforward shopping and installation process. Skyline’s rail and post kits are easy to shop, and the system offers a clean, simple way to handle your deck’s corners – often a tricky hurdle for cable systems. The Skyline Corner Kit easily connects two posts to bend your cable smoothly around a 90-degree corner in two simple 45-degree turns.
Best Coastal Cable Railing System
Best Coastal Cable Railing: Skyline Stainless
Pros:
- Fully stainless steel system for best corrosion resistance
- Totally unique, timeless look
- Ultra minimal continuous top rail
Cons:
- Steel parts can be heavy to transport and install
- Higher-cost system compared to aluminum options
Installing cable railing in coastal environments is a tough test for any material. While no material will stay completely corrosion-free in steady salt air, the Skyline Stainless Cable Railing system will hold up better than most powder-coated aluminum alternatives.
Skyline Stainless uses stainless steel for all parts – posts, rails, cables and fittings – for that added protection against corrosion. If you need a railing for an especially tough saltwater environment, Skyline Stainless is a great options. We also recommend the brand’s ready-made cleaning kit – a simple cleaning twice a year can really keep your railing in great shape, even in tough coastal climates.
Best Cable Railing Infill For Wood Posts
Let’s start simple: here’s the best option if you already have wood (or metal) posts and rails on your deck, and all you need to add are the cable runs:
Best Cable Infill: Feeney CableRail Kits
Pros:
- Versatile cable system to fit any posts
- Multiple fitting options to choose from
- Swageless assembly
Cons:
- More complex system that can be harder to shop
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Feeney essentially invented cable railing as a category, simplifying the look into kits with standard fittings so anyone could turn their railing into a modern cable setup without requiring lots of technical expertise to install.
Decades later, they remain the industry leader, offering straightforward CableRail Kits that include sleek stainless steel cables and all the fittings you need to attach them to your existing posts.
With specially-designed kits for wood posts or aluminum posts, Feeney CableRail makes it easy to find the exact kit you need for your deck.
Best Value Cable Infill: Skyline Cable Kits
Pros:
- Very cost-effective cable infill system
- Short & long fitting options to fit wood or metal posts
- Swageless assembly
Cons:
- Simple system without multiple fitting looks to select from
As with everything else under the Skyline brand, these cable kits bring premium quality at a high-value price point. The simple kits come with pre-attached fittings at one end and don’t require any swaging (crimping cable fittings onto cables) to install.
Choose the long fittings for wood posts or thicker metal posts; choose the short fittings for slimmer metal posts.
