Satellite internet used to mean one bargain: coverage everywhere, speed nowhere close to cable. That’s no longer entirely true. We compare real 2026 pricing, speeds, latency, coverage, and data caps across Starlink and Viasat, so you know exactly what you’re signing up for.
It’s not just the plans or pricing that differentiates these providers; it’s the satellites themselves and how they operate. Starlink orbits roughly 340–550 miles above Earth in low-Earth orbit (LEO), while Viasat relies on satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO), about 22,000 miles up. That distance is why Starlink’s latency runs quite low (30–45ms) compared to Viasat (500–700ms), and why you get dramatically different gaming and video calling experiences depending on which one you choose.
Before you compare detailed plans, here’s a quick comparison table with factors that matter most:
| Provider | Max Speed & Performance | Data & Pricing | Why | Call Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starlink | Up to 400 Mbps, with latency of just 30–40ms | Unlimited (priority-based), from $55/mo. | Its low-Earth orbit puts satellites much closer to the ground, so the signal has far less distance to travel. That’s what keeps latency low compared to Viasat. | Call Now |
| Viasat | Up to 150 Mbps, with latency of 500–700ms | Unlimited standard data (soft threshold ~850GB on Unleashed), from $39.99/mo. | Its geostationary satellites sit tens of thousands of miles further out, so latency runs high, but a higher-capacity satellite fleet is what lets Viasat offer a softer, more generous data threshold. | Call Now |
Here’s a plan-level breakdown, so you can see the trade off as you move up or down in price.
Every Starlink residential tier is unlimited, so the real decision is how much speed your household needs and whether Residential MAX’s top network priority is worth the jump. For most households, Residential 100 Mbps covers daily use comfortably.
Note: Upgrade only if you’re running multiple heavy users or a home office that can’t tolerate peak-hour slowdowns.
| Plan | Monthly Price | Max Speeds | Data | Contract / Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential 100 Mbps | $55/mo. | 25–220 Mbps down | Unlimited, priority-based | No contract | $349 kit or $10/mo. rental |
| Residential 200 Mbps | $85/mo. | 40–220 Mbps | Unlimited, priority-based | No contract | $349 kit or $10/mo. rental |
| Residential MAX | $130/mo. | Up to 400 Mbps | Unlimited, top network priority | No contract | $349 kit or $10/mo. rental |
| Roam 100GB | $55/mo. | Varies by location | 100GB priority, then reduced | No contract | Mini kit from $199 |
| Roam 300GB | $80/mo. | Varies by location | 300GB priority, then reduced | No contract | Mini kit from $199 |
| Roam Unlimited | $175/mo. | Up to 260 Mbps | Unlimited | No contract | Mini kit from $199 |
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Viasat keeps things simple by trimming down to two plans. Essentials suits light and occasional use, and Unleashed is the one most households actually want. Its far larger threshold means you’re unlikely to notice the soft cap in typical use.
| Plan | Monthly Price | Max Speeds | Data | Contract / Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $39.99/mo. for 3 mo., then $69.99/mo. | Up to 100 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up | 150GB high-speed, then unlimited standard data | Terms vary by plan/location | $15/mo. equipment lease |
| Unleashed | $69.99/mo. for 3 mo., then $99.99/mo. | Up to 150 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up | Unlimited high-speed data (soft threshold ~850GB) | No contract | $15/mo. equipment lease |
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Roughly 6 million U.S. addresses have zero access to wired broadband, and millions more are stuck with a single provider or aging DSL. For those homes, modern LEO satellite service is often the best connection available.
Worth it when: No cable or fiber reaches your home, and your only wired option is DSL or fixed wireless. Your current connection is slow, capped, or unreliable. You need broadband for remote work, streaming, and video calls without a wired build-out timeline. You want portable connectivity (RV, boat, off-grid property).
Not worth it when: Affordable fiber or cable is already available at comparable or better speeds. You are latency-sensitive (competitive gaming, real-time trading) and your only satellite option is legacy GEO, not LEO. A cheaper 4G/5G home internet plan already meets your needs.
Among providers, Starlink leads on raw performance. Ookla’s Q3 2025 data puts its US median download around 130 Mbps, versus roughly 42 Mbps for Viasat. Starlink’s median latency has dropped to about 45ms, down from 70ms in early 2025, which is good enough for video calls and most everyday tasks, though still behind fiber.
So, if wired broadband isn’t a real option where you live, satellite (especially LEO) is worth it. If it is, it’s usually not.
Sources: Satellite Internet Statistics — Starlink Hits New Highs in the U.S. | Ookla®
Starlink is our first choice for satellite internet. It isn’t the cheapest option available, but $55–$130/month buys speed and latency that’s decent enough for efficient use, and there’s no contract locking you in if it doesn’t work out. If Starlink’s waitlist or capacity limits stand in your way, or if unlimited data matters more to you than speed, Viasat’s Unleashed plan is built specifically to solve that problem.
From remote workers and streaming households to RV travelers and rural homeowners, the right satellite provider depends on how you live, connect, and spend. Here's who each major provider makes the most sense for:
Starlink’s low latency is the difference between a video call that stays steady and one that keeps buffering. Its priority data plans keep speeds consistent enough for cloud uploads, Zoom calls, and VPN connections. These are tasks that GEO satellite providers still struggle to support.
Viasat’s Unleashed plan drops the hard data cap most satellite plans still carry. Stream in HD daily without watching a data meter, and you’ll give up some speed and latency in the trade. But for a household built around nightly streaming, that’s a fair exchange.
Starlink’s Roam plans run on the same portable Mini dish that fits in a backpack, giving full-time travelers and RVers broadband-class internet from campgrounds, trailheads, and anywhere else with a clear view of the sky. Does not require a local ISP.
For working farms and small businesses that already have a primary connection but need a fallback for outages, Viasat’s unlimited standard data is worth the monthly cost if that backup line needs to carry real workloads, not just email.
The advertised monthly rate rarely tells the real story. Here’s what each provider actually costs once equipment, contracts, data caps, and promo expirations are factored in.
| Provider | Equipment/Install | Price After Promo | Est. 24-Month Total* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starlink | From $349 one-time (or $10/mo. rental) | $0 for self-install, $99 or more for pro-install | No promo pricing model | ≈ $1,669 (100 Mbps plan + purchased kit) |
| Viasat | $15/mo. equipment lease | $0–$500 installation fee** | Rises after promo period, typically month 4 | ≈ $2,040–2,750+ (Unleashed plan, lease included) |
The pattern worth noticing: Starlink’s flat pricing means the number you see today is close to the number you’ll pay in month 25. Viasat uses a promotional-then-standard pricing structure, so the “starting price” you see in ads is rarely what you pay after the first year.
*Estimates only. Confirm exact current promo terms and post-promo pricing at signup. Totals vary by plan tier and address. Check out detailed plans above by each provider for more clarity. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. **$99.99 standard. Can be waived with promotion. Up to $500 in complex cases, such as properties with physical obstacles.
Satellite internet does one thing every other connection type can’t: it skips the ground entirely. Here’s what actually happens between a satellite in orbit and your Wi-Fi network.
For LEO (Low Earth Orbit) providers like Starlink, that’s one of thousands of small satellites orbiting roughly 340–550 miles up. For GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit) providers like Viasat, it’s a single, much larger satellite about 22,000 miles above the equator. This is the single biggest factor in everything that follows.
A compact dish, usually mounted for a clear view of the sky, receives the signal and converts it into data your home network can use. Most providers now ship self-install kits with an app that helps you find the clearest sky angle.
A built-in or connected router turns the incoming satellite signal into a standard Wi-Fi network for every device in your home. It’s no different from how a cable modem hands off to a router.
Once your dish has a clear line of sight and your router is paired, you’re online. The whole setup can be real quick or may take a few days depending on the provider and installation method. LEO (Starlink): self-install, under an hour, no technician. GEO (Viasat): professional install, technician required, typically scheduled within a few days.
Unlike cable providers, none of the major satellite internet companies own a satellite TV network outright — but real bundling options exist, and they’re worth understanding before you assume streaming alone is cheaper.
Starlink and DISH now offer a joint bundle: DISH handles professional installation and there’s no upfront hardware cost through the promotion. Plus, it pairs DISH’s channel lineup with Starlink’s low-latency internet in a single order.
Viasat and DIRECTV don’t share ownership, so this is what’s often called a “virtual bundle.” The two services bill separately, but signing up for both through the right channel can unlock a discount or reward card.
Viasat also offers its phone add-on, Viasat Voice, with multiple calling features.
Note: The math is worth doing before you bundle. If your household streams more than it watches live TV, a standalone internet plan paired with streaming apps is usually cheaper than any satellite-TV bundle. Bundling makes the most sense for households that specifically want live local channels or a traditional TV experience alongside their internet.
Confirm exactly what’s available at your address. Coverage, congestion status, and pricing may all vary by ZIP.
Run a free ZIP check or call 855-349-9328
Cable and fiber are hard to beat for heavy downloading and video uploading. But if wired lines don't reach your house, satellite gives you reliable high-speed internet (up to 400 Mbps) anywhere with a clear view of the sky.
If you game online or spend all day on Zoom, 5G Home Internet is worth checking first. It costs cheaper than some of Starlink’s plans and cuts out lag with faster response times. And if you just need light internet on the go, a 4G LTE hotspot keeps upfront costs low with basic speeds.
Simply put: check your address, balance your budget, and lock in the speed your household actually needs.
Cable and fiber outperform every satellite plan on this page, especially on upload.
No satellite provider currently offers fiber’s symmetrical speeds. Satellite’s advantage is purely geographic. It reaches addresses wired infrastructure hasn’t built out to, often for a comparable monthly price.
5G home internet from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile typically beats satellite on latency and matches it on price.
But it depends on cell tower proximity the same way satellite depends on a clear sky. Also, it isn’t available at every rural address satellite can reach. Where both are available, 5G is usually the better every day pick. Where only satellite reaches, that comparison doesn’t apply.
A 4G LTE hotspot can beat satellite on portability and upfront cost, but it tops out around 30–60 Mbps.
Plus, it depends entirely on nearby tower strength. For a full household’s daily use, satellite (especially Starlink) is built for whole-home bandwidth in a way a phone hotspot isn’t.
Starlink won’t have the LEO market to itself for much longer. Amazon Leo, rebranded from Project Kuiper, is targeting a 2026 rollout, with the US, Canada, UK, France, and Germany first in line. On paper, it’s a real contender. Amazon’s higher-end tier is rated for speeds up to 1 Gbps, which puts it in direct competition with Starlink’s network.
Here’s the honest read, though: don’t wait for it. Amazon still needs several hundred more satellites in orbit before its coverage comes close to matching Starlink’s, and the rollout is happening region by region, not nationwide all at once. That makes 2027 a far more realistic date for broad US residential availability than anything before the end of this year.
Want to be notified when it reaches your area? Amazon has a public waitlist open at leo.amazon.com.
Every provider advertises “up to” speeds. Our free speed calculator cuts through that and tells you the real number your household needs, based on how you actually use the internet.
Satellite internet is address-specific for plans, speeds, and prices, which can differ significantly based on your location. That’s why we don’t rely on a single typical connection test. Instead, we cross-reference each provider’s published rate cards against the FCC’s National Broadband Map to verify coverage claims, and run address-level lookups to see what specific ZIP codes are actually quoted.
Every comparison here comes down to three questions:
We also weigh real customer satisfaction data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), and verify speed and latency claims against independent testing data like Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence, instead of provider marketing alone.
Pricing shifts often, so it’s best to confirm exact numbers for your address online or by calling 855-349-9328.
Go deeper on satellite speeds, coverage, and provider comparisons in our related guides below.
