Choosing the best internet from satellite providers comes down to what you need most in a satellite internet plan. For example, how much are you willing to pay for broadband internet access each month? What activities do you need internet for? How much internet data do you need to match?

The best satellite internet provider for you also depends on what's available where you live. All satellite WiFi providers are available nationwide (except Starlink isn't quite yet), but you'll have access to different internet speeds and data depending on your location.

HughesNet tops out at 25 Mbps download speeds, which still qualifies it as broadband speed (according to the Federal Communications Commission). That's not a ton of speed, but its the speed you need to do all basic internet tasks like paying bills online, surfing the web, and even streaming TV. Plus, HughesNet prices are better than Viasat's, and they'll stay basically the same throughout your entire 2-year contract.

Unfortunately, HughesNet does offers smaller max monthly data caps than either Viasat or Starlink, but it tries to make up for it with the Bonus Zone, which allows you to use data with no limits during off-peak hours.

You can also buy HughesNet Data Tokens at reasonable prices if you want more data in a month, and unlike Viasat's extra purchasable data, Data Tokens don't expire in the same month you purchased them. In fact, you can hold onto the data as long as you want, saving it up for Christmas or the season premiere of your favorite Netflix show.

With a download speed up to 100 Mbps, Viasat is the best satellite internet provider if you're looking for fast speeds and high data caps—but it comes at a hefty price.

Viasat's satellite internet plans are already the most expensive out of the to three satellite internet providers, and its prices go up significantly after the three-month promotional period. Up to $80 more a month, to be exact. With both Viasat and HughesNet, you have to sign a 2-year contract, so it's costly to jump ship if you don't want to pay the higher prices that kick in for the majority of your contract. 

Starlink seems like the satellite internet provider solution we've all been waiting for, but we'll see if its performance can live up to its promises as the network continues to launch. Most Starlink users experience 50–250 Mbps speeds, which makes Starlink the fastest residential satellite provider available.

Starlink also has a Starlink Business plan, which offers internet speeds up to 500 Mbps. That's amazing, but those download speeds come with an installation fee of $2,500. Wowza!

Of course, it could be worth it for faster internet. Unlike the geostationary satellite networks Viasat and HughesNet use, Starlink employs low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, which are closer to the Earth and allow for lower latency (as low as 20 ms) and faster speeds.

The fact that Starlink Business boasts satellite internet speeds up to 500 Mbps is truly astounding and a testament to the capabilities of low Earth orbit satellites. However, Starlink availability is still highly limited, internet connection and speeds are spotty, and the hefty installation fees makes its lower monthly price point less enticing. 

HughesNet has the lowest long-term prices on satellite internet—although HughesNet speeds also top out at 25 Mbps. HughesNet is also running a deal right now, so its plans cost even less than usual for the first six months of a new signup (deals prices reflected above). But keep in mind they'll raise $10 again in six months. Saving $60 is better than nothing, right?

Even without the deal, HughesNet costs less than its competitors because it offers plans with less data. If your household doesn’t use much data because you use the internet only occasionally, you could use a HughesNet plan and save money. HughesNet plans also don't come with the massive price hikes you'll get with a Viasat plan. The price you pay when you sign up is the price you'll pay for 24 months.

HughesNet does offer a Bonus Zone, where you can use extra data between 2:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. HughesNet also technically offers unlimited satellite internet, so if you surpass your data allotment, your internet connection won't be cut off. You'll just get even slower speeds until you begin your next month. The Bonus Zone can really help you stretch your data cap to avoid hitting that point.

For the lowest price on satellite broadband internet, go with HughesNet. Read our full hands-on HughesNet review to learn more.

Viasat offers faster speeds than HughesNet—up to 100 Mbps in many locations of North America. That’s four times faster than the top HughesNet speed. Viasat also offers much more data than HughesNet plans. With Viasat’s largest plan, you can get 150 GB of data per month, which is twice as much data as you can get on HughesNet’s largest plan.

Viasat plans vary by location, so don't be surprised if you sign up for Viasat and see some differences in what's offered than what we have listed here. That said, these four Viasat satellite internet plans are the most common. The data cap range you see reflected in the table below will be determined by where you live. The reason for the variability is Viasat has differing capacity depending on which geostationary satellite beam your home is under. 

If you want the fastest satellite internet connection available with more data, get Viasat. Read our full Viasat review to learn more.

The most enticing thing about Starlink is that it currently offers truly unlimited data and fast internet download and upload speeds. Plus, Starlink is better for fast-paced gaming since it has lower latency thanks to its LEO satellites. It does have a hefty installation cost ($599 for Starlink equipment and $2,500 for Starlink Business equipment). But if Starlink's unlimited satellite internet is available in your area, you should definitely check it out.

Then again, Elon Musk has said that he plans on reducing the equipment cost in the future, so it might be worth waiting a few years until the network is more fleshed out.

If you're in the market for it, Starlink just launched Starlink Business, which has faster speeds but an even heftier equipment fee at $2,500. You'll also have to pay $500 a month for Starlink Business. But that's all for unheard of 500 Mbps satellite internet speeds. That's even faster than most landline options.

If you use oodles of satellite internet data each month—and you have $599–$2,500 to invest upfront in satellite internet equipment—try Starlink Internet or Starlink Business (as long as it's in your area). It's great unlimited satellite internet. Read our full Starlink review to learn more.

The Viasat Choice 100 plan is about as fast as satellite internet can get (pending Project Kuiper and Starlink improvements). With speeds up to 100 Mbps and a nice data cap, you can get rural internet that keeps up with a modern lifestyle. The catch? Viasat's fastest plan is expensive, isn't available everywhere, and of course, the unlimited satellite internet isn't truly unlimited.

Although Viasat internet is available all across North America, its fastest speeds are offered only to select areas. You'll have to see which satellite internet plans are available where you live using Viasat's website.

If you just need an internet plan but don't plan on using it much, go with the HughesNet 30 GB Data Plan. You'll get speeds up to 25 Mbps, which is fast enough for a few people to do most things online. The price is also impossible to beat. Choose this plan if you just want your satellite internet to be available but not used very often.

Learn more about Viasat vs. HughesNet.

Satellite internet is wireless internet that beams a connection from a satellite in space to a satellite on your house. The satellite on your house then translates the signal through your router/modem, which beams satellite WiFi through your entire home. Although it's available nationwide, satellite with internet is more common in rural areas.

Satellite internet solves the problem of how to get internet to small towns and rural areas, where fiber and cable infrastructure aren't in place. Take a look at how this year's best rural internet options compare to last year's fastest and slowest rural cities. 

In urban areas, homes and skyscrapers are wired with cable and fiber lines that bring the internet to people living in cities and areas with dense populations. Installing fiber is cheap in an apartment building, where the cost per customer is minimal. But what about people who live beyond the city limits? Running fiber lines out to each home in rural America would be extremely costly.

Unlike most other types of internet service, satellite internet doesn’t need any land-based infrastructure running out to your home. Instead, a home satellite dish communicates with a satellite in space to provide internet service. So satellite with internet is available virtually everywhere.

That means you can get satellite internet anywhere you are, so long as you have a clear view of the southern sky and a place to install your satellite dish.

With satellite internet, data transfers from your home internet devices to the satellite in space and then to the Network Operations Center back on Earth. All of this happens in about half a second. Thanks to satellite internet, people can still enjoy an internet connection even if where they live lacks cable or fiber infrastructure.

Your satellite internet speeds and experience will depend on which satellite provider you go with and which plan. Different providers use different technology that will alter your internet speeds and latency.

For example, Starlink satellites are different from existing satellite internet providers like Viasat and HughesNet. Starlink relies on low Earth orbit satellites (LEO satellites), which means it has thousands more satellites that circle the Earth at a lower altitude, making it possible to offer faster speeds and lower latency.

Providers like Viasat and HughesNet use satellites operating in geostationary orbit. The distance of these satellites increases your latency and sometimes offer slower speeds, but there are limitations to low Earth orbit technology that may make Starlink by SpaceX service more spotty than Viasat's and HughesNet's.

Other players in the low Earth orbit satellite provider game include Jeff Bezos with Project Kuiper. Kuiper plans to offer a similar product to Starlink, but with a smaller terminal and at a more affordable cost. It wants to make internet access affordable to remote locations. Kuiper by Jeff Bezos is not yet available as a satellite provider, but it will be within the next couple of years.

Learn more about how satellite internet works.

Although satellite internet is by far the most available internet type, there are several other satellite with internet alternatives for rural areas, including fixed wireless and 5G home internet. Going with one of these alternatives to satellite internet might be a better internet access option for you.

With 5G home internet and mobile hotspots, you can even take your internet on the road with you to your cabin or RV. Explore more rural internet service providers:

Learn more about the best rural internet providers.

You can also get rural internet from national mobile providers like Verizon and T-Mobile. Check out our reviews to learn more:

• Best 5G Home Internet Providers
• Verizon LTE Home Internet Review
• T-Mobile Home Internet Review

Satellite internet costs $49.99 to $500.00 per month, depending on your contract and how much speed and data you want. The average person will pay around $100 a month for quality satellite internet. Satellite internet is one of the more expensive satellite internet options for how much speed and data you get. Still, if it's your only option, it's usually worth it to get an internet connection in rural and remote areas.

Satellite internet is not as fast as fiber or cable internet, but it can reach speeds up to 500 Mbps with Starlink Business. As Starlink continues to develop its network, satellite internet speeds may get faster. Starlink has already been changing widely held preconceptions of what satellite internet is capable of. With lower speed and latency, Starlink may be the innovation that makes satellite internet fast.

Satellite internet is a good option for people who have no other internet options. If you live in a rural or remote location, satellite internet is a great way to get online when you don't have any other source of connection. All you need to connect to satellite internet is a clear view of the southern sky.

Satellite internet is not a good option if you have cable internet or fiber internet available where you live.

Satellite internet is an excellent way to get WiFi if you live in a rural or remote area, but a satellite internet connection and a WiFi network are slightly different things.  Satellite internet WiFi networks work just like any other WiFi network. Your satellite internet dish will connect directly with your modem/router, which will translate the signal from your dish into a WiFi signal for your home.

Additionally, satellite internet makes it possible for you to get WiFi everywhere, providing WiFi speeds up to 500 Mbps, depending on which plans and providers are available in your area.