Viasat Internet Plans, Prices, and Deals

Viasat plans are more expensive than its main competitors, HughesNet and Starlink, but they also offer generous data caps up to 500GB. All Viasat plans also offer unlimited satellite internet, so you’ll still have unlimited standard data even when you exceed the high-speed data amount allotted to your plan. Standard data speeds are slower than high-speed data speeds, but it’s nice that you’ll never be cut off from the internet just because you couldn’t resist binge-watching another season of your favorite show. 

Though Viasat is available to 99% of the U.S., not all of its plans are. The Viasat Choice plans we’ve listed above are Viasat’s most commonly accessible plans, so you’re most likely to get access to these. But your exact Viasat prices, plans, and speeds will depend on your address. We’ll cover the rarer Viasat plans in more detail below.

Viasat can be the most expensive of the three satellite internet providers, but not all of its plans make your eyes water.

Like we mentioned before, Viasat’s Choice plans are the most widely available. Viasat prices differ a bit on these plans. That’s because Viasat offers a cheaper price to new customers for the first three months. After that, your price rises to the regular amount for the rest of your two-year contract term.

Out of all these plans, we recommend the Choice 50Mbps/100GB as your best Viasat budget pick and Viasat’s top 100Mbps/300GB and 100Mbps/500GB Choice plans for their solid speeds and data. Just make sure you can afford the equally high monthly prices before committing to the contract.

The plan you’ll need will also depend on how much data you need. Speaking of which, here’s a look at Viasat’s rarer unlimited satellite data plans.

Viasat’s unlimited plans’ prices, speeds, and high-speed data allotments all depend on your area. See, Viasat has to organize and distribute its geostationary satellite broadband by area. But all in all, here are the Viasat unlimited plans to look for in your area.

True unlimited satellite internet is hard to come by (yes, even Starlink has data caps), but all of Viasat’s plans offer unlimited standard data. Standard data is slower than high-speed data, which is usually capped. But it’s better than nothing.

The Unlimited Bronze, Silver, and Gold plans offer allotments of high-speed data between 35GB to 200GB, depending on your exact location. You might also see other variations of Viasat’s Unlimited plans, including Basic and Platinum plans.

If you’re in an area where you can get only the Viasat plans listed above, we’d suggest taking a look at HughesNet satellite internet or a satellite internet alternative like T-Mobile 5G Home Internet instead. They’ll likely be better deals than these Viasat plans. For the record, we don’t recommend getting any internet plan slower than 25Mbps, which is the Federal Communication Commission’s minimum for broadband internet.

If you’re running a small business in a rural area or looking to work from home(stead), check out Viasat’s business plans for solid connections, more reliable customer service, and more.

The exact Viasat business plans available to you depend on your area, but since Viasat internet service is available to 99% of the U.S., you should be able to get a business plan that works for you. The above Viasat business plans are the most widely available and come with unlimited standard data.

Viasat also has metered business plans which, unlike the unmetered plans, doesn’t switch to standard data if you go over your allotment. Instead, you pay for high-speed data above your default allotment per GB to prevent anything slowing down your business. Make sure to get a plan that can cover your normal internet use, though. Paying by the GB isn’t ideal, but it can be a lifesaver if you get particularly busy at the end of the month.

Viasat’s phone plan offers Viasat’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. You can bundle Viasat home phone plans easily with your Viasat internet service, but you don’t get a discount for combining them.

If you already have Viasat satellite internet, it’ll cost you $29.99 each month to add Viasat Voice. But if you’re a new customer and you start off with an internet and Voice bundle, you’ll get Viasat Voice for $10 a month off for the first six months.

We don’t recommend bundling only for the discount, since the cumulative $60 won’t make a huge difference across your two-year contract. But if you’re shopping for phone and internet anyways and appreciate the convenience of a single bill, you could do worse. 

Check out Viasat’s call rates for before calling outside of the 50 states and Canada.

Viasat Voice is Viasat’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service, which gives you a home phone that uses satellite internet instead of traditional, copper phone lines. We recommend it for people who live far, far out of the way, but you could also get a separate satellite phone if you want the same safety options with more portability.

Viasat’s handful of add-ons offer a lot of value to the satellite internet service. Here’s a deeper look into what each gets you for its monthly price.

Viasat Shield is ViaSat Inc.'s security service app. It’s meant to complement Viasat’s satellite internet service, so you can only get Viasat Shield if you're already a customer.

The Viasat Shield app allows you to monitor devices connected to your home internet, including their bandwidth usage, and it warns you about current cyberattacks on your network. Viasat claims Shield is easy to set up and gives you a central overview of your satellite internet connection. It's a bit basic and won't protect you against malware or major breaks in your device security. But hey. It’s free. You might as well get it if you’re signing up for a Viasat plan.

Viasat Shield Premium, on the other hand, gives you everything that Viasat Shield offers plus browser protections (to combat malware and unsafe websites), BitDefender virus scanning and removal for up to seven devices, and the ability to turn devices connected to your network on and off at will. BitDefender is a trusted name in antivirus software, so Viasat Shield Premium can protect you out there in the wild internet wastelands.

But it’ll cost you $8.99 a month.

Now don't get us wrong, $8.99 isn't bad for an online security service, but the equivalent software from BitDefender costs only $3 a month ($39.99 a year, with a one-year agreement). You're paying more for ease-of-integration with Viasat Shield Premium, since it's connected directly to your satellite internet services, devices, and Viasat account.

Viasat EasyCare is an extra subscription service that provides customers with a better customer support experience and waived fees on a few big-ticket items for $8.99 a month.

Here's what you'll get if you subscribe to Viasat EasyCare:

• A special, dedicated customer service phone line with real humans to help solve your problems
• Free service calls
• $105 off the annual satellite dish relocation service (for a total cost of $95)

Do we think it would be better if these things were just included in Viasat's normal service? Sure. But since that's not likely to happen, you might consider Viasat EasyCare, particularly if you've been burned by bad customer care or expensive service calls before.

Most of Viasat’s fees revolve around its specialized equipment and data, but the data is, fortunately, a self-elected fee. Viasat doesn’t charge if you go over your high-speed data allotment for the month. Instead it slows your speeds down. 

And for the record, even if you’re past 30 days and return your equipment, you can get a refund. But we don’t recommend pushing it.

Viasat also has a damaged equipment fee, so it will automatically charge your payment method on file. Viasat defines damaged equipment as equipment damaged either by you or by natural disasters for which no one is directly responsible.

For more special deals and promotion on satellite internet, check out our guide to HughesNet Deals.

Once you set up your Viasat internet service, run yourself a Viasat speed test below and see where your download speed, upload speed, and latency are clocking in at.

For a better breakdown of what these numbers mean for your Viasat internet connection, check out our Viasat speed test. We recommend taking the speed test a few times spaced throughout the day and average your results to get the most accurate look at your connection.

If you’re not seeing the high speeds your plan promises, check out our Viasat Troubleshooting Guide.

Viasat offers speeds to rival Starlink internet, from as low as 12Mbps up to a comfortable 100Mbps. For the record, 25Mbps is the Federal Communication Commission's minimum for broadband or high-speed internet, so we don’t recommend picking any plan slower than that.

Viasat’s higher-tier plans with 100Mbps and 300GB and up are much better suited to gaming than its main competitor, HughesNet.

That said, satellite internet generally shouldn’t be your first choice for online gaming, particularly anything multiplayer or competitive, because of its high latency. Your latency and ping can be the difference between getting a headshot or having your own player’s head shot in a competitive match.  

Viasat is neither 4G nor 5G internet—it’s actually satellite internet. That means it’s available more places than 4G or 5G internet, and it can offer up to 100Mbps like 5G internet providers, but it also has higher latency than they do.

High latency can slow down certain internet activities like gaming, whereas 5G providers like T-Mobile home internet and Verizon home internet handle it better.

Check out our in-depth guide for a deeper breakdown of 5G vs. satellite internet.

We recommend Viasat if you have a bigger monthly internet budget and want faster speeds and more data. This is the satellite provider for those wanting to stream Netflix and Hulu daily or game online.

HughesNet, on the other hand, is a better budget pick. It has smaller data caps and maxes out at 50Mbps max, but its mid-level plans are perfect for users who just want to check their email daily and browse Google. Plus, HughesNet has a new satellite launching at the end of 2023 that will bring even more bandwidth, while Viasat’s previous satellite launches have failed, so it’s likely taking on fewer customers.  

For a deeper dive into these internet services, check out our full HughesNet vs. Viasat breakdown.

Viasat internet and Starlink internet are on more even footing when it comes to price and speed. Their speeds both cap out at 100Mbps, and they both offer more generous data caps. Viasat data caps are probably half of Starlink’s, but Starlink, though it does have data caps, doesn’t advertise them anymore. Instead, it says that it will slow your speeds after you exceed the average amount of customer consumed data. That’s to say, it’s probably around or just a bit under 1TB of high-speed data per month.  

Both providers are a bit on the expensive side, especially with Starlink’s equipment fees calculated in. Even without the equipment fees, Starlink’s new plans tier data and speeds so much they’re confusing and expensive. Viasat is also expensive, especially if you get its best data plans, but the plans are also more straightforward.

We recommend Viasat over Starlink for its availability and reliability alone.

For a deeper breakdown on these data-heavy satellite providers, check out our Viasat vs. Starlink review.

Viasat customer service can be reached using the Viasat phone number, Viasat email, or Viasat live chat, depending on your preference. If you have Viasat Easy Shield Premium, you can access Viasat’s dedicated phone line for a shorter, more stream-lined experience.

For most people, we recommend trying the Viasat live chat for a shorter wait time—or at least, a wait time where you can do other things, not chained with a phone to your ear.

For more details on Viasat technical support, check out our Viasat customer service guide. If you’re specifically interested in moving your Viasat internet service to a new address, check out the Viasat internet section of our Transferring Internet Service guide.

Call the Viasat phone number for customer service at +1-833-602-1633. You can use this number for Viasat bill pay issues, to change or upgrade your Viasat internet plan, or to troubleshoot your Viasat internet.

Viasat is one of the top three satellite internet providers in the states, with top speeds, the second-largest data caps, and a high price tag to boot. Viasat advertises unlimited satellite plans, but don’t be fooled—all satellite internet providers give you a limited amount of high-speed data, then once you exceed it, hook you up with unlimited standard data, which can be pretty slow.

Still, some internet is better than no internet. If satellite internet is your best option, Viasat’s 100Mbps speeds and comfortably sized data caps will keep you connected almost anywhere. We recommend it for people with the room in their budget.

If you need cheaper prices, you can always check out HughesNet internet instead. You won’t get the same fast speeds, but it’s available in more places than Starlink.

Viasat offers plans twice as fast as HughesNet. Viasat speeds top out at 100Mbps, while HughesNet’s reach only 50Mbps. Both suffer from latency, though, so they’ll be a bit slower than land-based internet options like T-Mobile 5G Home Internet or traditional cable internet.

Viasat provides its own satellite-compatible router when you sign up for an internet plan, so there’s no need to hunt for one on your own. Viasat’s router costs $5 per month to rent, or you can purchase it outright for a one-time payment of $299.

Viasat isn’t owned by AT&T, and in fact, has no direct parent company. It does have several co-owners, though, including Nordic Entertainment Group, Sony Pictures Television, and Viasat World.

Viasat and HughesNet are both satellite internet providers that use geostationary satellites (higher than LEO satellites), but they’re not the same. Viasat offers faster speeds and higher data caps than HughesNet. It’s also a completely separate company that has struggled to get its higher-bandwidth satellites off the ground this year, while HughesNet seems prepped for a successful launch at the end of 2023 that will allow it to serve more people than Viasat.

Viasat offers up to 100Mbps, which is easily fast enough to run Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and most streaming services. To stream TV without a lot of buffering, you’ll want at least 5Mbps, which 25Mbps being preferable for most households that watch TV and do other internet activities at the same time. That said, even Viasat’s slowest plan (25Mbps) should be fast enough for Netflix.

But keep in mind that speed isn’t everything for streaming TV. Satellite providers have data caps, and you might not have enough high-speed data in a month to watch all the HD or 4K TV you want. Use our How Much Internet Data Do I Need? guide to help you pick a Viasat plan.

Viasat isn’t owned by DISH. Viasat doesn’t have a parent company. But HughesNet, its main competitor, did recently merge with DISH.

Viasat doesn’t offer a TV service to or a TV partner to bundle with, but you can use your Viasat internet service to stream TV using popular streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Just keep an eye on your monthly high-speed data allotment.

For more Viasat internet details, check out our full Viasat FAQ.