Starlink Roam vs. Starlink Residential Internet: Choosing the Best Connectivity for Your RV Lifestyle

Starlink Roam is not better or worse than Starlink Residential. They are two different services for different needs. Starlink Roam costs a bit more (and has slower speeds and lower high-speed data limits) than Starlink Residential. However, Starlink Roam allows users to take their internet access on the go, while Starlink Residential is assigned to a fixed home address.

If you’re wondering why Starlink Roam costs more and has slower speeds than Starlink Residential, there are a few reasons:

• Convenience: Starlink Roam connects you to the internet from anywhere in its coverage area, even when you’re on the road and far from home. Convenience and freedom are worth paying extra.
• Complexity: Every time you park, unpack, and set up your Starlink Roam portable equipment, you have to reestablish a connection with the whole Starlink network. This requires additional bandwidth, cost, and complexity for the satellite network; it’s as if you represent a new customer every time you connect to the network from a new place.
• Flexibility: Depending on where you travel and how much control you want on your internet speeds, Starlink Roam can give you an internet experience that feels just like home. If you want more speed, you can buy additional Priority Data for $2 per GB.

Note: If you’re a Starlink Residential customer, you still need to subscribe to Starlink Roam if you want RV internet service. You can’t just sign up for a residential plan and try to take your satellite equipment on the road with.

Make sure you’re following the Terms of Service for Starlink or any internet service. If you break the rules, you could face consequences such as having your service canceled or having to pay penalties.

Starlink Roam is the portable internet option for Starlink customers who want to maintain connectivity while traveling. Although Starlink Roam uses the same equipment and coverage area as Starlink Residential, the service differs from Starlink Residential internet in a few important ways. Let’s get into the details.

We’ve broken down the various Starlink RV internet plans for different types of RV owners, depending on where you travel and how you use the internet. See which plan is right for you: 

Starlink Roam’s Regional plan, with portable equipment for $599, is a good choice for people who don’t mind taking a break from the internet while driving in the RV. With this plan, you can set up your portable Starlink equipment and connect to the internet at each stop. But Roam Regional with in-motion equipment ($2,500) is a better fit for digital nomads and families that want to stay connected while traveling, without having to wait for a rest stop or campground.

Keep in mind that Starlink Roam’s Regional plan only covers one continent—for most people reading this, that likely means North America. But if you want to travel around the world, beyond your home region, you’ll want to upgrade to Starlink Roam Global coverage. Ths cost is higher ($200 per month), but the coverage is truly worldwide, in all countries where Starlink satellites can currently reach.

If you’re a heavy-duty internet user or if you’re an entrepreneur who wants to run your business while living in your RV, you can pay extra for Mobile Priority data, or you can upgrade to a higher-cost, higher-bandwidth Mobile Priority plan. Pricing for Mobile Priority ranges from $250–$5,000 per month, depending on how much high-speed data you want. (Example: there’s also Starlink Maritime to provide satellite internet for boats.)

Don’t assume you have to settle for slow internet while on the road. Starlink Roam and Mobile Priority plans have higher-speed options for customers who are willing to pay extra.

All Starlink internet plans (Roam and Residential) do not have long-term contracts and allow you to pay as you go, billed in one-month increments. You can pause and restart your service at any time, which is perfect for RVers, as it lets you adjust your monthly expenses based on how often you’re on the road. However, if you want a refund for your Starlink equipment, you must cancel within 30 days. 

You pay a one-time fee for a Starlink satellite device when you sign up for service, and you can choose portable hardware for $599, or in-motion hardware for $2,500. You set up the portable hardware wherever you stop, then pack it up to store it between destinations. The in-motion hardware must be attached to your RV, and it provides continuous internet connectivity whether or not you’re moving.

Starlink Roam doesn’t have a hard data cap. Once you sign up, you get unlimited data wherever you travel within the Starlink coverage area. As of June 2023, Starlink covers most of the West and Northeast in the U.S., but many places in the South and Southeast still don’t have adequate coverage for Residential or Roam service.

So depending on where you travel in your RV, Roam’s quality and speed vary widely. It can be consistent and speedy, or it could be spotty to nonexistent.

Starlink internet data is technically unlimited, but there are limits on your data speed. Roam customers can usually expect speeds of 5–50 Mbps, but you may experience data deprioritization—speed throttling—as Starlink tends to give residential customers first dibs on its satellite internet bandwidth.

Also, if you’re traveling in a part of the country where Starlink’s high-priority data does not yet reach, you may find speeds that are slower than you’d prefer.

The Starlink Residential installation process is just like the process for installing the portable Starlink RV equipment. It’s self-installation with instructions in your Starlink Kit. You can also use the Starlink app for guidance. When you sign up for Starlink service, you receive a Starlink Kit that includes satellite equipment, Wi-Fi router, power supply, and more.

Starlink Roam’s portable hardware option ($599) is designed for easy setup. The typical Starlink setup process works like this:

1. Find a clear, unobstructed view of the sky. (The Starlink app can help you find the best placement.)
2. Plug your Starlink dish into a power source.
3. Wait while your equipment establishes a connection with the satellite constellation.
4. Connect to Starlink internet from your laptop, phone, or other device.

If you choose the pricier in-motion hardware for Starlink Roam ($2,500), you need to mount the equipment to your RV. Starlink Roam’s in-motion hardware is available only in certain areas, so check with Starlink to see if it’s an option where you live and travel.

Some customers have found it difficult to access Starlink customer service because it is a lean operation with no phone number, email, or live chat. Instead, Starlink provides customer support through your Starlink account: You have to create a support ticket online (while logged into your account) to get service. Starlink also offers a robust Support section on its website, in case you can resolve issues on your own.

Starlink’s customer support limitations can be even more impactful for Starlink RV than Starlink Residential. If you have to search for answers on a Support website or enter a support ticket online, it’s often easier to do this at home than it is on the road from an RV. Starlink Roam customers should consider getting a satellite phone to use as a communication backup so you don’t get stranded in a remote area without connectivity. 

If you want internet service for your RV, and you want more data and faster speeds than a typical mobile hotspot, Starlink Roam may be worth the cost. But be aware of Starlink coverage. Make sure you are likely to have Starlink service in the places you travel. For example, as of June 2023, Starlink service has solid coverage throughout California, Colorado and other Western, Midwestern, and Northeastern states, but the coverage is spottier in the Southeast, from Texas to Florida.

You also should consider paying extra for Mobile Priority data. Starlink Roam offers unlimited Standard Data, but if you want the fastest speeds and the best internet experience, it could be worth paying extra for Mobile Priority data, especially if you need to work from the road.

Starlink Roam can be a good fit for anyone who is living the RV lifestyle: individuals, couples, or families. Whether you’re a weekend RV enthusiast who likes to go camping while staying connected, full-time RVers who need constant connectivity, digital nomads who want to work from anywhere, or families with kids who are traveling for the summer or year-round, Starlink Roam can be a good option to keep your RV connected to the online world, no matter where you go.

Different RV owners have different needs for internet connectivity. Here are a few examples:

• Weekend campers: If you only use your RV a few times a year or for short camping trips, you probably want the portable equipment ($599).
• Full-time RVers: If you use your RV for months at a time or live in your RV year-round, the pricier ($2,500) in-motion equipment may be worth paying for.
• Digital nomads: Business owners or families with kids who need to stay connected on the road should probably opt for a premium package, like Starlink Mobile Priority with extra Mobile Priority data.

Starlink Roam can be a great choice for RV internet. It depends on your budget and how much you’re willing to spend on equipment and monthly costs.

Starlink residential is Starlink’s at-home satellite internet service. It’s the cheapest plan available from Starlink, ranging from $90 to $120, and it’s straightforward to use and enjoy since you set it up only once at your home and let it fly. You also get higher data prioritization with Starlink Residential over Starlink RV, so if there are a lot of Roam users in your area, your Residential data skips to the front of the line. But of course, you don’t have the portability of Roam users.

So how does Starlink Roam compare to Starlink Residential and other residential satellite internet services? It’s important to keep in mind that Roam’s technology and capacity is different from the Residential internet service you use at home. Starlink Roam is often slower than Starlink Residential—but it’s still faster than some other satellite internet options.

A big reason why Starlink Roam is such an exciting option for RVers is that it gives you comparable speed and data to satellite home internet providers but also full mobility to travel. Let’s see how Starlink Roam stacks up to Starlink Residential and other home internet options:

As you can see, Starlink Roam offers more data and competitive speeds compared to home internet options like Viasat and faster speeds than HughesNet. But Starlink Roam isn’t quite as fast as Starlink Residential. If you want the fastest possible experience with Starlink Roam, be prepared to pay extra for Priority Data.

There are a few options for Starlink home internet plans, depending on how much data you need. Customers who work from home or run a home business should consider Starlink Priority for increased bandwidth and data.

Starlink Priority internet costs more than Starlink residential, but it gives you a full terabyte (1,024GB) of high-speed Priority Data. Depending on where you live and the overall demands on the satellite network, Starlink customers sometimes experience data deprioritization, or internet throttling. Paying extra for Priority Data can help you have a faster, more reliable Starlink internet experience.

You cannot use Starlink residential internet for your RV, as it violates the company’s terms of service. Trying to do this could get you banned from the service.

This also goes for most satellite home internet services and other traditional terrestrial internet service providers, like cable or fiber. Internet service providers typically want you to have a fixed address. And unlike Starlink, other satellite internet providers like HughesNet and Viasat do not offer on-the-go internet service. HughesNet and Viasat satellite equipment is designed to be stationary and installed at your home.

Some RV owners have reported using T-Mobile Home Internet for their RV internet needs, and they get good results, although exact speeds vary depending on your location in the T-Mobile coverage map. Some areas have 5G coverage, while other rural areas have slower 4G LTE. As long as you don’t violate the carrier’s Terms of Service, this kind of wireless home internet could become a good option for RV internet.

Before Starlink Roam, most RV owners relied on mobile hotspots for their RV connectivity. Starlink Roam provides more data and faster speeds than a typical mobile hotspot, but your experience may vary depending on location.

Before you sign up for Starlink Roam or any other RV internet connectivity option, it’s important to consider a few factors:

Where do you travel? How much do you travel? How do you use the internet in your RV? In the U.S., Starlink coverage is not yet truly nationwide—there’s spotty coverage in much of the Southeast. Other RV internet options, like 5G mobile hotspots, might give you better consistency.

If you mainly travel in states with strong Starlink coverage, Roam might be better than a mobile hotspot because of Starlink’s higher speeds and data.

Starlink also sells additional high-speed Priority Data for $2 per GB. You can also sign up for a high-capacity Starlink Mobile Priority plan, which can be a great choice for digital nomads and business owners.  

If you live in your RV full-time, it’s probably worth paying for the best possible internet. But if you live part-time RV or only use your RV a few times per year, paying the upfront costs for Starlink equipment might not be worth the investment.

Starlink service is month to month. You can pause your Starlink service at any time. So depending on your willingness to invest in Starlink equipment ($599 or $2,500), Starlink Roam can be a flexible option to give you connectivity when you need it—and reduce your monthly spending when you don’t.

Unlike Starlink Residential or other traditional ISPs, Starlink Roam allows you the flexibility to take your internet service wherever you go. No other satellite internet provider is suited for RVs; Starlink Roam is the most flexible, portable option for home internet away from home.

Starlink Roam is a great option for RVers who want to stay connected and enjoy a full range of internet activities while living life on the road. If you live in an RV for a few months a year or year-round, Starlink Roam is a good choice. There are also options to pay extra to upgrade your Priority Data with Starlink Roam in case you run a business from your RV, or have a family with young children who need high-speed internet connectivity.

If you only use your RV for a few weeks per year, Starlink Roam is probably not worth paying for. Starlink Residential can be a great choice for your home internet, depending on where you live. And you can use other RV internet options, like a mobile hotspot or satellite phone, to stay connected while traveling.

Bottom line: Starlink Roam and Starlink Residential are different services with different purposes. Starlink Residential cannot be used for RVs, and if you live in a house most of the year, Starlink Roam should not be used as a replacement for your home internet. But both of these services can be great choices for satellite internet, depending on where you live and how much you travel.

Year-round RVers should definitely consider Starlink Roam for full-time internet service. For less-frequent RV travelers, Starlink Roam could still be worth paying for (with flexible month-to-month billing), but don’t expect it to replace your home internet. Starlink Residential is the best choice for year-round, at-home use.

If you are a Starlink Residential customer and you want to use Starlink for your RV, you need to sign up for Starlink Roam service and order an additional Starlink device.

The portable Starlink Roam equipment ($599) might technically work at your home, but Starlink Residential home internet probably gives you faster and better speeds. Starlink Roam is intended for mobile use while traveling, not for year-round usage at a fixed address.

Standard Starlink Roam has regional coverage and is geofenced for use only within your same continent. But you can pay extra for Starlink Roam Global ($200.00 per month) to get worldwide satellite coverage.

Yes, you can sign up for more than one Starlink service as part of your Starlink customer account. If you split your time evenly between your home and your RV, it could be worth paying for two separate accounts: Starlink Residential for home, and Starlink Roam for your RV.