Viasat vs. HughesNet: Which One Is Better for You?

Get Viasat for more data. Viasat’s top plan offers six times more data than HughesNet’s max data cap. Some Viasat plans offer more speed than HughesNet too. Viasat does cost more than HughesNet, but if faster speeds and higher data caps are what matter to you, it'll be worth it.

Choose HughesNet to get the lowest satellite internet prices. HughesNet and Viasat both offer internet packages between $50 and $70 per month, but you’ll get more than twice as much speed for that price with HughesNet. All HughesNet plans are the same speed: 25 Mbps. Plus, Viasat prices go up after three months—increasing by $30 to $50 per month. HughesNet prices are locked for 24 months.

As far as price goes, Viasat plans start as low as $30.00 a month for 12 Mbps, which looks really good at first because it’s half the price of HughesNet’s cheapest plan that’s $59.99 (although HughesNet’s cheapest plan does deliver faster speeds up to 25 Mbps).

But—Viasat prices increase after the first three months, while HughesNet prices are locked for 24 months. After Viasat’s three-month promotional period ends, plan prices increase by $20 to $50 per month, depending on your plan.

Viasat at a glance

• Up to six times more data than HughesNet
• Faster speeds than HughesNet in some areas
• Price hike after 3 months

HughesNet at a glance

• Wider coverage area than Viasat
• No price hikes
• All plans deliver speeds up to 25 Mbps
• Lower data caps than Viasat

So, what’s good about Viasat? We like that Viasat plans give you much more data than similarly-priced HughesNet plans. And with satellite internet, data really matters. Running out of data is the most common cause of slow speeds with a satellite connection. HughesNet plans try to make up for their lower data allowances with “Bonus Zone” data that you can access between 2:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. and lower prices for buying extra data. But all that is a hassle, and extra data anytime of the day is worth more to most customers than extra data in the middle of the night.

The advantages of HughesNet are mostly tied to pricing. With HughesNet, you get a 24-month price lock, which is much more desirable than Viasat’s system of raising monthly prices by $30–$50 after the third month of your contract. Another benefit HughesNet offers is the streamlined plans and pricing. All HughesNet plans offer true broadband speeds of 25 Mbps download, while Viasat’s lower-tier plans deliver slow speeds of 12 Mbps that aren’t fast enough to be considered broadband. Finally, HughesNet offers wider availability than Viasat in a few states like Alaska and Hawaii, which could be part of the reason that HughesNet has more than twice as many subscribers as Viasat does.

If you’re lucky enough to get one of Viasat’s faster plans in your area (50 Mbps or 100 Mbps), go with Viasat. Just make sure you check plan availability first. The 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps Viasat plans offer more data and speed for your dollar. But if Viasat’s slower plans are all it offers in your area and if you don’t plan to use much data, go with HughesNet.

Viasat offers a variety of speed and data options to fit your needs. 

With Viasat, you can choose a package with the speed and data threshold that suits your needs. Remember, with all Viasat plans, the price will go up by about 33% after three months. So, prices will go up $10 to $50 per month after this promo period.

Viasat plans have a 2-year contract agreement.

While all Viasat packages technically come with unlimited data, you will experience slowing after you reach your plan’s data threshold. Once you reach your data threshold (between 15 and 300 GB, depending on your plan), your speeds will slow down to 1–3 Mbps.

You can also buy additional data tokens to get more full speed data, but they don’t carry over into the next month. We’ll explain this in more detail in the data section below. To save data, each package tier limits your video streaming quality.

Unfortunately, the only way to change your video streaming on a Viasat unlimited plan is to upgrade to a better package.

HughesNet internet plans don’t have names, but they all offer the same speeds, which happen to coincide with the threshold for what the FCC defines as broadband (25 Mbps download speeds and 3 Mbps upload speed).

Each HughesNet package tier has a different data limit. Once you reach that limit, your service will slow down. You can buy additional data if you need full speed data after your limit, and unlike Viasat, HughesNet unused data you purchase will carry over into the next month. We’ll discuss the differences between HughesNet’s slowing and Viasat’s slowing in the data section.

With HughesNet, you could end up saving money because their plans are cheaper overall, but they do offer less data. So with Viasat, the plans are more expensive, but you actually pay less for each GB of data than you do with HughesNet. HughesNet plans come with a 2-year contract agreement.

The fastest satellite provider in your area isn’t necessarily Viasat, even though Viasat offers speeds up to 100 Mbps in some areas. In many areas, Viasat’s top speed is 12 Mbps. So, if you’re judging on speed alone, you’ll need to check with both providers to find out which residential satellite internet provider offers the faster service in your area.

Also, don’t forget the impact that data allowances have on your internet speed. Once you hit your monthly data threshold, your speed may be slowed to 3 Mbps or less. When it comes down to it, having a plan with a higher data allowance may have a bigger impact on your internet speed than bumping up to a faster speed plan.

While both these ISPs offer similar speeds, Viasat is often listed as the best-rated satellite internet provider thanks to having more advanced technology than HughesNet. Viasat launched satellites more recently than HughesNet (ViaSat-2 launched in 2017, while HughesNet’s most recent update was the EchoStar XIX in 2016).

That could change though—HughesNet is investing in low-Earth orbit satellite bandwidth through a partnership with OneWeb.³ Hughes Network Systems, which is also contracted to provide ground stations for OneWeb, plans to use LEO technology to improve service to rural customers.

Both satellite companies are developing satellites for future updates but those won’t be here for a while. Viasat plans to launch its updated satellite system in late 2021, while HughesNet’s next update (the Jupiter-3) is expected in early 2022.⁴ 

Data restrictions are one of the main differences between satellite internet and other types of internet. While any type of connection could come with a data limit, satellite internet limits are usually much smaller and thus have a more significant effect on the overall service.

Viasat and Viasat allow you to buy extra data. However, while HughesNet’s Data Tokens don’t expire, the extra data you buy from Viasat doesn’t roll over into the next billing cycle, so you lose any unused data. Also, HughesNet Data Tokens are much cheaper than Viasat’s extra data prices.

Viasat packages offer unlimited data but you still have a data threshold, which is the amount of full-speed data you can use every month. When you reach your data threshold, you can keep using the internet but you’ll have reduced speed.

If you use up your data allowance before the end of the month but you need more full speed data, you can get more data with the “Buy More” feature on the app or on the Viasat website. Viasat extra data expires at the end of the billing cycle, so it’s use it or lose it!

Viasat buy more data

• 5 GB for $48
• 7 GB for $67
• 10 GB for $95
• 25 GB for $75

HughesNet internet packages vary in price based on their data limits. If you hit your data limit, your internet will still work, but HughesNet will slow your connection to just 1 to 3 Mbps and keep it that slow until the end of the billing cycle.

If you don’t like slowing down, you can buy “Data Tokens” to add incremental amounts of data to your plan.

If you compare HughesNet Data Token prices to Viasat, you’ll see that getting extra data with HughesNet is much cheaper than with Viasat. HughesNet charges $15 for an extra 5 GB, while Viasat charges $48 for 5 GB. Plus, HughesNet rolls over any unused Data Tokens into the next month, but with Viasat it disappears.

HughesNet Data Token prices

• 3 GB for $9
• 5 GB for $15
• 10 GB for $30
• 25 GB for $75

You can save your data by using the internet during the Bonus Zone with HughesNet or the Free Zone with Viasat. These are only available with select plans.

The Bonus Zone occurs between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. local time. When you use your internet during the Bonus Zone, the data you use won't count against your monthly allowance. Instead, HughesNet gives you 50 GB of data for the Bonus Zone.

Older Viasat plans (marketed under the brand name Exede®) had a nightly free use zone where you could use the internet without it counting against your data allowance. The new unlimited internet packages from Viasat don’t have a free zone.

HughesNet comes with Video Data Saver. This feature automatically adjusts your video streaming to save your data. However, this also limits the quality of video to 480p. That's still DVD quality, but not HD quality.

If you do a lot of streaming, this feature will help prevent reaching your data limit. When you want to watch something in HD, you can turn off the Video Data Saver by changing the settings when you log into your account.

As with the Free Zone, the video data extender was available on old Exede® plans, but the Viasat unlimited plans don’t offer this feature. Instead, it varies video streaming quality by package. The intent of limiting streaming quality on lower tier packages is to save data.

As mentioned before, satellite internet is more susceptible to lag (also known as latency or delay) than other types of internet service. The lag occurs because a signal transmitted via satellite has to travel much farther than it would with other internet types. That extra distance also leaves the signal more vulnerable to interference.

Viasat and HughesNet are both satellite internet providers, so they face similar limitations. If you’re concerned about going over your data limit, go with Viasat. Viasat delivers more data than HughesNet plans do. If cost is the biggest factor, go with HughesNet because their prices are slightly lower and don’t increase after three months.

And if superior speeds and performance are top priority, and you don’t mind the high sign up cost, check into Starlink, which offers the most data and fastest speeds of any satellite internet provider.

Because both these ISPs operate by satellite, they’re both available almost anywhere in America. However, the packages available will vary by area because the beam from the orbiting satellite will hit different locations at different angles. A more direct beam can deliver a stronger signal and a better service.

Viasat has the better satellites, but HughesNet gives you the option to buy your equipment. Viasat and HughesNet both include built-in WiFi capabilities with their gateways (modem/router combos).

Viasat's newer satellite technology means it can deliver a stronger service, but the equipment you get in your home has to be compatible with the latest technology—which means you have to get it from Viasat.

You have two leasing options. You can lease your Viasat equipment for $9.99 per month, or you can opt for the lifetime lease for a one-time fee of $299.99. The lifetime lease is good for as long as you keep the same model of equipment.

If you're confident that you'll be using Viasat as your ISP for more than thirty months, the lifetime lease could save you money. But, if you're just signing up for the standard 2-year agreement, go with the monthly lease. The total cost of the leasing fees for two years is less than the lifetime lease price.

HughesNet gives you multiple equipment leasing options, plus an option to buy. The monthly leasing option costs $14.99, though some areas may get a $5 per month discount, and the purchase option costs $349.98.

Unless you plan to be with HughesNet for a long time (55 months or more), leasing is the more cost-effective option. Also, new customers may get free installation, so you could save even more.

Are you running a business in a rural area? You can get business internet solutions from Viasat or HughesNet. Business internet service can keep your business humming with more data and higher security than satellite service for homes.

Neither HughesNet nor Viasat bundle with television, but you can get DISH or DIRECTV alongside either service. The perks of satellite TV? You won’t use up data when you’re watching live TV. (Using your DVR will use up data, though.)

DISH offers high-quality satellite television on all its packages. In addition to delivering the entertainment you want, DISH also features the Hopper 3 DVR. With 2TB of space and 4K HD picture quality, you can record hours of your favorite shows with the Hopper 3, and you’ll know they’ll look great.

DIRECTV satellite TV service also delivers great entertainment, especially for sports fans. The DIRECTV Genie® DVR supports 4K HD for a stunningly clear picture and has a huge storage capacity for virtually endless entertainment.

Viasat is the best satellite internet provider for speed, data plans, and performance, while HughesNet offers the the lowest prices.

To get the most speed on a budget, go with HughesNet.

If you’re looking for affordable satellite internet service in rural areas, HughesNet packages deliver twice the speed as Viasat for the same price. And if you need to buy extra data for that late-night movie binge, HughesNet extra data is much cheaper and it carries over into the next month.