Starlink Internet Review: Plans, Pricing, and Speeds

Starlink divides its plans into four main categories: Two fixed and two mobile. Starlink Standard is the entry-level package, which is what you need if you want a home connection. It offers unlimited data at speeds that rival Hughesnet and Viasat. 

Starlink Priority is the plan recommended for people who want even faster internet or own a business. It comes in three different priority data plans, each much more expensive. 

The two mobile options are expensive, but you can take them on the road. Starlink Mobile is ideal for RVs, campers, and other nomads—you just need to specify if you're traveling regionally or globally. The Mobile option requires you to be stationary to use. Starlink Mobile Priority is the most luxurious plan, marketed for boats and mobile businesses. It’s the only plan that allows you to connect while you’re in motion.

Starlink is the only satellite internet provider that requires you to purchase its equipment instead of leasing it. When you sign up, you'll receive a self-install kit that comes with everything you need to get online right away—including the satellite dish (nicknamed Dishy McFlatface by Elon Musk and SpaceX), the Wi-Fi router, an AC power supply, and the proprietary cables that connect everything.

The Standard Kit costs $599, and the Flat High Performance Kit is $2,500. Why so much for the High Performance? It’s designed to capture signals from more satellites to stay connected while moving, making it the only option for the in-motion packages (aka yachts).

Starlink also sells its routers separately if you need to replace the one in your kit or use it as a mesh node to extend the reach of your Wi-Fi. For U.S. customers, Starlink offers a one-year limited warranty on its equipment.

Your Starlink download speed will depend on your location and the changing state of the satellite constellation. According to Starlink’s speed map, typical speeds throughout the U.S. range between 100Mbps and 200Mbps, which is consistent with the speeds customers reported in interviews.

While Starlink Standard will give you speeds around or slightly faster than Hughesnet and Viasat, where Starlink really shines is the stark difference in latency. Not only have thousands of Starlink satellites been launched since 2019, but they also orbit closer to the Earth’s surface to provide stronger and faster connections with lower latency compared to Viasat or Hughesnet’s geostationary satellites.

Around the U.S., Starlink latency runs between 30 and 50 milliseconds (ms), compared to Hughesnet and Viasat, which clock in latency as high as 800ms. The improved latency makes Starlink ideal for buffer-free streaming and online gaming—activities that are frustrating or nonexistent for Hughesnet and Viasat customers.

Starlink’s reliability rating is among the lowest of any provider due in large part to its poor customer support. Limited support is a major source of customer dissatisfaction.

Starlink doesn’t have a dedicated customer support phone number, email address, or live chat option. The only way to get questions answered directly by Starlink is to submit a support ticket through your user account. Customers remarked that this method's response time was slow. It’s concerning since satellite internet is some people’s only line of communication. 

A few customers remarked that they prefer this model, especially after being burned by poor customer service from other providers. Since the service and equipment are designed to be simple to install and activate, they rarely needed customer service and liked the hands-off approach. Even if this is so, it’s no excuse for not having more responsive support for something many people depend on.

Starlink’s speeds vary widely from state to state. For example, Starlink’s speed map shows that customers in Nevada enjoy up to 179Mbps, while Virginia customers have to settle with up to 102Mbps. Speeds and reliability will likely fluctuate as more customers sign up and SpaceX continues to build out its constellation of satellites, launching more every year.

Starlink markets its plans as having unlimited high-speed data. While this is technically true, there is some fine print to be aware of. Service providers have only so much bandwidth to offer their customers; Starlink is no exception. 

Starlink’s Fair Use Policy states that to deliver fair and equal speeds to all customers, it may slow speeds for customers who consistently surpass the average usage amount.

The policy doesn’t specify the amount of data, unlike other providers. For example, Viasat identifies normal usage as 850GB per month. However, Starlink customers I’ve spoken to say they’ve rarely experienced slowdowns or outages, if at all.  

Starlink recommends its Priority plans, which guarantee the highest speeds at different data tiers if you use a hefty amount of data. Additionally, you can purchase more high-speed data if you exceed your plan’s allotment. You can’t buy more data on the Standard plan.

Starlink is easily the most expensive service provider, considering the staggering upfront cost of purchasing the equipment and the price of its Priority plans if you need fast, uninterrupted internet.

The standard plan recommended for home use is $120 per month. It’s the same as Hughesnet and Viasat’s most expensive plans but promises drastically better speeds and latency. Be prepared to pay much more for plans with high-priority data or mobile capabilities. Most of the customers I spoke to had the Standard plan, and speeds were more than enough, even for those who run their own businesses, work from home, and have multiple people in the household using the internet. 

Starlink doesn’t require a contract, leaving Hughesnet as the only satellite internet provider that requires a two-year commitment. You can end your Starlink service anytime, but you’ll be stuck with $600 worth of hardware. Fortunately, it’s possible to sell and transfer ownership of Starlink kits to others if you’re moving on from the service. Likewise, it’s possible to save money by buying a preowned kit, but like buying any used electronics, there is the risk of it not working correctly.

Starlink is, without a doubt, the most expensive satellite internet service. Over two years, customers with the Standard plan will pay at least $3,480, including equipment costs. Customers of Hughesnet and Viasat would pay $1,860 and $2,760, respectively. However, some users have found ways to balance the expenses with Starlink.

For example, users of a service with a data cap would supplement their internet with a satellite TV provider since streaming would quickly use their priority data. With unlimited data from Starlink, they could cancel their satellite TV and stream all they wanted. 

While “unlimited data” rarely means truly unlimited, high-speed internet, Starlink customers told me they haven’t experienced significant slowdowns, even when their monthly usage reaches terabytes of data. Meanwhile, users of Hughesnet and Viasat (when they had data caps) have told me they would sometimes run through their monthly data allotments in a week and be forced to either buy more data or deal with sluggish speeds.

While Starlink is our preferred choice for satellite internet, especially in rural locations, we recommend looking into more affordable satellite alternatives that provide speeds that rival or surpass Starlink. 

T-Mobile and Verizon offer wireless home internet solutions with high speeds and lower latency than satellite for a much better price. They’re just not as widespread as satellite providers. You need to be in the range of a provider’s 5G cell tower and in a spot where you can receive a clear signal. Compare Starlink to 5G providers here.

Another great alternative to satellite—and an economical one to boot—is fixed wireless internet. It’s not as widespread as satellite or even 5G, but if you happen to be in an area with a provider like Rise Broadband, you can get decent internet speeds in a rural area for a competitive price.

Jim Olson uses Starlink at his self-sustaining cabin in mountainous Colorado. After using the other two satellite providers (Hughesnet and Viasat), he told me the quality was night and day.

“The second we turned it on, we went from 20Mbps down to about 150Mbps down,” Olson says. “Latency was the biggest surprise. 40ms, which was enough to stream live TV. That was not an option before.”

Jason Astel was previously a Viasat customer in rural Missouri. He told me he was frustrated by the service and jumped on Starlink when he learned of its potential. He was primarily sick of latency issues and data caps that made streaming and gaming nearly impossible.

“With Starlink, I'm able to do everything I need: Online gaming and video conferencing,” Astel said. “We eliminated DirecTV, and we use YouTube TV now. We are much happier with Starlink. We saved money by changing to it.”

Starlink’s unlimited data means he can stream and game as much as he wants and could save money by cutting the cord (in this case, the dish).

Eduardo Dias is a Starlink customer living in Germany. Previously, his best option for internet where he lived was 4G wireless with speeds up to 5Mbps. When he finally got Starlink after being on a waitlist, he was pleasantly surprised.

“Fantastic speeds I got ranged from 150Mbps to 300Mbps,” Dias said. “Rarely had service issues. I was surprised by the latency because from my initial research into satellite internet, it showed it has terrible latency. I get an average of 50 to 70 ping in gaming.”

While it’s been a great experience, Dias mentioned it’s still not perfect.

“The upload speeds I get are around 15Mbps on average, but these days, to send files or stream on Discord for friends, that's really not enough,” he says.

Olson, who is tech-savvy and handy, was concerned about Starlink's lack of customization options. While he was impressed with how quickly he could connect to the internet right out of the box, he was confused by the lack of controls, proprietary cable, and no Ethernet port on his Gen 2 router.

He also thinks customer service needs improvement. Your only option for real help is to submit a support ticket and then wait.

“The customer service is subpar for a modern company,” he says. “If (Starlink) is that good, they shouldn’t be afraid to put up a live chat.”

On the other hand, Christian Bacasa in Utah told me in an interview he doesn’t mind the hands-off approach to support. Installation may be an obstacle to overcome at first, but so far he’s had no problems to warrant contacting customer service.

“I think for anyone who’s fed up with customer service from any provider, Starlink is a good situation for them because of the hands-off approach,” says Bacasa, who’s all too familiar with the frustrating customer service calls with other providers which last 45 minutes and never truly resolve anything.

According to satellite tracker Johnathan's Space Report, since the beginning of the year, SpaceX has added more than 500 satellites to its constellation, and as of April 2024, there are no signs of slowing down in order to meet Elon Musk’s goal of complete, worldwide coverage. 

According to SpaceX, Starlink advances its satellite technology with optical laser linking, which allows the satellites to better communicate with each other and deliver signals to more remote areas of the world. In 2024, Starlink will construct more ground gateway sites to improve speed and reliability. These stations connect Starlink satellites and customers to the rest of the internet.

As the network continues to be built out, Musk has set his sights on not only the internet through satellite but also directly to your mobile phone. The goal of the Direct-to-Cell network is to have satellites act as overhead cell towers, eliminating dead zones throughout the world. According to SpaceX, it’s in the testing phase but aims to get the text function up and running by the end of 2024, then voice, data, and Internet of Things (IoT) services to come in 2025. 

For more information and facts about Starlink, read our complete FAQ and guide to customer service.