Starlink Standard or Mini: What’s the Difference?

The Starlink Standard comes with everything you need to get online in minutes. The dish is the latest iteration of Starlink’s standard dish model and is the recommended hardware for home internet. On the back, it has a simple kickstand to lean on and is engineered to connect to satellites easily without too much orienting. It also comes packed with the Starlink Gen 3 Wi-Fi Router, a significant upgrade over the older one. It features stronger Wi-Fi and has ethernet ports, which the previous version lacked. 

The Starlink Mini is a smaller, lightweight version of the dish engineered for portable internet. It’s roughly the size of a laptop you can fit in a backpack. Additionally, it has a built-in Wi-Fi router, nixing the need for an external gateway/router device—although you can still connect to one for a stronger signal. It’s used with Starlink’s Roam plans and can be used in motion. It is currently not usable with the fixed residential plans.

Despite being a bit bulkier than the Mini, the Standard dish is still relatively lightweight and easy to handle, especially compared to the last-generation Standard Actuated dish. I can easily carry the dish around under one arm. However, you still need the Starlink Router, power supply, and cables to get connected.

The Mini is more than half the size and weight of the Standard. I can easily carry around the dish since it only weighs a few pounds. It is also extra easy to handle since it doesn’t need an external router. In its simplest configuration, you only need the dish and power cord.

Currently, the Standard dish is being sold in the U.S. at its lowest price ever. At $349, it’s almost half the price of when it was first introduced, and of the Mini, which is $599 for new customers or $449 for current customers taking advantage of the December 2024 bundle deal. However, that’s just the price of equipment. The monthly fees for internet service vary between the dishes.

The Standard is compatible with several of Starlink’s monthly plans, namely the Residential plan, the Roam plans, and many of the business-level Priority plans. The Mini is only compatible with the Roam plans in the U.S., but it’s possible they may introduce a discounted version of the Residental plan as they have in certain countries. 

With the upfront hardware cost and monthly subscription taken into account, here’s how much you’ll pay within one year without pausing service.

• Standard w/ Residential plan: $1,789
• Standard w/ Roam Unlimited plan: $2,329
• Mini w/ Roam 50GB plan: $1,199
• Mini w/ Roam Unlimited plan: $2,579

So, how do the two dishes compare regarding download speeds, latency, and reliability? Although the Mini is the newest hardware and much more expensive, it still lags behind the Standard dish's performance. The larger piece of hardware can communicate much better with the Starlink satellite constellation and consumes more power to boost the signal. Expected download speeds are up to an average of 220Mbps while on a fixed plan, but has proven to surpass that benchmark depending on where it’s used. On the two Roam plans, speeds are reduced to about 100Mbps. While it will provide high speeds on the Roam plan, it’s significantly bulkier, requires the Starlink router, and requires more power—75 to 100 Watts, compared to the Mini, which needs only 25 to 40 Watts.

Because of its lower power requirements and smaller dish, it’s unlikely to come close to the Standard’s performance. However, 100Mbps is still enough to browse, have voice and video calls, and stream—which is especially impressive since it’s such a small package. 

I recommend the Standard dish for anyone taking their first steps into the world of satellite internet due to its intuitive design and setup, not to mention its speeds and unlimited data, which soar above most competitors. It’s also no slouch when it comes to being used while traveling. It can get significant download speeds nearly anywhere there’s a clear view of the sky, even if you’re moving while using it.

While the Mini's portability and versatility are huge benefits, it has its drawbacks. The biggest is that it’s not nearly as powerful as the Standard dish. For those planning to travel off the beaten path with the Mini, you must also invest in a reliable power source. Unless you intend to use Starlink for the Mini’s primary use case of connecting to the internet while traveling in the most remote places, it’s tough to justify the high price tag. 

The Standard Starlink kit is for those looking for fixed, home internet, which the Mini is not recommended for. It’s also portable and can connect users to the internet from anywhere in the U.S., but it just requires a little more equipment and power. 

I’m hopeful that the price of the Mini will be significantly lower in the near future, making it easier for me to recommend it over the Standard dish.