Starlink vs. Viasat: Which Satellite Internet Provider Is Best?

Starlink offers several plans tailored for different use cases. While the underlying service plan structure is pretty straightforward, the company’s branding and presentation of these plans on the website are confusing. 

Essentially, there are four service plans:

• Residential covers basic residential coverage and is best for home use.
• Priority is the basic Business Fixed Site package, designed for businesses and high-demand users (basically, users that want faster speeds).
• Roam is for RVs, campers, and other mobile users. Use internationally and in motion. It comes in a 50GB data plan or unlimited.
• Mobile Priority is for maritime use and land mobility. It is best for enterprises that need high speeds while moving, such as boats, rescue vehicles, and air travel.

On a more positive note, unlike Hughesnet and some other ISPs, Starlink doesn’t require contracts, so you can cancel at any time. I've successfully paused service with the option to reactivate whenever I want to, which is great when I only use it seasonally. 

The most common plan, Starlink Residential, offers unlimited data (within reasonable limits)—no more data caps. Some plans include additional Priority Data that gives you faster speeds, but the standard data has no cap once that’s gone.  

Viasat Unleashed offers new customers unlimited high-speed data (with no priority data cap) and features no contract. However, your speeds and final pricing are determined by your address since they cannot guarantee their top speeds everywhere. Plus, Viasat has a soft data cap and may give you less network priority if you surpass 850GB of data in a month.

Viasat plans start at $119.99 monthly. Depending on your location, you may get a reduced rate or a more expensive one. Since there is no contract, you pay month-to-month and can cancel anytime, but there is no price lock guarantee. 

Check out the Viasat website or talk with the sales team for more details on what's available in your area. I got a rate of $99.99 per month, with free installation. 

A one-time installation fee may be pending a soft credit check and your location. The total cost of your Viasat service will also involve a monthly equipment lease for $15 or a one-time lifetime lease for $250.

Viasat’s internet plans advertise download speeds of up to 150Mbps, but I found I was getting closer to 50Mbps. Still enough to accomplish most online activities like streaming and web browsing, so I was actually surprised by how fast it was given that it doesn't have a good reputation online.

While Viasat has decent download speeds, the high latency can make using the service frustrating. I found videos needed to buffer longer, and web pages would take a few seconds to fully load.

Starlink Standard’s residential download speeds range between 20 to 220Mbps, but your speed depends on what region you live in. I live in the western United States and consistently get speeds between 100 and 200Mbps. Plus, the much lower latency made it nearly indistinguishable from my cable internet. 

Remember that advertised download speeds for any satellite provider are not guaranteed, and the speeds you’ll experience depend on factors like network traffic, weather, and signal strength.

Latency is affected by satellites’ distance from the Earth. Viasat uses geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites, which are 23,000 miles away from our planet. However, Starlink uses low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, which are closer to the Earth. Low latency is essential for fast, reactive internet use, such as buffer-free streaming and online gaming.

For satellite internet, latency is the name of the game, and there’s one clear winner. Starlink’s download speed and latency blows Viasat out of the water. 

With Starlink, you must pay upfront for the hardware: $349 for the Standard dish, $599 for the Mini dish, or $2,500 for High-Performance equipment.

Starlink also doesn't offer professional installation. The equipment is completely self-install, but luckily, it's fairly simple to get online with Starlink quickly. It took me less than 30 minutes to set up the dish and router so I could get connected. It will take a bit longer and require additional accessories and work to permanently install your dish on your home.

I recommend Starlink Standard dish for most use cases since it's compatible with all plans and can be used for residential and mobile use.  The Starlink Mini is for ultimate portability since it's the size of a laptop and has built-in Wi-Fi, but it is really only meant for mobile use and not home internet.

Since you own the equipment, you can take it with you when you move or sell it when you're done with it.

Viasat leases your equipment for $15 per month on top of your bill. Alternatively, you can pay a one-time lifetime lease of $250. You’ll save money if you keep Viasat long-term (more than 18 months). 

Viasat requires professional installation and may cost extra pending a soft-credit check, though my own installation was free. My experience was overall positive. My installer was courteous and knowledgeable and got me online fast. They will determine where the best spot on your home to place the dish and run cable to the inside. They will work with you if there are spots you don't want the dish located. 

The entire setup was easy. I could schedule a time that was most convenient for me, and the installer made sure to call ahead to let me know when they'd arrive. The entire process took about an hour, and I was 

Customers have criticized Starlink’s hands-off approach to customer service. There is no dedicated support phone line, email, or live chat; support is only available by submitting tickets through the website or mobile app.

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

On the other hand, most customers I interviewed rarely had to contact support because everything worked as expected with no interruptions.

It was similar to the story of Viasat customers I talked to. The service was reliable enough to rarely need customer support unless they required replacement parts. If you need dependable support (aka, they can get someone on the phone for help), Viasat wins out there.

To improve the reliability of your Viasat internet service, consider asking the tech support team for help or visiting the Viasat Support Forum to see if others have already encountered and solved your issue.

Viasat satellite internet service is available in all 50 states and covers 99 percent of the United States. Plans are underway to expand the Viasat satellite network to other parts of the world. Contact Viasat to see if they have coverage where you live.

As of 2025, Starlink’s availability map covers most of the United States. At one time, there were extensive waitlists in the eastern half of the country, but these seem to have largely disappeared. However, as more customers sign up, more areas have been put back on waitlists until capacity can increase with more satellite launches.

Up to this point, we’ve mainly discussed Starlink and Viasat. However, there’s another major player in satellite internet in the U.S.—Hughesnet. How does it compare?

Overall, Hughesnet is a slightly more affordable option than Viasat or Starlink. Its plans start at just $74.99 (with a one-year discount of $25), which is far cheaper than Viasat’s and Starlink’s most inexpensive plans. That could make Hughesnet a compelling option for users needing an affordable plan (say, as a backup internet option or at a secondary residence). 

Unfortunately, Hughesnet tends to be slower than either Starlink or Viasat. Its top speed is 100Mbps, which makes it hard to recommend for heavy streamers or anyone who needs to download large files regularly. It’s also the only remaining satellite option with a priority data cap, which tops out at a meager 200GB per month.

Ultimately, I recommend Hughesnet for budget-conscious buyers who want affordable satellite internet and are less concerned about speed.

Starlink is one of the most high-profile satellite internet services, and many people are excited to have it available in their area. If you’re ready to shell out $349.00 or more for Starlink equipment and live in an area with the fastest, most reliable service, Starlink is the best choice.

Viasat’s flagship internet plan is slightly less expensive than Starlink’s primary offering and has no hefty upfront costs. However, you’re likely to have worse performance due to higher latency. If you don't have heavy bandwidth needs and want to save money, Viasat is a viable option for internet in rural areas.