Starlink Residential
Satellite internet that now starts at $55/mo, with $0 hardware where Starlink rents the kit, no contract and a 30-day trial. Still the best option for rural homes.
Starlink Residential plans at a glance
Our verdict
Starlink is the best choice for most homes that can't get cable or fiber. Latency is low enough for video calls and gaming, there's no contract, and the 100 Mbps plan at $55/mo now undercuts HughesNet and Viasat once their intro prices end. Where a wired line reaches your street, that will usually still be cheaper per Mbps.
Starlink's FCC labels list typical speeds of 80–100 Mbps on the 100 Mbps plan, 140–200 on the 200 Mbps plan and 170–320 on Max, with 30–40 ms latency in the continental US. In our testing across three rural sites we saw 180–240 Mbps down and 15–25 Mbps up, which fits the Max range.
The cheaper plans are deprioritized when the network is busy, so households that work from home should look hard at Max. If a cable or fiber line runs to your street, one of those will usually still be cheaper per Mbps. For cabins, farms and rural homes, Starlink is now much easier to justify.
What it's like to use
With satellites about 340 miles up, delay is about 30–40 ms, close to cable. Video calls, VPNs and most online games work normally. On the 100 and 200 Mbps plans, speeds can dip in the evening when the network is busy. The dish needs a wide view of the sky; trees or buildings in the way cause short dropouts, which the app can map before you mount it. Heavy snow on the dish can also interrupt service briefly, though it heats itself to melt snow.
For gaming on Starlink, see the best internet for gaming in rural areas and internet speed for cloud gaming.
Already have Starlink Residential? Run our free speed test on a wired computer to see whether you get the speed you pay for, and see which speed test to use if results don't match.
SpaceX is testing Starlink Communities, which lets Starlink owners share their connection and sell hourly, daily, weekly or monthly passes to people nearby. It's in beta, and pricing, payouts and availability haven't been published. For rural neighbors and campgrounds it could become a cheaper way onto Starlink without buying a dish. We'll update this when it opens.
Jean founded ShopHighSpeed after trying to find one straight answer about business internet in his own town. He has been a Comcast and Verizon Fios customer, and ranks providers on what they actually deliver, not on what they advertise.
Frequently asked
How much does Starlink cost now?
Residential 100 Mbps is $55/mo, 200 Mbps is $85 and Residential Max is $130. In select areas the kit is rented for $0 up front and $0/mo. Prices vary by area. See current Starlink deals.
Is Starlink good enough for working from home?
Yes. Latency is 30–40 ms in the continental US, fine for video calls, VPNs and cloud apps. The Max plan keeps standard priority when the network is busy; the 100 and 200 Mbps plans are deprioritized.
Does Starlink have a referral program?
Yes. Customers on Residential or Roam earn $100 per referral in the US, as cash or service credit, and the person they refer gets one free month. The reward is issued after the new customer has been subscribed for two months.
Do I need a contract?
No. Starlink Residential is month-to-month with no early termination fee, and you can return the kit within 30 days for a full refund.
What's the real total cost?
$55, $85 or $130 a month depending on plan. Hardware is $0 up front where Starlink rents the kit (it must be returned if you cancel). Professional installation is $99 on the 100 Mbps plan and free on 200 Mbps and Max. Some areas add a demand surcharge, shipping and taxes.
How long does setup take?
Most people are online in under 30 minutes. The dish self-orients, and the app helps you find a spot with a clear view of the sky and flags obstructions.
How do I cancel Starlink?
Cancel in your Starlink account online or in the app. There is no contract or cancellation fee. If you rented the kit, you must send it back; if you cancel within 30 days of delivery, you can return a bought kit for a full refund.
Is Starlink better than HughesNet or Viasat?
For most households, yes: much lower latency, no contract and no data threshold on Residential. Starlink vs. HughesNet vs. Viasat
Which Starlink kit?
What's in the standard kit?
The standard kit is the Starlink V4 dish with Router 3, and it has everything you need to get online in a few minutes:
- Starlink dish and kickstand
- Router 3
- 15 m (49.2 ft) Starlink cable
- 1.5 m (4.92 ft) AC cable and power supply
The 15 m cable is the main limit on placement: the router has to sit within 49 feet of the dish, so plan the cable route before you mount it. For setup tips, see how to set up Starlink for the fastest speeds. Starlink is also rolling out a smaller, more power-efficient V5 kit (up to 375+ Mbps) in select areas.
Can I rent Starlink hardware instead of buying it?
In select areas the Residential kit is a $0 rental: no up-front cost and no monthly hardware fee, but you return it if you cancel. Elsewhere you buy the kit. Starlink shows which applies when you enter your address.
More: Starlink Mini: price and plans · Is Starlink worth it? · the $55 price cut.
About Starlink Residential
Starlink is the satellite internet service of SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Elon Musk and based in Starbase, Texas. It opened to the public in 2020 and has more than 10,000 satellites about 340 miles up. It passed 12 million customers worldwide in June 2026, about 2.6 million of them in the US, making it the largest satellite internet provider by far. Much of its growth came from HughesNet and Viasat customers.
What's new (October 2026)
- Bigger satellites. On Sept 28, Starship reached orbit for the first time and deployed 26 V3 Starlink satellites, each built for more than 1 Tbps of downlink capacity, far more than the V2 Mini satellites in service now. More capacity should mean less slowdown at busy times as launches continue.
- Referral cash. Existing customers on Residential or Roam can now take $100 cash per referral in the US, or the same value as service credit. The new customer gets one free month. The reward is issued after the new customer has subscribed for two months.
- Phone service. The FCC approved 15,000 phone-to-satellite satellites on Oct 6, and SpaceX agreed to buy nationwide 800 MHz spectrum on Oct 8 to become a full mobile carrier. See Starlink Mobile explained.
Connection trouble? Our guide to checking whether Starlink is down covers the app status, the outage log and fixes. Flying soon? See which airlines have Starlink Wi-Fi.
More guides on Starlink Residential
Sources
- FCC Broadband Data Collection, availability as of Dec 31, 2025 (published Aug 2026)
- Plan pages and Broadband Facts labels from T-Mobile 5G Home, Xfinity, AT&T Fiber, Starlink Residential, checked Oct 2026
- SpaceX customer milestones (June 2026) and Starlink FCC Broadband Facts labels
Prices and offers change often; confirm at your address before you order. How we research
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