Starlink vs Viasat: latency, cost, data and contracts

I'm a Starlink customer, and Starlink gives me a referral credit when someone who qualifies orders through my link at the top of this page. I have no deal with HughesNet or Viasat.

Latency: what Viasat's pages say, and the geostationary floor

Viasat's page on its ViaSat-3 satellites says "The VS-3s are geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites, located about 22,236 miles above the equator." and, under "Home and business internet", that "VS-3 delivers an upgraded experience to customers across the US." (checked November 2026); a round trip through a geostationary satellite takes at least about 480 ms.

NASA's catalog of Earth satellite orbits gives a geostationary satellite's height as "about 36,000 kilometers from Earth’s surface" (checked October 2026); a round trip through one covers that height at least four times, and the satellite internet comparison has the arithmetic and why that floor, beside a typical figure, favors the geostationary side.

Viasat's ViaSat-3 page also calls the constellation "an important part of our global, multi-orbit network", and none of Viasat's pages read says that every home plan runs over geostationary satellites. Viasat's plans page tells customers "The new ViaSat-3 satellite should improve the experience for current customers and new customers" (both checked November 2026).

Viasat's FAQ says "Although satellite latency is greater than cable or DSL latency, it’s not enough to make a big difference in most uses of the internet (exceptions can be certain video games and virtual private network (VPN) services)." (checked November 2026). None of Viasat's pages read gives a latency figure for its service.

Viasat wrote in 2021, in an article on its site dated November 2021 and marked "This article has been updated." with no date given, that "a signal from a satellite in geostationary orbit might be 600 ms" (checked November 2026). That is a general estimate, not a figure for Viasat's service.

On Starlink's side, its Residential label file, read in October 2026, gives 25 to 50 ms as the typical latency in the continental US and 60 to 90 ms outside it; those are Starlink's figures, and this page didn't test them.

Fast-paced games, and a game server at home on Starlink

In October 2026, a Minecraft Java server at home on a Starlink connection answered 30 of 30 server-list pings through a TCP relay on a free-tier cloud VM, sent over the public internet from the same home connection. The relay leg, from the VM to the server and back, was a median of about 20 ms (the three sittings' medians ran from 17.9 to 23.6 ms), estimated as the round trip through the relay less the round trip to the VM and the server's answer time; a round trip through a geostationary satellite takes at least about 480 ms. The test covered status pings, not play, in three short sittings on one connection, and one UDP packet sent to the relay's game port got no answer, so a game that uses UDP needs a relay that carries UDP (the game-server guide).

Viasat's FAQ names "certain video games and virtual private network (VPN) services" as the exceptions in the latency answer quoted above, and in another answer it says "Where it can show limitations is with activities like fast-paced multiplayer games that require very low latency, as well as VPNs." (checked November 2026). Viasat's service wasn't tested for this page.

The relay went through a cloud VM because Starlink's default IPv4 configuration uses carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), which its help page What IP address does Starlink provide? says "does not allow inbound traffic" (October 2026). From a VPS in October 2026, none of 8 TCP ports on a home Starlink connection's public IPv4 address answered within 6 seconds, and a trace from a computer on the home network passed a private address inside Starlink's network before any public one, which fits CGNAT without proving it (the guide to self-hosting without a public IPv4 address). Inbound IPv6 wasn't tested; the satellite internet comparison has more on hosting a server behind Starlink's CGNAT.

Which to choose, on these figures

On these figures, choose Starlink for fast-paced online games: its Residential label gives 25 to 50 ms typical latency in the continental US (October 2026), Viasat's FAQ says satellite "can show limitations" with fast-paced multiplayer games, and Viasat's page on its ViaSat-3 satellites says they are geostationary, which puts a round trip through one at least about 480 ms (both checked November 2026). Choose Viasat Essentials or Unleashed if the monthly price matters more to you than latency: with Viasat's $15 lease and $3.49 monthly fee they start at $58.48 and $88.48 a month for the first 12 months, against $120 on Starlink's Residential label (below); after those 12 months Essentials comes to $88.48 and Unleashed to $118.48, $1.52 under it, and Essentials "requires a 24-month minimum service term commitment". Starlink doesn't suit a server that others reach on a public IPv4 address from a Residential plan: its help page says the default CGNAT "does not allow inbound traffic", and a public IPv4 address is a Local and Global Priority option (October 2026); the gaming section has the tested way around.

I'm a Starlink customer, and Starlink gives me a referral credit when someone who qualifies orders through my link at the top of this page. I have no deal with HughesNet or Viasat.

Where Viasat wins

Viasat's Essentials and Unleashed plans cost less a month than the $120 on Starlink's Residential label, even with the $15 equipment lease Viasat adds to every plan and the $3.49 monthly fee it charges every subscriber: at the prices Viasat lists, Essentials comes to $58.48 a month for the first 12 months and $88.48 after, and Unleashed to $88.48 and then $118.48, $1.52 under $120. Those totals add the lease and the fee to the prices on Viasat's plans page, "The Essentials plan start at $39.99/mo. for the first 12 months, $69.99/mo. thereafter." and "The Unleashed plan starts at $69.99/mo. for the first 12 months, $99.99/mo. thereafter.", where it also says "A $15/mo. equipment lease fee applies to every plan, which is in addition to the monthly service plan price shown above."; Viasat's help page on invoice fees says "The Administrative Cost Recovery Fee is a monthly $3.49 surcharge imposed on all Viasat subscribers. This surcharge is not a tax or government charge." (all checked November 2026). They leave out taxes and a one-time activation fee that, Viasat says, "may be charged at the time of sale", with no amount given, and Viasat adds that "Service is not available in all areas." Unleashed Max comes to more than $120 in both periods: $128.48, then $198.48, with the lease and the fee.

Starlink's $120 is its label's price for Residential, one of the plans its help pages say "have been renamed in the US", and they say US Residential pricing "varies by region" (October 2026), so neither side's figure is the price at any one address; the plans and prices page has every price on Starlink's labels.

Viasat leases its equipment, so there's no kit to buy, and its plans page lists "Free professional standard installation (a $335 value)" (checked November 2026); its help page on invoice fees also describes an Installation Fee that "will vary based on your location and credit status", and its installation page says "an installer may charge up to $75 for a pole mount" where the equipment needs a non-standard option. Starlink's Residential label lists an Equipment Cost of $349 and shipping and handling that "Varies By Location" (October 2026), and its Terms make you "responsible for the installation of the Starlink Kit"; Starlink's own professional installation, and what it costs, is on the installation page. Starlink's help page Additional FAQs - Service Plans says the "$0 Starlink Kit with 12-Month Commitment" option "is only available to new customers in select locations at this time", while its help page on the 12-month option says "This service plan is discontinued for new activations." (both checked October 2026). Its Terms say "You will receive a free Kit in connection with the Service Commitment." (version published August 2026), and that commitment's minimum term and change fee are in contracts. Starlink also charges a one-time activation charge, with no figure on its help page and refunded on a return within 30 days, and a demand surcharge "may apply" where demand is high (the activation fee page). By this page's arithmetic, Viasat's $15 lease adds up to $345 after 23 months and $360 after 24, so it passes $349 in its 24th month, and Viasat's FAQ says its equipment "will need to be returned at the end of your contract" (November 2026).

Of the two plans under $120, Unleashed needs no term: Viasat's FAQ says "You will have a month-to-month service term, which you may cancel at any time without an early termination fee." (checked November 2026), as Starlink's label lists no contract, while Essentials "requires a 24-month minimum service term commitment" (contracts).

Viasat and Starlink, side by side

This table covers Viasat's US home satellite internet, not its in-flight, maritime or government services, each line in the provider's own words: Viasat's from its US pages read in November 2026, none of them a label figure, since Viasat's label page asks for a service address first, and Starlink's from its Residential label read in October 2026 unless the line says otherwise.

Line	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless noted
Latency	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)no figure for its service; "satellite latency is greater than cable or DSL latency"; its ViaSat-3 satellites are "geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites"	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless noted25 to 50 ms typical in the continental US; 60 to 90 ms outside it
Download	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)"Baseline Speed of up to 80 Mbps most of the time"; "Burst Speeds of up to" 150, 180 and 200 Mbps on Essentials, Unleashed and Unleashed Max	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless noted50 to 150 Mbps typical
Upload	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)none on the pages read	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless noted5 to 25 Mbps typical
Data	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)Essentials: "150 GB of High-Speed Data and Unlimited Standard Data", and past the 150 GB Viasat "may prioritize Standard Data behind other customers during network congestion, which will result in slower speeds"; Unleashed and Unleashed Max: "unlimited data", and past "typical usage" a customer "may have reduced priority during times of network congestion resulting in slower speeds"	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless noted"Unlimited", with the network management clause in data
Term	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)Unleashed and Unleashed Max: "no minimum service term commitment"; Essentials: "a 24-month minimum service term commitment"	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless notedno contract; a Service Commitment only if you select one at checkout (Terms, August 2026)
Early termination	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)Unleashed and Unleashed Max: none; Essentials: for example "$15 for every month remaining on the contract"	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless noted$0; a Service Commitment's change fee, $249 or $325 (Terms, August 2026)
Monthly price	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)starting prices for the first 12 months and after: Essentials $39.99 and $69.99; Unleashed $69.99 and $99.99; Unleashed Max $109.99 and $179.99; with the $15 lease and the $3.49 fee, by this page's sums, $58.48 and $88.48, $88.48 and $118.48 ($1.52 under $120), $128.48 and $198.48	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless noted$120, for a plan Starlink's help pages say "have been renamed in the US", with pricing that "varies by region"
Equipment	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)leased: "A $15/mo. equipment lease fee applies to every plan", or a one-time "Lifetime Lease Fee"; it "will need to be returned at the end of your contract"	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless notedEquipment Cost $349; shipping and handling "Varies By Location"; its help pages disagree on whether the "$0 Starlink Kit with 12-Month Commitment" is still offered (October 2026)
Installation	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)"Free professional standard installation (a $335 value)"; an Installation Fee that "will vary based on your location and credit status"; "No, Viasat customers cannot install their own equipment."	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless notedyours, under the Terms; Starlink's professional installation is on the installation page
Leaving	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)"30 calendar days" to return the modem, power cord and the dish's TRIA; "Do not return the dish or the mounting brackets."; fees in its Lease Addendum, not read	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless notedkit back within 30 days for a full refund; shipping and handling "are non-refundable" (Terms, August 2026)
Sky view	Viasat, in its words (November 2026)"a clear line of site to the southern sky" (Viasat's spelling)	Starlink, its Residential label (October 2026) unless noted"a clear view of the sky. A partial view is often enough." (help page, November 2026)

Data: 150 GB on Essentials, unlimited with priority limits on Unleashed

Viasat's plans page says "The Viasat Essentials plan comes with 150 GB of High-Speed Data and Unlimited Standard Data." and "Viasat Unleashed and Viasat Unleashed Max plans each come with unlimited data.", and that a customer whose usage is trending to exceed the "typical usage" of those plans' customers "may have reduced priority during times of network congestion resulting in slower speeds" (checked November 2026).

For Essentials, the same page goes on: "After you use 150 GB of High-Speed Data, you will continue to receive unlimited data (referred to as Standard Data); however, Viasat may prioritize Standard Data behind other customers during network congestion, which will result in slower speeds." For Unleashed and Unleashed Max it defines "typical usage": "Typical usage represents the data usage of 70% of Viasat Unleashed or Viasat Unleashed Max customers on our network." Viasat's FAQ adds "The Viasat Unleashed and Unleashed Max plans do not reset data usage monthly." (all checked November 2026).

Viasat's help articles speak of "Unlimited Plans" and name none of the plans on its plans page: Data Allowance Policy Overview says "Unlimited Plans have a monthly data threshold of High-Speed Data.", "After you reach your High-Speed Data usage, you will continue to receive unlimited data, referred to as Standard Data." and "Viasat may prioritize Standard data behind other customers during network congestion, which will result in slower speeds.", and Buy More High-Speed Data with Data Boost says "No matter how much unlimited Standard Data you use, you’ll never be cut off or automatically charged more than your plan’s monthly service fee, unless you buy more High-Speed Data." (both checked November 2026).

Viasat's Legal page lists an "Unlimited Data Policy" that "applies to Unleashed, Unleashed Max, Connection 25, Choice, Discovery, Viasat Essentials and unlimited data plans" (checked November 2026); that policy is a PDF this page didn't read.

On Starlink's side, its Residential label gives data as "Unlimited" (October 2026), and its Service Plan Descriptions, in section 1.4 of the version published October 2026, add for Residential "If bandwidth patterns consistently exceed what is allocated to a typical residential user, Starlink may take network management measures, such as reducing a customer's speeds, to prevent or mitigate congestion of the Services."; each Starlink plan's data term sits beside its clause on the data caps page.

Contracts: no term on Unleashed, 24 months on Essentials

Viasat's FAQ says "The Viasat Unleashed and Viasat Unleashed Max service plans do not require an annual contract, which means there is no minimum service term commitment." and "The Viasat Essentials service plan requires a 24-month minimum service term commitment." (checked November 2026); Starlink's Residential label says no contract and a $0 early termination fee (October 2026), and its Terms of Service describe a Service Commitment that applies if you select one at checkout, with "a $249 or $325, as applicable, change fee" (version published August 2026).

Viasat's FAQ puts Unleashed and Unleashed Max on "a month-to-month service term" that you may cancel at any time "without an early termination fee", and for a 24-month term it gives an example: "As an example for a service plan that requires a 24-month service term commitment: You may be charged an early termination fee of $15 for every month remaining on the contract." Its help page Invoice Itemized Fees and Descriptions says "The Early Termination Fee is assessed if you cancel prior to the end of your minimum service term. This is calculated based on how many months are remaining in your contract minimum service term at the time you terminated your service." (both checked November 2026).

Starlink's Service Commitment is a choice at checkout; once chosen, section 1.2 of its Terms of Service, version published August 2026, says "you agree to continuously subscribe to the Services specified in your Order for a minimum of 12 or 24 months, as applicable", and the contract page covers its other terms.

If you're leaving Viasat: the 30-day equipment return

Viasat's equipment return guide says "Once your account is disconnected, you have 30 calendar days to return your leased equipment to Viasat." and that unreturned leased equipment is charged "only if we do not receive your equipment within 30 calendar days" (checked November 2026).

The same equipment return guide says "Return the Viasat modem and power cord from inside your house, and the TRIA (Transmit and Receive Integrated Assembly) of the dish assembly outside." and "Do not return the dish or the mounting brackets.", and for the fees it points to "the Lease Addendum to the Customer Agreement located at Viasat.com/legal", a PDF this page didn't read (checked November 2026). None of Viasat's pages read gives the steps to cancel.

Starlink's Terms of Service, section 6.3 in the version published August 2026, say "You may return an undamaged, untampered and unmodified Starlink Kit and any accessories purchased on starlink.com within 30 days of the Payment Due Date for a full refund for any reason, including the inability to receive Services due to field-of-view issues", and their Shipping & Handling clause says "Shipping and handling charges will apply and are non-refundable." For where to put the dish, Starlink's help page Where should I install my Starlink? says "Starlink works best with a clear view of the sky. A partial view is often enough." (checked November 2026). The 30-day trial page has what a return in those 30 days costs and refunds.

What this page doesn't cover

This page covers Viasat's US home satellite internet only, and no Viasat service was tested for it: every figure for Viasat here is Viasat's own.

Viasat's in-flight, maritime, government and business services, and its fixed wireless plans.

Prices and availability at a particular address: Viasat's label page starts with "Input your service address" (checked November 2026), so none of Viasat's broadband labels is on this page.

Viasat's data policy, its Customer Agreement and the Lease Addendum to it, PDFs on its Legal page that weren't read.

How to cancel Viasat service.

How a Viasat home plan's IPv4 address works: none of Viasat's pages read says (November 2026).

Other countries.

HughesNet's service: the HughesNet comparison sets HughesNet's own terms beside Starlink's.

Starlink is a trademark of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. HughesNet and Viasat are trademarks of their owners. The names identify the services only; none of these companies endorses this site.