Which Starlink Plan Should You Choose? Residential, Roam and Priority Compared
Plans, Pricing & Buying Advice
The best Starlink plan is determined by where you will use it—not simply by which option sounds fastest.
For most buyers, the decision starts with four questions:
- Will Starlink remain at one fixed address?
- Will you take it to different locations?
- Will it ever operate while a vehicle or boat is moving?
- Is the connection for normal personal use or business-critical work?
Starlink changes plan names, prices, allowances and regional availability. Treat the options displayed for your address and account as the final authority.
Independent owner’s note: Starlink Tips is not part of Starlink. This guide explains the practical differences without promising a particular speed, price or plan. Always read the current plan description before ordering.
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UK and US monthly prices
Prices checked: 1 October 2026. The country was explicitly selected and the currency confirmed on each rendered official page. These are advertised monthly starting prices, subject to address availability, not currency conversions or an address-specific quote.
United Kingdom — GBP
- Residential 100 Mbps: £40 per month.
- Residential 200 Mbps: £60 per month.
- Residential Max: £80 per month.
- Roam 100GB: £55 per month.
- Roam Unlimited: £100 per month.
Source: Starlink UK service plans.
United States — USD
- Residential 100 Mbps: $55 per month.
- Residential 200 Mbps: $85 per month.
- Residential Max: $130 per month.
- Roam 100GB: $55 per month.
- Roam 300GB: $80 per month.
- Roam Unlimited: $175 per month.
Source: Starlink US service plans. Select United States if Starlink retains another country from an earlier visit.
The UK page did not list a Roam 300GB option when checked. Hardware, delivery, installation, taxes and promotional terms should be checked separately in the regional checkout. Residential 100 Mbps and 200 Mbps are available only in selected areas. These prices are for public standalone plans; Ian's discounted Mini Travel Add-On is a separate account-specific offer.
Order through my referral link and activate your service. Your second month of Starlink service will be free.
Hardware and installation offers checked on 1 October 2026
The UK Residential page advertises no upfront hardware cost in selected areas. The UK Roam page advertises hardware starting from £179 in selected areas. These are conditional advertised offers, not a universal kit price or proof of ownership. Confirm rental or purchase terms, delivery, taxes and installation for your address.
With United States selected, the US Residential page advertises no upfront hardware cost in selected areas and free professional home installation with Residential 200 Mbps and Residential Max. Confirm eligibility, included work and any extra charges in your address-specific quote. A standalone US Roam hardware price and a current UK professional-installation price were not verified in this check; no new figure is asserted for either.
Earlier dated checkout examples and Ian's personal equipment, installation and Mini Travel Add-On costs remain historical or account-specific examples, not current offers for every customer.
Quick Plan Decision
Internet for one home
- Plan type to check first: Residential
- Main point to verify: Availability and service level at that address
Lower-cost fixed home service
- Plan type to check first: Residential entry-level or Lite option, where offered
- Main point to verify: How traffic is treated during busy periods
Camping, touring or temporary locations
- Plan type to check first: Roam
- Main point to verify: Geographic limits, data allowance and pausing
Work requiring priority traffic
- Plan type to check first: Priority or business option
- Main point to verify: Included priority data and charges after it is used
Boat or offshore use
- Plan type to check first: Roam or maritime/priority option
- Main point to verify: Coastal, territorial and ocean coverage
Use while a vehicle or vessel is moving
- Plan type to check first: Eligible mobile plan and approved hardware
- Main point to verify: Explicit permission for in-motion use
The exact choices shown to you may differ from this table.
Residential: Best for a Fixed Home
Residential service is the starting point for a house, farm, rural property or other permanent location.
It is intended for use at the registered service address. Before ordering, confirm:
- Starlink is available at the exact address;
- the property has a sufficiently clear view of the sky;
- the available Residential option meets your expected use;
- the kit, delivery and monthly price shown at checkout;
- whether any minimum term or promotional condition applies.
Some locations may display more than one fixed-home option. A lower-cost option may receive different treatment during congestion than the main Residential service. Read the comparison shown by Starlink instead of assuming the cheapest option will perform identically.
Choose Residential When
- The dish will remain at one address.
- You want everyday home internet.
- Streaming, browsing, video calls and gaming are the main uses.
- You do not need to take the dish touring.
If you permanently move home, check whether you can update the service address in your account and whether capacity is available at the new property.
Roam: Best for Portable Use
Roam is designed for people who take Starlink between locations, such as campervan owners, motorhome travellers, seasonal workers and people with temporary remote setups.
Depending on the offer available, Roam may have a set data allowance or a different usage structure. Check:
- how much data is included;
- what happens after the allowance is used;
- whether service can be paused;
- the countries or region where it may be used;
- how long international use is permitted;
- whether speeds may be lower during congestion;
- whether your hardware is eligible.
Roam flexibility does not mean every type of use is automatically allowed.
Stationary Portable Use
Setting the dish up securely at a campsite or temporary location and using it while parked is portable use.
In-Motion Use
Operating Starlink while a car, motorhome or boat is moving is a separate use case. It may require an eligible plan and approved hardware. Never assume that an ordinary Roam plan or a loosely mounted standard dish permits use while driving.
Read our detailed guide: Can You Move Starlink? Residential, Roam and Travel Rules.
Priority and Business Options
Priority plans are intended for customers who need features or network treatment beyond ordinary personal service. That may include businesses, demanding remote operations, fixed sites with high usage or mobile and maritime applications.
Check the current offer for:
- the quantity of priority data included;
- the service level after priority data is consumed;
- whether extra priority data can be purchased;
- public IP or network features, where offered;
- support arrangements;
- mobility and geographic permissions;
- hardware requirements.
Priority does not mean an absolute guarantee of speed or uptime. Weather, obstructions, equipment, local capacity and network conditions can still affect service. Any formal performance commitment must come from Starlink’s current contract, not a general comparison article.
Boats and Maritime Use
A dish used on a boat in a marina is not necessarily covered for offshore or in-motion use.
Before choosing a plan, check:
- whether use is inland, coastal or oceanic;
- whether the boat will be stationary or moving;
- territorial restrictions;
- hardware approval and mounting requirements;
- priority-data consumption;
- the cost of additional or ocean data.
Do this before departure. Reaching open water is the wrong time to discover that a plan or hardware combination is not eligible.
Understanding Data Priority
Starlink is a shared network. When local demand is high, the plan’s network treatment can influence performance.
Plan descriptions may distinguish between standard, deprioritised and priority data. The wording and allowances can change, but the practical questions remain:
- What data is included each month?
- What happens during congestion?
- What happens after any priority or capped allowance is used?
- Can additional data charges be enabled?
- Is there a way to prevent unexpected additional usage?
Avoid interpreting “priority” as a guaranteed speed. Equally, do not assume a lower-priority service will always be slow; real performance depends heavily on local conditions.
Which Plan Fits You?
Fixed Rural Home
Start with the Residential choices shown for your address. Choose based on price, expected busy-period performance and how heavily the household uses the connection.
Occasional Campervan Trips
Compare the available Roam options and check whether pausing is supported. Estimate your data use before choosing a limited allowance.
Full-Time Touring
Look closely at coverage, data use, congestion treatment and international restrictions. Keep an alternative way to communicate when a clear view of the sky is unavailable.
Remote Work
A normal personal plan may be sufficient for many home workers. If missed calls or upload interruptions have serious business consequences, consider backup connectivity before simply buying the most expensive Starlink plan.
Business Site
Compare the business or priority terms with Residential service, focusing on the features you genuinely require. Paying for unused priority data is not automatically an improvement.
Boat
Choose according to location, movement and coverage—not merely the word “Roam.” Offshore and in-motion permissions need explicit confirmation.
Five Checks Before Ordering
- Enter the exact service address on Starlink’s website.
- Use the Starlink app to assess obstructions.
- Read the current plan description and data rules.
- Confirm whether your intended movement and region are permitted.
- Screenshot or save the offer displayed at checkout.
You can review Starlink’s current personal service plans, service-plan change guidance and service-plan descriptions.
Final Recommendation
Choose a fixed-home plan when the dish will stay at one registered address.
Choose Roam when you need portable service at changing locations and the displayed geographic and data rules fit your travel.
Choose a priority, business or specialised mobile option only when its additional features solve a real problem you actually have.
Claim Your Free Month
Order through my referral link and activate your service. Your second month of Starlink service will be free.
Related Starlink guides
- Can You Move Starlink? Residential, Roam and Travel Rules
- Can You Pause Starlink Service? Plan Rules and Savings
- Starlink Direct to Cell vs a Starlink Kit: Do You Still Need a Dish?
