ISP Comparison
Side-by-side Starlink vs your local alternatives. Real numbers, 5-year total costs, clear verdicts.
Plan A
Plan B
Ownership window · 3 years
1y2y3y4y5y
Verdict
Verizon Fios wins if available at your address
Fiber delivers 5-10× the speed at 33% lower 5-year cost than Starlink Residential. Only choose Starlink if fiber is not offered at your exact address or if you move frequently.
Starlink
Starlink Residential
SpaceX satellite, home fixed address
Total 3y
$5,050
Monthly avg
$124
Down
180Mbps
Up
22Mbps
Ping
38ms
Hardware: $599
Data: 1024 GB/mo
Price hike: 3%/yr typical
Winner
Fiber
Verizon Fios
Gigabit fiber where available
Total 3y
$3,404
Monthly avg
$92
Down
940Mbps
Up
880Mbps
Ping
8ms
Hardware: $0
Activation: $99
Data: Unlimited
Price hike: 2%/yr typical
Dimension-by-dimension
5-year cost
$5,050
$3,404
Download speed
180 Mbps
940 Mbps
Upload speed
22 Mbps
880 Mbps
Latency
38 ms
8 ms
Data cap
1024 GB
Unlimited
Availability
Nearly everywhere in the US (some capacity-limited cells)
Northeast US metros