Starlink Residential vs Residential Lite

Starlink now offers two home internet plans in the US. Residential offers the best speeds and unlimited data, while Residential Lite costs less and offers slower speeds.

I created this comparison guide to explain the difference between Residential and Residential Lite. I’ll cover the features, availability, and performance of each plan. By the end, you’ll have a complete understanding of the two options so you can choose the one that fits your needs.

Residential vs Residential Lite

Starlink’s Residential service plan has been around since the beginning, offering high-speed home internet with unlimited data since late 2020. I’ve been subscribed to Residential since early 2021. Residential Lite is a newer option for customers in the US.

According to Starlink, Residential Lite is suitable for small households with low internet usage. If you are like me with just two people in the house (I’m not counting my dogs, since they can’t use a computer), the Lite plan would be fine. If you have four or more people under your roof, Starlink says the normal Residential plan is best.

Both plans offer the same basic features. The equipment is the same, both have unlimited data, and neither one can be used for travel. Residential only works at your home address.

Price

The biggest difference between Residential and Residential Lite is the price. The Lite plan costs $80/month, a whopping 33% cheaper than the $120/month that Residential will set you back. There are no contracts or commitments with either plan.

Both plans come with the same up-front equipment cost. The Starlink Standard kit costs $349 plus taxes and shipping. In some countries Residential Lite comes with the cheaper Starlink Mini kit, but unfortunately, customers in the US don’t have a choice in hardware.

The good news is that Starlink frequently offers hardware discounts in select states. The “Regional Savings” discount reduces the price of the Standard kit to $249, and sometimes even $149, depending on your address. Some of you will get the Standard kit for $149 and pay just $80/month for Residential Lite. That’s an incredible value in my opinion!

Performance

So what performance do you give up in exchange for the cheaper monthly price of the Lite plan? Starlink says Residential Lite customers can expect between 50-100 Mbps download speeds, vs 150-250 Mbps on the Residential plan. That might seem like a big difference, but in my experience, the real world difference isn’t that significant.

Residential Lite is deprioritized behind Residential, but there isn’t any speed throttling going on. Your performance has more to do with how many other Starlink users are in your area and the time of day. I’ve tested the Roam service plan against Residential before. Roam and Residential Lite are similarly deprioritized behind Residential. I’ve seen close to 300 Mbps using Roam outside of peak usage hours, meaning there is no hard limit on the speeds you can get.

In the evenings, expect speeds to go down, especially on Residential Lite. That’s really the big difference between the two plans. During times of network congestion, the higher traffic priority for Residential users means they will have consistently better download and upload speeds compared to Residential Lite users.

Data Caps

Starlink doesn’t limit monthly data on Residential or Residential Lite. Both plans have unlimited data, so you’ll be able to stream as many shows as you like, or download large game files without worrying about hitting data caps.

Availability

Another big difference is availability. Residential is available throughout the US, with the only restriction being areas that are “Sold Out” on the Starlink availability map. Residential Lite is only available in select areas of the US, typically in places with excess network capacity.

To find out if Residential Lite is available in your area, type in your address at Starlink.com. If it’s available, you’ll have an option between Residential or Residential Lite. Any current hardware promotions for your area will also be applied to your order.

Switching Between Plans

If you decide to go with Residential Lite, you’ll be able to upgrade to Residential in the future if you need more performance. Already a Starlink Residential customer? You can switch to the Lite plan to save some money each month.

To switch between service plans, log in to the Starlink website or app. Click on your subscription in the account dashboard. You’ll see the option to change your plan type. Only the plans currently available for your address will be available to switch to. For more help with changing plans, check out my How to Change Your Starlink Service Plan tutorial.

Summary

Residential is the best home internet plan for larger households who need the highest speeds, while Residential Lite is suitable for smaller households with lower usage. The cheaper $80/month Lite plan is more affordable in exchange for deprioritized data and slower internet speeds.

Both plans offer unlimited data and fixed internet service at one address, but Residential Lite has limited availability, only being offered in about 15 states in the US.

Did you buy or switch to Residential Lite? I’d love to know what your household usage looks like, and how the plan is performing. Leave me a comment below!