In the new space race, two American companies are revolutionizing global connectivity from orbit. While both Astranis and Starlink deliver internet access via satellite, their approaches couldn’t be more different. One sells directly to you, the other powers your local internet provider behind the scenes.
This comparison cuts through the marketing to show exactly how Astranis vs Starlink differ in technology, business model, and real-world performance.
Key Takeaways
- Starlink sells directly to consumers with 8,800+ satellites delivering 20-40ms latency
- Astranis sells wholesale capacity to telecom companies using compact GEO satellites
- Starlink excels for gaming, video calls, and mobile use; Astranis powers regional ISPs
- Neither is “better”—they serve different markets through different business models
At a Glance: Key Differences
The Business Model Split: Who’s Actually the Customer?
Astranis: The Wholesaler Empowering Local Providers
The satellite internet startup Astranis doesn’t want your $120 monthly payment. Instead, they sell dedicated satellite capacity to telecommunications companies and governments, who then deliver internet service to end users.
Think of Astranis as the infrastructure builder. Pacific Dataport in Alaska, APCO Networks in Mexico, and Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan all lease Astranis satellite capacity to expand their networks without building their own orbital infrastructure. This “satellite-as-a-service” approach lets regional providers compete with deep-pocketed national carriers.
Founded in 2015 by John Gedmark, Astranis has raised over $550 million and secured more than $1 billion in committed contracts. Their innovation? Making dedicated geostationary satellites affordable. Traditional GEO satellites cost $200-500 million and take years to build. Astranis delivers dedicated capacity for a fraction of that cost and timeline.
Starlink: Direct-to-Consumer Global Internet
SpaceX’s Starlink operates the opposite model. You visit starlink.com, order a dish for $599, pay $120 monthly, and get internet delivered directly from space. No middleman, no local provider, just you and 8,800+ satellites orbiting overhead.
As of November 2025, Starlink serves over 8 million customers across 150 countries. That explosive growth, adding 2.7 million subscribers in just one year, proves enormous demand exists for reliable internet access in areas cable and fiber don’t reach.
SpaceX controls everything: manufacturing satellites, launching them on their own Falcon 9 rockets, operating ground stations, and handling customer support. This vertical integration creates massive cost advantages. While competitors pay commercial launch prices, SpaceX essentially launches at cost.
LEO vs GEO: The Technology That Explains Everything
Why Starlink Chose Low Earth Orbit
Starlink satellites orbit just 340 miles above Earth in what’s called low Earth orbit. That proximity delivers low latency, the 20-40 millisecond response time you need for gaming, Zoom calls, and anything requiring real-time interaction.
The catch? You need thousands of satellites to provide continuous coverage. A satellite in low Earth orbit zips overhead in minutes, so your terminal constantly switches between different satellites as they pass. SpaceX currently operates 8,800+ satellites and launches about 233 more each month to maintain and expand the constellation.
Download speeds average 100-200 Mbps during peak hours for U.S. residential users, with upload speeds around 10-20 Mbps. The system achieves 99.9% uptime, though you might notice brief micro-outages (a few seconds) when your terminal switches between satellites.
Why Astranis Chose Geostationary Orbit
Astranis satellites park 22,000 miles above Earth in geostationary orbit—so high they match Earth’s rotation and stay fixed over one spot. This means a single satellite provides 24/7 coverage to a specific region, like Peru or the Philippines.
The company’s breakthrough was making GEO satellites small and affordable. Their MicroGEO platform weighs 400kg and delivers 10-12 Gbps of throughput. Traditional GEO satellites weigh several tons and cost hundreds of millions. Astranis builds 60% of components in-house, enabling rapid manufacturing and continuous improvement.
In 2024, Astranis unveiled its next-generation Omega satellite—600kg delivering 50+ Gbps of capacity. The first Omega satellites in 2026 will provide five times the bandwidth of MicroGEO models while maintaining the compact, cost-effective design that makes dedicated regional coverage economically viable.
The tradeoff? Latency hovers around 500-600 milliseconds due to signal travel distance. That’s fine for streaming, web browsing, and most business applications. It’s not ideal for competitive gaming or real-time collaboration tools where every millisecond counts.
Real-World Performance: What Users Actually Experience
Starlink in Action
Rural Montana ranchers use Starlink to monitor cattle via IoT sensors and manage automated irrigation systems. RV travelers maintain internet access while crossing the country. Ukrainian forces relied on Starlink terminals for battlefield communications when terrestrial networks were destroyed.
The service excels where you need global mobility or low latency. Hawaiian Airlines, British Airways, United Airlines, and International Airlines Group are installing Starlink terminals on aircraft to provide passengers with high-speed internet at 35,000 feet. Maritime vessels, from fishing boats to cruise ships, deploy the service for crew connectivity and operational communications.
Speed varies by location and network congestion. The median U.S. residential user sees around 200 Mbps downloads during peak hours. In oversaturated areas, Starlink implements waitlists to maintain service quality rather than degrading performance for existing customers.
Astranis-Powered Services
You probably won’t know you’re using an Astranis satellite—you’ll just notice your local ISP suddenly offers better service in rural areas. Pacific Dataport expanded broadband coverage across Alaska using dedicated Astranis capacity. APCO Networks in Mexico reaches communities where cable companies won’t invest in infrastructure.
Chunghwa Telecom’s partnership with Astranis demonstrates national security applications. Taiwan’s vulnerability to submarine cable disruptions made independent satellite capacity a strategic priority. The dedicated satellite provides backup connectivity that can’t be severed by cable damage, whether from typhoons or geopolitical conflict.
In November 2025, Astranis launched Vanguard—a capability that lets military units and first responders create secure mobile networks using MicroGEO satellites. During demonstrations with Persistent Systems and Kymeta, Vanguard extended tactical radio range across 2,250 kilometers without requiring terrestrial internet infrastructure.
Pricing and Accessibility
What Starlink Costs
Starlink charges $599 upfront for the user terminal (the dish and router) plus $120 monthly for residential service in most markets. Business plans with priority data cost $250-500 monthly, depending on requirements. Mobile plans for RVs and boats run $150 monthly, with the understanding that your connection gets deprioritized compared to fixed locations.
Enterprise solutions for airlines, maritime vessels, and large businesses involve custom contracts. Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines negotiate bulk pricing, but individual passengers don’t pay separately—internet access gets bundled into the flight experience.
What Astranis-Powered Service Costs
You can’t subscribe to Astranis directly. Pricing depends entirely on which local ISP you get service from and what competitive dynamics exist in your market. The wholesale model means your monthly bill comes from Pacific Dataport, APCO Networks, or another regional provider—not Astranis.
This indirect relationship creates potential advantages. Local providers understand regional needs, navigate local regulations, and often provide better customer support than a global company managing 8 million customers. However, you’re dependent on that local provider’s business practices and pricing decisions.
The Future: What’s Coming Next
Starlink’s Roadmap
SpaceX is developing next-generation satellites with dramatically increased bandwidth and improved orbital efficiency. The integration of Starship—their massive new rocket—could enable launching 100+ satellites per flight instead of the current 20-60 on Falcon 9. This would accelerate deployment toward the authorized 42,000-satellite constellation.
Direct-to-cell technology marks a significant expansion. With over 663 Direct to Cell satellites launched since 2024, Starlink enables standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites for text messaging (available now for T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon customers), with voice and data coming soon. This could fundamentally disrupt cellular networks by providing coverage anywhere, regardless of tower infrastructure.
Astranis’s Expansion
Astranis aims for over 100 Omega satellites in orbit by 2030. At a production rate of 24 satellites annually, they’ll manufacture more GEO satellites than the three largest traditional satellite operators combined. The 12 Omega satellites scheduled for near-term launch will serve customers from Thailand to Argentina to Taiwan.
Government contracts are expanding rapidly. The U.S. Space Force selected Astranis to develop Resilient GPS satellites—extending their technology beyond communications into critical navigation infrastructure. The company’s expertise in radiation-hardened electronics and compact, cost-effective spacecraft design translates well to government applications requiring reliability in high orbits.
Their UtilitySat concept introduces unprecedented flexibility to geostationary operations. This “Swiss Army knife” satellite operates across multiple frequency bands and features dual propulsion, enabling repositioning throughout its 10-year life. It can serve as an on-orbit spare, handle temporary capacity surges, or fulfill short-term missions before moving to serve different markets.
Which Service Makes Sense for You?
Choose Starlink If You:
Need internet access in a rural area with no cable or fiber options. Want low latency for gaming, video calls, or real-time collaboration. Travel frequently in an RV, boat, or aircraft and need mobile connectivity. Live in one of 150+ countries where Starlink operates. Prefer dealing directly with the service provider rather than through a local ISP. Don’t mind paying $599 upfront plus $120 monthly for residential service.
You’ll Use Astranis-Powered Service If:
You’re in a region where a local ISP uses Astranis capacity (Alaska, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan, Peru, Thailand). Your local provider offers competitive pricing and good customer support. You prefer supporting regional telecommunications companies over global tech giants. Latency isn’t critical—you mainly stream, browse, and handle non-real-time applications. You value having a local customer service team that understands regional needs.
The Bottom Line: Starlink vs Astranis
The Astranis vs Starlink comparison isn’t really a competition—it’s two different businesses solving the connectivity problem through distinct approaches. Starlink delivers high-performance internet directly to consumers anywhere on Earth via a massive low Earth orbit constellation. Astranis enables regional telecommunications providers to expand their networks cost-effectively using dedicated geostationary satellites.
Both companies successfully bridge the digital divide. Starlink excels where you need global mobility, low latency, or direct consumer access. Astranis succeeds where local providers need dedicated regional capacity without the massive capital investment of traditional satellite infrastructure.
For most consumers, the choice is simple: if Starlink serves your area and you can afford $599 plus $120 monthly, that’s your best option for satellite internet in 2025. If a local ISP in your region uses Astranis capacity, you might not even know—you’ll just enjoy better service than was previously available in rural areas.
The real winner? The 2.7 billion people worldwide who still lack reliable internet access. Whether connectivity arrives through SpaceX’s Starlink constellation or an Astranis satellite powering your local provider, the expansion of satellite internet finally makes affordable broadband internet possible anywhere on Earth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I subscribe directly to Astranis satellite internet?
No. Astranis sells capacity to telecom companies and ISPs, not individual consumers. You’d get Astranis-powered service through your local internet provider if they use Astranis satellites.
Which has better latency: Astranis or Starlink?
Starlink has significantly better latency at 20-40ms compared to Astranis’s 500-600ms. This makes Starlink much better for gaming, video calls, and real-time applications.
How much does Starlink cost per month?
Starlink charges $120 per month for residential service, plus a one-time $599 equipment fee for the dish and router. Business and mobile plans cost $150-500 monthly, depending on your needs.
How many satellites does each company have?
Starlink operates 8,800+ satellites in low Earth orbit as of 2025. Astranis has 10 satellites in geostationary orbit, with plans to reach 100+ by 2030.
Is Astranis better than Starlink?
Neither is “better”—they serve different purposes. Starlink is better for direct consumer access and low-latency applications. Astranis is better for regional telecom providers needing dedicated satellite capacity.
Does Starlink work while traveling?
Yes. Starlink offers mobile plans for RVs ($150/month) and maritime vessels. Airlines like Hawaiian Airlines and United are also installing Starlink for in-flight internet. Your connection gets deprioritized compared to fixed locations.
