Starlink Residential or Roam: which fits how you'll use it

Which Starlink plan should you choose?

Which Starlink service matches your use?

Start with where the dish will spend most of its time.

Starlink describes speed the same way for both. Its Residential and Roam pages say quoted speeds are maximums that can slow when the network is busy (checked Sep 24, 2026).

The FCC map can't settle this choice. SpaceX reports Starlink at 116,091,843 residential locations there (data as of Dec 31, 2025). But providers file fixed service at homes, so Roam, boats and kits on the move aren't counted.

For the home side, what each Residential tier includes lays out the three tiers and both kits. For the footprint, see where Starlink is offered.

How long a battery runs each kit

Off the grid, power draw decides how long the dish stays up. Starlink's catalog lists an average draw for each kit, and battery hours are capacity divided by draw.

Ask which kit comes with the plan before you order, because the answer can double or triple your runtime. The V5 comes with the Router Mini, which Starlink says covers up to 2,200 sq ft.

If the kit is also your backup at home, backup internet and power planning covers batteries for the router and the rest of the setup.

A remote-work couple, a camper family, a boat owner and a full-time RV

Two people working from home

They rarely travel, and both are on video calls most days. Check Residential first. If calls stutter at busy times, Max is the tier Starlink gives its highest residential network priority. Max's catalog card also includes an optional mesh node for wider Wi-Fi range.

A family with a camper

They live in one house and take the camper out most summer weekends. Check Residential Max first. Its optional Mini kit is the part that goes in the camper, on a Roam plan.

A boat owner on a lake

The boat spends the season on inland water, and the owner wants service at the dock and while cruising. Check Roam: Starlink's page covers inland waterways, and it says use on the move works in select areas. If the boat heads offshore, ask about the optional open-ocean coverage.

A household that lives in an RV full time

There is no fixed home to install a dish at, and one of them works from the RV on weekdays. Check Roam first, since Starlink sells it for travel, road trips and commutes. Ask whether in-motion use is supported on your routes. For nights on battery, ask which kit ships with the Roam plan.

To size the connection for those workdays, run the household internet needs tool with the devices the RV carries.

A seasonal cabin sits between these cases, which is why the table says to compare both. Internet for a short stay or seasonal home compares other options by cost per usable day.

What to ask Starlink before you order

• Is this plan tied to one service address?
• If I add the Mini kit to Residential Max, which Roam plan does it use away from home?
• Is in-motion use offered where I'll be traveling?
• Does the plan list for my account include the tier I want? Starlink says plan availability varies by location.
• Which kit ships with this plan, and what is its average power draw?
• What happens to rented hardware if I cancel?

Ask for the Broadband Facts label of each plan you are weighing, Residential tier and Roam plan alike. FCC rules require one for each home and mobile internet plan at the point of sale.

If a wired line also reaches the home, compare it with Residential in how to choose an internet connection. Starlink for rural homes shows how often rural residential units have a wired 100/20 option in each state. Plan names from a set of real satellite orders are in what satellite internet buyers ordered.