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Starlink is the practical choice if you need satellite internet that you can order today. Amazon Leo (the service formerly called Project Kuiper) is still expanding commercial availability. Amazon has announced higher peak capabilities—up to 1 Gbps download for the Leo Ultra enterprise preview and up to 400 Mbps for its consumer antenna family—but it has not published a comparable consumer price sheet or field-tested latency range. Starlink publishes residential plan speeds, prices, coverage information, and a 25–60 ms land-latency range, although the exact offer depends on your address.
Quick verdict
- Choose Starlink now if service is available at your address and you need a purchasable plan, published monthly pricing, and documented operational latency.
- Watch Amazon Leo if you are in a planned launch market, need another satellite provider, or are evaluating enterprise connectivity. Its headline speeds are promising, but consumer pricing, measured latency, and final availability are not yet documented on an equivalent basis.
- Do not compare peak numbers as if they were normal experience. Amazon’s 1 Gbps figure is for a selected enterprise preview using Leo Ultra. Starlink’s 400+ Mbps figure is a residential-plan ceiling in its help documentation. Weather, congestion, geography, Wi-Fi, policy, and the terminal’s view of the sky affect both services.
The fairest comparison is therefore not “which logo has the biggest number?” It is whether a service is available at your address, what a complete first year costs, what typical speeds and latency look like during busy periods, and whether the terminal fits your installation or portability needs.
What Amazon Leo and Starlink are today
Amazon Leo is still moving from deployment to broad service
Amazon retired the Project Kuiper name on November 13, 2025, and now calls the network Amazon Leo. Full-scale constellation deployment began in April 2025. Amazon says it plans more than 80 launches and will roll out Leo service more widely in 2026 as additional satellites add coverage and capacity.
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Starlink is an operating, orderable service
Starlink already sells residential service. Its residential pages describe coverage in more than 160 countries, territories, and other markets, while an address check determines whether your location is available, pending coverage, or awaiting regulatory approval. That distinction matters: a country can appear on a coverage list while an individual address remains ineligible.
Starlink’s documentation also separates plans and service types. Residential Max, for example, has different stated performance from lower residential tiers, and Starlink’s specification pages give broader upload ranges across services. Always identify the plan and region when interpreting a number.
Speed comparison: advertised ceilings versus expected service
| Service or figure | Download | Upload | What the number means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Leo Ultra enterprise preview | Up to 1 Gbps | Up to 400 Mbps | Amazon’s November 24, 2025 announcement for selected enterprise customers; a hardware/service capability, not a measured consumer average. |
| Amazon Leo consumer antenna family | Up to 400 Mbps | Not stated for a comparable consumer plan | Amazon’s announced antenna capability. Actual performance depends on geography, weather, Wi-Fi, plan availability, congestion, policy, and other factors. |
| Starlink Residential Max | Up to 400+ Mbps | 20–40 Mbps | Starlink’s current residential help documentation; regional variation applies. |
| Starlink services, specification range | Not stated as one universal figure | Typically 5–20 Mbps | Starlink’s specifications give this broader upload range across services, so it should not be substituted for a particular residential plan. |
How to read Amazon Leo’s speed claims
The 1 Gbps Leo Ultra figure is the highest number in the comparison, but it answers a specific question: what the Leo Ultra enterprise offering can reach in its preview configuration. It does not establish that a household will receive 1 Gbps, that a consumer plan will use Leo Ultra hardware, or that the speed will persist at busy times.
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The consumer antenna figure of up to 400 Mbps is more relevant to home users, yet “up to” still describes a ceiling. Amazon says actual speeds can vary with geography, weather, Wi-Fi performance, plan availability, network congestion, policy, and other factors. A wired test directly from the terminal can therefore differ substantially from a test over a distant or crowded Wi-Fi access point.
How to read Starlink’s speed claims
Starlink lists Residential Max downloads up to 400+ Mbps and uploads of 20–40 Mbps in its current help documentation. “Up to” is not a guarantee, and Starlink states that regional conditions affect results. Its specification page’s typical 5–20 Mbps upload range covers services more broadly; quote the Residential Max range only when discussing that plan.
Starlink’s lower-priced residential tiers are not automatically equivalent to Residential Max. The plan shown during your address check, local capacity, and any regional policy determine what you can order and what performance is realistic. A nearby address can receive a different offer because satellite capacity is managed by service cell.
Which is faster?
On announced peak capability, Amazon Leo has the larger enterprise headline: up to 1 Gbps down and 400 Mbps up. For consumer service, Amazon’s published antenna ceiling is up to 400 Mbps, while Starlink documents up to 400+ Mbps down and 20–40 Mbps up for Residential Max. That is not enough evidence to declare a universal winner. Leo lacks a comparable public consumer average, and Starlink’s actual result varies by address and congestion.
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Latency: Starlink has a measured range; Leo has a promise
Latency is the round-trip time between your device and an internet endpoint. It affects video calls, remote desktops, cloud applications, and interactive games more than a headline download rate does.
Starlink’s official specifications state that latency on land ranges from 25 to 60 milliseconds, with 100+ milliseconds in certain remote locations. The range is a service description, not a guarantee for every test server or time of day.
Amazon describes Leo as low latency because its satellites operate in low Earth orbit, but the reviewed official material does not provide an independently measured consumer latency range. That means it is not currently defensible to say Leo is definitely lower latency than Starlink. A meaningful comparison requires the same location, terminal, test endpoint, time window, and network load after Leo service is operating there.
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Why two users can see different latency
- Satellite and gateway routing: the path can change as satellites move and traffic is handed between network elements.
- Distance to the test server: a test to a nearby regional server is not comparable with one to a distant data center.
- Queueing during congestion: busy service cells can increase delay even when download speed remains usable.
- Home networking: overloaded Wi-Fi, mesh hops, or a saturated router can add delay that is unrelated to the satellite link.
- Remote geography: Starlink explicitly warns that some remote locations can exceed 100 ms.
Coverage and availability
Starlink’s current coverage advantage
Starlink says it serves more than 160 countries, territories, and other markets. Its availability map distinguishes places where service is available from locations pending coverage or regulatory approval. Enter your exact address rather than relying on a country-level map, because capacity and authorization are local.
Address eligibility also affects the plan, kit, monthly price, and any one-time charges shown at checkout. A serviceable address still needs a clear installation site with an unobstructed view of the sky.
Amazon Leo’s coverage is still being built
Amazon began full-scale deployment in April 2025 and says wider service rollout will occur in 2026 as it launches more satellites and adds coverage and capacity. Because rollout timing and market-by-market offers are still developing, Leo does not yet have an equivalent, settled footprint against which Starlink’s 160-plus-market statement can be compared.
If you are considering Leo, treat an announcement about planned rollout as an indication to monitor availability, not as confirmation that your address can order service. Commercial launch dates, regulatory approval, local capacity, and terminal distribution all determine when an address becomes serviceable.
Prices and the real first-year cost
Starlink’s published US residential starting prices
| US residential tier | Listed monthly price | Availability note |
|---|---|---|
| Residential 100 Mbps | $55 per month | Available only in select areas; address-dependent. |
| Residential 200 Mbps | $85 per month | Available only in select areas; address-dependent. |
| Residential Max | $130 per month | Address-dependent; Starlink’s help documentation lists up to 400+ Mbps download and 20–40 Mbps upload. |
These are the prices currently listed for US residential service, not a worldwide price card. Starlink directs customers to enter an address for the exact monthly charge, kit, and availability. Taxes, shipping, installation, regional promotions, and equipment terms can change the amount you pay at checkout, so use the address result rather than assuming the table applies everywhere.
Amazon Leo pricing is not yet comparable
Amazon’s reviewed Leo materials do not publish a consumer monthly price or retail hardware price. An earlier Project Kuiper statement about producing an antenna for less than $400 describes an internal production-cost target, not a price consumers should expect to pay. It should not be treated as a retail quote.
Until Amazon publishes a market-specific offer, the correct price entry for a consumer comparison is “not announced.” Any total-cost estimate would require assumptions about the terminal, installation, taxes, contract terms, and service tier that Amazon has not established publicly.
Calculate total first-year cost, not just the subscription
- Record the monthly service charge shown for your exact address.
- Add the terminal or kit price, shipping, taxes, and any installation or mounting work.
- Multiply the recurring monthly charge by the number of months you expect to keep service.
- Check whether equipment is purchased, rented, financed, or subject to return conditions.
- Include backup connectivity if your work or business cannot tolerate an outage.
Applying this worksheet to Leo becomes possible only after Amazon publishes a consumer offer. For Starlink, the address-specific checkout page supplies the numbers needed to complete it.
Hardware, installation, and sky visibility
Both systems require an outdoor terminal that can maintain a view of the sky, a power source, and an indoor network connection. Trees, roofs, chimneys, towers, and other obstructions can interrupt tracking and create dropouts. A roof or pole mount may improve visibility but adds labor, weatherproofing, cable routing, and safety considerations.
Before ordering any satellite service
- Walk the proposed mounting area and identify the direction and height of trees or structures that could block the sky.
- Plan a route for the terminal cable that avoids sharp bends, standing water, heat damage, and unsealed wall penetrations.
- Confirm that the power outlet and network equipment can remain powered during the hours you need connectivity.
- Decide whether you need a permanent home installation or a portable setup; mobility requirements can limit which plan or terminal is appropriate.
- Budget for professional roof work when access is unsafe or a grounding and weatherproofing assessment is required.
A fast terminal cannot compensate for a blocked sky view. Before comparing speed tiers, make sure the physical site can support a stable link.
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What changes real-world performance on either network
Congestion and capacity
Satellite capacity is shared among users in a service cell. Evening demand, local population, and the number of active terminals can reduce throughput and increase latency. A published maximum describes what the network and terminal can support under favorable conditions, not the slowest-hour experience at every address.
Weather
Heavy rain, snow, ice, and dense cloud can weaken a satellite signal or cause temporary interruptions. Drainage, snow accumulation, and a mounting position exposed to severe weather should be considered during installation.
Wi-Fi and the home network
Test results taken over a weak 2.4 GHz connection, through several mesh nodes, or while another device is uploading can understate the satellite link’s capability. For troubleshooting, test with a wired device close to the router, pause large transfers, and then compare a Wi-Fi test from the same room where you normally work.
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Amazon explicitly includes policy and plan availability among the factors that can change actual speeds. Starlink likewise offers different residential tiers and regional availability. Read the terms attached to the exact plan rather than assuming every terminal receives the top published rate.
Which service fits common situations?
You need a connection immediately
Check Starlink first. It is already selling residential service, publishes address-level availability, and provides a documented plan and latency framework. If your address is unavailable or awaiting approval, Leo may become an alternative when Amazon opens service there, but no public consumer launch offer can be assumed in advance.
You need the highest advertised enterprise capacity
Leo Ultra has the strongest announced peak figures—up to 1 Gbps download and 400 Mbps upload—in Amazon’s enterprise preview. That does not make it a universal recommendation: you still need confirmation of eligibility, deployment timing, terminal availability, commercial pricing, and performance at your site.
You work from a remote home
Start with the provider that can serve the exact address and the installation site. Starlink has the current coverage advantage, but a congested cell or obstructed property can undermine the benefit. Compare the address-specific offer, expected installation cost, and a backup plan for weather-related interruptions.
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Prioritize measured latency and consistency over peak download speed. Starlink publishes a 25–60 ms land range but warns that some remote locations exceed 100 ms. Leo’s low-Earth-orbit design suggests low latency, yet a comparable public consumer measurement is not available. Wait for service data from your market before treating Leo as the lower-latency choice.
You need portability
Confirm that the specific plan and terminal support the locations and movement pattern you have in mind. Residential availability, regulatory authorization, power requirements, and an unobstructed sky view can all change when the terminal is moved. Do not infer portability terms from a headline speed or from a different service class.
How to make an address-level comparison
- Check eligibility first. Enter the exact service address in Starlink’s availability and ordering flow. For Leo, look for an official launch-market or wait-list option from Amazon; a general rollout statement is not proof of local service.
- Capture the complete offer. Save the displayed monthly charge, terminal price, shipping, taxes, contract terms, data policy, and installation options.
- Match service classes. Compare a consumer Leo antenna with a Starlink residential tier. Keep Leo Ultra’s enterprise preview separate from household plans.
- Inspect the site. Confirm an unobstructed sky view, safe mounting location, cable route, and reliable power before paying for equipment.
- Estimate busy-period performance. Ask for local user reports or a trial where available, and test at the times you actually work. Peak specifications alone cannot reveal evening congestion.
- Measure correctly after installation. Use a wired test device, note the test server and time, repeat during quiet and busy periods, and distinguish router or Wi-Fi problems from satellite-link problems.
- Keep a fallback. If your income, safety, or business depends on connectivity, retain cellular, fixed wireless, or another backup path until the satellite service has proved reliable through your seasonal weather and busiest hours.
Bottom line
Starlink wins on readiness: it is orderable now, reports service in more than 160 countries, lists US residential prices starting at $55 per month in eligible areas, and publishes a 25–60 ms land-latency range. Amazon Leo wins only on announced peak potential so far, with up to 1 Gbps down and 400 Mbps up for the Leo Ultra enterprise preview and consumer antennas described at up to 400 Mbps. Amazon has not yet published a comparable consumer price sheet or measured latency range. For a purchase today, verify your address and site conditions with Starlink; for a future alternative, monitor Amazon Leo until it publishes a local plan, terminal price, and real-world performance data.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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