Starlink Internet Canada Review: Plans, Prices, and Speeds

By Kevin Kearney

Last updated 21 December 2023

Starlink Internet Pros and Cons

Starlink internet offers a strong option for customers in rural areas looking for alternatives to slow speeds and complicated plans.

What we love

Fast downloads
Available in remote areas across Canada
Quick and easy setup
Unlimited data
Starlink Roam for RVs and travelers

What could be improved

High upfront cost
Inconsistent connectivity
Not currently available in most metropolitan areas

80/100

View Plan & Prices

Contents

In this guide:

Starlink internet plans and pricing
Starlink internet coverage
Starlink internet vs. competitors
Starlink Roam for RVs
Methodology
FAQs

Starlink is a division of SpaceX that offers satellite internet service to Canada and the rest of the world. The company recently expanded services to cover the entire country.

Starlink’s $140/month Residential plan delivers unlimited data and download speeds up to 150Mbps, making it a great option for those in remote areas looking for faster internet service.

Now that Starlink satellite internet service is available throughout Canada, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about the service, from its price, its performance, and whether or not you’ll need to spend any time on a waiting list.

How we evaluated Starlink internet

Price & value
We ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck without sacrificing the essentials to keep you connected.
High-speed data
We looked at whether the amount of guaranteed “premium” data was reasonable for the plan price, and flagged if you’re being overcharged for data you likely don’t need.
Coverage & network reliability
We evaluated Starlink's coverage map and customer service reports to predict your service quality.
Plan extras and perks
It's not all about speeds: we also considered what you gain by signing up with this particular ISP.

You can read more about our detailed methodology below.

Starlink internet plans and pricing

Starlink internet plan	Upfront equipment cost	Monthly price
Residential (Standard) Residential (Priority)	$499 (for a limited time) $3,170	$140 $185 (40GB) $320 (1TB) $635 (2TB)

Starlink offers three connection types for its satellite internet: Residential, Roam, and Boat. The Residential option offers two plan packages in Standard (best for households) and Priority (best for offices/businesses).

Pros

Availability in remote areas

Starlink internet is available in remote areas of Canada that most other internet plans don’t reach. We’re also impressed with the fact that Starlink provides these areas with fast download and upload speeds, which can compete with some of the most popular internet plans available in urban centres.

Fast download speeds

Starlink says Standard Residential users can expect download speeds from 50 to 150Mbps with very low latency, better known as service delays. While Starlink’s speeds are slower than some of the best internet plans in Canada, like Bell’s Gigabit Fibe 1.5, they’re remarkably fast for rural areas and will allow you to browse the web and stream content with ease.

Starlink also provides its users with unlimited data. Like most unlimited data plans, this comes with an asterisk: Starlink users receive 1TB of “Priority Access” to their unlimited data. After that, their data is de-prioritized or throttled to slower speeds.

What's my internet speed?

Even though home internet connection plans are labeled by peak download speed, it’s common that you won’t get that maximum output. However, you should be receiving more than 50% of that speed under most conditions. Take a moment to find what speed you’re getting right now with the Starlink internet speed test.

Quick and easy setup

The Starlink app walks customers through the setup of the hardware provided in the Starlink kit, including determining the ideal location for the Starlink dish and configuring the Wi-Fi network settings. If you need to place your Starlink dish on your roof or the side of your house, Starlink provides additional equipment for mounting hardware in its online store.

We love that this process is one you can do yourself without much of a hassle. Most users report setup times of 10 minutes or less.

Setting up your Starlink internet?

Starlink users note that the setup is easy, but could be clearer. There are limited directions that come with the hardware, but plenty of helpful tutorials on YouTube that will walk you through the process.

The entire process, including creating a Wi-Fi password, is handled in the Starlink app. The Starlink app will direct you to the best location for your hardware, though it will take 10–15 minutes to find the signal and a few hours to start operating at full speed.

Cons

High upfront cost

Starlink recently lowered the price of its standard hardware to $499 for a limited time. When you add taxes and shipping, you can expect to pay over $580 before your first monthly payment. While we’re excited to see the cost of the standard hardware drop, we hope that it continues to go down so even more Canadians can enjoy Starlink’s fast rural internet.

Inconsistent connectivity

While Starlink’s beta users were happy with the provider’s fast internet speeds in rural areas, they also mentioned frustration with periodic drops in service. This unfortunately still plagues the service, with bandwidth-intensive activities like video-conferencing and gaming leading to the most problems.

Starlink internet coverage and availability

Coverage map of Starlink internet in Canada — Starlink internet is now available everywhere in Canada.
Source: Starlink

Starlink first arrived in Canada in late 2022, beginning with rural areas that'd historically been provided few options for internet access. The ISP's coverage map began expanding in 2023 and by the end of the year covered the entirety of the country.

Starlink internet vs. competitors

If you’re looking for internet coverage with coverage in remote areas, you’ve got a few options in addition to Starlink.

Starlink internet vs. Xplore

Xplore is a rural internet provider with plans that are much cheaper than Starlink’s, though the plans’ speeds are considerably slower than Starlink’s. Xplore’s best option is the Xplore 5G 50 Truly Unlimited Data, which offers 50MBps downloads and unlimited data. If you go with Xplore, you’ll pay less per month and considerably less for hardware, but you’ll sacrifice a great deal of speed.

5G 50 Truly Unlimited Data

Fixed Wireless 50/10 Mbps

$59.99/mo

Starlink internet vs. Execulink

Execulink is a rural internet provider serving Ontario with a wide range of plans, including several high-speed hybrid fibre plans. The best Execulink plans are both faster and cheaper than Starlink. You can get 1Gbps downloads and unlimited data with their Hybrid Fibre Internet 1GB plan or 500Mbps and unlimited data with their Hybrid Fibre Internet 500 plan. Execulink’s hardware is free and you're welcome to install it yourself. If you can't, you'll pay $49.99 for professional installation. The one downside is that Execulink is only available in select areas of Ontario.

#1	Execulink	Execulink Hybrid Fibre Internet 500 Fibre 500/70 Mbps $90/mo Go	$90/mo	Go
#2	Execulink	Execulink Hybrid Fibre Internet 1G Fibre 1000/90 Mbps $100/mo Go	$100/mo	Go

Starlink internet vs. SaskTel

SaskTel provides DSL and fibre internet to Saskatchewan, including some of the province's rural areas. Plans start at $39.97/month and top out at $214.90/month. SaskTel's infiNET 150 plan offers 150Mbps downloads, 75Mbps uploads, and unlimited data for a price comparable to Starlink. The crucial difference between SaskTel's high-speed plans and Starlink is connection: SaskTel uses fibre, which is not available in more remote stretches of the country. Considering Starlink's satellite system can provide you with high-speed internet no matter where you are, we think it's the better option.

infiNET 150

Fibre 150/75 Mbps
Contract (24 mths)

$144.90/mo

(plan + modem)

Starlink Roam for RVs

Starlink Roam, previously called Starlink RV, is a Starlink service that provides the company’s satellite internet for RVs and travelers. The Starlink Roam Regional plan costs $170/month and allows you to access Starlink's satellite constellation from anywhere on your home continent, allowing passengers to surf the web while on the road or campers to access the Starlink network wherever they set up for the night.

Roam customers can purchase a $499 Standard Actuated dish, which can be set up at numerous locations, or the $3,170 Flat High Performance hardware that allows you to access Starlink while in motion. If you imagine yourself using the internet while traveling in an RV, then you'll want the Flat High Performance hardware.

Starlink Roam is not as fast as Starlink Residential because its plans are deprioritized on the Starlink network, leading to download speeds of 5 to 50Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 10Mbps. These speeds may increase as Starlink continues to add more satellites to its constellation, but for the time being, you can expect your internet to be slower than it would be at home.

Methodology: How WhistleOut rates internet plans

WhistleOut evaluates internet plans based on the following criteria:

Price & value: Not all cheap plans are “bad,” and not all expensive plans are worth it. We look at everything a plan includes and compare it both to other plans from the same provider, as well as similar plans from competitors in the market, to determine whether the value is consistent with the price.
Speed & data: Faster upload and download speeds usually mean a better user experience, but not every household needs the fastest plan available. Additionally, the more guaranteed high-speed data the plan includes, the better the plan—but there’s also usually a limit to how much you actually need, and we ensure that you’re not overpaying for services or data that will go unused.
Coverage & network reliability: The breadth of an ISP’s network determines your reception and service. We value ISPs with large coverage maps who can provide quality internet to more Canadians.
Plan extras and perks: In addition to the basics—speeds and data—some plans throw in freebies like modems, installation, entertainment subscriptions, or service discounts.

Our internet experts leveraged proprietary data and real-world customer feedback to evaluate Starlink internet, analyzing their coverage, cost, and plan options. We considered plan-specific elements, including perks, premium data allowances, and upload/download speeds. After performing extensive research, including customer feedback, we compared Telcan to other comparable ISPs (Execulink, Xplore, and SaskTel) in order to place Starlink's services in context.

Looking for more options for your next internet plan? Be sure to check out our guides to the best internet service providers and the best internet plans in Canada.

Starlink Internet Canada Review: FAQs

How much is Starlink per month in Canada?

Starlink internet is $140/month in Canada. Customers also pay a one-time cost of $499, plus fees, for hardware.

Is Starlink faster than fibre?

Starlink is faster than some fibre internet plans, but slower than others. Starlink says users can expect download speeds from 50 to 150Mbps, which is faster than the more affordable fibre plans in Canada. Still, Starlink is slower than the higher-end fibre plans, like Bell’s Gigabit Fibe 8.0 plan, which offers download speeds up to 8,000Mbps, or Telus’ PureFibre Gigabit Internet plan, which offers download speeds up to 940Mbps.

Does Starlink work in bad weather?