Our Viasat internet review
Viasat is a flexible option for people living in rural areas. Viasat has long offered the fastest speeds available to satellite customers, though LEO (low-Earth orbit) projects like Starlink can now reach even faster speeds. Its real advantage over the competition is its lack of long-term contracts and its unlimited data.
Pros
- Faster speeds
- Unlimited data
- No contracts
Cons
- Pricing varies by region
- Speed varies by region
Compare Viasat internet plans and pricing
Package | Promotional price | Speed | View on Viasat site |
---|---|---|---|
Unlimited Bronze 12 | $69.99/mo.* for 3 mos. | Up to 12Mbps | |
Unlimited Silver 12 | $99.99/mo.* for 3 mos. | Up to 12Mbps | |
Viasat Unleashed | $119.99/mo.** | Up to 150Mbps | |
Unlimited Gold 12 | $149.99/mo. for 3 mos. | Up to 12Mbps |
Data as of 11/12/2024. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Prices and speeds vary upon location. Offer available to new qualifying customers. One-time standard installation fee may be due at checkout. Minimum 24-month service term required. Equipment lease fee is $14.99/mo. Taxes apply. Speeds are “up to,” will vary and are not guaranteed. Service is not available in all areas. Offer may be changed or withdrawn at any time.
**Prices, speeds and availability vary by location. Prices are subject to change. No annual contract or installation fees are required. Monthly equipment lease fees and taxes may apply.
Find out if Viasat is available in your area.
Viasat speeds: What’s best for you?
Viasat has just one plan, Viasat Unleashed, though speed and pricing vary by region. This plan comes with unlimited data, which is amazing for satellite internet. Its speeds are good for satellite, but it’s helpful to know how much speed you need for your household to know if Viasat will be a good fit for you.
How fast are your Viasat speeds?
Click below for a quick speed test and find out.
Download speed
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Upload speed
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Latency (ping)
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Jitter
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Viasat data caps
Viasat is currently the only satellite provider that offers unlimited data with no extra charges or restrictions. Both Hughesnet and Starlink have unlimited standard data, but your connection is deprioritized if you run out of priority data, though you can always pay for more if you run out. On standard data, your connection gets the leftover bandwidth after priority customers have been served.
Viasat customers get truly unlimited data, similar to how unlimited plans work on wired connections. Speeds are not throttled or deprioritized in favor of those who pay extra. There are also no overage charges or fees associated with your data usage.
Our favorite plan: Viasat Unleashed
This was an easy choice for us because Viasat only offers a few plans. The Viasat Unleashed plan comes with unlimited data and unrestricted data, which means you don’t have to worry about overage charges, throttling, or having your connection deprioritized after hitting your data cap.
Viasat ongoing deals and promotions + bundles
Get free professional installation (with credit qualification) when you sign up for a qualifying home internet plan.
Viasat internet fees
Cost | |
---|---|
Equipment Fee | $15.00/mo. |
Installation Fee | $0.00–$300.00 |
Other Fees | $250.00 Lifetime Lease Fee |
Viasat has pretty reasonable fees for a satellite internet provider, which is definitely a selling point.
Viasat internet installation, equipment, and contracts
Viasat can have some upfront and monthly costs, but it doesn’t force you to sign a long-term contract.
Viasat installation and equipment
Viasat offers free professional installation with credit approval and has pretty low monthly equipment costs. You can also buy your equipment, if you prefer upfront costs to an additional fee every month.
Viasat internet contracts
Viasat has now ditched its 24-month contract and, like Starlink, allows subscribers to cancel at any time without worring about outrageous early termination fees. Combined with its low upfront costs, Viasat is by far the easiest satellite provider to switch to. Viasat’s equipment is about half the price of Starlink’s, plus it has options for renting the equipment instead of buying it, which makes switching to Viasat even easier.
How Viasat compares to the competition
Provider | Plan price range | Speeds (range) | User Satisfaction | Order online |
---|---|---|---|---|
Viasat | $69.99–$149.99/mo.* | 12–150Mbps | 3.1/5 | |
Hughesnet | $49.99–$79.99/mo.† | 50-100Mbps | 3.1/5 | |
Starlink | $110.00/mo.‡ | 50–250Mbps | N/A | View Plans |
Data effective 11/12/2024. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Viasat
- Prices and speeds vary upon location. Offer available to new qualifying customers. One-time standard installation fee may be due at checkout. Minimum 24-month service term required. Equipment lease fee is $14.99/mo. Taxes apply. Speeds are “up to,” will vary and are not guaranteed. Service is not available in all areas. Offer may be changed or withdrawn at any time.
- Prices, speeds and availability vary by location. Prices are subject to change. No annual contract or installation fees are required. Monthly equipment lease fees and taxes may apply.
†Pricing for the first 6 months. Service plans require a 24-month commitment. Pricing not available in all areas.
‡Plus hardware, shipping & handling fees, and tax. Fully refundable. Depending on location, some orders may take 6 months or more to fulfill.
If you just need a basic internet connection and want to save some money, Hughesnet has some cheaper options that are only a bit lower in speed than Viasat.
If you want a fast connection and Viasat’s speeds still aren’t enough for you, Starlink and other upcoming LEO satellite providers might be the answer. Starlink can offer even faster speeds, as well as lower latency, than traditional satellite providers. Unfortunately, Starlink’s customer service isn’t as cutting-edge as its satellites, and many potential customers have had to wait months to get their equipment. Although Starlink is officially out of beta, it’s still not quite a fully functioning internet service provider.
Read our full reviews of Viasat vs. its main internet competitors
Is Viasat internet right for you?
Viasat is a good choice for those who need either flexibility or data. Viasat Unleashed has no long-term contracts and you get unlimited data with basically no restrictions. Both these features are kind of the norm for wired connections like cable and fiber, but until recently, satellite had been the last holdout for harsh data caps and incredibly long contractual obligations.
Viasat doesn’t have any options for low-latency connections, so that is still its main weakness. If playing online games or using video chat are essential to your online activity, Viasat might not cut it for you. Otherwise, it’s a very reasonable choice for those living in rural or underserved areas.
FAQ about Viasat
Is Viasat internet actually unlimited?
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.