The words on the bill, in plain English

A one-time charge to start service on a rental kit. Starlink offers it at different levels depending on whether a professional installation is included.

On a rental kit you don't buy the hardware; you pay a one-time activation fee instead. The amount depends on the option you pick at checkout (for example with or without professional installation). Current amounts are on the price table.

Hypothetical: if an activation fee were $X and the plan $Y a month, your first bill would be about $X + $Y, plus tax.

The month when buying the kit becomes cheaper in total than renting it.

Buying costs more on day one; renting can cost more every month if a rental fee applies. The break-even month is where the two lines cross. The rent vs buy guide draws it.

Hypothetical: kit $300, rental activation $0, rental fee $10/mo → break-even at month 30 ($300 ÷ $10).

A one-time charge some busy areas show at checkout. It depends on the address, so no national price list includes it.

In areas where the network is busy, checkout can add a one-time charge on top of the kit or activation. It's tied to the service address and can change over time. Only your checkout can tell you if you'll pay one. We don't publish an amount, because no official page states one.

Hypothetical: a $300 surcharge on a 3-year plan adds about $8.33 to every month of the effective monthly cost ($300 ÷ 36).

Everything you pay over a period (kit, fees, every bill, minus credits, plus tax) divided by the number of months.

The plan price is what you pay each month. The effective monthly cost is what the service really costs you per month once the one-time charges are spread out. It falls the longer you keep the kit, which is why the calculator shows year 1 and year 3.

Hypothetical: a $300 kit and a $60 plan over 12 months is ($300 + $720) ÷ 12 = $85 a month. Over 36 months it's ($300 + $2,160) ÷ 36 ≈ $68.33.

The dish, router, cable and mount (or the all-in-one Mini). You can buy it on starlink.com, at some stores, or rent it with Residential plans.

A bought kit is yours: you can resell it, move it, and use Standby. A rental kit belongs to Starlink and has to be returned when you cancel.

The national price on starlink.com before your address is entered. Promos and surcharges at your address can change it.

Every price on this site is a national list price with the date we read it. Some areas get promotional pricing; busy areas can get a surcharge. Both show only at checkout.

A partial charge for part of a month, for example when you change plans mid-cycle.

Upgrades, downgrades and cancellations can create a partial-month line on the next bill. It's usually small, but it explains why a bill doesn't always match the plan price.

New US customers who order on starlink.com through a referral link get one month of service credited to their second bill, if they meet the conditions.

It applies to starlink.com orders only (not store kits), to a household that has never had service, and it needs you to stay for the required billing cycles. This site doesn't offer a referral link; the calculator just lets you see what the credit would be worth.

Hardware you rent with a Residential plan instead of buying it. Low up-front cost, but it can't use Standby and must be returned.

Renting swaps the kit price for an activation fee and, in some cases, a monthly rental fee. We mark that monthly fee "unverified" because no starlink.com page states the US amount. The big catch for part-time homes: rental kits can't be put on Standby, so you pay the full plan every month or cancel and return the kit.

Service at one fixed home address. Three US tiers with different speed caps.

Residential plans are tied to your service address. Moving the dish to a different address needs an address change and may bring a surcharge. Tiers and prices: the price table.

Service you can use in different places (travel, RV, a second spot). Sold with a bought kit, never a rental.

Roam plans come in data tiers. This site only covers what they cost; for trip and RV questions, see a site that covers travel.

State and local taxes and regulatory fees added to the kit and the monthly bill. They vary by address and aren't in any list price.

Kit purchases and the monthly service can both be taxed, depending on your state and county. The calculator lets you type a % so you don't forget it; your checkout shows the real amount.

Hypothetical: at 8% tax, a $1,000 year-1 total becomes $1,080.

Money applied to a future bill instead of paid out. The referral free month is a service credit on bill 2, not money off the kit.

Credits lower a bill, not the hardware price. If you cancel before the credit is applied, you usually lose it. In the calculator, the free month appears as a negative line on bill 2 and only if every condition is ticked.

A low-cost paused state for kits you own. Not available on rental kits.

Standby keeps your account and kit active with limited connectivity for a small monthly fee, instead of the full plan price. It suits cabins and seasonal homes. Current fee: see the price table. Reactivating can bring back a demand surcharge in some areas, so check before you switch.

Hypothetical: 4 Standby months a year at $S instead of the plan at $P saves 4 × ($P − $S) a year.