Starlink status
Operational — order today
Head-to-head · Global · From the team that tracks both constellations live
Starlink vs Amazon Leo: the honest comparison
The short answer
This comparison has an unusual honest answer: one of these products you can buy today, and one you mostly can't yet. Starlink is operational across most of the world with independently measured performance. Amazon Leo is real, well-funded, and launching — but its constellation is still filling in and consumer availability is only beginning. So the practical question in 2026 isn't "which is better" — it's "take Starlink now, or wait for Leo?" — and the answer depends on where you are and how badly you need internet today. Both are laid out below.
1
The two constellations, side by side
| Starlink | Amazon Leo | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | SpaceX | Amazon (formerly Project Kuiper) |
| Status | Operational, global consumer service | Deploying; early service ramping through 2026 |
| Constellation | The largest in orbit — thousands of satellites, launching continuously | ~400 of the ~578 needed for continuous Phase-1 coverageEstimate |
| Consumer availability | Most countries — order at starlink.com today | Beginning; wide availability builds through 2026–27 |
| Measured performance | Independently measured: e.g. Australia's regulator recorded 199 Mbps busy-hour / 27 ms latency (ACCC, Mar 2026 tests) | No independent consumer measurements yet — advertised terminal classes up to 400 Mbps (standard) and 1 Gbps (pro) |
| Hardware | Rental or purchase (varies by country — e.g. AU: $0 upfront + $15/mo kit fee, verified) | Amazon-built terminals; consumer pricing largely TBA |
| Distinct angle | First-mover scale and maturity | Amazon integration — retail, AWS ground network, and wholesale deals (e.g. Australia's NBN) |
Starlink figures restated from starlink.com and regulator measurements as dated; Leo figures from Amazon announcements and our own constellation tracking. Estimates badged.
2
The honest decision in 2026
Take Starlink now
Available today, independently measured, mature. If your internet is genuinely poor and you need it fixed this month, the available product beats the promised one — that's not brand preference, it's just what "available" means.
Right if: you need service now; you're outside Leo's early markets; or you can rent hardware (where offered), keeping the switch-later cost low.
Wait for Leo
A legitimate choice in specific situations — most clearly if you're an NBN Sky Muster customer in Australia, where a free, managed migration to Leo (new equipment and install at no cost) is already scheduled. Paying for Starlink hardware months before a free upgrade arrives may not be worth it if your current service is tolerable.
Right if: your current connection is bearable; a managed Leo path is already announced for you (see our Sky Muster→Leo guide); or Leo's arrival window for your latitude is near.
One prediction we make with confidence: competition helps you either way. Leo's arrival is the first serious rival Starlink has faced in consumer LEO — pricing pressure and hardware deals tend to follow. Even committed Starlink buyers benefit from Leo existing.
3
When Leo reaches you: how we estimate it
Amazon hasn't published per-location dates, so we model it from three things we can actually observe: your latitude (Leo's first shells are tuned for the 30°–56° band — the mid-latitudes fill first, the tropics and high latitudes later), your country's rollout position (initial launch markets first, announced partners like Australia's NBN next, everyone else after), and real constellation progress — tracked by the same pipeline that runs our live satellite tracker, currently around 400 of the ~578 satellites Phase-1 needsEstimate.
The result is a location-specific window, always badged as our estimate. For the local version — your latitude, your country's ground options, verified local pricing — see the country assessments: Australia is live now, with more countries as we verify their data to the same standard.
Estimate discipline. Every Leo timing figure on this site is our own model, labelled as such. When Amazon or a national operator announces real dates (as NBN has for Australia — Tasmania trials from July 2026), the announcement overrides the model and we say so.
4
Check your own situation
Starlink availability & exact pricing
Enter your address at starlink.com — availability, your local price, and any demand surcharge are address-specific.
In Australia?
Verified prices, measured speeds, and a postcode lookup that takes you straight to your state or city.
Compare all your Australian options →On NBN Sky Muster?
What's happening to Sky Muster — and what to do →One email when this changes
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Sources & method
- Starlink availability, plans and hardware — starlink.com (checkout-verified for Australia, July 2026), restated.
- Measured Starlink performance — ACCC Measuring Broadband Australia, Report 33 (June 2026, tests March 2026), restated.
- Amazon Leo constellation progress — OrbitalNodes tracking pipeline (Space-Track/CelesTrak data); Phase-1 threshold from Amazon's FCC filings. Counts badged as estimates.
- Leo consumer terminals and speed classes — Amazon announcements, restated as advertised (not independently measured).
- Australia NBN–Amazon Leo agreement and timeline — NBN Co statements; see the migration guide for full sourcing.
OrbitalNodes is independent and not affiliated with SpaceX, Starlink, Amazon, or Amazon Leo. Availability, pricing and specifications change; confirm with the provider before purchasing. Some outbound links may be affiliate links, at no cost to you — they never change what we report. How we make money · Privacy.