Starlink Maritime: Plans, Prices and Boat Hardware (2026)

Starlink Maritime gives boats internet access while underway, including far beyond the reach of a mobile phone network. Its Global Priority plans currently start at $250 per month for 50 GB, with larger allowances available for crews and businesses that use more data.

That said, a commercial Maritime subscription isn't the only option for getting your boat online. Roam can cover shorter coastal trips, while a newer Personal Maritime offer is aimed at people spending longer periods on the water.

The biggest recent catch is offshore pricing. Starlink increased Ocean Mode on Roam Unlimited from $2 to $6 per GB on September 27, 2026. Older guides and Reddit comments quoting $2 per GB therefore need some context.

Here's how the plans, hardware and restrictions compare as of October 22, 2026. Prices below are in US dollars; check the offer, taxes and eligibility shown in your account before switching.

Starlink Maritime Plans and Coverage

Starlink Maritime is SpaceX's service for connecting vessels through its satellite network. The business offering now uses Global Priority plans, replacing the Mobile Priority name used in earlier versions of this guide.

Global Priority covers land, coastal waters and the open ocean wherever Starlink is authorized to provide service. So, unlike the old advice that Maritime could only be used at sea, you can also use it on land.

The service gives your data priority over lower-priority traffic during congestion. Business features include a public IP option and a dashboard for managing terminals. Operators can also monitor a fleet remotely and defer software-update reboots to avoid interrupting operations.

For a private boat, however, the relevant question is how often you'll need offshore connectivity and how much data you'll use once there.

Starlink Maritime Prices

Starlink lists the following Global Priority monthly plans:

Hardware, mounting and installation are separate expenses. The old $2,500 Flat High Performance price isn't a reliable quote for buying a kit today. Starlink now markets newer Performance hardware, and equipment offers vary by market and generation.

You can add recurring data in blocks: another 50 GB costs $100, while another 500 GB costs $500 at the listed dollar rates. Unused data doesn't roll into the next billing cycle.

An important change from the older Maritime plans is what happens when that data runs out. Starlink's current Maritime page says Global Priority continues at up to 1 Mbps download and 0.5 Mbps upload after the priority allowance is exhausted, including on the ocean.

That's limited basic connectivity, so you shouldn't budget for normal video calls or streaming at those speeds.

Check your top-up settings, too. An automatic top-up can keep buying data when your allowance runs out. A one-time top-up and an increase to your recurring monthly allowance have different billing consequences, as Starlink explains in its Priority data-management instructions.

Using Starlink Roam on a Boat

You don't automatically need a Global Priority subscription just because you're on a boat. With supported hardware, Roam can cover coastal trips within the plan's limits.

Starlink's coastal allowance covers territorial waters and inland waterways up to 12 nautical miles from shore, for up to five consecutive days and 60 days per year. The company doubled Roam 50GB to 100GB in most markets in January 2026, although the older allowance remains in some countries.

For longer coastal stays or travel beyond 12 nautical miles, Roam Unlimited offers paid Ocean Mode. The lower-data Roam plans don't include that option. Starlink's Roam 100GB explanation details the coastal limits and market exceptions.

There is a separate international travel restriction. Under the policy applied to existing customers from August 17, 2026, Roam Unlimited allows up to 30 days outside your registered home country at a time. Other Roam plans are restricted to the home country or an eligible grouped region.

The US, Canada and certain associated territories are grouped together, as are the European countries listed in Starlink's policy. Travel within those groups doesn't count as international travel for this rule. Local restrictions and travel-registration requirements can still apply.

This matters if you're cruising between countries for months. Turning on Ocean Mode doesn't, by itself, remove Roam's international time limit. Check the current travel policy rather than relying on an older report of someone remaining connected overseas. Our Roam guide covers the broader service.

Ocean Mode Now Costs $6 per GB

Starlink's Ocean Mode support page confirms the September 27 increase for Roam Unlimited. It also lists Personal Maritime Ocean Mode at $6 per GB. Your account shows the exact applicable rate.

At that price, 10 GB costs $60 and 50 GB costs $300, on top of your monthly subscription. Those are usage calculations, not additional bundled plans.

You enable Ocean Mode under your service line's Data settings on the website, or through Data Usage in the app. Billing starts immediately and continues until you manually switch it off, even if you return to shore or enter another billing cycle.

One sailor in this September discussion described enabling it briefly for weather checks and then turning it off again. That is an individual account, but the need to disable it manually is confirmed by Starlink.

Before enabling it, pause cloud backups, operating-system updates, photo uploads and automatic video playback on connected devices. A laptop downloading an update uses the same paid data as the weather information you actually wanted.

The Personal Maritime Plan

In August 2026, boat owners began sharing invitations to a Personal Maritime plan. A sailor who posted the invitation email reported a price of $185 per month, excluding applicable taxes.

The shared email described unlimited data and use in territorial waters worldwide, without Roam's 30-day international travel limit, except where local regulations require otherwise. Offshore use beyond 12 nautical miles would still cost $6 per GB through Ocean Mode.

The invitation was aimed at small personal vessels, excluded commercial operations, and said the plan wasn't intended for use on land. Applicants were asked for their vessel's name, flag state, length overall, a unique vessel identifier and registration certificate.

Treat that $185 figure as a customer-reported offer, rather than a promise that every account or country can order it. Starlink's public Ocean Mode documentation acknowledges Personal Maritime, but it doesn't establish universal availability or the monthly subscription price.

Eligibility has also been confusing. In a separate September thread about vessel length, an owner reported approval for a 51-foot boat. Other owners described refusals followed by approval after another support request.

Those reports don't establish an exception for every larger boat. Give support your actual vessel details and get eligibility confirmed before choosing a plan around it.

For someone spending most of the year in coastal waters, the offer could be useful. For heavier offshore use, Global Priority deserves a closer look: the reported $185 subscription plus 50 GB at $6 per GB would total $485, compared with $250 for Global Priority's 50 GB allowance. The plans handle coastal data differently, so offshore usage alone doesn't settle the comparison.

Starlink Hardware for Boats

The old claim that every boat needs the $2,500 Flat High Performance dish is outdated. Starlink now supports in-motion use with Performance, Performance Gen 2, current supported Standard models and Mini, subject to the appropriate service plan and local authorization.

The newer Performance Gen 3 kit is designed for permanent installation in harsher environments. Starlink lists a 140-degree field of view, AC and DC power support, a three-year warranty and an average power draw of 70 W.

Its terminal rating is IP69K with cables installed and IP68 without cables installed. The power supply's IP68 rating depends on cables or plugs being fitted. Follow the instructions for the exact kit rather than assuming every component is waterproof in every configuration.

Starlink's hardware comparison lists peak throughput of 475 Mbps down and 75 Mbps up for Performance Gen 3. These are hardware figures, not guaranteed speeds on your vessel.

Mini is particularly relevant to smaller boats because it typically draws 20 to 40 W and includes Wi-Fi. Starlink says it can run on 12 to 48 V DC; USB-C operation requires a suitable 100 W USB Power Delivery supply and cable. See its Mini power requirements.

At those average draws, running Mini continuously for 24 hours would use roughly 0.48 to 0.96 kWh. Performance at 70 W would use about 1.68 kWh. These are simple estimates before allowing for your installation's additional equipment, conversion losses or changing conditions. Our power-consumption guide explains the wider considerations.

Buying a Mini doesn't buy offshore service. Hardware compatibility and the subscription's coverage are separate checks.

Installation and Performance at Sea

Starlink recommends Performance hardware for maritime installations because its wider field of view can help where parts of the vessel obstruct the sky. Its boat installation guidance calls for a clear view around the vessel, secure mounting and attention to connector orientation and water runoff.

A mast, sail, radar arch or neighboring boat can interrupt that view. Check the obstruction map in the app, route cables so they aren't strained, and follow the installation guide for your particular model. Older motorized dishes aren't supported for in-motion use.

Boaters do report useful results with smaller kits. In a May 2026 sailing discussion, one commenter described using a Mini during an Atlantic crossing. Another liveaboard reported different speeds in a marina and underway. These are firsthand reports, not controlled tests or a guarantee for another route.

One July account from a fishing trip off Montauk described using the connection to look up engine-repair instructions while helping another boat. That is a useful example of onboard internet beyond entertainment, although the incident wasn't independently verified.

Actual performance depends on your kit, installation, location, congestion and remaining priority allowance. The older promise of 20 to 40 ms latency everywhere at sea shouldn't be treated as a guarantee.

Coverage and Choosing a Plan

Global ocean coverage doesn't mean unrestricted service in every port. Starlink says in-motion operation in territorial waters requires local government approval. Check the approved locations and regional restrictions for the places you intend to visit.

For occasional coastal trips within the time limits, Roam can be sufficient. For extended coastal living across countries, ask whether Personal Maritime is available for your vessel. For regular offshore use, commercial operations or larger data needs, compare Global Priority's bundled data and slower fallback service with the cost of metered Ocean Mode.

Before leaving the dock, test your installation, sign into your account, confirm how you'll enable offshore service and review the top-up settings. Keep your marine radio and appropriate distress equipment available independently of the internet connection. An account restriction, obstruction or power failure can still leave you offline.