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Good, Great or Best Wi-Fi? Starlink Standard 4 vs Standard 4 X explained
The two kits look like different dishes in the shop. They aren't, and the router in the box only matters for some houses.
Standard 4 and Standard 4 X use the same dish. The difference is the router in the box: Router Mini with the Standard 4, Router 3 with the Standard 4 X. Your order page shows which kit comes with the plan you pick at your address.
Buyers run into the two names side by side in Starlink’s shop and assume one is the newer dish (Starlink 4 and 4 X? is a typical r/Starlink question). On Starlink’s US Residential list read Nov 4, 2026, both kits were $349 to buy, though every Residential entry that day was offered as a rental. Three home dishes were on that list: the Standard 4 X paired with Router 3, and the Standard 4 and V5, each paired with Router Mini.
Same dish, different router
Starlink’s own spec sheets settle it. The Standard 4 sheet lists the same dish size, weight and average power draw as the Standard 4 X sheet, and names Router Mini where the 4 X names Router 3.
| Standard 4 | Standard 4 X | |
|---|---|---|
| Dish size | 594 × 383 × 39.7 mm (23.4 × 15.1 × 1.5 in) | Same |
| Dish weight | 2.9 kg (6.4 lb) | Same |
| Average power | 75–100 W | Same |
| Field of view | 110° | 110° |
| Router in the box | Router Mini | Router 3 |
| Price to buy (Nov 4, 2026) | $349 | $349 |
The naming doesn’t help. Starlink’s V4 vs V5 help article says “Starlink V4 is the customer name for Standard 4 X.” So “V4” means the 4 X, not the plain Standard 4. Read against the spec sheets, the Standard 4 is the V4 dish with the smaller router.
Router Mini vs Router 3
With the dish identical, the router is the whole comparison. From the spec sheets:
| Router Mini (Standard 4, V5) | Router 3 (Standard 4 X) | |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi | Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 | Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 |
| Rated coverage | 2,200 sq ft | 3,200 sq ft |
| Rated devices | 235 | 235 |
| Ethernet ports | Two | Two |
Three things follow from that table:
- Coverage is the real gap. Router 3 is rated for 1,000 sq ft more. A single-story home under about 2,000 sq ft sits inside either router’s rating on paper. Walls, floors and where the router sits eat into any rating, so a large or multi-story house is where Router 3 earns its place.
- The third band helps busy homes. Tri-band gives a household with many active devices more room to spread them across. In a small home with a handful of devices, it changes little.
- Device capacity is identical. Both routers are rated for 235 devices, so a long device list alone isn’t a reason to want the 4 X. How many devices can Starlink handle? explains what does slow a busy house.
Which plan ships which kit: the Good, Great and Best Wi-Fi labels
On Nov 4, 2026, starlink.com’s Residential plan cards carried short Wi-Fi labels: “Good Wi-Fi” on Residential 100 Mbps, “Great Wi-Fi” on 200 Mbps and “Best Wi-Fi” on Max. Starlink doesn’t define them there.
Secondary sources pair the Standard 4 with Residential 100 Mbps and the Standard 4 X with 200 Mbps and Max, which would line up with the labels. The national list itself doesn’t state that pairing. The V5 complicates any simple rule too: it also ships with Router Mini, and Starlink sells it in select areas, so an address that’s offered the V5 may see Router Mini on a tier labeled “Great” or “Best”.
The practical answer: before you pay, read the kit name on your order page. It will say Standard 4, Standard 4 X or V5, and the router follows from that.
Where the V5 fits
For Wi-Fi purposes, the V5 is in the Standard 4’s camp: it ships with Router Mini. The dish itself is different. Starlink’s spec sheet lists it at 384 × 306 × 34 mm and 1.1 kg for the dish alone, with a 35–50 W average draw, against 75–100 W for both Standard kits. Starlink lists its peak hardware speed at 375+ Mbps against 400+ Mbps for the Standard 4 X, says it is “currently available in select areas”, and notes it is “not intended for in-motion use”. On Nov 4, 2026 it was $349 to buy, like the other two.
V5 vs V4 compares the V5 and the Standard 4 X dish by dish, including power costs and the wind ratings.
Adding range later
The router in the box isn’t permanent. Starlink’s help article lists both the V4 and the V5 as “Compatible with Router 2, Router 3, and Router Mini”. A Standard 4 or V5 household that outgrows Router Mini’s coverage can move to a Router 3 later; check Starlink’s shop for the current price.
One limit applies to every Starlink router, whichever kit you pick. Starlink’s port-forwarding article says “The Starlink router does not support port forwarding.” That takes your own router plus a public IP, which home plans don’t include by default. If you host a game server or remote cameras that need open ports, the kit choice won’t fix it.
Does it change what you should order?
Rarely. Pick the plan first, by how many people use the connection at your busiest hour and how much evening priority matters. Then look at the kit the order page attaches to it.
- Small or medium single-story home: either router’s rating covers it on paper. Don’t change plans to get Router 3.
- Large or multi-story home: Router 3’s extra 1,000 sq ft rating is meaningful. If your plan comes with Router Mini, budget for a Router 3 or a second access point rather than a pricier plan.
- Choosing between 200 Mbps and Max: don’t let “Best Wi-Fi” decide it. On the Nov 4, 2026 national list, Max cost $66.50 a month more than 200 Mbps, a lot to pay for a label Starlink doesn’t define. Is 200 Mbps enough? covers what Max actually adds.
Not sure which plan your household needs in the first place? The chooser picks one plan and one kit in five questions.
Rented or bought: does the kit name still matter?
On Nov 4, 2026, every entry on Starlink’s national Residential list was a rental: a one-time activation charge of $0, $99 or $199, then a monthly rental charge that checkout spells out. Whether your address gets a rental or a purchase shows on the order page.
A rental changes how much the router question weighs. Starlink’s rental rules say an account can hold one rental, it can’t be paused, and after you cancel it has to be back with Starlink within 30 days or the full kit price is billed. You don’t keep the kit, so a Router Mini you’ve outgrown isn’t something you’d resell later. A bought kit is yours, along with whichever router came in the box.
Either way, the router is the part you can change most easily, as the compatibility list above shows. The dish and the plan are the bigger commitments.
Questions
Is the Standard 4 the same as the Starlink V4?
No. Starlink says Starlink V4 is the customer name for Standard 4 X. The Standard 4 uses the same dish but ships with Router Mini instead of Router 3.
Is the Standard 4 X faster than the Standard 4?
The dish is the same size, weight and power draw on Starlink's spec sheets. On Residential 100 or 200 Mbps your plan caps download well below the dish's hardware limits either way.
What does Best Wi-Fi mean on Starlink's plan cards?
On Nov 4, 2026, starlink.com's plan cards labeled Residential 100, 200 and Max as Good, Great and Best Wi-Fi without defining the labels. Read the kit name on the order page to see which router you'd get.
Can I add a Router 3 to a Standard 4 or V5 later?
Starlink lists both the V4 and V5 dishes as compatible with Router 2, Router 3 and Router Mini, so a household that outgrows Router Mini can change routers later.
Which kit costs more?
Neither: both were $349 to buy on Starlink's US list on Nov 4, 2026. Whether your address offers a rental or a purchase shows at checkout.
Sources and checks
Every price and rule on this page was checked against these sources; the oldest check is . Prices move, so starlink.com at your address is always the final word.
- Help center: the referral program (seen Nov 3, 2026)
- starlink.com order-page code (our reading) (seen Nov 3, 2026)
- starlink.com Residential order page (US, no address) (seen Nov 4, 2026)
- US referral terms, version of Oct 7, 2026 (seen Nov 4, 2026)
- Starlink spec sheet: Standard 4 (seen Nov 4, 2026)
- Starlink spec sheet: Standard 4 X (seen Nov 4, 2026)
- Starlink spec sheet: V5 with Router Mini (seen Nov 4, 2026)
- Starlink help center: V4 compared with V5 (seen Nov 4, 2026)
- starlink.com Residential plans and kits (US national list, read Nov 4, 2026, no address) (seen Nov 4, 2026)
- Starlink help center: renting a kit (seen Nov 3, 2026)
- Starlink help center: port forwarding (seen Nov 3, 2026)
- r/Starlink: Starlink 4 and 4 X? (seen Nov 4, 2026)