Starlink Flat High Performance Vs. Standard: What's The Difference?

One thing that sets Starlink apart from other satellite internet providers is that it offers multiple hardware options for different needs. Every Starlink dish is designed for certain cases to make them more convenient for the user. If you've been trying to pick the best Starlink hardware for your home or business, then chances are you've seen recommendations for the Standard and Flat High Performance kits.

Both kits look similar, with their rectangular dishes and included router. However, they're actually a whole world apart. The Standard is for home users with typical internet usage like web browsing, movie streaming, and online gaming. The Flat High Performance (Flat HP), on the other hand, is best for users with higher demands, for seafaring ships, and for people living in locations with extreme weather conditions. 

The two hardware can be interchanged, though, depending on your specific needs. Yes, you can get the Flat HP for your home or the Standard for your business and in-motion use, but to help you decide which one fits you best, we'll walk you through how these two Starlink kits differ.

Both the Starlink Standard and Flat High Performance kits come complete with a dish included in the package. However, they're entirely different ones. Although they are both electronic phased array antennas, they largely differ in specifications. For one, the Standard Starlink dish is smaller, measuring only 23.4 by 15.07 by 1.5 inches. Meanwhile, the Flat HP is slightly bigger at 22.6 by 20.1 by 1.6 inches. They also have two different fields of view — the Standard having a narrower view of only 110 degrees and the Flat HP featuring 140 degrees. 

With this wider view of the sky, Starlink claims the Flat HP sees and connects to more satellites than the Standard, enhancing its performance even with obstructions around. This is especially useful if you live in the equatorial or polar regions with lower satellite visibility or if you're on a rocking boat. The Standard and Flat High Performance dishes also fare differently against the elements. When handling snow on the dish, the Standard can melt it in as fast as 1.5 inches an hour. The Flat HP can do it faster, though, at three inches per hour. While the Standard can handle over 60 mph (96 kph) winds, the Flat HP is designed for 174 mph (280 kph) or more. 

Starlink's IP rating for both dishes is also different. The Standard is better equipped with an IP67 dish, protecting it completely from dust and allowing it to withstand water submersion. The Flat HP, while also designed for outdoor use, is only rated at IP56. This means it's only partially protected against dust and can't be fully submerged, but it can handle strong water jets. 

Among the major differences between the Starlink Standard and Flat High Performance is the router. With the Standard, you get a Gen 3 router included in the kit. It's a Wi-Fi 6 router that can cover up to 3,200 square feet (297 square meters) and support a maximum of 235 devices. It's also built with two LAN ports at the back in case you want to use a wired connection for your devices. You can pair the Gen 3 router with either Gen 2 or Gen 3 Mesh nodes from Starlink, but third-party mesh systems aren't currently supported.

On the other hand, the Flat HP doesn't have a router bundled in the package at all. Although the kit used to come with an included router when it was first released in 2022, it no longer does so as of early 2024. This means before you can get your system ready, you either have to buy a router from Starlink or use your preferred third-party one. The Flat HP is compatible with both the old Starlink Gen 2 router and the newer Gen 3. The Gen 2 is a less powerful version of the Gen 3, featuring only Wi-Fi 5, 2,000 square feet (185 square meters) coverage, and up to 128 connected devices. It also doesn't feature any Ethernet ports and requires a separate Starlink Ethernet adapter if you want to connect your devices via LAN. Similar to the Gen 3, though, you can connect the Gen 2 router with both Gen 2 and Gen 3 Starlink Mesh nodes. 

If you already have a non-Starlink router on hand, you can just use that for the Flat HP. Some users had success with pairing the dish with a Peplink, but you can also try other routers like TP-Link and Linksys. It's important to note, though, that the Standard also works with third-party routers by enabling Starlink's Bypass Mode, but the catch is that the Starlink router remains connected and not entirely replaced unlike with the Flat HP.

Starlink markets the Flat High Performance as an upgrade from the Standard in terms of performance and also claims that the Flat HP has three times faster download speeds even when temperatures are over 95°F (35°C). However, the actual performance can vary greatly depending on your location and Starlink plan.

According to YouTuber Elli-Yacht, who has both the Standard and Flat HP installed on their boat, they typically get about 200 Mbps download speeds on both dishes and around 14 Mbps upload on the Flat HP and 18 Mbps on the Standard. The Flat HP does, however, experience fewer outages than the Standard, but since the outages are typically one second or less, they're only noticeable during video calls and online gaming. 

YouTuber Revere Overload also tested the performance of the Flat HP while in a moving vehicle in Kentucky and found that while on a video call, some frames were dropped, likely due to passing trees and bridges. However, video streaming and regular web browsing worked just fine. During the drive, the download speeds ranged from 50 to 100 Mbps, with upload speeds between 5 to 15 Mbps. When stationary, though, the download speeds were the same with the Standard dish (70 to 100 Mbps), but the upload speeds were twice as fast (10 to 20 Mbps). On the other hand, the Standard, which YouTuber DISHYtech used while in motion in Illinois, provided download speeds of around 85 to 168 Mbps and upload speeds of 10 to 15 Mbps.

In terms of cost, the Standard is significantly more budget-friendly at just $349 for the hardware. You can get this kit for both Personal (either Residential or Roam) and Business plans (Fixed Site and Land Mobility only). On the other hand, the hardware for the Flat HP is more expensive. When it was first released, it cost $2,500 but was recently repriced to $1,499. The Flat HP kit can be bought with the Business plans (Fixed Site, Land Mobility, and Maritime), not with the Personal ones.

There's a noticeable difference between how the Starlink Standard and Flat High Performance kits are powered. Specs-wise, the Flat HP power supply is larger in size than the Standard's, with the former being 5.2 by 1.8 by 11.3 inches and the latter measuring 3.66 by 1.4 by 6.8 inches only. The Flat HP's is also rated higher — it's 100-240V 6.3A, while the Standard's runs at just 100-240V 2.5A. 

Some other minor differences are that the Flat High Performance power supply features a dedicated earth terminal for grounding purposes and can be mounted on the wall using the included wall mount. Both power supplies require AC power, but if you're in the U.S., you can buy a DC-DC power supply for the Standard. There's currently no DC option for the Flat HP. 

Since the Starlink Standard and Flat High Performance kits have different performance levels, it's no longer a surprise that they also consume power differently. According to Starlink, the Standard kit's average power consumption is from 75W to 100W while in use and 20W when idle. Meanwhile, the Flat HP averages 110W to 150W when active and 45W when idle. It's important to note, though, that your actual consumption may be different based on where you are, the temperature in your location, and your usage pattern. 

Just like your typical Starlink kits, both the Standard and Flat High Performance have accessories that are either included in the package, or you can buy separately from the Starlink shop. However, some of their accessories aren't interchangeable as they have completely different ones. For the Standard, the included 49.2-foot (15-meter) cable has Ethernet connectors on both ends. They're similar to the standard RJ45 connector but without the usual locking tab. Instead, the connectors are passive and can be pulled out of the port easily. The Starlink cable of the Flat High Performance kit is longer at 82 feet (25 meters). Unlike the Standard's, though, the Flat HP's cable only uses proprietary connectors you can only find on Starlink cables. 

If you need a longer cable for your setup, Starlink offers them for the Standard but not the Flat HP. You can get a 147.6 feet (45-meter) cable for it, while the Flat High Performance option only comes in a shorter 26.2 feet (eight meters). Besides longer cables, there's also a DC-DC power supply available for the Standard to make it easier to power up when traveling in your car or RV. The HP, unfortunately, relies exclusively on AC power through its included power supply. 

In terms of mounting the dish, the Standard offers multiple options. You can get the wall mount, pivot mount, or ridgeline mount for your house's roof, the mobility mount or roof rack for your vehicle, and the kickstand (bundled in the package) or X-frame base for ground and temporary/movable setups. On the other hand, there are only two available mounts for the Flat HP — the wedge mount for your vehicle, boat, or any flat surface in your home (bundled in the kit) and a pipe adapter mount for any existing pole (sold separately in the Starlink shop).

Unlike some Starlink alternatives that need professional installers, you can get your Starlink Standard and Flat High Performance kit up and running by just yourself. However, there are some slight differences between their setup processes. For one, the Standard and Flat HP equipment are connected differently. While the Standard dish is directly plugged into the router, the Flat HP dish goes straight to the power supply instead.

Another major difference between the Standard and Flat HP dishes is how the dishes are aligned. The Flat HP dish comes complete with a wedge mount that positions it at the right angle (eight degrees) for a better view of the satellites and to keep water off the dish. Just install the dish on the included mount, configure it with your router of choice, and you're good to go. Meanwhile, the Standard dish isn't automatically set at the perfect angle, even when installed on compatible mounts. This means you still need to manually move it yourself with the use of the Alignment tool in the Starlink mobile app. The tool is pretty intuitive and straightforward, though. 

Installing the dish itself is also different for both kits. The Standard's variety of mounting options offers more flexibility, letting you set up the dish either as a permanent or portable installation. Its roof mounts for houses and vehicles/boats are designed to keep it fixed, while the X-frame base and included kickstand help you readily move the dish anytime you need to. By comparison, both mounts for the Flat HP are built for stationary setups, not portability. Once you install the mount and dish, you'd have to take some time disassembling it to move it to a new location. The power supply for the Flat HP can also be mounted, whereas the Standard's can be placed on top of a table. If you want to mount it, you need to buy the Standard power supply mount separately.

The Starlink Standard is primarily designed for residential personal use. But since it also comes with mobile plans, you can try it even when on the move, like while you're out camping or living in an RV. It's also the more convenient option as an on-the-go internet service compared to the Flat High Performance, thanks to its DC-DC power supply. This means you won't need to buy a bulky inverter to power the system. Plus, the Standard draws less power, which is ideal if you're trying to conserve power. Application-wise, the Standard works great for your everyday internet needs, such as video conferences, music and video streaming, and even online gaming.

The Starlink Flat HP is best if you're frequently on video calls or gaming online. With its less frequent outages, it can handle such tasks with no noticeable drop in performance. It's also the better choice if you're near the equator or poles or in locations with obstructions you can't readily clear since its wider view ensures you maximize the connection to the satellites. Location-wise, the Flat HP is designed for traveling either on an RV or boat and can provide better internet stability. The downside of this kit, though, is that there's no included router, which means additional cost on top of the already expensive hardware.