| Recommended plans | Price* | Download speeds up to | Data cap | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Best budget option 30 GB |
$74.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | 30 GB | View plans |
|
Best performance option 75 GB |
$159.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | 75 GB | View plans |
Satellite internet isn’t very good in comparison to fiber, cable, or even DSL internet. But for customers living in rural areas of the United States, satellite internet is often the only option. Between the main three satellite providers, Viasat, HughesNet, and Starlink, HughesNet is the cheapest. For customers seeking high speeds or generous data caps, this isn’t a great option.
Hughesnet is good enough if you’re looking for minimal internet usage—emailing, Instagramming, and the occasional YouTube dive—at a cheap price. Unfortunately, its data caps aren’t much more forgiving than your phone’s wireless data plan.
From now until 8/31/22, HughesNet is offering some big promotions. First off, it’s giving new customers $10.00 off their monthly internet plan for the first six months. Customers can also lease equipment for $5.00 less each month or purchase equipment for a one-time fee of $349.98, which is $100.00 less than normal.
Also, new customers will get a $300.00 prepaid card via rebate. See full disclaimer.
If you’re interested in current deals from major internet providers, check out our monthly deals roundup.
| Plan | Regular price* | Discounted price** | Download speeds up to | Upload speeds up to | Data cap | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 GB Data Plan | $64.99/mo. | $54.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 15 GB | View plans |
| 30 GB Data Plan | $74.99/mo. | $64.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 30 GB | View plans |
| 45 GB Data Plan | $109.99/mo. | $99.00/mo. | 25 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 45 GB | View plans |
| 75 GB Data Plan | $159.99/mo. | $149.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 75 GB | View plans |
* Requires 2-yr. contract. Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
** $10 off for 6 months. 24 mo. commitment required. Pricing not available in all areas. Offer valid 6/30/22-8/31/22
HughesNet’s download speed remains the same as the prices and data allowances rise—one more exponentially than the other, unfortunately. Why the high price? Well, with satellite internet, data is king. You’ll either pay for more of it or be slowed down in speed (from 25 Mbps to 1–3 Mbps) for going over the limit on a cheaper plan.
You won’t be cut off or charged an overage fee, however—it’s a “soft data limit.” Sounds nicer than “throttled internet,” doesn’t it?
To get around that limit on any HughesNet plan, you can take advantage of HughesNet’s Bonus Zone, which is essentially 50 extra GB of data free between the hours of 2–5 a.m. A good time to get your graveyard shift gaming in.
Of the four HughesNet plans, we think the 30 GB plan is a better budget option than HughesNet’s cheapest 15 GB one because it’s only $10 more a month and the double amount of data is worth it.
For reference, if you consider that surfing the internet uses about 60 MB of data per hour, a 30 GB data cap amounts to around 500 hours of web surfing per month. Or, if you’re using 300 MB an hour streaming low-quality video, you can get just 10 hours out of your data cap.
Cut those numbers in half for the 15 GB plan and you can see what we mean about the upgrade being worth the cash.
If you feel like splurging, HughesNet’s 75 GB plan will give you a little more headroom on data—but still less than half as much as Viasat’s fattest option, which allows up to 300 GB (and 100 Mbps of download speed). For larger, more internet-hungry households, we’d recommend looking into Viasat.
| Package | Price* | Download speeds up to | Data cap | Phone type | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 GB + HughesNet Voice | $84.94/mo. | 25 Mbps | 15 GB | Digital VoIP | View plans |
| 30 GB + HughesNet Voice | $94.94/mo. | 25 Mbps | 30 GB | Digital VoIP | View plans |
| 45 GB + HughesNet Voice | $129.94/mo. | 25 Mbps | 45 GB | Digital VoIP | View plans |
| 75 GB + HughesNet Voice | $179.94/mo. | 25 Mbps | 75 GB | Digital VoIP | View plans |
* Requires 2-yr. contract. Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
HughesNet Voice offers unlimited local and long-distance calling in the US and Canada, as well as the usual digital landline phone features like caller ID and voicemail. It’s not exactly a bargain at $19.95 a month—and even less so if you add international calling, which runs an extra $9.95 for a total of $22.95 a month. But, phone calls don’t count against your data allowance, so there’s that.
HughesNet doesn’t offer satellite TV, so you won’t be able to find a deal by bundling. But if you’re looking for TV service on the side, try DISH. Are you a major sports fan? DIRECTV might be more your speed. For more information, head over to our Best Satellite TV review.
HughesNet internet service comes with a satellite dish and a gateway (a fancy term for a basic combo modem and Wi-Fi router) which require pro installation. Sorry, DIYers.
You have the option to lease the gear at $14.99 a month for the duration of your two-year contract, as long as you pass a credit check. If you’d rather, you can buy your HughesNet equipment outright for $449.99. There’s a $99 activation fee if you go the lease route; if you purchase the equipment, the activation fee is waived.
Neither option saves you much money, but if you’re planning on sticking with HughesNet for longer than the two-year contract, you might as well buy the equipment.
Truth bomb: satellite internet isn’t great. Fiber, cable, and DSL are far better options where you can get them; in performance, satellite bests only dial-up (which still exists, BTW).
That said, casual internet users could easily get by with HughesNet’s low download speeds and data caps. Three of its four plans can handle basic internet tasks and light streaming and gaming without much satellite strain.
If you’re anticipating heavier satellite internet usage, however, check out the more expensive Viasat.
HughesNet doesn’t have any internet plans with unlimited data; its highest data allowance is 75 GB a month.
You can stay on top of what you do get with the HughesNet app, which tracks your data usage, as well as buy extra data tokens (in 3, 5, 10, or 25 MB increments). Night owls can also enjoy the free 50 GB Bonus Zone between 2–5 a.m.
Viasat beats out HughesNet plans and pricing—Viasat is faster and gives you more bang for your buck. But if you’re not worried about going over your data cap, and you want to save a few bucks, HughesNet has cheaper plans that may work for you.
To learn more about how Viasat and HughesNet compare, check out our full article.
With 25 Mbps download speeds, HughesNet is fast enough for Netflix and other streaming services, but you’ll burn through your HughesNet data allowance quickly. HughesNet’s biggest data plan of 75 GB can get you up to 250 hours of streaming a month—but that’s only if you stream at the lowest quality and don’t use the internet for anything else.
Any of HughesNet’s plans will support streaming TV, but only so much of it. If you want to stream on your satellite internet, Viasat is the better option. Check out our guide to streaming on satellite internet for details on how many hours of SD streaming you can enjoy with each Viasat plan.
Due to latency—the time it takes the data to travel into space to a satellite and back—competitive online games over satellite internet with multiple players are usually a laggy nightmare. Check out our guide to online gaming to learn more.
No, HughesNet is not owned by DISH, but since HughesNet doesn’t offer TV service, its customers will often add DISH on the side.
Our experts compared HughesNet plans and pricing to satellite internet competitors and other internet technologies on the market.
Our editorial ratings focus on the bang for your buck, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction of internet services. We also keep an eye on equipment add-on prices and any deals you might find. To learn more, check out How We Rank.
Discount pricing: $10 off for 6 months. 24 mo. commitment required. Pricing not available in all areas. Offer valid 6/30/22-8/31/22
Equipment lease discount: $5 off equipment lease for 6 months. Offer valid 6/30/22 – 8/31/22
Equipment purchase discount: $100 off equipment purchase. Offer valid 6/30/22 – 8/31/22
Prepaid card offer: Applies to new residential customers only, not available in all areas. Offer valid 6/31/22 – 8/31/22. Rebate submissions must be received by 12/1/22. Restrictions may apply.
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