The short answer
Buy the Mini for a small flat, travel, site work or backup on limited power. Buy the Standard (Gen 3) for a family house, a duplex or an office: its indoor Wi-Fi 6 router covers about 297 m², against about 112 m² for the Mini’s built-in Wi-Fi. Our current prices are ₦480,000 for the Mini and ₦690,000 for the Standard (see our Starlink price guide), and both run on the same plans, such as our ₦89,000-a-month small business plan.
Starlink Mini vs Standard: side by side
All hardware figures below are from Starlink’s official specification sheets. The prices are ZuraLink Limited’s, not Starlink’s.
| Feature | Starlink Mini | Standard (Gen 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Dish size | 298.5 × 259 × 38.5 mm | 594 × 383 × 39.7 mm |
| Dish weight | 1.10 kg | 2.9 kg |
| Router | Built into the dish: Wi-Fi 5, dual band | Separate indoor Router 3: Wi-Fi 6, tri-band |
| Wi-Fi coverage | Up to about 112 m² | Up to about 297 m² |
| Connected devices | Up to 128 | Up to 235 |
| Average power use | 25–40 W | 75–100 W |
| Power input | 100–240 V AC supply, 12–48 V DC, or USB-C at 100 W | 100–240 V AC supply; Starlink sells a separate DC-DC supply |
| Field of view | 110° | 110° |
| Wired Ethernet | One port on the dish (cable sold separately) | Two LAN ports on the router |
| Cable in the box | 15 m DC power cable | 15 m Starlink cable (45 m available) |
| Use while moving | Only where Starlink has approved the kit, mount and country; not confirmed for Nigeria | Same rule; Starlink sells a Mobility Mount, but Nigerian approval is not confirmed |
| Our price (kit) | ₦480,000 | ₦690,000 |
“Starlink 4X vs Mini”, “V4 vs Mini” and “Gen 3 vs Mini”
These are all the same comparison. The Standard dish is the V4 kickstand dish, widely called Gen 3. In 2026 Starlink renamed the kit with the Router 3 “Standard 4 X” and added a cheaper “Standard 4” with the same dish and the smaller Router Mini. The “4” refers to the V4 dish; there is no new Gen 4 dish. A smaller V5 dish launched in July 2026 in select markets, but it is not confirmed for Nigeria. If you already own a kit and are not sure which one it is, our guide to identifying your Starlink and finding the kit number will tell you.
What the differences mean in a Nigerian home
Where the Wi-Fi comes from
This is the difference most buyers miss. On the Standard, the dish sits outside and the router sits indoors, ideally near the middle of the house. On the Mini, the Wi-Fi comes from the dish itself, which is outside on a roof, wall or balcony. Indoor signal then has to get through block walls, a concrete slab or the roof, and each one cuts range.
So a Mini placed just outside a flat’s window can cover that flat well, while the same Mini on the roof of a duplex will leave the downstairs rooms weak. Either kit can be extended: the Router 3 works with up to three Starlink mesh nodes, and a Router Mini can be paired with the Mini. For what the device limits mean when the whole family is online, see our guide to how many devices can connect to Starlink.
Power use on an inverter or solar
The Mini’s 25–40 W is about a third of the Standard’s 75–100 W. Over a full day that works out as:
- Mini: 25 W × 24 h = 600 Wh, up to 40 W × 24 h = 960 Wh (0.6–0.96 kWh a day)
- Standard: 75 W × 24 h = 1,800 Wh, up to 100 W × 24 h = 2,400 Wh (1.8–2.4 kWh a day)
On a battery bank with 1,200 Wh of usable energy, the Mini runs about 30 to 48 hours (1,200 ÷ 40 and 1,200 ÷ 25) and the Standard about 12 to 16 hours (1,200 ÷ 100 and 1,200 ÷ 75), a little less in practice because inverters lose some energy. If your power is unreliable and your solar system is small, that gap matters. Our guide to running Starlink without NEPA covers inverter, solar and battery sizing in full.
Size, mounting and wired connections
The Mini weighs about 1.1 kg and fits in a backpack. The Standard dish weighs 2.9 kg and is about twice as wide, so for permanent use it is usually fixed to a roof, wall or pole mount. Both have the same 110° field of view and both need a clear view of the sky. For wired devices such as a desktop, a smart TV, a CCTV recorder or your own router, the Standard’s two LAN ports make life easier. The Mini has one port on the dish, and Starlink notes it is no longer rated IP67 when an ordinary Ethernet cable is plugged in instead of Starlink’s own.
Starlink Mini vs Standard cost (our prices)
Starlink’s website lists the Mini at ₦318,000, the Standard kit at ₦590,000 and Residential at ₦57,000 a month. In most locations, though, Residential is not open to new customers and kits at those prices are rarely available. What you can actually get today is a kit for immediate pickup (₦480,000 Mini, ₦690,000 Standard at our prices) on a small business plan at ₦89,000 a month.
Here are both kits side by side at ZuraLink Limited’s current prices, delivered to Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt and set up by you:
| Item | Mini | Standard (Gen 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Kit | ₦480,000 | ₦690,000 |
| Activation | ₦50,000 | ₦50,000 |
| Delivery | ₦40,000 | ₦40,000 |
| First month, small business plan | ₦89,000 | ₦89,000 |
| Total upfront (our prices) | ₦659,000 | ₦869,000 |
The working: Mini ₦480,000 + ₦50,000 + ₦40,000 + ₦89,000 = ₦659,000; Standard ₦690,000 + ₦50,000 + ₦40,000 + ₦89,000 = ₦869,000. The ₦210,000 gap is simply the difference in kit price. Starlink also charges its own activation fee in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and some other areas. The amount changes from time to time and comes on top of our prices; we confirm it before you pay.
If you want our installers to fit the Standard on a Lagos family home, add installation (₦120,000) and a wall or pivot mount (₦120,000), and the total becomes ₦869,000 + ₦120,000 + ₦120,000 = ₦1,109,000 upfront at our prices, then ₦89,000 a month. Delivery outside Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt can be up to about ₦100,000.
The monthly plans are the same
Both kits use the same Starlink plans: Priority (business) plans, Residential for a fixed address, and Roam for people who move around. Residential is not open to new customers in most locations, including Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, so most new customers get a Priority plan such as our small business plan: ₦89,000 a month with either kit, with unlimited data. The running cost difference comes down to electricity, not subscription. Our Starlink subscription guide explains each plan. Using either kit in a moving vehicle depends on Starlink’s approval for the kit, mount and country, which we have not seen confirmed for Nigeria; our guide to Starlink in a car explains the rules and the 12 V options.
Which should you buy? Our verdict by situation
| Your situation | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Studio, self-contained or one- to two-bedroom flat, one to three users | Mini | Coverage is enough, and it costs less to buy and run |
| Three-bedroom house, duplex or more than one floor | Standard (Gen 3) | The indoor router covers far more floor area |
| Office, shop, church or school with many users | Standard (Gen 3) | 235 devices, two LAN ports, room for access points |
| Travel, site visits and field teams | Mini | Light, quick to set up, runs on DC or USB-C power |
| Backup for fibre or 5G at home | Mini | Lower cost, and an inverter carries it for longer |
| Backup for a whole office | Standard (Gen 3) | The office’s devices need the bigger router |
| Small solar system or very unreliable power | Mini | About a third of the power draw |
| CCTV recorder, desktop PCs or your own router | Standard (Gen 3) | Two LAN ports on an indoor router |
Can you just have the Mini? Yes, if your home is small and you are not streaming on several screens at once. If you are on the fence, our full Starlink Mini guide for Nigeria covers what it does well and where it struggles, and our overview of Starlink kits in Nigeria covers the wider line-up.
Not sure which one fits your building?
Tell us the number of rooms, floors and users, and how your power is supplied, and we will recommend a kit. When you are ready, you can order either kit from ZuraLink Limited: pay on delivery in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, or 50% deposit and 50% on completion elsewhere, by bank transfer. Ask us on WhatsApp or call 0802 859 5303, 24 hours a day.
Starlink Mini vs Standard FAQs
Is the Starlink Mini as fast as the Standard?
We know of no official Nigerian speed figure for either kit, and speed depends mostly on your plan, local congestion and sky view. Indoors, the difference you are more likely to notice is Wi-Fi reach, where the Standard’s indoor router covers far more floor area.
Is Starlink 4X better than the Mini?
Standard 4 X is Starlink’s 2026 name for the Standard (Gen 3) kit with the Router 3. It is the better choice for larger homes and offices; the Mini is better for portability and low power use.
Do the Mini and the Standard use the same subscription?
Yes. Both use Starlink’s Priority, Residential and Roam plans, and our small business plan costs ₦89,000 a month with either kit.
Can the Mini power a whole house’s internet?
It can serve a small flat well. For several bedrooms or floors, either add a Starlink mesh router indoors or choose the Standard.
Which uses less electricity, the Mini or the Standard?
The Mini, at 25–40 W against 75–100 W, so the same inverter battery lasts about 2.5 to 3 times longer.