ASTS vs GSAT: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. ASTS and GSAT share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined ASTS and GSAT exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) is building a space-based cellular network designed to deliver broadband directly to ordinary, unmodified smartphones from satellites. Its goal is to let a standard phone connect to its large low-Earth-orbit satellites when it is out of range of terrestrial cell towers, providing coverage in remote areas, at sea, and during outages. The company has launched test and early commercial satellites (including its BlueWalker and BlueBird series) and has signed agreements and investments with major mobile network operators such as AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, and Rakuten, as well as receiving strategic investment from Google. AST SpaceMobile is pre-profitability and largely pre-revenue, spending heavily to manufacture and launch a constellation before it can generate meaningful subscriber or operator revenue. Headquartered in Midland, Texas, it is a speculative, high-risk, high-reward company whose value depends on successfully deploying its network and converting partnerships into paying traffic.

Full ASTS guide

Globalstar, Inc. is a satellite communications company that operates a low-earth-orbit satellite constellation and holds licensed wireless spectrum, most notably Band 53 (and its 5G variant n53) in the United States. Its business changed dramatically after it became the satellite operator supporting Apple's satellite-based features, including Emergency SOS, on iPhones. Under its partnership agreements, Apple funds a large share of new satellite and ground infrastructure and pays Globalstar for capacity and services, which turned a long-struggling company into one with fast-growing, more predictable revenue. Globalstar also pursues terrestrial uses of its spectrum, including private 5G networks through its XCOM RAN technology aimed at industrial and enterprise customers.

Full GSAT guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• ASTS drivers: Direct-to-device opportunity; Mobile-operator partnerships.
• GSAT drivers: The pending Amazon acquisition; The Apple partnership.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: AST SpaceMobile is pre-profitability and largely pre-revenue, with heavy ongoing cash burn to build and launch satellites. For GSAT, the central risk is deal risk: GSAT's price is tied to Amazon's pending acquisition closing near $90 per share, and if the deal is delayed, repriced, or blocked by regulators, the stock could fall toward its standalone value.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick ASTS if you believe its drivers more; GSAT if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the ASTS and GSAT guides.

ASTS. AST SpaceMobile cannot be valued on current earnings because it is largely pre-revenue. Its market value reflects investor expectations for a future satellite-to-phone network and the credibility added by carrier partnerships and strategic investors. Valuation is highly sensitive to news about launches, funding, and milestones, and the shares can move sharply. All figures are approximate and change quickly; verify current numbers before relying on them.

GSAT. Figures are approximate, tied to the Jul 2026 as-of date, and reflect the announced Amazon merger and Q1 2026 reporting; verify live numbers and deal status before acting. Because GSAT trades mainly on the Amazon transaction, conventional valuation multiples matter less than the spread between the current price and the roughly $90 offer, the probability of the deal closing, and the expected timing into 2027. Always confirm the latest deal terms and price directly.

Headline figures (approximate, early 2026): ASTS shows revenue (ttm) Minimal; largely pre-revenue (approximate, verify), profitability Not profitable; significant cash burn (verify), valuation basis Forward potential, not current earnings, p/e (ttm) Not meaningful (no sustained earnings); GSAT shows situation Trades as a merger-arbitrage play on Amazon's pending acquisition, announced deal value ~$10.9 billion; roughly $90 per share in cash or Amazon stock (April 2026 agreement), expected close 2027, subject to regulatory approval and deal conditions, revenue Growing; ~$70.1 million in Q1 2026, up ~17% year over year.

ASTS and GSAT are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined ASTS and GSAT exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.