10 Of The Best Wi-Fi Routers In 2023, Ranked
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You can't really get much done without a stable internet connection. Whether you're working from home, playing video games, or just want to stream movies and music, having a stable and fast internet connection is crucial. A good and reliable Wi-Fi router is vital if you want that smooth and fast internet.
But there are too many Wi-Fi routers out there, across different budgets and built for different purposes. As such, it can be difficult to pick the right one. That's why we've put together this list of the top 10 Wi-Fi routers available in 2023, ranked by performance, features, and value for money.
This list includes routers from major wireless router brands like ASUS, TP-Link, and Netgear. We've included routers that serve a wide range of purposes, including the latest Wi-Fi 6E routers, gaming routers, and mesh networking routers. So whether you're looking for a no-nonsense router, or a high-performance one, one of these 10 options should serve you well.
TP-Link Archer AXE75 (AXE5400) — The best overall Wi-Fi router
The TP-Link Archer AXE75 is our pick for the best overall router of 2023. It has high speeds and excellent Wi-Fi coverage and comes with all the features you could expect from a Wi-Fi router. It's a Wi-Fi 6E tri-band router, which means you get the latest Wi-Fi standard, with theoretical speeds up to 5,378Mbps. And it's one of the less complicated options, making it a solid option for those looking for a plug-and-play solution.
The TP-Link Archer AXE75 boasts excellent coverage, thanks to the six antennas with beamforming. It's backed by some solid hardware under the hood, with a 1.7GHz quad-core CPU, 512MB RAM, and a USB 3.0 port, the latter of which is not all that common on routers just yet. You also get the latest security features, including a built-in firewall and WPA3 encryption — the most secure Wi-Fi security protocol available today.
Priced at around $200, the TP-Link Archer AXE75 is an excellent value for anyone looking for a high-performance router. It's also often available at a $20–30 discount, making for even better value.
TP-Link Archer AX11000 — Best gaming router
While Wi-Fi routers are usually not a piece of hardware you associate with gaming, a ton of them are geared towards it. The TP-Link Archer AX11000 is the best gaming router on the market, offering top-of-the-line features that ensure a solid gaming experience.
The TP-Link Archer AX11000 is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router with promised speeds of up to 10,756 Mbps. You don't get the 6GHz Wi-Fi 6E, but TP-Link has loaded up this router with a lot elsewhere. You get eight detachable antennas with beamforming, high-power FEM, and 4T4R to boost the signal strength. It has eight Gigabit LAN ports and is powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core CPU. The design also reflects the purpose of this router, and you get a striking red and black color scheme to match the sleek design.
The TP-Link Archer AX11000 is priced well for what it offers. It costs $399.99 but is often available at around $275, making it an excellent value for dedicated gamers.
Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) — Best mesh router
The Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is the best mesh router to buy in 2023, offering top-of-the-line features. Mesh systems are the next stepping stone in Wi-Fi networking, and this one ticks all the boxes to make for a suitable upgrade. The Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is a Wi-Fi 6 triple-band mesh system with bandwidth support for up to 4,804 Mbps. And setup is simple with the Asus Router app.
All units are identical, and this system is available in one-pack, two-pack, and three-pack options. It sports an elegant design — in black or white — and will blend in with the interiors of your home or office, which is a great thing for mesh systems since you need to put up multiple routers.
The Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is priced at $209.99 for one-piece, $399.99 for two-piece, and $609.99 for three-piece systems. It's often available at a discount, going for as low as $186 per unit on the three-pack options. It's a solid balance of price, performance, and Asus reliability.
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 — Best Wi-Fi 6E router
The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 is the best Wi-Fi 6E router you can get. It's a gaming router, being a part of Asus' ROG lineup, and it brings the kind of hardware, design, and functionality you would expect from a gaming peripheral.
It's a quad-band Wi-Fi 6E router — Asus claims it's the first ever in the world. It promises speeds of up to 16,000 Mbps. It also comes with eight external antennas and four internal ones, which means solid coverage when combined with Asus' RangeBoost Plus technology. The hardware on offer is extremely powerful, with a 2GHz quad-core processor and 2GB DDR4 RAM. Asus has also added gaming features like Game Boost, which optimizes network performance, and Game IPS, which adds a layer of security.
The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 is a premium router priced at $699.99, with discounts often bringing it closer to $500. It's a little pricey, but it provides some of the best Wi-Fi performance you can get right now (at least until Wi-Fi 7 comes around).
Asus RT-AX88U Pro — Best all-out Wi-Fi 6 router
The Asus RT-AX88U Pro is the best all-out Wi-Fi 6 router you can buy in 2023. Wi-Fi 6 is common in new routers nowadays, so picking a good one can be tricky. While Wi-Fi 6E is out there, it's still a mid-generation update that not everybody may want to switch to. So until Wi-Fi 7 arrives, the Asus RT-AX88U Pro will serve you well in deploying a terrific Wi-Fi 6 network.
This is the best performance you can get from a Wi-Fi 6 router, with a combined speed of nearly 6,000 Mbps. You get a quad-core CPU running at 2.0GHz under the hood and four antennas that work together with beamforming to give excellent coverage. There are two 2.5G ports on this router, too. You also get top-of-the-line security with ASUS AiProtection Pro, WPA3, and advanced parental controls. The Asus RT-AX88U Pro also has mesh networking features thanks to AiMesh support.
The ASUS RT-AX88U Pro costs $299.99 — it's often available at $269.99 — which makes it one of the pricier Wi-Fi 6 routers you can get, but it offers ample performance.
Linksys Hydra Pro 6E (MR7500) — Best midrange router
If your budget is slightly higher, you can consider the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E (MR7500). It's an excellent midrange router, and while it costs a bit more than the previous two on this list, it comes with reliable hardware and performance. It's a Wi-Fi 6E router, which means you get tri-band capabilities.
With a maximum speed of 4,800 Mbps, the Hydra Pro 6E will serve your home and office needs with no sweat. Linksys promises coverage of up to 2,700 sq. ft. and over 55 devices connected simultaneously. It can handle the most demanding web traffic thanks to six high-performance antennas and beamforming technology, ensuring signal strength and stability. The Linksys Smart Wi-Fi is a nice addition, letting you set up and manage your router from your phone and monitor your network.
Coming in at around $280, and often at $250 on discount, the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E is a solid midrange option that delivers excellent value for its cost.
TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro — Best midrange mesh router
If you want a mesh setup but don't have money for the Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8), the TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro is the best midrange mesh router you can buy in 2023. If you've been looking to upgrade your network for better speeds and coverage, the X4300 Pro is an excellent router.
It's a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system with speeds up to 3,843 Mbps. On the coverage front, you don't need to worry since this is a mesh system — you can just add more units to increase the coverage. A three-pack covers up to 7,000 square feet of area, according to TP-Link. Each unit has four internal antennas and support for WPA3, which means it's up to date with the latest security standards.
Mesh systems can be complicated, but the TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro has an easy-to-use interface for setup and monitoring, making switching to a mesh network less daunting than it usually is. You also get voice commands with Alexa support. In terms of pricing, the TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro comes in at $349.99 for the three-pack, making for some great value.
Synology WRX560 — A great balanced option
The Synology WRX560 is a fantastic balanced Wi-Fi router that offers impressive features, making it a Wi-Fi router you should consider buying in 2023. It's a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router and promises speeds of up to 2,400 Mbps. And there's native support for VPN configuration.
On top of that, it's a mesh-ready router, which means you can combine multiple routers to improve the coverage in your setup if need be. There are also advanced parental controls present, as well as security features like Threat Prevention, VLAN segmentation, and WPA3 support. Setting up the Synology WRX560 is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using the Synology Router Manager.
The Synology WRX560 is priced at just $219.99, making it a great option for anyone looking for a balanced Wi-Fi router or an alternative to some of the other routers on this list. Synology routers are known for their features and reliability, so this is definitely a Wi-Fi router to consider.
TP-Link Archer AX21 (AX1800) — Best budget router
If you want to buy a Wi-Fi router but don't wish to spend too much, the TP-Link Archer AX21 is an excellent choice. It's our pick for the best budget router you can get. Despite being an affordable offering, it covers the essentials, which means that you're really not missing out on too much while saving a substantial amount of money. This one is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router, which means you don't get the latest Wi-Fi 6E, but the performance is still plenty good for the average user.
The AX21 has a promised speed of 1,800 Mbps and comes with a bunch of technologies that make it a great home or office router. You get four antennas with beamforming and high-power FEM, which means it will provide solid network coverage. It's also compatible with TP-Link's OneMesh, which means you can pair it up with a range extender if you need to cover a larger area. It also gets advanced safety, including WPA3, and comes with TP-Link's easy setup and robust firmware, which works well with capable hardware.
At a price point of around $100, the TP-Link Archer AX21 is an affordable option for those on a budget. It also gets a discount of $15–20 often, making it an even more bang-for-buck Wi-Fi router to buy in 2023.
Netgear Orbi (dual-band, AC1200) — Best budget mesh router
Mesh routers can cost a pretty penny, but if you want a system on a budget, the Netgear Orbi (dual-band, AC1200) is our pick. This system (also shown at the head of this article) has all the basics of a good Wi-Fi router and mesh networking capabilities for uniform coverage.
The Netgear Orbi (AC1200) has one router that can attach to multiple satellite nodes. So you can get a two, three, or four-piece system with one router and one, two, or three satellite nodes. The two-piece covers 3,000 square feet, with each additional satellite node adding 1,500 square feet. The performance isn't the best since this is a Wi-Fi 5 system — as such, you get a maximum speed of 867 Mbps. It's still great on a budget, however, especially for folks that don't have a blazing-fast internet connection. It's also easy to set up and use.
The Netgear Orbi (AC1200) is priced at $149.99 for the two-piece, with the three-piece coming in at $199.99. It's often available at a 50% discount or more, making for a decent value for those looking for a mesh system on a budget.