Finding a decent router when shopping on a budget can be tricky, and it's worth evaluating whether you need a new one before you start shopping. Right off the bat, know you'll likely have to step up to a mid-range price point, or consider buying a used model if you want newer Wi-Fi standards for the fastest speeds. In that case, our best Wi-Fi routers article has you covered.
If you have an ISP-provided router included in your internet plan and it isn't delivering the speeds you're paying for, it's worth adjusting its settings and experimenting with positioning. Namely, you should try enabling Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) if your router supports it, as it'll make more channels with potentially less noise available for your devices to use. If you can, try placing your router in different locations in your home to see where it performs best.
If that doesn't work, or you need to provide your own hardware, a budget router can do the trick. We've tested over 75 of the most popular routers on the market, and below are our picks for the best budget routers for most people. Check out our picks for the best routers for streaming, the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, the best routers for large homes, and the best routers for Spectrum and Xfinity for more ISP-specific recommendations.
Since we started reviewing them in 2024, we've tested over 60 routers. We maintain complete editorial independence and impartiality by purchasing each router ourselves, which ensures we aren't testing specially selected review units. Rather than casually assessing performance by throwing on Netflix and seeing if it works, we rigorously evaluate each router on a standardized testing platform, providing you with all the data you need to compare different models.
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Best Budget Router
Apartment/CondoMulti-Level HouseGamingTravelSpeedRangeLatencyConfigurabilitySee all our test resultsWi-Fi Version:Wi-Fi 6 (ax)The TP-Link Archer AX55 is the best budget router that we've tested. It's a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router with a businesslike design and compact size that fits easily into most spaces. Where it really stands out is its performance. At close range, it can fully utilize internet speeds of up to ~750Mbps and maintains performance at distances of up to nearly 100 feet. That makes it more than capable of handling large downloads, multiple users, and simultaneous 4k streaming. It's suitable for casual online play with decent wireless latency and gaming performance, and four 1Gbps Ethernet ports have you covered if you prefer a wired connection for maximum stability.
Its impressive range makes it a great choice for apartments and small to medium-sized homes. If you live in a larger space or can't place the router in a central location because of where your internet line enters the house, the AX55 supports multiple standards that let you expand coverage by adding compatible routers or extenders to create a mesh network. The main downside is that it's limited to Wi-Fi 6. If you own many newer Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 devices, you will miss out on the 6GHz band and the higher speeds it offers.
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Best Budget Wi-Fi 7 Router
Apartment/CondoMulti-Level HouseGamingSpeedRangeLatencySee all our test resultsWi-Fi Version:Wi-Fi 7 (be)The TP-Link Archer BE230 is our budget Wi-Fi 7 recommendation if you want faster close-range speeds or wired connections. Compared with our top pick, the TP-Link Archer AX55, it has faster Ethernet ports but weaker long-range Wi-Fi performance. Choose it if your devices are mostly near the router; our top pick is a better choice if coverage matters more.
Its 2.5Gbps WAN port and one 2.5Gbps LAN port let you use an internet plan faster than 1Gbps with a compatible wired device. It also has three 1Gbps LAN ports for your other devices. Despite its Wi-Fi 7 designation, it only uses the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, so it doesn't offer the 6GHz band found on more expensive models. Like our top pick, you can add compatible routers or extenders to expand coverage.
Check out our recommendations for the best Wi-Fi 7 routers for more picks.
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Best Cheap Router
Apartment/CondoMulti-Level HouseGamingTravelSpeedRangeLatencyConfigurabilitySee all our test resultsWi-Fi Version:Wi-Fi 6 (ax)If you're on a tight budget but need something that gets the job done, we recommend the TP-Link Archer AX10 as the best cheap router. It's a Wi-Fi 6 router that offers good speed and decent range. At close range, it can reach speeds of up to 600Mbps and still deliver solid performance at distances of around 100 feet. That's plenty for everyday browsing, large downloads, or streaming 4k video, even when several people are online at the same time. If you need extra coverage, you can pair it with compatible range extenders or routers to expand your network.
This router features a standard design with four external antennas and a compact size, making it easy to fit into most homes, though it won't win any style points. Its biggest limitation is the lack of support for DFS, which means it can't access DFS-only channels that can boost performance in crowded wireless environments like apartment buildings.
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Best Budget Mesh System
Apartment/CondoMulti-Level HouseGamingTravelSpeedRangeLatencyConfigurabilitySee all our test resultsWi-Fi Version:Wi-Fi 6 (ax)A mesh system can offer a solution if you have a large home or a pesky nook that doesn't get a good Wi-Fi signal. The best mesh system we've tested at a budget price point is the eero 6. It features dual-band Wi-Fi 6 technology and delivers solid coverage and speeds suitable for an internet connection of up to ~700Mbps. It can easily handle high-bandwidth activities, like 4k video streaming and high-speed downloads. Unlike our top budget pick, the TP-Link Archer AX55, this router is easily expandable, allowing you to add more units to cover larger homes. Despite its budget price, it still offers smart home integration, including built-in Zigbee support and Amazon Alexa compatibility.
Setting up this router is straightforward using the eero app, which provides a user-friendly interface for managing and monitoring your network. The app lets you see connected devices and configure basic settings, although advanced features like ad blocking and content filters require a subscription. With all that in mind, this router has only decent range performance, meaning you might not reach your internet plan's top speeds if you're far away and connected to a satellite unit. If you're unsure whether you need a mesh system, buy a single eero 6 to see if it works in your home, then add additional units as needed. Finally, most routers offer some form of mesh expandability, so check what options are available with your brand of choice.
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Best Budget Travel Router
Apartment/CondoMulti-Level HouseGamingTravelSpeedRangeLatencyConfigurabilitySee all our test resultsWi-Fi Version:Wi-Fi 6 (ax)The GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT3000) is our recommendation if you need an affordable router for hotels or vacation rentals. Its small body, folding antennas, and included travel adapters make it easy to pack. It can connect to an existing Wi-Fi network and share that connection with your devices. It also has built-in VPN support that lets you route connected devices through a VPN, while USB tethering lets you use a compatible phone's cellular connection when Wi-Fi isn't available. You also get flexible network settings for more control over your connection.
The main limitation is the wired connectivity: it has a 2.5Gbps WAN port but only one 1Gbps LAN port. It also uses Wi-Fi 6 without a 6GHz band. Its speeds are suitable for an internet connection of about 700Mbps, but this compact travel router is a better fit for a temporary setup than for expanding coverage throughout a large home.
If you're looking for more recommendations, check out our best travel routers article.
Notable Mentions
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Davolink Minions Bob:
The Davolink Minions Bob performs very similarly to the TP-Link Archer AX55 across the board, pairing good value with buckets of charm. The TP-Link remains our top pick due to its larger selection of LAN ports and longer range, but what Bob lacks in performance is easily made up for in personality.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 07, 2026:
We've added the TP-Link Archer BE230 and the GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT-3000) as 'Best Budget Wi-Fi 7' and 'Best Budget Travel Router' recommendations, respectively. We've also verified that the rest of our picks are still available and relevant.
Aug 10, 2026:
We've reviewed our recommendations to ensure they're available and remain the best options, and haven't made any changes.
Jun 10, 2026:
We've added the Davolink Minions Bob as a Notable Mention and verified that our recommendations remain the best picks available to purchase.
Apr 17, 2026:
We've verified our recommendations are still the best available picks, updated the table tool to include Gaming and Latency, and added the TP-Link BE230 as a Notable Mention.
Feb 04, 2026:
We've replaced the TP-Link Archer AX20 with the TP-Link Archer AX55 as our budget pick, and replaced the Google Nest Wifi with the TP-Link Archer AX10 as our cheap pick, since both routers have come down in price and perform better than the outgoing models.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are currently the best cheap routers for most people, whether you're looking to upgrade to the latest standard, replace your ISP-provided router, or even get a better connection in your backyard. We factor in price (a cheaper router wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), user feedback, and availability (no routers that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you'd like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our reviews of routers priced at $100 or less. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no router is perfect, nearly all of them are more than good enough for most high-bandwidth uses, like streaming 4k content and downloading large files quickly.