Finding a decent router when shopping on a budget can be tricky, and it's worth evaluating whether you need a new router before you start shopping. Right off the bat, know that 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 delivers the best performance.
But if that doesn't work, or you must provide your own hardware, a budget router can do the trick. We've tested over 60 of the most popular routers on the market, and below are our picks that we think are best for most people. Check out our picks for the best routers for streaming, the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, and the best routers for large homes for recommendations at different price points.
Since we started reviewing them in 2024, we've tested over 35 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 the same standardized testing platform, providing you with all the data to allow you to compare between different models.
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Best Budget Router
Apartment/Condo7.7Multi-Level House7.8Speed7.9Range7.9See 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 performance. At close range, it can fully utilize internet speeds up to about 750Mbps and still deliver consistently fast connections at distances up to nearly 100 feet. That makes it more than capable of handling large downloads, multiple users, and simultaneous 4k streaming. It also has five 1Gbps Ethernet ports, so you're covered if you have a lot of wired devices.
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 due to where your internet line enters the house, the AX55 supports both OneMesh and EasyMesh. This lets 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 that come with it.
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Best Cheap Router
Apartment/Condo7.2Multi-Level House7.3Speed7.6Range7.2See all our test resultsWi-Fi Version:Wi-Fi 6 (ax)If you're shopping on a tight budget and want something that's cheap and does the job, we recommend the TP-Link Archer AX10. It's a Wi-Fi 6 router that offers good speed and decent range. At close range, it can hit speeds of up to 600Mbps, and it still delivers 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 any OneMesh-compatible range extender to expand your network.
The Archer AX10 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, meaning it can't access DFS-only channels that can help boost performance in crowded wireless setups like apartment buildings.
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Best Budget Mesh System
Apartment/Condo7.7Multi-Level House7.6Speed7.8Range7.4See 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 has a compact and sleek design and is easily expandable, allowing you to add more units to cover larger homes. Despite its budget price, it still includes smart home integration with 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 if you need a mesh system, buy a single eero 6 to see if it works for your home and get additional units as required. Finally, most routers offer some sort of mesh expandability, so check to see what options are available with your brand of choice.
Recent Updates
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.
Apr 18, 2025:
We've ensured our picks are available and relevant, and haven't made any changes.
Mar 06, 2025:
We've verified that our recommendations are available and represent the best options. We also made small edits for clarity.
Feb 05, 2025:
We've verified that our recommendations are available and represent the best choices. We also made edits for clarity throughout.
Jan 07, 2025:
We've vetted our picks to make sure they're the best options for their respective categories. Otherwise, we've made some minor text changes for clarity.
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 the price (a cheaper router wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our users, 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 for routers that are $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.