If your Wi-Fi router's wheezing from your work-from-home data load, and you're piling gaming and entertainment loads atop that, you need to upgrade. Wireless routers that employ leading-edge Wi-Fi technologies can deliver blazing data rates but often cost more than $300. If your budget's stretched as much as your bandwidth is, take heart: We've tested a bundle of value-priced routers. PCMag has been reviewing wireless routers since the early days of Wi-Fi, and we test each model with rigorous, repeatable benchmarks (across multiple wireless bands) to assess throughput and range. (We also evaluate design, usability, and, of course, value.) Our top budget router for most users, TP-Link's Archer AX21, delivers solid performance for a small home with a few Wi-Fi devices, but we've got budget picks for different scenarios, too. Our choices all stem from our detailed hands-on testing; read on for what to expect from a low-cost router.

These days, you'll find that most budget routers use Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology, although you may see a few Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) routers still hanging around. Avoid these. The latter are single-band routers that operate on the 2.4GHz spectrum and offer very limited throughput speeds. Avoid them. They'll work, yes, but they probably won't pair well with today’s PCs, mobile devices, and smart home devices, most of which are looking for at least a Wi-Fi 5 connection. They're also ill-equipped for multimedia tasks such as video streaming and online gaming.

Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 routers, on the other hand, are dual-band devices that let you connect using both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. They have several other improvements, too, especially MU-MIMO technology, which transmits data simultaneously (rather than sequentially) to compatible client devices. Another cool feature is beamforming, which shapes the wireless signals so they are concentrated directly at clients rather than over a broad spectrum. And if you see automatic band steering on your router's spec sheet, the router can select the most efficient radio band based on the current network traffic, band availability, and signal strength.

If you're wondering which band you're most likely to use, then know that the 2.4GHz radio band is best suited for long-range transmissions but is subject to interference from other household devices such as microwave ovens and cordless phones. The 5GHz band provides significantly more bandwidth than the 2.4GHz band and is ideal for video streaming, online gaming, and large file downloads, but it has limited range, which is why these systems often need to be bolstered with a wireless range extender, especially in larger homes.

(Credit: Netgear)

The differences between Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Wi-Fi 5 are minor, but the former is the latest in wireless technology, and it offers much-improved throughput speeds: up to 4.8 gigabits per second (Gbps), which makes it sought after by those looking for business-class networking, as well as those seeking a fast gaming router. If you’re looking to future-proof your home network, you can still do that without spending a fortune, as many Wi-Fi 6 routers are now available for under $150. It also uses other new technologies, including Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Target Wake Time (TWT), to relieve network congestion and reduce client power consumption.

Additionally, Wi-Fi 6 takes advantage of previously unused radio frequencies to provide faster 2.4GHz performance, offers WPA3 security to protect against weak passwords, and uses 256-bit encryption to help keep your network safer from hackers. Finally, it provides upstream and downstream MU-MIMO streaming (802.11ac only supports downlink MU-MIMO) and is backward-compatible with previous Wi-Fi protocols.

(Credit: TP-Link)

And if you see a router being advertised as compliant with Wi-Fi 6E, know that's just the latest in the Wi-Fi 6 saga. With 6E, the software capabilities of the protocol are the same as in Wi-Fi 6, meaning you'll get all the new goodness around features like OFDMA and TWT. But you'll also get access to the newly released 6GHz band, so routers that support 6E have access to quite a bit more wireless bandwidth, which should provide much more room for those bandwidth-hogging work applications and solve things like difficult connections due to bandwidth congestion. However, you likely won't see many 6E routers in the budget-router market for some time. (Wi-Fi 7 is also a thing now, but it's even further out from the budget zone.)

Budget Routers: What You'll Get for the Money

The current crop of AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 routers, mesh or standalone, can typically handle data rates of up to 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 1,200Mbps on the 5GHz band. It's important to note that these speed ratings are theoretical and refer to maximum achievable speeds. Actual throughput will likely be significantly lower, but never fear; we thoroughly test all our contenders so you can see all the critical real-world numbers, including throughput and signal strength. (For a primer on what the "AC" and "AX" numbers mean, see our guide.)

An exciting trend in the higher-end router spectrum is that prices are starting to drop. No, you won't find many Wi-Fi mesh systems in our budget roundup just yet, but we are seeing those products become less pricey. And you can now find a smattering of the above-mentioned AX1500 routers for less than $100, even.

Should You Compromise on Key Features?

So far, it might sound like you can find pretty much anything you want in an under-$100 router. Unfortunately, that's likely not the case. To hit those lower prices, many routers ditch many of the features you’ll find on more expensive models.

On the hardware end, you won’t find any sub-$100 routers that are equipped with more than four LAN ports, nor will you see features like speedy multi-gig (2.5Gbps) LAN ports. The ability to perform link aggregation won't be there, nor will USB ports. USBs are useful for connecting directly to peripherals like external hard drives (a quick way to build your own network attached storage or NAS device) or printers. Budget routers also typically use non-removable external antennas, which means they can’t be replaced with more powerful high-gain antennas to help boost performance and extend the router’s signal range.

Budget routers are managed using a web console or a mobile app, much like their more expensive siblings, but they'll likely lack some advanced settings. That will likely include support for bandwidth allocation or Quality of Service (QoS), dedicated online gaming presets, VPN connectivity, and sometimes support for DD-WRT. The last is a Linux-based firmware upgrade that replaces the manufacturer’s firmware and provides enhanced settings that allow you to customize the router for maximum performance.

(Credit: TP-Link)

Additionally, budget-class routers rarely offer robust parental controls with age-related presets that filter out things like social media, gambling, shopping, and violent or adult content; these controls are more common on midrange and high-end routers. You can, however, still use basic access-scheduling and URL-filtering features to help you control when your kids go online and which sites they can visit. Or you can purchase a third-party parental control program that suits your family’s needs.

Indeed, third-party software is an excellent way to kick up the capabilities of your budget router. That's because budget routers usually ship with only essential software, unlike many mesh systems and midrange to high-end routers. You likely won't find one bundled with name-brand security software to protect your network and client devices from phishing, viruses, adware, and other malware, or with real parental control solutions. To find a likely pairing candidate for your router choice, check out our malware protection and removal roundup to see what works best for you.

Ready to Buy the Best Budget Router for You?

We trust you're now better armed than ever to get shopping. This guide outlines our top lab-tested, low-cost router models and includes a handy spec table of our latest picks. Whichever router you choose, remember that once you've found it, you'll need to tweak it! Read our tips for setting up your router and boosting your Wi-Fi signal.