Best OpenWrt Routers Under $100

Affordable routers with official OpenWrt support, and the compromises each one makes.

Editorial picks

Under $100 you can get excellent OpenWrt hardware, but each option compromises somewhere: ports, memory or ease of installation. Prices are typical street prices and vary.

Photo: OpenWrt wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized
#1 · Best overall under $100
GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT3000)
Fully supportedHighly Recommended
CPU
2-core · 1.3 GHz · ARM 64-bit
Memory
512 MB / 256 MB
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6 · AX3000 · 2.4 / 5 GHz
Ethernet
1× 2.5 GbE WAN + 1× 1 GbE LAN
OpenWrt
up to 25.12.6
Typical price
~$89
Editorial opinionWhy we picked it · Score 8.8
Easy install, 512 MB RAM and 2.5 GbE WAN.
Full specs & compatibility
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Photo: OpenWrt wiki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized
#2 · Cheapest capable option
Xiaomi AX3000T (Mi Router AX3000T)
Fully supportedGood Budget Option
- Difficult installation
- Hardware revision warning
CPU
2-core · 1.3 GHz · ARM 64-bit
Memory
256 MB / 128 MB
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6 · AX3000 · 2.4 / 5 GHz
Ethernet
1× 1 GbE WAN + 3× 1 GbE LAN
OpenWrt
up to 25.12.6
Typical price
~$40
Editorial opinionWhy we picked it · Score 7.0
Great hardware for the price; the installation is for experienced users.
Full specs & compatibility
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#3 · Most mature support
Linksys E8450
Fully supportedRecommended
- Hardware revision warning
CPU
2-core · 1.35 GHz · ARM 64-bit
Memory
512 MB / 128 MB
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6 · AX3200 · 2.4 / 5 GHz
Ethernet
1× 1 GbE WAN + 4× 1 GbE LAN
OpenWrt
up to 25.12.6
Typical price
~$100
Editorial opinionWhy we picked it · Score 7.6
Long upstream history; check the price, as availability varies.
Full specs & compatibility
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#4 · Basic budget option
TP-Link Archer AX23 (Archer AX23 v1)
Fully supportedGood Budget Option
- Low RAM
- Low flash
- Hardware revision warning
CPU
2-core · 880 MHz · MIPS
Memory
128 MB / 16 MB
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6 · AX1800 · 2.4 / 5 GHz
Ethernet
1× 1 GbE WAN + 4× 1 GbE LAN
OpenWrt
up to 25.12.6
Typical price
~$60
Editorial opinionWhy we picked it · Score 6.0
Fine for basic routing or as an access point; too little memory for much else.
Full specs & compatibility
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#5 · Easy mainstream pick
ASUS RT-AX52
Fully supportedGood Budget Option
CPU
2-core · 1.3 GHz · ARM 64-bit
Memory
256 MB / 128 MB
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6 · AX1800 · 2.4 / 5 GHz
Ethernet
1× 1 GbE WAN + 3× 1 GbE LAN
OpenWrt
up to 25.12.6
Typical price
~$80
Editorial opinionWhy we picked it · Score 6.8
Filogic 820 from ASUS, installable from its web interface.
Full specs & compatibility
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#6 · Best wired VPN gateway
GL.iNet Brume 2 (GL-MT2500)
Fully supportedRecommended
- Hardware revision warning
CPU
2-core · 1.3 GHz · ARM 64-bit
Memory
1 GB / 8 GB
Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi
Ethernet
1× 2.5 GbE WAN + 1× 1 GbE LAN
OpenWrt
up to 25.12.6
Typical price
~$89
Editorial opinionWhy we picked it · Score 7.6
2.5 GbE WAN, 1 GB RAM and 8 GB eMMC; no Wi-Fi.
Full specs & compatibility
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