4 Underrated Router Brands That Can Compete With Netgear

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Netgear products consistently rank among the best Wi-Fi routers and mesh systems you can buy. However, reviewers have noted that Netgear's premium models, like the Nighthawk M7 5G, can be prohibitively expensive. Many people might feel locked into buying an overpriced Netgear router. After all, you wouldn't want to buy one of Netgear's budget models; those tend to be cheap routers that should be avoided if you want good value for your money. Luckily, there are several router brands that can compete with Netgear, enabling you to choose a viable alternative at your desired price point.

What makes a router competitive with one of the most well-known names on the market? First and foremost, it should provide competent support for the latest Wi-Fi 7 features. There are many reasons you should upgrade your router to Wi-Fi 7, and we've reached a time when even the lesser-known brands are expected to satisfy those demands. These are some underrated router brands that are worth considering if you want a Netgear alternative.

Ubiquiti is the company behind the UniFi line of Wi-Fi routers. The UniFi Dream Router 7 received praise from RTINGS for its ability to deliver very high top speeds even across multi-story homes, making it suitable for plentiful gaming or high-resolution streaming. Similarly, the Netgear Nighthawk RS90 performs well in multi-story homes, making the two products fairly direct competitors of one another. The Dream Router 7 is a bit more expensive, though, with a starting price of $279 at the UniFi store.

Ubiquiti presents its products as "industry-leading hardware," a sentiment backed up by users on Reddit who argue that UniFi devices really are "that good." The company markets its products toward businesses and "prosumers," making UniFi an underrated name in the home networking market. This is partly because there are still disadvantages to Wi-Fi 7 routers like those in Ubiquiti's latest lineup. However, if you want to build an enterprise-level network in your home with fully future-proof Wi-Fi 7 capability, then UniFi products might be a logical step up.

The Zyxel brand recently faced some difficulties when the FBI identified certain routers targeted by a massive malware operation. A total of nine Zyxel end-of-life router models were found to be vulnerable to the malware. The malware targeted end-of-life devices that hadn't received security updates for a while, so it shouldn't let you overlook some of the capable products in Zyxel's lineup.

TechRadar reviewed the Zyxel FWA510 router and found that the company's 5G-compatible routers are great at providing the versatility that some homes need. At the time of writing, though, the FWA510 goes for more than $500, making it an excessively premium model that's hard to recommend to most people.

A review from Dong Knows Tech highlighted the Zyxel NWA130BE as a solid Wi-Fi 7 access point at an affordable cost. At $79.99, this access point is a reasonable buy if you already have a Wi-Fi 7 router and want to expand coverage without spending a fortune. Users on Reddit have also praised Zyxel's wireless access points for at-home use, but some have also cautioned that Zyxel has a tendency of ceasing support for older devices without warning.

Linksys is an established name in the router industry, but it sometimes gets overshadowed by brands that prioritize flashy designs, gamer-centric aesthetics, and premium features. As unassuming as they may be, though, Linksys produces cheap routers that Amazon users swear by. The Linksys AX2200 is a noteworthy Wi-Fi 6 router that sits at a very respectable 4.5-star customer rating and will only set you back $40.

You can find affordable Wi-Fi 7 routers from Linksys, too. The Linksys Velop Micro 7 Mesh System is competitive with the Netgear Nighthawk RS300 Wi-Fi 7 router and comes with three nodes for $319 — or a single router node can be purchased individually for as low as $115. Professional reviews of Linksys's previous product, the Velop Pro 7 router, were harsh, with PCMag citing "disappointing performance and a conspicuous lack of high-speed LAN ports." However, users have been much kinder to the newer Velop Micro 7 mesh system; one customer review on Amazon highlights the product's simplicity and flexibility.

GL.iNet is one of the most underrated router brands. Despite being a relatively unknown name in the U.S., users on Reddit have described their products as "phenomenal routers," and one commenter claimed that "I haven't ever heard anybody say something bad about them."

The company's newest router is the GL.iNet Slate 7, which distinguishes itself as a "travel router." It has a compact form factor and built-in VPN services intended for better protection when connecting to public Wi-Fis. RTINGS reviewed the Slate 7, praising its connection speed and range while criticizing its lack of mesh support and the absence of a 6 GHz band.

GL.iNet routers can compete with Netgear in both innovation and price. For $170, the Slate 7 acts as a Wi-Fi 7 hotspot that you can use anywhere and configure on the fly with an on-device touch screen. Admittedly, these are similar to the features you'd find in the rival mobile router from Netgear, the Nighthawk M7 5G, but for nearly a third of the price and without 5G cellular technology.

In order to highlight underrated router brands, we took a look at the respective "best routers of 2026" lists from PCMag, RTINGS, and Tom's Hardware and only considered manufacturers whose products appeared no more than once across those three lists. We also wanted to make sure that the routers we chose could compete with the best and most modern products from a powerhouse like Netgear, so each brand mentioned above has a potentially future-proof Wi-Fi 7 router among their latest offerings.

We also made sure that recent routers from the selected brands consistently maintain good user ratings on Amazon, with no major defects noted in the customer reviews. If you're looking for a reliable alternative to a Netgear router, the overall sentiment from professional reviewers and everyday users suggests that these brands can give you what you're looking for.