ASUS AC2900 (RT-AC86U) vs Linksys EA9500 (AC5400)

The ASUS AC2900 (RT-AC86U) makes for an outstanding Wi-Fi Router at $189. The Linksys EA9500 (AC5400), however, while overall a good product for its asking price, doesn't quite manage to stand out from its competition - there are better Wi-Fi Routers that can be found for around $420 available here.

The ASUS AC2900 (RT-AC86U) has impressed reviewers from two sources that are among the most highly trusted on the internet, namely PCmag and CNET. It did great in their objective hands-on roundups - it earned the "Best for Gamers With Limited Budgets" and "Best gaming router" awards from PCmag and CNET, respectively. That's high praise from such reputable sources.

As for the Linksys EA9500 (AC5400) - it impressed reviewers at Expert Reviews, a trustworthy source that conducts solid hands-on testing. It did great in its "Best wireless routers 2020: Boost the range and speed of your internet connection from £85" roundup - in fact, it earned its "The best all-round router you can buy" title, which, on its own, indicates a certain level of quality.

Out of the sources that tested and rated both of these Wi-Fi Routers, TechSpot and CNET preferred the ASUS AC2900 (RT-AC86U), whereas reviewers at Gadget Review liked the Linksys EA9500 (AC5400) better. PCmag gave them identical review scores.

We also took a look at which sources liked these products best - the highest ASUS AC2900 (RT-AC86U) rating came from Techradar, whereas the Linksys EA9500 (AC5400) most impressed reviewers at Expert Reviews; they earned scores of 10 and 10, respectively.

Lastly, we averaged out all of the reviews scores that we could find on these two products and compared them to other Wi-Fi Routers on the market. We learned that both of them performed far better than most of their competitors - the overall review average earned by Wi-Fi Routers being 7.4 out of 10, whereas the ASUS AC2900 (RT-AC86U) and Linksys EA9500 (AC5400) managed averages of 8.6 and 8.7 points, respectively.

Due to the difference in their prices, however, it's important to keep in mind that a direct ASUS AC2900 (RT-AC86U) vs. Linksys EA9500 (AC5400) comparison might not be entirely fair - some sources don't take value for money into account when assigning their scores and therefore have a tendency to rate more premium products better.