TP-Link Archer A7 vs Linksys EA9500 (AC5400)

The TP-Link Archer A7 is a great Wi-Fi Router for its $64 asking price.

The Linksys EA9500 (AC5400), however, while a reasonable product for $325, doesn't stack up against its competitors quite as well. If you're considering Wi-Fi Routers in the $260 range, you might want to check out some better options.

The TP-Link Archer A7 has done great in quite a few roundups from some of the most highly trusted sources available, such as Wirecutter (NYTimes), Laptop Mag, and Tom's Guide, which perform high-quality in-depth testing. It got awarded the "Budget pick" title by Wirecutter (NYTimes), "Best budget Wi-Fi router" by Laptop Mag, and "Our favorite low-priced router" by Tom's Guide in their respective roundups. Earning that much praise from such respected sources is undoubtedly an impressive accomplishment.

As for the Linksys EA9500 (AC5400) analysis - it impressed reviewers at Expert Reviews, a source that's known for its objective testing and well-thought-out methodology - it performed great in its "Best wireless routers 2020: Boost the range and speed of your internet connection from £85" roundup and earned the "The best all-round router you can buy" title.

We conducted an analysis of all of the review data that we could find on these two products. First, we focused on sources that tested and rated both of them, like PCmag, and learned that they all showed a preference for the Linksys EA9500 (AC5400).

Then we took a look at the highest review scores that these two Wi-Fi Routers received. We found that the TP-Link Archer A7 managed to earn a rating of 8 from Tom's Guide, whereas the Linksys EA9500 (AC5400) got its highest, 10, score from reviewers at Expert Reviews.

Lastly, in order to better compare them to the rest of their competition, we averaged out their review scores. The Linksys EA9500 (AC5400) managed to get 8.6 out of 10 - considerably better than the 7.4 review average of Wi-Fi Routers in general - whereas the TP-Link Archer A7 earned 6.7 points.

It should be said that doing a direct TP-Link Archer A7 vs. Linksys EA9500 (AC5400) comparison might not be entirely fair due to the difference in their prices - some sources don't put much weight on value for money and thus tend to give better review scores to more expensive products.