ASUS ZenWiFi AX XT8 vs TP-Link Archer C9

The ASUS ZenWiFi AX XT8 is a great Wi-Fi Router for its $448 asking price.

The TP-Link Archer C9, however, while a reasonable product for $154, doesn't stack up against its competitors quite as well. If you're considering Wi-Fi Routers in the $160 range, you might want to check out some better options.

The ASUS ZenWiFi AX XT8 got praised by PCmag and Wirecutter (NYTimes) - two highly trusted sources that perform in-depth hands-on testing. It was awarded the "Best for High-End Features" title from PCmag and "Upgrade pick" from Wirecutter (NYTimes) in their respective Wi-Fi Router roundups.

Moving on to the TP-Link Archer C9: it was loved by Windows Central and PC Gamer - two reliable sources that conduct their own in-depth testing. In fact, it was named "Best features for price" and "The best budget option for gaming routers" in their respective roundups, which points to it being a product worthy of consideration.

We couldn't find any sources that tested both of these Wi-Fi Routers, so we only analyzed how they performed in reviews from different sites.

We first examined which sources rated each of these best and found that the ASUS ZenWiFi AX XT8 got its highest, 10, rating from Techradar, while the TP-Link Archer C9 earned its best, 10, score from Expert Reviews.

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 ZenWiFi AX XT8 and TP-Link Archer C9 managed averages of 9.3 and 9.3 points, respectively.

Due to the difference in their prices, however, it's important to keep in mind that a direct ASUS ZenWiFi AX XT8 vs. TP-Link Archer C9 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.