Firewalla
Firewalla Gold Pro SE
Layer-7 firewall · 10 GbE · No subscription
90
/ 100
From $729
VS
ASUS RT-BE96U wins by 3
ASUS
ASUS RT-BE96U
Wi-Fi 7 BE19000 · Quad-band · 10 GbE
93
/ 100
From $699
Specdex verdict
ASUS RT-BE96U takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Firewalla Gold Pro SE lands at 90 and ASUS RT-BE96U at 93. That puts ASUS RT-BE96U ahead by 3 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Firewalla Gold Pro SE if…
- ✓10 GbE WAN + LAN
- ✓Best layer-7 protection without subscription
- ✓On-device Family Mode + DNS filtering
Pick ASUS RT-BE96U if…
- ✓Dual 10 GbE ports
- ✓AiMesh support
- ✓VPN Fusion
Firewalla Gold Pro SE 90
vs 93 ASUS RT-BE96U
Score breakdown
Firewalla Gold Pro SE
90 throughput 96
range 70
features 100
ease 84
value 0
ASUS RT-BE96U
93 throughput 94
range 92
features 96
ease 0
value 84
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Firewalla Gold Pro SE | ASUS RT-BE96U |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Quad-core ARM Cortex-A76 | — |
| RAM | 8 GB | — |
| Storage | 128 GB | — |
| Ports | 10 GbE × 2 + 2.5 GbE × 4 | 2× 10 GbE + 4× 2.5 GbE |
| Concurrent connections | 500K+ | — |
| Standard | — | Wi-Fi 7 (BE19000) |
| Bands | — | Quad-band |
| Antennas | — | 8 external |
Firewalla Gold Pro SE
Pros
- +10 GbE WAN + LAN
- +Best layer-7 protection without subscription
- +On-device Family Mode + DNS filtering
Cons
- −Steeper learning curve vs eero
- −No built-in Wi-Fi (need separate APs)
- −Mobile-app-centric setup
ASUS RT-BE96U
Pros
- +Dual 10 GbE ports
- +AiMesh support
- +VPN Fusion
Cons
- −Large
- −Pricey
- −Firmware learning curve
FAQ: Firewalla Gold Pro SE vs ASUS RT-BE96U
Which is better, Firewalla Gold Pro SE or ASUS RT-BE96U? +
ASUS RT-BE96U scores 93 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 3. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Firewalla Gold Pro SE worth the price? +
At $729, Firewalla Gold Pro SE delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in features.
Is ASUS RT-BE96U worth the price? +
At $699, ASUS RT-BE96U delivers a Specdex score of 93 — strongest in features.
Does Firewalla Gold Pro SE or ASUS RT-BE96U last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.