NETGEAR
NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500
Wi-Fi 6E · AXE11000
86
/ 100
From $599
VS
ASUS RT-BE86U wins by 2
ASUS
ASUS RT-BE86U
Wi-Fi 7 · 9.4 Gbps · Dual 2.5G WAN
88
/ 100
From $299
Specdex verdict
ASUS RT-BE86U takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500 lands at 86 and ASUS RT-BE86U at 88. That puts ASUS RT-BE86U ahead by 2 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500 if…
- ✓Current-gen Wi-Fi
- ✓App-driven setup
- ✓Parental controls (brand-dependent)
Pick ASUS RT-BE86U if…
- ✓Sub-$300 Wi-Fi 7 router
- ✓Dual 2.5 GbE WAN with link aggregation
- ✓AiMesh + AiProtection Pro
NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500 86
vs 88 ASUS RT-BE86U
Score breakdown
NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500
86 throughput 86
range 86
features 84
value 82
ease 0
ASUS RT-BE86U
88 throughput 88
range 88
features 90
value 0
ease 88
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500 | ASUS RT-BE86U |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 tri-band 4x4 |
| Throughput | AXE11000 | — |
| Total bandwidth | — | 9400 Mbps |
| WAN | — | 2× 2.5 GbE |
| LAN | — | 4× 1 GbE |
| USB | — | 1× USB 3.2 |
| Coverage | — | ~3000 sq ft |
NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500
Pros
- +Current-gen Wi-Fi
- +App-driven setup
- +Parental controls (brand-dependent)
Cons
- −Advanced features sometimes subscription-gated
- −Range varies
- −Firmware stability improves over time
ASUS RT-BE86U
Pros
- +Sub-$300 Wi-Fi 7 router
- +Dual 2.5 GbE WAN with link aggregation
- +AiMesh + AiProtection Pro
Cons
- −Tri-band only (no 6 GHz dedicated)
- −No 10G WAN
- −Plastic chassis
FAQ: NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500 vs ASUS RT-BE86U
Which is better, NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500 or ASUS RT-BE86U? +
ASUS RT-BE86U scores 88 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 2. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500 worth the price? +
At $599, NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500 delivers a Specdex score of 86 — strongest in throughput.
Is ASUS RT-BE86U worth the price? +
At $299, ASUS RT-BE86U delivers a Specdex score of 88 — strongest in features.
Does NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500 or ASUS RT-BE86U 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.