TP-Link Archer AX90 vs TP-Link Archer AX21
Official AX1800-class Wi-Fi 6 routers.
Affiliate disclosure: We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our rankings, which come from the published scoring formula. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more.
Best for: Wi-Fi 6, official AX6600 class, tri-band, 5 official Ethernet ports, up to 2.5 Gbps
Check price at AmazonBest for: Wi-Fi 6, official AX1800 class, dual-band, 5 official Ethernet ports, up to 1 Gbps
Check price at AmazonSpec-by-spec comparison
Green marks the better published figure. "Not listed" means the manufacturer doesn't publish it.
| Spec | TP-Link Archer AX90 | TP-Link Archer AX21 | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official Wi-Fi generationWhether the official table lists Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz). | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 | 20% |
| Official combined PHY rateThe official AX or AXE class number, or the sum of official per-band PHY rates when the class token is missing (labelled computed). | 6600 Mbps | 1800 Mbps | 35% |
| Fastest official Ethernet portThe fastest official Ethernet port on the router. | 2.5 Gbps | 1 Gbps | 30% |
| Official Ethernet port countHow many official Ethernet ports the router has. | 5 ports | 5 ports | 15% |
| Official Wi-Fi class (spec table or official title) | AX6600 | AX1800 | info |
| Sum of official per-band PHY rates (computed) | 6579 Mbps | 1775 Mbps | info |
| Official radio bands | Tri-band | Dual-band | info |
| Processor (official table) | 1.5 GHz Quad-Core CPU | Dual-Core CPU (V4) | info |
| Wi-Fi encryption (official table) | WPAWPA2WPA3WPA/WPA2-Enterprise (802.1x) | WPAWPA2WPA3WPA/WPA2-Enterprise (802.1x) | info |
| USB (official table) | 1x USB 3.0 Port1x USB 2.0 PortSupported Partition Formats:NTFS, exFAT, HFS+, FAT32Supported Functions:Apple Time MachineFTP ServerMedia ServerSamba Server | Not listed | info |
| Official Ethernet wording | 1x 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN Port 1x 1 Gbps WAN/LAN Port 3x 1 Gbps LAN Ports | 1x Gigabit WAN Port 4x Gigabit LAN Ports | info |
| MeshPick score | 2.6/10 | 0.9/10 | 100% |
Where each one comes out ahead
TP-Link Archer AX90
Better published figure on: Official combined PHY rate, Fastest official Ethernet port.
What we like
- Official table lists a tri-band radio
- Official table lists a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port
- Official table lists 5 Ethernet ports on the main unit
Watch out for
TP-Link Archer AX21
No scored spec where it is strictly ahead; its case rests on the strengths below.
What we like
- Official table lists 5 Ethernet ports on the main unit
Watch out for
- Official table lists a dual-band radio (no dedicated 6 GHz band)
- Fastest official Ethernet port is 1 Gbps
- Official combined class is AX1800
Verdict
Both official tables list an AX1800-class figure and Gigabit Ethernet; compare official port counts.
- TP-Link Archer AX90: TP-Link official specifications: Archer AX90
- TP-Link Archer AX21: TP-Link official specifications: Archer AX21