I Tested 3 Cheap VPN Routers So You Don’t Have To

Last updated on November 18th, 2025 at 12:43 pm

Honestly speaking, I was leaving too many Sundays shopping around comparing VPN routers, as I got fed up with having to install VPN applications on every single device in my home. My smart television is incapable of running a VPN application, and leave me alone about securing those malevolent IoT cameras.

and thus I picked three low-end VPN routers of below 120 and actually used them. Here’s what happened.

The Reason I Bothered with VPN Routers at all.

This is what made me buy it before we roll into it: there is a router that secures all your network automatically. No applications, no recollection of what device has the VPN running, no subscriptions regarding the number of devices.

Besides, my Internet service provider continued to slow down my streaming at the most opportune time. At the network level, a VPN router corrects that, but does not interfere with individual devices.

The Three Routers that I actually tried.

I have chosen them depending on the price, features and what is actually recommended on forums:

• ASUS RT-AX58U ($89) — the “safe choice”
• GL.iNet Slate AX ($113) – the pick of the tech enthusiast.
• Cudy AX3000 ($120) — the “speed demon”

Each of the 3 supports the newer protocol of WireGuard which is important than you would imagine (I will explain why).

Installation: Why Would I Like to Throw My router out the window?

ASUS RT-AX58U was stupid easy. Their web interface took me through it all. I made a post of my config file of the VPN provider, selected a few buttons and, in less than 15 minutes, had the entire network secured. Easy enough to use with none-technical individuals.

GL.iNet Slate AX required approximately 20 minutes since it is an openWrt one. Translation you have a school of customization options, but it is more of a hacker interface than a home user interface. Nevertheless, their mobile application and video instructions helped to cope with it. You will enjoy this later on in case you love to tink.

Cudy AX3000 startled me half way in between the other two in complexity. Their application is novice customer satisfactory, and I needed to online-search a fix to their DNS leak because this is not automatic as the ASUS.

Winner on Set-up: ASUS definitely. This would likely have to be established by my mom.

Speed Tests: The Area In Which We All Really Care.

It was at this point that it became interesting. My default internet connection speed is 200 Mbps.

Using OpenVPN (the older version):

• ASUS dropped me to about 95 Mbps
• GL.iNet hit 110 Mbps
• Cudy managed 105 Mbps

Using wireguard (which is a more modern and faster protocol):

• ASUS jumped to 165 Mbps
• GL.iNet reached 170 Mbps
• Cudy peaked at 175 Mbps

See why WireGuard matters? It is approximately half a speed of OpenVPN on these low-end routers owing to the fact that it consumes significantly less processing power. The Cudy barely broke a sweat.

All three worked well as long as streaming Netflix or just going through the web. The GL.iNet and Cudy were quite comfortable in gaming, and the ASUS was a little bit slow on its part when engaged in heavy gaming.

Features: What You really got for your money.

ASUS RT-AX58U provides WiFi 6, has 4 Gigabit ports, and compatible with NordVPN, Surfshark, PIA, and Proton VPN. It is no bells and whistles, but trustworthy.

The Swiss Army knife in this case is GL.iNet Slate AX. OpenWrt firmware will provide you with the chance to install thousands of apps, configure full-fledged routing, and even AdGuard to block the ads across the network. And it is handheld, I even used this device. The catch? You must be okay with Googling solutions in case you want to make personalisations.

Cudy AX3000 supports 3, 000 Mbps of Wi-Fi 6 (theoretical maximum, not in practice) and supports Wi-Guard well. It is simply the I want fast, but not to go down the technical rabbit holes.

Real-World Use: What Reality Showed a Month Later.

I have been having these running approximately a month with the rotation once per week.

The ASUS just works. I installed it, and over looked it and everything was safe. No reports of speed or connectivity problems in the house by me.

One reason why I liked the GL.iNet was the presence of split-tunneling. I would also have the opportunity of routing my work laptop across the VPN and leaving my gaming console to a direct connection. It is an addiction when you have tasted it that much.

The Cudy was in the middle ground – was more speedy than the ASUS, easier than the GL.iNet. In case you need simple great performance, this nails it.

The Real Talk: Restraints You Must Know.

None of these are perfect. Budget routers are also limited in terms of CPU, therefore, you are not enjoying the entire speed of the internet over the VPN. That’s physics, not a flaw.

They, also, usually have 256-512MB RAM, so that when you are operating 20+ devices at the same time and streaming 4K on three televisions, you may experience delays.

And here is one more thing that I would have known earlier cheaper routers receive firmware updates quite often. The GL.iNet is eternally popular with OpenWrt support, but the rest? Make purchases beforehand.

Which one of them should you really buy?

Buy the ASUS RT-AX58U when: You need maintenance-free and straightforward security and do not mind high-level features. Best to use in a family or with whoever prefers just to set and forget.

Buy the GL.iNet Slate AX when: You like customization, travel heavily or desire to have such features as split-tunneling and ad-blocking. In addition to the community OpenWrt support, it will remain current way beyond when the maker has forgotten them.

Buy the Cudy AX3000 when: You want the quickest VPN in this price category and a reasonable compromise of user-friendliness and function.

Personally? I am retaining the GL.iNet. Why, it took me more time to install, but the combo of the control and speed charms won my heart. Your request however – all three will secure your network much more than something like hoping that all machines are running a VPN app.