Does Google or eero make the better mesh Wi-Fi system?

Both Google Wifi and eero are excellent entry-level mesh Wi-Fi systems and each delivers on their main promise — better Wi-Fi throughout your home. Eero takes the lead thanks to having a wider variety of expansion options as well as competing directly within Google Wifi’s price point.

Google Wifi vs. eero The need to know details

Internally, the Google Wifi units and eero units have similar hardware. The quad-core ARM CPU and 512MB of RAM don’t seem like much, but it’s more than sufficient to keep your Wi-Fi network running smoothly and send the information where it needs to go.

Both devices offer the basic networking control you’ll need for your home network.

Both devices are focused on the user experience with consistent security and feature updates and great apps. They offer all the basic networking control you’d need for your home network and have additions like access control, easy-to-share passwords, guest networks, and device prioritization and pausing.

Wireless standards are quite similar to Google Wifi supporting 802.11AC, or Wi-Fi 5, in a dual-band configuration. While Google confidently states AC1200 speeds, Eero leaves that detail out but based on the hardware you should be able to expect similar speeds. Eero does only recommend this system for connections up to 550 Mbps.

Google Wifi vs. eero You can’t go wrong with either option

Each system comes highly recommended; you can’t go wrong here and we can’t stress that enough.

The third-generation eero offers similar performance to Google Wifi and the prices are similar enough. They each offer similar upgrade paths as well with Google Wifi offering compatibility with the faster Nest Wifi routers and eero working with the faster eero Pro 6, eero 6, and unobtrusive eero Beacon.

You can’t go wrong with either system.

Both a single eero and a single Google WiFi will cover approximately 1,500 square feet in a home. While this can seem significant, it’s not 100% efficient and will broadcast more of a sphere around the router. Your secondary router will need to be within the range of this signal and will perform better with a fairly unobstructed line of sight. Luckily both of these systems will support many additional routers to improve your mesh. It’s hard to know if you actually need a mesh system but if you have inconsistent coverage around your home, a mesh can fill in the weak spots more consistently than a powerful standalone router.

You’ll need the Android or iOS app to set up either of these networks. Make sure to grab the Google Wifi app on Android or iOS or the eero app on Android or iOS before disconnecting your old network,

Google Wifi vs. eero Expanding Google Wifi

Expanding your Google Wifi mesh is as simple as it could be. Simply add in more Google Wifi routers or Nest Wifi routers and set them up in the app. As long as you have a connection to the rest of the mesh you are good to go. This can also be accomplished with an Ethernet cable if your home is already wired or you can run one further strengthening your mesh.

If you want to stick with the Google Wifi ecosystem but need a bit more speed, you should check out the newer and faster Nest Wifi compared to Google Wifi. If you need to expand an existing Nest Wifi setup, Google Wifi is a solid option, especially with its dual Ethernet ports.

Google Wifi vs. eero Expanding the eero family

The eero family has grown a lot recently with both older Wi-Fi 5 and newer Wi-Fi 6 options available. If you’re looking to expand your existing eero system, this third-generation eero is a great choice with solid speeds and Ethernet ports on every box. Keep in mind that this eero isn’t as fast as the older eero Pro models or either of the newer Wi-Fi 6 variations.

If you’re building out a system of mixed eeros, do your best to keep the fastest router at the center connected directly to your modem. The remote mesh points will only ever be as fast as their source connection so chaining an eero Pro 6 to a base eero would be a waste of resources. The same goes for the eero 6 though the eero 6 extender cannot be used as a core router. Unless you plan to upgrade to an eero 6 or eero 6 Pro down the line, there’s no benefit to getting the standalone eero 6 extender. You can get the eero Beacon as a compact extender though it is the slowest eero on sale including past eeros.

Google Wifi vs. eero Eero competes on price and wins on flexibility

It’s quite possible to build a great mesh network with both Google Wifi and eero. In this situation, eero’s added flexibility thanks to the other eero products makes it a more versatile router and a better value. Eero continues to be one of the best wireless routers you can get. With eero, it’s even possible to upgrade to a tri-band or eero 6 setup later on if your needs change with this eero making a solid extender.

Fits anywhere

eero

$99 at Amazon

$100 at Best Buy

Affordable mesh with tons of expansion

Eero can form a great mesh on its own but working with the rest of the eero routers, it can be customized for any home. A simple design helps it blend in.

The name you know

Google Wifi

$118 at Amazon

$99 at Walmart

(3-pack) $259 at Best Buy

A simple mesh backed by Google

Google Wifi blankets your home with Wi-Fi coverage simply and securely. Set up additional points with the app to make the network as big as you need it.