Both have a 10 Gbit/s WAN. The BE86U is newer and cheaper, the AX89X has more ports.
Short answer
ASUS RT-BE86U - Wi-Fi 7, 4 × 2.5 Gbit/s LAN, 2.6 GHz CPU, cheaper. RT-AX89X - 8 LAN, SFP+, 2 × USB 3.0, 8 antennas.
Key differences
| Spec | ASUS RT-BE86U | ASUS RT-AX89X |
|---|---|---|
| Type | router | router |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7, BE6800 | Wi-Fi 6, AX6000 |
| Wi-Fi speed | 1032 + 5764 Mbit/s | 1148 + 4804 Mbit/s |
| Bands | 2.4 + 5 GHz | 2.4 + 5 GHz |
| WAN | 1 × 10 Gbit/s | 1 × 10 Gbit/s + SFP+ 10 Gbit/s |
| LAN | 4 × 2.5 Gbit/s | 8 × 1 Gbit/s |
| 4G LTE | no | via USB modem |
| USB | USB 3.0 + USB 2.0 | 2 × USB 3.0 |
| Antennas | — | 8 external |
| Mesh | AiMesh | AiMesh |
| Processor | 4 cores, 2.6 GHz | — |
| RAM / flash | 1024 / 256 MB | — |
| VPN | yes | yes |
| Dimensions, weight | 235×90×316 mm, 854 g | 1280 g |
| Price | current prices | current prices |
Specs come from the device pages on Smartphone.ua.
Wi-Fi
1032 + 5764 vs 1148 + 4804 Mbit/s.
Ports
4 × 2.5 Gbit/s vs 8 × 1 Gbit/s and SFP+.
Body
854 vs 1280 g.
Verdict: who should buy which
- The new standard and price - ASUS RT-BE86U.
- Many wired devices - ASUS RT-AX89X.
FAQ
Is the WAN the same?
Yes, 10 Gbit/s.
Is there AiMesh?
Yes, on both.
Which is cheaper?
The ASUS RT-BE86U.