TP-Link Archer BE800 vs BE900 comparison – which is worth buying? In case you’re thinking about switching to Wi-Fi 7 but can’t afford to buy a high-end mesh Wi-Fi system like the TP-Link Deco BE85, the Archer BE800 or Archer BE900 offer a more cost-effective choice in a completely new design.
Price
At $599, the Archer BE800 is little less expensive than the $599 Archer BE900. For an extra $100, you can obtain the Archer BE900 with a touchscreen display instead of the LED display found on the Archer BE800, as well as a few more ports and a faster maximum Wi-Fi speed.
TP-Link Archer BE800 vs BE900 comparison
| Archber BE800 | Archer BE900 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $599 | $699 |
| Dimensions | 11.9 x 10.3 x 3.8 inches | 11.9 x 10.3 x 3.8 inches |
| Max Wi-Fi speed | 18 Gbps | 24 Gbps |
| Wi-Fi bands | 6 GHz, 5 Ghz, 2.4 GHz | 6 GHz, 5 GHz x 2, 2.4 GHz |
| Wi-Fi capacity | 12 streams | 16 streams |
| Antennas | 8 | 12 |
| Ports | 1 x 10 Gbps WAN/LAN, 1 x 10 Gbps SFP+/RJ45 WAN/LAN, 4 x 2.5 Gbps LAN, 1 x USB 3.0 | 1 x 10 Gbps WAN/LAN, 1 x 10 Gbps SFP+/RJ45 WAN/LAN, 4 x 2.5 Gbps LAN, 1 x 1 Gbps LAN, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0 |
| LED screen | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | No | Yes |
TP-Link Archer BE800 vs BE900 comparison
Display
The Archer BE800 just has a 3-inch monochrome LED display above the TP-Link branding because it is the less expensive of the two. This large dot display not only gives the router a distinctive appearance, but it can also show the text, emojis, weather, and time with over 3,000 customisable visuals that you can select from via the TP-Link Tether app.
The Archer BE900, on the other hand, has two screens: a touchscreen display beneath the same 3-inch LED display as the Archer BE800. This touchscreen display serves as the router’s dashboard, providing you with information such as the date, time, and weather in addition to metrics like the router’s CPU and memory utilisation and the number of clients connected to your home network.
Ports
Essentially, the Archer BE900 is the BE800 with an additional 5GHz band, an additional Gigabit LAN connector, and a new USB 2.0 port. It is more similar to the Archer AXE300, TP-Link’s previous quad-band router, thanks to these half-bands.
Antenna
The quantity of antennae on these two Wi-Fi 7 routers is another feature that distinguishes them. Whereas the Archer BE900 has twelve antennae, the Archer BE800 has eight antennas at the top of the device. Adding more antennas to your home network can increase its coverage and range for connected devices.
Device connection
I’ve tried comparing and contrasting the two, and the only things that stand out are that the 900 has four extra antennae to support a fifth 5GHz signal, it can handle more than 200 devices (compared to 100 for the BE800), and it has an extra 1GB connector.
Band width
The speedier 6Ghz band, which was first introduced with Wi-Fi 6E, is supported by both the Archer BE800 and Archer BE900 routers since they are Wi-Fi 7 devices. On the other hand, the Archer BE900 is a quad-band router while the Archer BE800 is a tri-band router.
If you have a multi-gig internet service, the Archer BE800 can attain a maximum speed of 18 Gbps using the 6 GHz, 5 GHz, and 2.4 GHz bands. These three bands, as well as an additional 5 GHz band, are available to you with the Archer BE900.
TP-Link Archer BE800 vs BE900 Similarity
Both the Archer BE800 and the Archer BE900 are Wi-Fi 7 routers that share a similar design language and, at 11.9 x 10.3 x 3.8 inches, resemble desktop PCs more than any other router we have seen. Their form resembles a large shoe box with a V-shaped pinch in the middle, as described by TP-Link. Because of this, the Archer BE800 and Archer BE900 are designed to be placed upright on a table or bookshelf.
