Winner
$169.99
Updated October 2026
Data from the official eero and Ubiquiti sites.
2026 verdict
The eero 7 wins this router comparison on the strength of its radios and its feature set, even though the Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra is the more affordable and the better reviewed of the two.
These are different machines: the eero 7 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh node with Multi-Link Operation, two 2.5 GbE ports, a Thread border router, a Matter controller and a Zigbee hub, while the Cloud Gateway Ultra broadcasts no Wi-Fi at all. What the Ubiquiti unit brings instead is serious wired routing for the money, with a 2.5 GbE WAN port, four Gigabit LAN ports, multi-WAN load balancing with failover, a full WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPsec and L2TP stack and the UniFi Network application on the box with no subscription. Buy the eero 7 if you want one box to blanket the house and anchor the smart home, and the Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra if you already own access points and want a proper wired core.
Connectivity
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| Feature | eero 7 | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $169.99 | £109.88 | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra |
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.6 | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra |
| Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | YES | NO | eero 7 |
| Mesh Wi-Fi | YES | NO | eero 7 |
| WPA3 Encryption | YES | NO | eero 7 |
| LAN Port Count | 2 | 4 | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra |
| LAN 2.5 Gbps RJ45 Ports | 2 | 0 | eero 7 |
| WAN & Failover | WAN Failover | Multi-WAN, WAN Failover | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra |
| Smart Home Protocols | Thread Border Router, Matter Controller | None | eero 7 |
| VPN | DDNS | VPN Client, VPN Server, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec VPN, WireGuard VPN | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra |
| MLO (Multi-Link Operation) | YES | NO | eero 7 |
| Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | NO | NO | Tie |
What the differences mean
Wi-Fi radios
The eero 7 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh node that broadcasts the network itself. The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra has no radio of any kind, so it only routes, and whole-home Wi-Fi means buying UniFi access points separately.
Wired routing
The Cloud Gateway Ultra brings a 2.5 GbE WAN port, four Gigabit LAN ports, multi-WAN load balancing across up to four links with automatic failover, intrusion prevention and VLANs. The eero 7 offers two 2.5 GbE ports per unit and no traffic segmentation beyond its own networks.
VPN and management depth
The Ubiquiti unit runs WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPsec and L2TP as both server and client, a browser console and configuration backup. The eero 7 has no VPN at all and is managed only from the eero app.
Subscription and control
Most of the eero 7's advanced features, including content filtering, dynamic DNS, a dedicated IoT network and hotspot failover, need the eero Plus subscription. The Cloud Gateway Ultra bundles its filtering, firewall, VPN and controller with no recurring fee.
Smart home hub
The eero 7 doubles as a Thread border router, a Matter controller and a Zigbee hub, so smart home devices join without a bridge. The Cloud Gateway Ultra does none of that, and those devices would still need their own hub.
Which one to buy if
- you want one box to broadcast Wi-Fi and run the smart home
The eero 7 is the mesh node, the Thread border router, the Matter controller and the Zigbee hub in a single unit.
- you already own UniFi access points and want a wired core
The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra is built to route and manage UniFi gear, with no radio to pay for.
- you need VLANs, a configurable firewall or a VPN server
The Cloud Gateway Ultra has the full routing and VPN toolkit the eero 7 lacks.
- you refuse a monthly subscription for network features
Filtering, failover and the controller are included, while several eero 7 extras need eero Plus.
Winner
$169.99
- + Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): YES
- + Mesh Wi-Fi: YES
- + WPA3 Encryption: YES
- - Price: $169.99 vs £109.88
- - Rating: 4.4 vs 4.6
£109.88
- + Price: £109.88
- + Rating: 4.6
- + LAN Port Count: 4
- - Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): NO vs YES
- - Mesh Wi-Fi: NO vs YES
What owners say
Owners of the eero 7 and the Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra praise their own devices for very different reasons. eero 7 owners talk about setup in minutes through the app, stable coverage across floors and a network they can forget about, with the recurring complaint that content filtering, dynamic DNS, a dedicated IoT network and failover sit behind the eero Plus subscription, and that there is no web interface or VPN. Cloud Gateway Ultra owners describe a wired core that runs for months without a reboot, a zone-based firewall and content filtering included rather than rented, and multi-WAN failover that returns to the primary link once it recovers. Their warnings are different too: buyers without a networking background say the UniFi console takes a real evening to learn, and they point out there is no radio and no PoE, so Wi-Fi access points are a separate purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better overall: eero 7 or Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra?
The eero 7 wins as a complete home network, since it broadcasts Wi-Fi 7, meshes, and adds Thread, Matter and Zigbee in one box. The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra is the better buy only if you already run UniFi access points and want a wired, subscription-free gateway.
Does the Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra have Wi-Fi?
No. It is a wired gateway with a 2.5 GbE WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, and no radio. Wi-Fi comes from separate UniFi access points, which this gateway then manages, unlike the eero 7 which broadcasts the network itself.
Does the eero 7 need a subscription?
No for the core network. Wi-Fi, mesh, profiles, guest network, WPA3 and the firewall work without one, but content filtering, dynamic DNS, a dedicated IoT network and hotspot failover require eero Plus, while the Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra includes its equivalents.
Which one handles a second internet connection?
Only the Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra, which supports multi-WAN load balancing and automatic failover across up to four links. The eero 7 has no multi-WAN, and its hotspot failover is subscription-only.
Who should buy the eero 7?
Anyone who wants fast, stable Wi-Fi 7 mesh and a smart home hub in a single app-managed device, without assembling separate access points or learning a network console.
Who should buy the Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra?
Households and small offices that already lean on UniFi gear and want a compact, low-power wired gateway with real firewall, VLAN and VPN features and no recurring fee.
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