Updated November 2026
Data from the official Ubiquiti site.
2026 verdict
The Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 is the pick for a home that wants Wi-Fi with its routing, beating the Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra on radios, mesh and 2.5 GbE ports, though the gateway is cheaper and has one more LAN port.
The Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 is an all-in-one cylinder with tri-band Wi-Fi 7 rated at 10.7 Gbps, three 2.5 GbE LAN ports, a 2.5 GbE WAN plus an SFP+ WAN, VPN and dual-WAN failover. The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra is the wired gateway that starts a UniFi network for very little money, with a 2.5 GbE WAN port, four Gigabit LAN ports, multi-WAN failover and a full VPN stack, but no radio at all. Both run the same UniFi console with no subscription. Buy the Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 if you want routing and Wi-Fi in one box, and the Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra if you already own access points and only need the wired core.
News by email
Still comparing? Get what's new by email
New releases and the smart home news worth knowing, in your inbox.
No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.
| Feature | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £110.78 | £284.00 | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra |
| Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | NO | YES | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 |
| Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | NO | YES | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 |
| Mesh Wi-Fi | NO | YES | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 |
| WPA3 Encryption | NO | YES | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 |
| LAN Port Count | 4 | 3 | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra |
| LAN 2.5 Gbps RJ45 Ports | 0 | 3 | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 |
| MLO (Multi-Link Operation) | NO | YES | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 |
| Rating | 4.6 | 4.6 | Tie |
| WAN & Failover | Multi-WAN, WAN Failover | Multi-WAN, WAN Failover | Tie |
| Parental Controls | Block Content | Wi-Fi Pause Schedules, Instant Wi-Fi Pause, Block Content | Tie |
| VPN | VPN Client, VPN Server, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec VPN, WireGuard VPN | VPN Client, VPN Server, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec VPN, WireGuard VPN, DDNS | Tie |
What the differences mean
Wi-Fi radios
The Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 is an all-in-one with tri-band Wi-Fi 7 and a 6 GHz radio. The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra has no radio, so it only routes and Wi-Fi comes from separate access points.
Wired ports
The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra has four Gigabit LAN ports against the three 2.5 GbE LAN ports of the Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7, so the gateway has one more port but at lower speed. The Dream Router 7 also adds an SFP+ WAN.
Mesh and management
The Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 can mesh with other UniFi units and manages them from its own console. The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra also runs the console but cannot mesh, and its job is routing rather than coverage.
Wireless features
The Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 adds Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6E compatibility, MLO and WPA3. The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra lacks all of these because it has no wireless hardware at all.
Price and role
The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra is the cheaper unit and the one to start a UniFi network with, while the Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 costs more and folds the access point into the same box.
Which one to buy if
- you want Wi-Fi and routing in a single UniFi box
The Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 adds a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 access point to the gateway it already is.
- you already own UniFi access points
The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra is the cheaper wired core that manages them, with no radio to pay for.
- you need more LAN ports than speed on the wired side
Its four Gigabit LAN ports connect one more device than the three 2.5 GbE ports of the Dream Router 7.
- you want 6 GHz and SFP+ in one unit
The Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 carries both, which the wired gateway cannot offer.
£110.78
- + Price: £110.78
- + LAN Port Count: 4
- - Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax): NO vs YES
- - Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): NO vs YES
Winner
£284.00
- + Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax): YES
- + Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): YES
- + Mesh Wi-Fi: YES
- - Price: £284.00 vs £110.78
- - LAN Port Count: 3 vs 4
What owners say
Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra owners describe a wired core that runs for months without a reboot, with snappy interfaces and no random drops, and they single out how much the UniFi console reveals about their own network. The security stack lands well, since intrusion detection and prevention run at the gateway's full 1 Gbps rating and the zone-based firewall, content filtering and ad blocking are included rather than rented, which owners repeatedly contrast with subscription-based gear. Multi-WAN draws praise too: one owner replaced a dedicated load balancer and found traffic stuck to the correct link, and another noted it fails back to the primary connection once it recovers. Their warnings are the learning curve of the console, which takes owners without a networking background an evening or help, and the missing radio and PoE, which make access points a separate purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better overall: Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra or Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7?
The Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7, for most homes, since it combines the same UniFi console with tri-band Wi-Fi 7, 2.5 GbE ports and an SFP+ WAN. The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra is the better buy only when you already have access points and just need a cheaper wired 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, so Wi-Fi needs separate UniFi access points. The Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7 has the radio built in.
Which one has more LAN ports?
The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra has four Gigabit LAN ports, one more than the three 2.5 GbE LAN ports of the Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7, though the Dream Router 7 ports are faster and it adds an SFP+ WAN.
Do both run the same UniFi software?
Yes. Both host the UniFi Network application with no subscription, offering firewall, VLANs, content filtering, VPN and multi-WAN failover, so the difference is the hardware, not the console.
Who should buy the Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router 7?
Buyers who want an all-in-one UniFi device with tri-band Wi-Fi 7, an SFP+ WAN and multiple 2.5 GbE ports, and who do not mind the larger chassis.
Who should buy the Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra?
Owners of UniFi access points who want the cheapest way to add a proper gateway with a firewall, VLANs and a full VPN stack.
Spotted something wrong on this page? Tell us and we will fix it.
Our store on AmazonShop our ideas on AmazonLists of the smart home setups we would put together ourselves, ready to add to your Amazon cart.Shop on AmazonFull comparison table
Compare all 46 Routers side by side
You are looking at two of them. The full table lines up all Routers in the catalog with the same specs, so you can filter by what you need and sort by price or rating.
- 46 Routers
- 82 specs compared
- 76 filters
- Routers
UniFi Express 7
4.6(122) - Routers
Outdoor 7
4.5(784)$399.99 - Routers
39% OFF
Archer AX21
4.4(24.9K)$54.99$89.99 - Routers
7
4.4(2.2K)$169.99 - Routers
Deco X55
4.4(1.7K)$79.99 - Routers
10% OFF
Nighthawk RS700S
4.4(981)$539.99$599.99 - Routers
18% OFFDeco BE23
4.4(823)$204.99$249.99 - Routers
Deco BE63
4.4(339) - Routers
Archer AXE75
4.3(5.5K)$129.99 - Routers
11% OFFArcher BE400
4.3(1.7K)$159.99$179.99 - Routers
Pro 7
4.3(1.6K)$299.99 - Routers
16% OFFArcher AX55 Pro
4.3(1.2K)$79.99$94.99 - Routers
RT-BE88U
4.3(467)$339.00 - Routers
Nighthawk RS140
4.3(459)$179.00 - Routers
Deco BE25
4.3(382)€108.00 - Routers
RT-BE90U
4.3(90)$239.99 - Routers
18% OFFArcher BE230
4.2(1.8K)$98.00$119.99 - Routers
Nighthawk RS90
4.2(1.6K) - Routers
ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro
4.2(617)$684.99 - Routers
12% OFFDeco BE95
4.2(461)$499.99$569.99
