TP-Link Deco M9 Plus
The TP-Link Deco M9 Plus bows to no one when it comes to fast, tri-band mesh routers. With fast AC2200 speeds and a smart hub, this router brings big power to a fairly compact design that can fit in anywhere in your home.
Eero Pro
When it comes to style, The Eero pro takes home the trophy with its small square housing concealing the capable router inside. With speeds good enough for most users and a ton expansion options, the Eero Pro can create a solid mesh network.
The TP-Link Deco M9 Plus is the most powerful router in the Deco range. It offers strong features like a ZigBee smart home hub alongside powerful tri-band antennas giving each Deco M9 Plus mesh point 2,000 sq ft of coverage at AC2200 speeds. These features, next to a competitive price in a reasonably small package, make the Deco M9 Plus an easy recommendation. The Eero Pro mesh router provides similar features such as a tri-band connection and a small and attractive design, but its price so far above its competitors makes it much harder to recommend.
More brute force but still clever
Eero is a little more tight-lipped about its top speeds than TP-Link stating only that the Eero Pro is capable of 600Mbps at 5GHz and 240Mbps at 2.4Ghz. This is less than the 867Mbps and 400Mbps, respectively, that TP-Link claims the Deco M9 Plus can deliver.
This speed difference will come to light as future devices demand more of our connection as websites and streaming gets more require more data. At the end of the day, TP-Link leaves more room for growth on its router even though the speeds of both brands will be enough for most people currently.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | TP-Link Deco M9 Plus | Eero Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi standards | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| MU-MIMO support | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Ethernet ports | 2 | 2 |
| Smart home hub | ZigBee | none |
| Dimensions | 144mm x 46mm | 121mm x 121mm x 32mm |
| Coverage (sq ft) | 2,000 | 1,500 |
The TP-Link Deco M9 Plus packs in the sort of performance you would expect from a full size router in a very compact form. TP-Link says that each additional Deco M9 Plus is good for 2,000 sq ft of coverage. Providing less at 1,500 sq ft of coverage, Eero Pro is going to require more mesh points to cover a large house.
Since these can both mesh, how much space you cover depends on how many units you link up. With Eero's higher cost per unit, you will likely spend much more on a complete Eero network.
Build it and forget it
The Eero Pro comes in a seriously small package at only 121mm across and 32mm tall. Many people will be willing to take the speed and coverage hit so they can build a network with equipment that is easily concealed or can hide in plain sight. This is the Eero Pro's strongest feature.
That is not to say that the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus is big, coming in at 144mm diameter and 46mm tall. The Deco M9 Plus distinguishes itself with a weather radar-like bump on one side. Appearance is one of the few areas where the Eero Pro stands above the Deco M9 Plus.
A smart hub and a smart family
A mesh network built from either product can be expanded with more mesh points. The Eero Pro can mesh with more of the same or a smaller and less powerful Eero Beacon. TP-Link also provides some options with three different models of Deco units available depending on the needs of a specific room or area of the house. This can all be set up with an app on your smartphone.
Finally, the Deco M9 Plus has a ZigBee hub built in to get the most of your smart home devices without a separate hub. If you have or plan to install smart devices, the Deco M9 Plus can eliminate the need for another, separate smart home hub.
Eero shows up with a nice look and a easy-to-conceal approach to mesh networking and it remains one of the best wireless routers you can buy, but it just can't compete when it comes to specs and features. The TP-Link Deco M9 Plus is easily the better value with its lower price tag and stronger feature set. It continues to impress in speed and coverage and can serve as an excellent base to a strong and reliable home mesh network.
Everything your mesh needs and then some
Building a mesh network at home with the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus gives you a strong base that can be expanded as needed. The fast AC2200 Wi-Fi speeds and tri-band Wi-Fi will make sure the core of your mesh is strong.
Subtle design and still enough for most people
Easy to hide and powerful enough for most usage, the Eero Pro is a solid upgrade to an ISP provided router or an older Wi-Fi 4 router. Adding in mesh points means you can cover even a large home with the addition of additional mesh points.
