Our Top Picks at a Glance
| Model | Best for | Price band | Key spec |
|---|---|---|---|
| GL.iNet GL-MT3000 Beryl AX | Overall | £ | Built-in WireGuard, WiFi 6 |
| Asus RT-AX88U (Merlin) | Power users | £££ | Merlin firmware, 2.5G WAN, 8× Gigabit LAN |
| Netgear Nighthawk R7000 | Budget | ££ | DD-WRT compatible, AC1900 |
If you're also building out the rest of your home network, see our guide to the best routers for a smart home in the UK for a broader look at WiFi hardware.
How we chose these VPN routers
We assessed routers against the criteria that matter most for a UK household adding VPN protection at the network level: native or well-supported WireGuard and OpenVPN handling, real-world throughput rather than marketing figures, how much technical effort is required to get running, and whether the router still functions well as a day-to-day WiFi router once the VPN is configured. We excluded routers that only support VPN pass-through (relaying an existing tunnel rather than running the VPN client themselves) and models that are no longer sold or firmware-supported in the UK, since neither actually protects every device on the network the way a true VPN router does.
Which VPN routers are best for UK homes in 2026?
1. GL.iNet GL-MT3000 Beryl AX — best overall
Who it's for: Anyone who wants a VPN router that just works, straight out of the box, with no firmware flashing required.
The GL.iNet GL-MT3000, marketed as the Beryl AX, is a compact dual-band WiFi 6 router designed explicitly for VPN use. GL.iNet's own firmware ships with full OpenVPN and WireGuard clients and server modes, configurable via a clean web interface. You paste in your VPN provider's configuration file, hit connect, and every device on your network is protected — the whole process takes under five minutes.
Performance-wise, the Beryl AX is impressive for its size. GL.iNet rates WireGuard throughput at around 400 Mbps, which is enough to saturate most UK broadband connections. OpenVPN is slower by nature — expect 50–80 Mbps — but WireGuard is the protocol you should use on modern hardware anyway: it's faster, uses less CPU, and has a smaller code footprint that makes it easier to audit for security vulnerabilities.
The router supports dual-band WiFi 6 (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) with a combined theoretical throughput of up to 3000 Mbps, though real-world speeds depend on your environment and the number of connected devices. Its compact form factor — roughly the size of a deck of cards — also makes it an excellent travel companion if you regularly stay in hotels or use short-term rentals. You connect the Beryl AX to the hotel's ethernet port or WiFi, and your own devices always connect to your encrypted network.
One caveat: the GL-MT3000 only has two LAN ports, so it's not the right choice if you need to wire in many devices. It also lacks advanced firewall features that the Asus and Netgear options offer. For most households though — especially those whose main concern is getting a VPN running quickly — it's the standout pick.
2. Asus RT-AX88U with Merlin Firmware — best for power users
Who it's for: Network enthusiasts and households with many wired devices who want deep VPN control alongside a high-performance primary router.
The Asus RT-AX88U is a full-size WiFi 6 router with eight Gigabit LAN ports and a 2.5G WAN port — an unusual specification at this price class that future-proofs it for multi-gigabit broadband services now rolling out across parts of the UK. Out of the box it runs Asus's ASUSWRT firmware, which includes a VPN client and server. However, the real reason to buy this router is ASUSWRT-Merlin, a community-maintained firmware that adds stability improvements, enhanced VPN policy rules, and a broader range of customisation options unavailable in stock firmware.
With Merlin installed, you can configure selective routing (also called split tunnelling at the router level): some devices tunnel through the VPN while others use your ISP's connection directly. This is useful if, for example, you want your streaming box to use the VPN for one service but not another, or if you need your work laptop to bypass the home VPN entirely. The Merlin project is community-led but widely respected, and has been actively maintained for over a decade.
The RT-AX88U supports both OpenVPN and WireGuard, and at around £249 it sits at the premium end of the consumer market. Its dual-band WiFi 6 covers large homes reliably, and Asus's AiMesh system lets you add compatible nodes if you need to extend coverage — a useful option if you're also thinking about upgrading to a mesh WiFi system.
The main trade-off is complexity. Installing Merlin requires downloading the firmware from the official project site, uploading it through the Asus router interface, and configuring settings manually. It's not difficult for anyone comfortable with routers, but it's a different proposition from the GL.iNet's plug-and-play experience.
3. Netgear Nighthawk R7000 — best budget option
Who it's for: Budget-conscious buyers who are happy to flash custom firmware and don't need WiFi 6.
The Netgear Nighthawk R7000 is an older AC1900 (802.11ac) router that remains one of the most widely recommended DD-WRT compatible routers available. DD-WRT is an open-source Linux-based firmware that transforms compatible consumer routers into enterprise-grade network devices, with full OpenVPN support, detailed firewall rules, QoS, and much more. The R7000 has been supported by DD-WRT for many years, meaning the firmware is stable and well-documented.
New R7000 units are increasingly difficult to find at retail, but the used and refurbished market is healthy — you can typically find one for around £149 or less through UK marketplaces and electronics resellers. At that price, the trade-off versus newer hardware is clear: you're giving up WiFi 6, losing some throughput (AC1900 tops out at 1900 Mbps theoretical combined), and accepting that you'll need to spend time getting DD-WRT configured correctly.
OpenVPN throughput on the R7000 is limited by the router's CPU — expect around 20–40 Mbps depending on encryption settings, which is adequate for browsing and streaming HD video but may be insufficient for 4K or heavy simultaneous use. WireGuard support in DD-WRT has improved significantly in recent builds, and throughput is substantially better than OpenVPN on the same hardware, so it's worth using WireGuard if your VPN provider supports it.
For a household already running a more capable primary router, the R7000 can serve well as a dedicated VPN gateway — positioned between your main router and the devices you want protected.
Check current DD-WRT firmware support status for the R7000 before buying a used unit, since support varies by hardware revision.
Should you skip a VPN router and use a VPN app instead?
If you only need to protect one or two devices — a laptop, say, or a phone — a standard VPN app is simpler and cheaper than buying dedicated hardware. A VPN router earns its place when you want every device on the network covered at once, including smart TVs, consoles, and IoT gadgets that can't run VPN software themselves, or when you want split tunnelling so only some devices use the VPN. If neither applies to your household, skip the router and stick with an app-based subscription.
How to Choose a VPN Router
OpenVPN vs WireGuard
OpenVPN is the established standard: battle-tested, supported by virtually every commercial VPN provider, and highly configurable. Its downside is speed — OpenVPN's overhead and single-threaded architecture limit throughput, particularly on routers with modest processors.
WireGuard is the modern alternative. It uses state-of-the-art cryptography, has roughly 4,000 lines of code (versus OpenVPN's hundreds of thousands), and is far faster on equivalent hardware. Most major UK VPN providers now support WireGuard. If your chosen router and VPN provider both support it, WireGuard should be your default choice.
Firmware options
There are three realistic paths for VPN-capable router firmware in the UK market:
- Manufacturer firmware with native VPN: GL.iNet routers ship with this. Zero effort required; limited advanced configuration.
- ASUSWRT-Merlin: Works on compatible Asus routers. Adds features on top of Asus's stable base; active community support.
- DD-WRT / OpenWrt: Full open-source replacement firmware. Works on hundreds of router models; very powerful; steeper learning curve.
UK-specific considerations
Under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, UK ISPs are required to retain metadata about customer connections for up to 12 months. A VPN encrypts your traffic so your ISP can only see that you're connected to a VPN server — not what you're doing online. This is one reason VPN adoption has grown steadily in the UK, particularly among privacy-conscious households.
Some ISPs also throttle specific traffic types — peer-to-peer traffic being the most commonly cited example. A VPN makes this traffic harder to classify, which can result in more consistent speeds for affected use cases.
Note that a VPN does not make you anonymous and does not bypass all legal obligations. It shifts trust from your ISP to your VPN provider, so choosing a reputable provider with a verified no-logs policy matters as much as the router hardware itself.
What else to look for
Beyond VPN support, look for: enough LAN ports for your wired devices; WiFi standard (WiFi 6 is worth prioritising for a router you expect to use for several years); WAN port speed (2.5G WAN is useful if your broadband is faster than 1 Gbps); and whether the router is compatible with a mesh system if you have a large home. Our home network setup guide for the UK covers these considerations in more detail.
If you're setting up network segmentation — for example, isolating IoT devices from your main devices — see our UK home network VLAN guide for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Related: best router for smart home UK, IoT VLAN setup for Home Assistant, and best mesh WiFi systems UK.
