UniFi vs. eero:
an installer's honest take.

Ubiquiti's UniFi line is managed access points, switches and gateways run from one controller and app. It started in business networking and scales down to homes

Ceiling access points get power and data over a single Ethernet cable from a PoE switch. That means a clean install with no power adapters, and a design built around wired backhaul

Separate networks (VLANs) for guests, smart-home devices and cameras, per-device visibility and remote management. This is where UniFi pulls furthest ahead of consumer mesh

The networking doesn't require a subscription. The cost is mostly upfront: more hardware, Cat6 runs and professional setup

More design and more upfront spend, and a steeper learning curve if you set it up yourself. It works best when planned with cable runs in mind

Larger or multi-story homes, brick or stone construction, 30+ smart devices, cameras, home offices and small businesses

Amazon's consumer mesh WiFi. Each unit is a self-contained router or extender that you set up from a phone app, with no controller and little to configure

Plug-in units placed around the home. Wireless links between units are the default, and you can add Ethernet backhaul between them for better performance

Basic WiFi works without a subscription. Extras such as advanced security and content filtering belong to the optional eero Plus plan, so check the current plan details

Setup and management run through the eero app and an eero account. That's easy for most people, but it offers less low-level control than UniFi

Simple by design. It isn't built for UniFi-style network segmentation or large wired deployments, and every wireless hop between units reduces throughput

Apartments, smaller homes with simple layouts, renters, and anyone who wants set-it-and-forget-it WiFi without a design project

UniFi uses access points that are designed to be wired and managed together. eero uses mesh units that can be wired but are designed to work wirelessly out of the box

Each wireless hop between mesh units reduces available bandwidth, while an Ethernet cable to each access point gives it full speed. You can wire either system, but UniFi is designed around it

A home with cameras, smart locks and dozens of devices should keep them on a separate network from your laptops and phones. UniFi supports this properly; eero is more limited

UniFi costs more at the start and needs no subscription for the networking. eero costs less at the start and has an optional paid plan for extra features

eero is meant to be managed by the homeowner. UniFi can be, but it supports remote management and is a platform an installer can design, tune and support over time

Your home is smaller or has a simple layout, you want easy setup, you're renting, or your budget matters more than control. A good eero system is a real upgrade over an ISP router

Your home is large or multi-story, has brick, stone or plaster walls, runs 30+ devices or cameras, or you want wired access points and separate networks for smart-home gear

Keep it if it works. Consider UniFi if you still have dead spots after adding Ethernet backhaul, you're adding cameras and smart-home devices, or you want segmentation

Start with a WiFi survey. Mapping coverage in your actual home answers this better than a spec sheet, and it's the first step of our free on-site assessment