NETGEAR Orbi vs. AmpliFi HD

NETGEAR Orbi vs AmpliFi HD

In our article, we’ll talk about the differences between the NETGEAR Orbi vs. AmpliFi HD.

Honestly, there’s quite a few, but the important ones are Orbi’s superior hardware, solid connections, and the extra parental controls when you opt for a subscription plan.

Whereas Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD has an impressive range and a unique Teleport feature.

However, we still feel that NETGEAR Orbi is the superior model due to the fact that AmpliFi lacks voice control capabilities and additional ethernet ports, all of which Orbi has.


The Short Version

NETGEAR Orbi = Tri-band WiFi radios, Simultaneous 2.4GHz, 5GHz WiFi connectivity, 1 Gigabit WAN; 3 Gigabit LAN; One USB 2.0; Orbi Satellite:4 Gigabit LAN ports & One USB 2.0 wired connectivity, compatible w/ MU-MIMO, beamforming, bridge mode, WPA/WPA2-PSK security & network services, reduces WiFi Dead Zones, 1 Router + 1 Satellite up to 5,000 sq ft of range, Quad-core ARM 710MHz processor, 512MB memory & 4GB storage available, parental controls, Premium Circle app & Technical Support after 90-day free trial subscription plans, no Smart LCD screen, includes Alexa support & Google Assistant.

Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD = Dual-band WiFi radios, Simultaneous 2.4GHz, 5GHz WiFi connectivity, 1 Gigabit WAN; 4 Gigabit LAN; One USB 2.0 & One USB-C AmpliFi Satellite: No ports wired connectivity, no MU-MIMO, beamforming, bridge mode, WPA2-PSK security & network services, reduces WiFi Dead Zones, 1 Router + 2 Satellites up to 10,000 sq ft range, 750MHz processor, 128MB memory & 256 MB storage available, parental controls, no subscription plans available, comes w/ smart LCD screen, no Alexa or Google Assistant.

Which one are you getting?

Last update on 2024-03-28 at 16:25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

NETGEAR Orbi vs. AmpliFi HD — Easy Comparison Chart

NETGEAR Orbi Ubiquiti AmpliFi HD
Dimensions8.9” x 6.7” x 3.1”3.9” x 3.9” x 3.9”
ColorWhiteWhite
MU-MIMOYesNo
BeamformingYesYes
Smart LCD ScreenNoYes
WiFi ConnectivityTri-band WiFi radios, Simultaneous 2.4GHz, 5GHzIEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/acDual-band WiFi radios, Simultaneous 2.4GHz, 5GHzIEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
SubscriptionPremium Circle app Technical Support after 90-day free trialNo
Bridge ModeYesYes
Parental ControlYesYes
Security and network servicesWPA/WPA2-PSKWPA2-PSK
Reduces WiFi Dead ZonesYesYes
Range1 Router + 1 Satelliteup to 5,000 sq ft1 Router + 2 Satellitesup to 10,000 sq ft
ProcessorQuad-core ARM 710MHz750MHz
Memory512MB128MB
Wired Connectivity1 Gigabit WAN;
3 Gigabit LAN;
One USB 2.0;
Orbi Satellite:4 Gigabit LAN ports One USB 2.0;
1 Gigabit WAN;
4 Gigabit LAN;
One USB 2.0;
One USB-C
AmpliFi Satellite: No ports
Storage4GB256 MB
Alexa SupportYesNo
Google AssistantYesNo

NETGEAR Orbi vs. AmpliFi HD — What’s Different?

Orbi

Smart LCD Screen – AmpliFi HD includes a smart display LCD screen where you can check in on your network without having to use the app.

While Orbi doesn’t include this type of feature.

Wireless Connectivity – While AmpliFi does feature a dual-band router with simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac radios with speeds of 450Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1300Mbps on 5Ghz., it, unfortunately, doesn’t perform as well s you think it would.

Since its speed tends to drop as the distance increases, which can be a nuisance.

While NETGEAR provides a more reliable network speed with its s Tri-band WiFi radios and simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections.

Voice Control – In terms of voice control, you’ll be glad to know that Orbi supports both Alexa as well as Google Assistant voice commands when paired with an Echo smart device.

However, NETGEAR offers no such compatibility.

Design – In terms of size, the AmpliFi router features a smaller size with its dimension of 3.9 x 3.9 x 3.9’’, compared to Orbi’s 8.9 x 6.7 x 3.1 inches.

Wired Connectivity – Orbi seems to have an edge when it comes to its wired connectivity due to the fact that each of its routers features a USB 2.0 port, that Amplifi lacks.

Subscription – Both routers also include subscription plans to take advantage of as well.
With Orbi you can upgrade to a Premium subscription which includes features such as Bedtime, Time Limits, Usage, Rewards & Offtime.

Whereas for AmpliFi you can get almost all those features free of charge

Units & Range – With AmpliFi you can expect an impressive range of 10000 square ft., while Orbi is a little different.

A single Orbi Router and one satellite can support a range of up to 5000 square feet, and one Orbi network can support up to three satellites and one main router.

Parental Control – While AmpliFi offers Parental Control via its app, Orbi, on the other hand, offers a host of parental controls via the third party Circle App which is developed by Disney, allowing you to easily manage time and content from any device.

AmpliFi Teleport – The unique AmpliFi Teleport feature allows you to create a VPN which lets you access your home network from wherever you happen to be, great to use when you’re out and about.

Unfortunately, Orbi lacks this handy feature.

Hardware – Orbi also comes out ahead when it comes to its hardware since it features an ARM 710MHz processor, 512MB RAM, and 4GB of flash storage, compared to AmpliFi’s 750MHz processor, 128MB memory, and 32MB of storage.

MU-MIMO – Lastly, Orbi also features compatibility with MU-MIMO, otherwise known as multi-user Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output.

This basically means that the network is capable of streaming data to and from multiple devices simultaneously.

Last update on 2024-03-28 at 16:25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API