TP-Link Archer AX10 AX1500 vs AX73 AX5400: Which wifi 6 router one should you buy?

Get the AX1500 (Archer AX10 / AX12) if you are on a 100-200 Mbps plan with a standard home setup. Get the Archer AX73 Ax5400 if you are on 500 Mbps or above, have a large home, run 30+ devices, or need features like USB storage and Link Aggregation for a NAS or CCTV setup. Both are Wi-Fi 6 routers, but they serve meaningfully different users. The AX1500 is a capable entry-level option that handles everyday streaming, gaming, and browsing without issues. The AX73 is a full-performance router with a 4x4 radio, 160 MHz channel support, and hardware built for heavier loads

First, a clarification: "AX5400" is a speed class, not a product name. 

What separates AX1500 and AX5400?

The AX1500 is a 2x2 router. The AX73 ax500 is 4x4. This refers to the number of spatial streams on the 5 GHz radio, and it matters more than the speed class number.

Think of it like highway lanes. A 2x2 router is a 2-lane road: fast enough for most traffic, but when multiple Wi-Fi 6 devices all want bandwidth simultaneously, they queue. A 4x4 router is 4 lanes: it can serve four streams to different devices at the same time. For a household with newer laptops, phones, and smart TVs that all support Wi-Fi 6, the AX73 uses that capability. The AX1500 cannot.

There is another difference that Dong Knows Tech's review of the AX10 specifically flagged: the AX10 does not support 160 MHz channel width on 5 GHz. This caps its wireless ceiling at around 1.2 Gbps even with a Wi-Fi 6 client. The AX73, with its 4x4 radio and full 160 MHz support, can reach up to 4804 Mbps theoretical on 5 GHz. In a real home you will never see those numbers, but in practical terms on a 500 Mbps or Gigabit plan, the AX73 removes the ceiling the AX1500 hits.

Specs at a glance

Two things the AX73(AX5400) can do that the AX1500 cannot

USB storage sharing. Plug an external drive into the AX73's USB 3.0 port and it becomes a basic NAS accessible by every device on your network. You can also use it as an FTP server for remote access. The AX1500 has no USB port at all.

Link Aggregation. The AX73 lets you bond two LAN ports together, giving a single connected device like a NAS up to 2 Gbps of wired throughput. The AX1500 cannot do this. For anyone running local file transfers or CCTV backup to a NAS, this is a meaningful difference.

One limitation of the AX73

Its 2.4 GHz performance is weaker than expected for a router at this price. In independent testing, Networks Hardware measured only 44.79 Mbps on 2.4 GHz at close range, which is worse than the cheaper AX50. An Amazon India reviewer confirmed this and found a fix: disable Air Time Fairness in the router settings and set 2.4 GHz to 40 MHz only. This resolves most of the underperformance. If you have a lot of IoT devices on 2.4 GHz, know this going in.

Which one is for you?

Buying fresh: Get the AX1500 if your plan is 200 Mbps or below, you have a standard 2-3BHK, and your devices are a mix of phones, laptops, and one smart TV. Get the AX73 if you are on 500 Mbps or above, have a large home with concrete walls, run 30+ devices, want USB storage, or need Link Aggregation for a NAS or CCTV setup.

Already have an AX1500: Upgrading makes sense if your broadband plan has moved to 500 Mbps or above and you are not getting those speeds wirelessly, or if your device count has grown past 20-25 active devices and you are noticing congestion. If neither applies, the AX1500 is still doing its job.