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Networking · head to head

MikroTik RouterOS vs OpenWrt

MikroTik RouterOS logo

MikroTik RouterOS

Networking

Router and network operating system with a one-time perpetual licence rather than a recurring subscription

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenWrt logo

OpenWrt

Operating Systems

Linux firmware replacement for routers and embedded network devices, with a package manager and writable filesystem

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenWrt has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: MikroTik RouterOS the management interface and overall polish are less refined than enterprise competitors like Cisco or Juniper, and the learning curve for advanced configuration is real; OpenWrt support is per device and per hardware revision, so a model number that worked last year may point at a different chipset this year and be unsupported.
  • They diverge on capability: MikroTik RouterOS covers Full routing and firewall stack, OpenWrt covers Package manager.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MikroTik RouterOS and OpenWrt actually diverge.

Attributes where MikroTik RouterOS and OpenWrt differ
AttributeMikroTik RouterOSOpenWrt
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchase, per licence levelOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebRouters, Access points, x86-64, ARM, MIPS, Embedded gateways
CategoryNetworkingOperating Systems

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in MikroTik RouterOS

  • Full routing and firewall stack
  • Perpetual licensing
  • Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)
  • Winbox and CLI management
  • Wireless and VLAN support

Only in OpenWrt

  • Package manager
  • LuCI web interface
  • Traffic shaping
  • VPN and DNS
  • VLAN and multi-network
  • OpenWrt One

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

MikroTik RouterOS

  • A network engineer or small ISP wanting capable BGP and firewall routing hardware at a lower total cost than Cisco or Juniper equivalentsnot OpenWrt
  • An organisation that specifically wants to avoid ongoing recurring licence dependency for core routing hardwarenot OpenWrt
  • A team wanting to run RouterOS as a virtual router in the cloud (CHR) with its own separate perpetual licensing tiersnot OpenWrt
  • A hobbyist or small business self-managing network infrastructure without a vendor support contractnot OpenWrt

OpenWrt

  • Extending the useful life of an ISP-supplied router that has stopped receiving security updatesnot MikroTik RouterOS
  • Separating guest, IoT and work devices onto VLANs on hardware that does not offer it nativelynot MikroTik RouterOS
  • Running WireGuard, ad blocking or DNS over TLS at the edge rather than configuring every clientnot MikroTik RouterOS
  • Building small industrial or retail gateways where a full Linux distribution is too heavynot MikroTik RouterOS

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

MikroTik RouterOS

  • The management interface and overall polish are less refined than enterprise competitors like Cisco or Juniper, and the learning curve for advanced configuration is real
  • Formal vendor support is thinner than what an enterprise buyer gets from Cisco or Juniper; community forums and documentation are the primary self-support resource
  • Feature and licence-level naming (Level 3 through Level 6, and separately Free/P1/P10/P-Unlimited on CHR) is confusing enough that buyers commonly need to research which level a given deployment actually requires
  • Perpetual licensing on hardware, while avoiding a recurring fee, also means MikroTik has less ongoing incentive to keep pushing free feature updates to a specific licence level indefinitely, and major version jumps sometimes bring new requirements
  • Hardware build quality and long-term reliability at the low end of MikroTik's range is more variable than higher-priced enterprise-grade routing hardware
  • Security patch cadence and past history of vulnerabilities in RouterOS mean patching discipline matters more without vendor-managed cloud updates the way Meraki or Mist provide automatically

OpenWrt

  • Support is per device and per hardware revision, so a model number that worked last year may point at a different chipset this year and be unsupported.
  • Flashing can brick a device permanently, and on hardware without a serial console or a recovery bootloader there is no way back.
  • Devices with 4MB or 8MB of flash have been dropped from recent releases, so a lot of older hardware is stuck on unsupported versions with known vulnerabilities.
  • Hardware acceleration for NAT and routing depends on vendor drivers, and enabling traffic shaping frequently cuts a gigabit connection to a fraction of its rated throughput.
  • A sysupgrade keeps your configuration but not your installed packages, so every release upgrade is followed by reinstalling and reconfiguring add-ons by hand.

Pricing, plan by plan

MikroTik RouterOS

On request
  • RouterOS (bundled with hardware)$undefined/one-time
    • Licence level included with the router purchase price
    • Perpetual, does not expire
  • Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)$undefined/one-time
    • Free tier available with throughput limits
    • P1, P10 and P-Unlimited perpetual licence levels
    • 60-day trial on paid levels

OpenWrt

Free
  • OpenWrtFree
    • No licence fee for any device count
    • All packages from the official feeds
    • Community support via forum and wiki

Which should you pick?

Choose MikroTik RouterOS if

  • You need full routing and firewall stack.
  • You also want perpetual licensing.
MikroTik RouterOS review

Choose OpenWrt if

  • You need package manager.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Routers, Access points, x86-64, ARM, MIPS, Embedded gateways.
  • You also want luci web interface.
OpenWrt review

Questions people ask

Is MikroTik RouterOS or OpenWrt better?
Neither clearly leads. MikroTik RouterOS starts at On request and OpenWrt at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MikroTik RouterOS or OpenWrt?
OpenWrt has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for MikroTik RouterOS and Free for OpenWrt.
Does MikroTik RouterOS or OpenWrt run on more platforms?
MikroTik RouterOS runs on Web. OpenWrt runs on Routers, Access points, x86-64, ARM, MIPS, Embedded gateways.
Can I use OpenWrt for free?
Yes. OpenWrt has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. MikroTik RouterOS starts at On request.
What is MikroTik RouterOS best used for?
MikroTik RouterOS is most often used for a network engineer or small isp wanting capable bgp and firewall routing hardware at a lower total cost than cisco or juniper equivalents, an organisation that specifically wants to avoid ongoing recurring licence dependency for core routing hardware, a team wanting to run routeros as a virtual router in the cloud (chr) with its own separate perpetual licensing tiers, a hobbyist or small business self-managing network infrastructure without a vendor support contract. Of those, a network engineer or small isp wanting capable bgp and firewall routing hardware at a lower total cost than cisco or juniper equivalents and an organisation that specifically wants to avoid ongoing recurring licence dependency for core routing hardware are not what OpenWrt is typically brought in for.
What can MikroTik RouterOS do that OpenWrt cannot?
MikroTik RouterOS covers Full routing and firewall stack, Perpetual licensing, Cloud Hosted Router (CHR), Winbox and CLI management. OpenWrt covers Package manager, LuCI web interface, Traffic shaping, VPN and DNS.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MikroTik RouterOS: Does a MikroTik router stop working if I stop paying anything?

No, the RouterOS licence bundled with hardware is a one-time purchase and does not expire or require ongoing payment.

OpenWrt: How do I know my router is supported?

Check the Table of Hardware for your exact model and revision before buying or flashing. Do not assume that a supported model number means a supported unit; manufacturers change chipsets within a model.

MikroTik RouterOS: Is CHR licensed the same way as physical hardware?

It uses its own separate perpetual licence tiers (Free, P1, P10, P-Unlimited) rather than the Level 3-6 scheme used on physical hardware.

OpenWrt: Is the OpenWrt One worth buying over a used router?

If you are evaluating OpenWrt rather than rescuing hardware you own, yes. It is supported by definition, has an unbrickable boot arrangement, and part of the price funds the project.

MikroTik RouterOS: Can I upgrade a licence level later?

Yes, upgrading to a higher licence level is possible at the price difference between levels rather than buying a new licence outright.

OpenWrt: Will flashing void my warranty?

Almost always, and it may also break the ISP remote management your provider relies on for support. Keep the stock firmware image before you start.

OpenWrt: Is opkg still the package manager?

It is in the current stable releases, but development has moved towards apk, so expect package tooling and command syntax to change at the next major release.

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