#11 of 18 firewall and router platforms · Updated October 2026
MikroTik RouterOS review 2026
MikroTik RouterOS (x86 licences and Cloud Hosted Router) · Dependable builder
MikroTik RouterOS ranks #11 of 18 firewall and router platforms in the Firewall and Router Ledger 2026, with a Ledger Index of 53.1 out of 100. RouterOS gives deep routing and perpetual low-cost licences on any x86 VM, with no threat engine and three KEV entries in September 2026.
Scores
Source: Firewall and Router Ledger 2026, edition 2026-10-16. How each score works: methodology.
Pros
- Routing and WAN4/5
Cons
- Threat protection0.5/5
- Platform security and lifecycle1/5
What the Ledger says
RouterOS scores on what network engineers buy it for: BGP, OSPF, MPLS, VRFs and queues, licensed once for a few dollars and running on any x86 hypervisor through CHR. It loses most of its points in threat protection, where there is no engine at all, and in the security record, where three CISA KEV entries in September 2026 including one exploited SSH flaw take 1.5 points off the lifecycle line. The buyer-side numbers are among the lowest risks in the Ledger because licences never expire and patches are free. The one thing a buyer should check is the patch process: the same month produced an incomplete fix and a critical WebFig flaw, and MikroTik publishes no support windows, so someone has to own the update cadence. Treat it as a router with a stateful firewall, and pair it with a separate IPS if threat protection matters.
RouterOS has no AI in threat detection, no assistant and no AI platform. Its REST API is open enough that community MCP servers exist, and that is the whole AI story.
Capability by area
Buying, lock-in and release record
Buying and licence (commercial risk)(lower is better)
- Price and licence volatility0.5
- No change found since 2023; the published levels (x86 $45, $95, $250; CHR $45, $95, $250) sit on undated pages
- Purchase constraints1
- Perpetual licences in any quantity, a free CHR level and a Level 1 demo; an x86 licence level cannot be changed after purchase
- Channel and access1
- Open downloads and free patches without a subscription; sold through distributors and the MikroTik store; partner terms not published
- Owner stability1.5
- Founder-owned private company since 1996 with no acquisitions; a single mid-sized company is the dependency
- Cost of staying supported0.5
- Licences never expire and all upgrades are free
Technical lock-in(lower is better)
- Formats3
- Configuration lives as RouterOS script export text; binary backups are tied to the version
- Export path3
- The text export is readable but no converter to or from other vendors exists
- Stack coupling1
- Runs alone; no management cloud required
- Hardware / cloud coupling1.5
- CHR runs on any x86 hypervisor fully offline; ARM only on MikroTik hardware
- Skills and tooling coupling3
- RouterOS syntax and Winbox are vendor specific, though trained people are plentiful
Release credibility
- Cadence3.5
- Stable and long-term point releases every few weeks (7.24 on 2026-08-14, 7.23.8 and 6.49.23 on 2026-10-09); no published schedule
- Roadmap transparency2.5
- Detailed public changelogs and public beta threads on the forum; no roadmap page and no stated direction beyond beta changelogs
- Say-do2.5
- MikroTik announces almost nothing in advance; v7 spent about two years in beta before 7.1 shipped on 2021-12-01, and the CVE-2026-67278 fix needed a second release
- Velocity4
- 7.20 to 7.24 brought a routing filter wizard, packet steering, container controls, post-quantum SSH and VRF offload within one year
- Lifecycle stability3.5
- v6 still receives releases five years after v7 shipped, a long-term channel exists and upgrades are in place; support windows are not published
Partners and services
- Partner programme openness3
- Distributor network, certified consultants and training partners; programme terms not published
- Multi-tenancy and self-service1.5
- VRFs and User Manager; no multi-tenant console or self-service portal
- API and infrastructure-as-code3
- REST API and binary API cover the configuration; Terraform and Ansible content is community-maintained
- Skills and certification4
- MikroTik runs its own multi-level certification track (programme page not fetched)
Alternatives to MikroTik RouterOS
Questions about MikroTik RouterOS
Is MikroTik RouterOS any good?
MikroTik RouterOS ranks #11 of 18 firewall and router platforms in the Firewall and Router Ledger 2026, with a Ledger Index of 53.1 out of 100. Its strongest areas are routing and wan. Its weakest are threat protection, platform security and lifecycle.
What are the best alternatives to MikroTik RouterOS?
The closest by Ledger Index are SonicWall NSv (52.7), WatchGuard Firebox (52.5), Barracuda CloudGen (54.2), OpenWrt (51.8).
How is MikroTik RouterOS licensed and sold?
No change found since 2023; the published levels (x86 $45, $95, $250; CHR $45, $95, $250) sit on undated pages.
How much lock-in does MikroTik RouterOS bring?
MikroTik RouterOS scores 11.5 out of 25 on technical lock-in (lower is better). Export path: The text export is readable but no converter to or from other vendors exists.
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