# DD-WRT

17 Hacker News commenters recommended DD-WRT and 7 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Free open-source router firmware people install on supported routers to replace vendor firmware, valued for stability and features. Critics say it is unstable on less popular routers and feels dated.

## Why people recommend it

- Replaces untrusted preinstalled vendor firmware (3 comments): "easily able to overwrite with a downloaded version from dd-wrt as no one should trust preinstalled firmware on these devices" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50050373)) "I want it to run DD-WRT, but I'll flash it with DD-WRT myself." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50089068)) "I can install it myself, and I already have done" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50050354))
- Stable and reliable once installed (2 comments): "with DD-WRT installed it is very stable and reliable" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46379958)) "it's been an excellent router for years" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47577073))
- Familiar to Linux users (2 comments): "I welcome anything FOSS in general w/ GNU/Linux" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50051406)) "if you like rc.d you'll like DD-WRT" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50050017))

## What people warn about

- Dated, messy, perpetually beta code (3 comments): "Ddwrt is a joke today. I would pay to have it go away forever or finally become mature and not be forever in beta." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50050276)) "Brainslayer never bothered to update from the 2.6.18 kernels the devices came with" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50064457)) "DD-WRT I think of as a messy thing for backporting" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50056727))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [OpenWrt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/openwrt.md): 170 recommend
- [OPNsense](https://hackerapproved.com/p/opnsense.md): 71 recommend
- [pfSense](https://hackerapproved.com/p/pfsense.md): 26 recommend
- [MikroTik RouterOS](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mikrotik-routeros.md): 17 recommend
- [VyOS](https://hackerapproved.com/p/vyos.md): 13 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "DD-WRT", https://hackerapproved.com/p/dd-wrt/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).