MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)
MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR): A perpetual-license virtual RouterOS with extensive routing, VPN, firewall and cloud options. Ranked #13 of 25 in Virtual Routers Software by our editors (7.9/10); pricing: Free plan · 60-day trial; best for budget-conscious teams wanting a feature-rich virtual router.
At a glance
- Editor score7.9 / 10
- PricingFree plan · 60-day trial
- Best forBudget-conscious teams wanting a feature-rich virtual router
- Free planYes
- Paid from$45 one-time
- Deployment typeVirtual machine
- Facts checked24 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Supports static, VRF, policy-based, ECMP and dynamic routing
- Includes IPsec, WireGuard, OpenVPN and other tunnel protocols
- Runs on major hypervisors and documented cloud environments
Where it doesn't
- Free tier limits upload to 1 Mbps per interface
- Deployment requires importing or launching a virtual machine image
- Throughput depends on the selected speed tier and license
Our verdict on MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)
MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) is a virtualized edition of RouterOS for x86-64 virtual machines. It brings routing, firewall, VPN and network-management capabilities to local or cloud deployments, with images for common hypervisors and cloud environments. CHR suits small teams, mid-market organizations and enterprises that want a software router they can run on their own virtual infrastructure rather than dedicated hardware.
Its perpetual licensing model keeps the plan structure straightforward. The Free plan runs indefinitely but limits upload to 1 Mbps per interface. P1 costs $45 one time and raises upload to 1 Gbps per interface, while P10 costs $95 one time for 10 Gbps per interface. P-Unlimited costs $250 one time and removes the speed limit. Paid licenses are perpetual and transferable, and the product includes 60-day trials. This makes the lower tiers suitable for cost-sensitive deployments, while higher tiers target workloads requiring more interface throughput.
CHR supports VMware, Hyper-V, VirtualBox, KVM and Xen, and MikroTik supplies RAW, VMDK, VHDX and VDI images. Cloud deployment guidance covers AWS, Hetzner Cloud, Linode, Google Compute Engine and Vultr. Routing options include RIP, OSPF, BGP, RIPng, OSPFv3, BFD, VRF, policy-based routing and ECMP; VPN support includes IPsec, IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard and additional tunnel protocols. VRRP enables redundancy and failover configurations. Choose CHR if you need extensive RouterOS capabilities in a virtual machine and prefer one-time licensing. Teams seeking a non-virtual appliance or a free tier without throughput limits should consider alternatives.
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MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) pricing
All 4 MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) plans and prices →
MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $45 one-time |
| Deployment type | Virtual machine |
| Routing protocols | RIP v1/v2, OSPFv2, BGP v4, RIPng, OSPFv3, BGP, BFD |
| Max throughput | 1000 Mbps |
| VPN support | Yes |
| High availability | Yes |
| Cloud platforms | AWS, Hetzner Cloud, Linode, Google Compute Engine, Vultr |
| Free trial | 60 days |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, macOS |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan · 60-day trial (source) |
| Website | mikrotik.com |
| Facts checked | 24 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)
- Arista CloudEOSA cloud-ready virtual router for enterprise WAN, VPN, and multi-cloud routing.9.2
- Juniper vMXJunos-based virtual routing for service providers and enterprises needing MX edge capabilities.9.0
- Nokia Virtualized Service RouterA service-provider-focused virtual router spanning IP/MPLS, broadband, NAT and IPsec functions.8.9
See all MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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