Oh dude, do not get me wrong: I love using LEDE. But it is very far from just works. And people that use it, are not looking for the simplest configs: simple setup that just works is what the stock firmware is for. If I were to pick the best compromise in that category, it would be the routers supported by Asus-Merlin.
Here is the scare list without even going to the VPN.
- Guest WiFi network setup will scare the lights out of non-tech person.
- The need to use ssh and command line is a no-go for a lot of people
- Config file changes in a newer version of a component (adblock, for instance) need to be dealt with manually over ssh and the warnings are only displayed on command line: now a person need to learn to use diff and, actually, first discover it
- Each router has some peculiarities when it comes to running OpenWRT. Most of people buy a router first and then start looking if it is compatible with OpenWRT
- It requires some determination and time to figure out what router to buy
- Recovering a bricked router is a challenge even if possible
- I could go on...
I am not an average user and I still find it challenging and at times time-consuming to maintain a router running LEDE. I am not writing this to say this is bad router OS, far from it: it could one of the best. It is just not for an average and impatient user.
That statement alone confirms exactly what I said. Imagine a busy professional spending this amount of time to configure what they consider a non-essential piece of equipment in their life. They do not think about security and flexibility: they need it set up and out of the way.
I stand by what I said: this is a firmware for hobbyists. It is awesome, but OpenWRT does not help saving the most precious resource of all, time.