Strongest overall pick
Apollo MSR-2
Apollo Automation · HA: excellent · local: excellent
excellent Home Assistant fit
View product notes →Compare category
Presence sensors comparisons
Motion and mmWave sensors for room automations that still feel sane to live with.
Best local-control posture
Apollo MSR-2
Apollo Automation · works offline: yes
A strong privacy and local-control option because core value comes from local ESPHome integration, not account-tied cloud services.
Why it stands out →Easiest starting point
Philips Hue Motion Sensor
Philips Hue · setup: easy
buyers who want easy dependable motion-based automation
See buyer notes →| Criteria | Apollo MSR-2 | Aqara FP1 | Aqara FP2 | Everything Presence Lite | Everything Presence One | Philips Hue Motion Sensor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local control | excellent | good | okay | excellent | excellent | good |
| Cloud dependency | low | low | medium | low | none | low |
| Home Assistant fit | excellent | good | good | excellent | excellent | good |
| Works offline | yes | yes | partly / no | yes | yes | yes |
| Setup difficulty | moderate | moderate | moderate | moderate | advanced | easy |
| Needs extra hub / controller | no | yes | no | no | no | yes |
| Power / form factor | USB-C powered sensor | USB-powered sensor | USB-powered sensor | USB-C powered sensor | USB-powered sensor | battery-powered sensor |
| Protocols | wifi, esp-home, bluetooth | zigbee | wifi | wifi, esp-home | wifi | zigbee |
| Best for | advanced Home Assistant users who want richer room telemetry | Zigbee Home Assistant users wanting affordable mmWave presence detection | advanced room-level presence automations | Home Assistant households that want serious local presence sensing | Home Assistant power users wanting the best local presence detection | buyers who want easy dependable motion-based automation |
mid price band
Apollo MSR-2
Apollo Automation · local control: excellent · cloud: low
- Setup: moderate
- Needs extra hub: no / self-contained
- Standout: Dense multi-sensor package for Home Assistant users who want more than simple motion triggers.
mid price band
Aqara FP1
Aqara · local control: good · cloud: low
- Setup: moderate
- Needs extra hub: yes
- Standout: Affordable Zigbee mmWave presence sensor — detects stationary occupancy, not just motion.
premium price band
Aqara FP2
Aqara · local control: okay · cloud: medium
- Setup: moderate
- Needs extra hub: no / self-contained
- Standout: Zone-based mmWave presence sensing instead of basic motion-only triggers.
mid price band
Everything Presence Lite
Everything Smart Home · local control: excellent · cloud: low
- Setup: moderate
- Needs extra hub: no / self-contained
- Standout: Combines mmWave presence sensing with ESPHome-level Home Assistant friendliness.
mid price band
Everything Presence One
Everything Smart Technology · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Setup: advanced
- Needs extra hub: no / self-contained
- Standout: Open-source ESPHome multi-sensor with mmWave presence — the local-first gold standard.
mid price band
Philips Hue Motion Sensor
Philips Hue · local control: good · cloud: low
- Setup: easy
- Needs extra hub: yes
- Standout: Easy, low-drama Zigbee motion sensing that fits mainstream homes better than most enthusiast mmWave gear.