Category guide
Best local presence sensors for Home Assistant and local-first homes
Comparison tables are useful, but most buyers still want a plainspoken shortlist. The matching guide gives that recommendation layer.
Read the buying guide →Compare category
Presence sensors comparisons
Motion and mmWave sensors for room automations that still feel sane to live with.
Catalog view
Browse presence sensors
Want the full set of product notes with images, outbound product links, and buyer caveats? Jump back to the catalog for this category.
Browse product notes →Strongest overall pick
Apollo MSR-2
Apollo Automation · HA: excellent · local: excellent
integrates natively with Home Assistant via ESPHome with zero cloud dependency
View product notes →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
Aqara Presence Sensor FP1E
Aqara · setup: easy
Zigbee-based Home Assistant setups that want mmWave presence without cloud dependency
See buyer notes →| Criteria | Apollo MSR-2 | Apollo MTR-1 Multi-Target Radar | Apollo R PRO-1 PoE Multisensor | Aqara FP1 | Aqara FP2 | Aqara Presence Sensor FP1E | Aqara Presence Sensor FP300 | Everything Presence Lite | Everything Presence One | Everything Presence One Kit | Philips Hue Motion Sensor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local control | excellent | excellent | excellent | good | okay | good | excellent | excellent | excellent | excellent | good |
| Cloud dependency | low | none | none | low | medium | low | none | low | none | none | low |
| Home Assistant fit | excellent | excellent | excellent | good | good | good | good | excellent | excellent | excellent | good |
| Works offline | yes | yes | yes | yes | partly / no | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Setup difficulty | moderate | moderate | advanced | moderate | moderate | easy | easy | moderate | advanced | advanced | easy |
| Needs extra hub / controller | no | no | no | yes | no | yes | no | no | no | no | yes |
| Power / form factor | USB-C powered sensor | usb | poe | USB-powered sensor | USB-powered sensor | USB-powered | battery | USB-C powered sensor | USB-powered sensor | USB-powered sensor | battery-powered sensor |
| Protocols | wifi, esp-home, bluetooth | wifi, esp-home | wifi, esp-home | zigbee | wifi | zigbee | matter, thread, zigbee | wifi, esp-home | wifi | wifi | zigbee |
| Best for | advanced Home Assistant users who want richer room telemetry | Home Assistant users who want accurate room-level presence detection with multi-target tracking | serious Home Assistant users who want the most accurate presence detection possible | Zigbee Home Assistant users wanting affordable mmWave presence detection | rooms where you need zone-aware presence logic like detecting someone at a desk vs. on a couch | Zigbee-based Home Assistant setups that want mmWave presence without cloud dependency | rooms where you want presence detection plus climate data in a single battery-powered unit | Home Assistant households that want serious local presence sensing | Home Assistant power users wanting the best local presence detection | Home Assistant users who want strong local room occupancy 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
Apollo MTR-1 Multi-Target Radar
Apollo Automation · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Setup: moderate
- Needs extra hub: no / self-contained
- Standout: Multi-target mmWave radar with CO2, temperature, pressure, light, UV, and Bluetooth proxy, all in one ESPHome device.
premium price band
Apollo R PRO-1 PoE Multisensor
Apollo Automation · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Setup: advanced
- Needs extra hub: no / self-contained
- Standout: Dual mmWave radar with PoE power and ceiling mount. Apollo's most capable presence sensor.
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
Aqara Presence Sensor FP1E
Aqara · local control: good · cloud: low
- Setup: easy
- Needs extra hub: yes
- Standout: Zigbee mmWave presence sensor that detects stationary occupancy without cloud dependency.
mid price band
Aqara Presence Sensor FP300
Aqara · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Setup: easy
- Needs extra hub: no / self-contained
- Standout: Battery-powered multi-sensor combining mmWave presence, PIR, light, temperature, and humidity with Thread and Zigbee support.
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
Everything Presence One Kit
Everything Smart Technology · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Setup: advanced
- Needs extra hub: no / self-contained
- Standout: DIY ESPHome kit that combines mmWave presence, PIR motion, and environmental sensing in one local-first board.
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.