Buying guide
Best smart plugs with local control and energy monitoring
Want the opinionated shortlist instead of the raw catalog? Start with the category guide, then come back here for device-by-device caveats.
Read the guide →Category
Smart plugs product notes
Smart plugs with a bias toward local control, reliable switching, and useful power reporting.
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Compare smart plugs
Need a side-by-side view of setup difficulty, local control, cloud dependency, and ecosystem fit? Use the comparison matrix for this category.
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premium price band
Eve Energy
Eve · local control: good · cloud: low
- Home Assistant: good
- Setup: moderate
- Protocols: bluetooth
- Best for: Apple Home households that still care about local-first behavior
mid price band
HomeWizard Energy Socket
HomeWizard · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Home Assistant: excellent
- Setup: easy
- Protocols: wifi
- Best for: EU-based Home Assistant users who want per-device energy monitoring
budget price band
Meross Smart Plug with Energy Monitor (Matter)
Meross · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Home Assistant: good
- Setup: easy
- Protocols: wifi, matter
- Best for: fully local Matter setups with energy tracking
mid price band
Philips Hue Smart Plug
Philips Hue · local control: good · cloud: low
- Home Assistant: good
- Setup: easy
- Protocols: zigbee, bluetooth
- Best for: Hue Bridge owners who want a dumb lamp on the same Zigbee mesh as their Hue lights
mid price band
Shelly Plus Plug S
Shelly · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Home Assistant: excellent
- Setup: easy
- Protocols: wifi, bluetooth
- Best for: European Home Assistant users wanting a fully local smart plug
mid price band
Shelly Plus Plug US
Shelly · local control: excellent · cloud: low
- Home Assistant: excellent
- Setup: easy
- Protocols: wifi, mqtt
- Best for: Home Assistant users who want energy-aware smart plugs
budget price band
SONOFF S31
SONOFF · local control: excellent · cloud: low
- Home Assistant: excellent
- Setup: advanced
- Protocols: wifi
- Best for: Home Assistant tinkerers who want cheap energy-monitoring plugs with Tasmota
budget price band
SONOFF S40 Lite
SONOFF · local control: good · cloud: moderate
- Home Assistant: good
- Setup: moderate
- Protocols: wifi
- Best for: ESPHome enthusiasts who want a flashable energy-monitoring plug
budget price band
ThirdReality 16A Smart Plug EU
ThirdReality · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Home Assistant: good
- Setup: easy
- Protocols: zigbee
- Best for: European Home Assistant users wanting a budget Zigbee smart plug
budget price band
ThirdReality Smart Plug Gen2
ThirdReality · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Home Assistant: good
- Setup: easy
- Protocols: zigbee
- Best for: budget energy monitoring across many devices
budget price band
TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini KP125M
TP-Link · local control: good · cloud: low
- Home Assistant: good
- Setup: easy
- Protocols: wifi, matter
- Best for: Matter smart home setups wanting energy monitoring in a compact plug
mid price band
Zooz ZEN04 800LR Smart Plug
Zooz · local control: excellent · cloud: low
- Home Assistant: excellent
- Setup: moderate
- Protocols: z-wave
- Best for: Home Assistant households with Z-Wave already in the stack
mid price band
Zooz ZEN05 Outdoor Smart Plug
Zooz · local control: excellent · cloud: none
- Home Assistant: excellent
- Setup: easy
- Protocols: z-wave
- Best for: outdoor lighting automation in Z-Wave Home Assistant setups