When you want to start your smart home project, you consider buying devices to control your blinds, lights, heating and other aspects. These smart devices usually communicate with home automation technology such as Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread (for Matter), EnOcean or simply use the WIFI we all know.
Index
Which home automation technology to choose?
For more clarity when choosing smart devices, I share with you this comparison between the different popular technologies on the market.
| ZIGBEE | WIFI | Thread (for Matter) | Z-Wave | EnOcean | Other (DIO etc) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz | 868 MHz (Europe) | 868 MHz (Europe) | 433 MHz |
| Range of communication | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Secure communications | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐ |
| Mesh network | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Price of the devices | € | € | € | €€ | €€€ | € |
| Number of devices for sale | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Adjustable parameters | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ | ⭐ |
| Low energy consumption | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| State return | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Direct association | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Compatibility between devices | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Using the device without a hub | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Ease of developer integration | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Advantages and Disadvantages of Zigbee technology
Advantages
- No saturation of your WIFI network: The Zigbee network is an independent network from your WIFI network, which is very interesting for not slowing down your internet connection.
- Low power consumption: Zigbee is appreciated for its low power consumption, being able to use sensors with batteries that last several years. There are even devices that work without batteries and without cables thanks to the Green Power function, i.e. they recover energy from the environment (solar panel, piezoelectric effect, etc.).
- Local use: Even if you have internet outages, your Zigbee devices still work, of course, if you use a Zigbee hub that does not need internet to work such as Home Assistant or Jeedom.
- Direct associations: You can use a Zigbee controller with a Zigbee bulb, Zigbee plug or any other device in ON/OFF, dimmer or with colours thanks to the Binding or Touchlink mode.
- Compatibilities between devices: By being able to join with the same Zigbee hub, your devices can communicate together on the same network and you can also create scenes so that they can act according to defined criteria.
Disadvantages
- You need a Zigbee hub: If you want to use a Zigbee device, you have to buy a compatible Zigbee hub.
- Variety of devices for sale: Being a niche market, there is still a lack of device profiles in Zigbee that DO exist in WIFI (e.g. Zigbee rain gauge, Zigbee anemometer etc).
- Some incompatibilities: Before every purchase of a Zigbee device, you must verify that it is compatible with your Zigbee hub. It is a common mistake for users to think that just because they buy a Zigbee hub, they can use any Zigbee device. You should always verify compatibility. For example, if you use a Tuya hub, 99% of your Zigbee devices must be from the Tuya ecosystem. If you use Home Assistant or Jeedom, in this case, 99% of the Zigbee devices on the market are compatible thanks to Zigbee2MQTT (you can verify before any purchase the Zigbee compatibilities with Zigbee2MQTT).
Advantages and Disadvantages of WIFI
Advantages
- No need for a home automationhub : It can be interesting to buy a smart device, connect it to your home’s router and that’s it, you can use it.
- Ease of use: As you don’t need a hub, the process of using a WIFI device is usually simple, you connect it to your WIFI network and use it from your phone.
- Wide variety of devices: Since almost everyone in the world has internet at home, the market for smart WIFI devices is the most complete since it is the most accessible.
Disadvantages
- Possible dependence on the internet: Except for brands like Shelly that work locally, many other brands depend exclusively on the internet. This means that without the internet, you have no control over your device.
- Incompatibilities between brands: If you buy a device from brand A, a device from brand B, a device from brand C, you will probably have to use 3 applications, i.e. one for each device, and these 3 devices will not communicate with each other.
- You don’t have a mesh network: You can’t improve the communication range because WIFI devices of different brands don’t communicate with each other. You need to buy WIFI repeaters in this case.
- High power consumption: Some devices such as door/window sensors or motion sensors are not recommended for WIFI because they can drain the battery in 3-6 months or even less.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Z-Wave technology
Advantages
- No saturation of your WIFI network: Like Zigbee, Z-Wave home automation technology works with a network independent of your WIFI network, so it does not slow down your internet connection.
- Low power consumption: As Z-Wave technology has improved over time, with versions 100, 300, 500, 700 and now Z-Wave 800, we have better and better energy efficiency.
- Meshed network: If you want to improve the communication range of your devices in your home, you can use devices with Z-Wave home automation technology that are electrically connected to the power and will repeat the signal.
- Direct associations: Z-Wave is very powerful for using direct associations between devices, with more advanced features than Zigbee.
- Compatibilities between devices: Z-Wave stands out as a technology with excellent compatibilities between devices.
- Parameters: If you use Z-Wave devices, you generally have access to a wide variety of parameters to customise the use of your devices.
Disadvantages
- You need a Z-Wave hub: If you want to use a Z-Wave device, you have to buy a Z-Wave home automation hub that is compatible.
- Variety of devices on the market: Although you can control various aspects of your home with Z-Wave home automation technology, it is not the technology that offers the widest variety of devices.
- Price of the devices: If we compare Z-Wave home automation technology with Zigbee home automation technology, the price of Z-Wave devices is often a drawback for users looking to reduce the cost of their installation.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Matter
Advantages
- The ultimate standard: Matter is a standard that should definitely unify all brands together: Apple, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Aqara, Sonoff… with Matter, you will be able to control everything with a single interface without worrying about compatibilities.
Disadvantages
- Missing devices: Matter is still very new and we don’t see a wide variety of device profiles at the moment.
- Confusion: There is Matter over WIFI and Matter over Thread. This can be confusing because if you use Matter over Thread devices, you will need to buy a Thread Border Router.
Advantages and Disadvantages of EnOcean
Advantages
- Low power consumption: EnOcean is a home automation technology that stands out for its devices that are usually battery-free and wireless and recover energy with solar panels, with the piezoelectric effect being one of the most important methods.
- Simple configuration: EnOcean is a simple technology to use.
- Direct associations: You can control EnOcean devices without using a home automation hub, which can be practical in some contexts (controlling lights or blinds with switches, etc.).
Disadvantages
- Lack of devices: EnOcean is usually for simple uses such as providing intelligence to lights, blinds and heating. If you want to manage other aspects of your home, it is better to study technologies such as Zigbee or Z-Wave.
- Not very powerful mesh network: If we compare EnOcean with Z-Wave and Zigbee, the mesh network is less powerful since it is usually a manual and limited configuration that we must adjust, when with Z-Wave and Zigbee, automatic and efficient mesh networks are created.
Advantages and Disadvantages of 433 MHz technologies
Advantages
- Communications range: 433 MHz is notable for having a greater direct communications range.
- Price of devices: Generally, devices communicating on the 433 MHz frequency tend to be attractive.
Disadvantages
- Technology that is not secure: Generally, brands that use the 433 MHz frequency do not have encrypted communications, i.e. if they have the right equipment, they could read the communications of your devices and control them.
- No mesh network: Although the direct range is greater at 433 MHz than at 868 MHz or 2.4 GHz, you cannot take advantage of a mesh network to improve the range with different devices.
- No status feedback: Status feedback is what allows you to have confirmation that your socket, light bulb, blind or any other device has received and executed your command correctly. In 433 MHz, there is usually no such confirmation, i.e., if your device is not working, you will not know it, unlike Zigbee or Z-Wave, where you will be able to know it with an error message.
- Incompatibilities between brands: Each brand that uses the 433 MHz frequency is incompatible with others, so 433 MHz devices are usually recommended for simple uses, given that you cannot unify your installation unlike Zigbee, Z-Wave, EnOcean or Matter.