Every Smart Lock Compared: Compatibility, Batteries, and the Catch (2026)

Illustration of a deadbolt surrounded by the ways to open it — key, fingerprint, keypad, and phone tap

Smart locks are the mirror image of video doorbells: there, the catch is a monthly fee; here, every lock in our library is subscription-free: the sticker price is the whole price. What sorts this category instead is fit: whether the lock works with your ecosystem, whether it can go on a rental door, and how often you’ll feed it batteries. Every cell below renders live from the same verified records behind our compatibility checker. Facts and catches, no rankings.

Show only ones that work with:
Product~Price*Amazon AlexaGoogle HomeApple HomeSmartThingsHome AssistantConnectionHub neededWorks offlineSubscriptionDetails
Aqara Smart Lock U200✓ fully verified$169.99worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: worksworksApple Home: worksworksSmartThings: worksworksHome Assistant: worksThread · Matter · BluetoothYesPartly
August WiFi Smart Lock (4th gen)✓ fully verified$199.99worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: worksworksApple Home: worksworksSmartThings: worksworksHome Assistant: worksWi-Fi · BluetoothYesPartly
ULTRALOQ Bolt Fingerprint (Apple Home + Wi-Fi)$199.99worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: worksworksApple Home: worksworksSmartThings: worksinconclusiveHome Assistant: we researched this and the evidence does not settle it — the profile has the sourcesWi-Fi · BluetoothNo?
ULTRALOQ Bolt Fingerprint (Matter over Thread)✓ fully verified$199.99worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: worksworksApple Home: worksworksSmartThings: worksworksHome Assistant: worksThread · Matter · BluetoothYesPartly
Aqara Smart Lock U400$269.99inconclusiveAmazon Alexa: we researched this and the evidence does not settle it — the profile has the sourcesinconclusiveGoogle Home: we researched this and the evidence does not settle it — the profile has the sourcesworksApple Home: worksinconclusiveSmartThings: we researched this and the evidence does not settle it — the profile has the sourcesinconclusiveHome Assistant: we researched this and the evidence does not settle it — the profile has the sourcesThread · Matter · Bluetooth +1Yes?
SwitchBot Lock Ultra Vision Pro Combo✓ fully verified$279.99worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: workspartialApple Home: partial support — see the catchpartialSmartThings: partial support — see the catchworksHome Assistant: worksMatter · Wi-Fi · BluetoothYes?
Kwikset Halo Select Plus Touchscreen Smart Lock✓ fully verified$309worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: worksworksApple Home: worksworksSmartThings: worksworksHome Assistant: worksThread · Matter · Wi-FiNoPartly
Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus✓ fully verified$309.99worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: worksworksApple Home: worksworksSmartThings: workspartialHome Assistant: partial support — see the catchWi-Fi · Bluetooth · NFCNo?
Schlage Encode Plus✓ fully verified$329worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: worksworksApple Home: worksdoesn't workSmartThings: verified: does not workworksHome Assistant: worksThread · Wi-Fi · Bluetooth??
Level Lock Pro✓ fully verified$349worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: worksworksApple Home: worksworksSmartThings: worksworksHome Assistant: worksThread · Matter · BluetoothYesPartly
Lockly Visage Zeno Series Facial Recognition Deadbolt$349worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: workspartialApple Home: partial support — see the catchdoesn't workSmartThings: verified: does not workinconclusiveHome Assistant: we researched this and the evidence does not settle it — the profile has the sourcesWi-Fi · BluetoothNo?Optional*
Schlage Sense Pro✓ fully verified$399worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: worksworksApple Home: worksworksSmartThings: worksworksHome Assistant: worksThread · Matter · Wi-Fi +1Yes?
eufy FamiLock S3 Max✓ fully verified$399.99worksAmazon Alexa: worksworksGoogle Home: workspartialApple Home: partial support — see the catchpartialSmartThings: partial support — see the catchpartialHome Assistant: partial support — see the catchMatter · Wi-FiNo?

Sorted by price, low to high — an objective order, not a ranking or a verdict. Tap any row’s (or a phone card) to read every catch. ✓ works · ◐ partial · ✗ doesn’t work (verified) · ? not checked yet · ? inconclusive — we researched it and the evidence doesn’t settle it. In the decision columns, ? means the same thing — we have not established it, which is never the same as “no.” *Prices at time of research — never live prices. Data last verified 2026-08-20; every fact links to its sourced profile.

Which of these works with your home?

Check smart locks against your setup →

Don’t see the exact model you own? Two options, and they’re different:tell us and we’ll add it to the research queue (free), or get aSetup Check — a personalized, human-checked report that researches your whole list, including products we haven’t profiled yet.

The first split: retrofit or full replacement

  • Retrofit (renter-safe). The August WiFi lock ($199.99) and the SwitchBot Lock Ultra (sold bare, or as the $279.99 Vision Pro combo that adds the biometric keypad and the hub) replace only the inside thumbturn; the exterior keyway, and your landlord’s key, stay exactly as they are. The Aqara U200 ($169.99) plays the same trick with Matter and Apple Home Key added; its record’s catch is that fit depends on your existing deadbolt’s geometry, so measure before buying. Our renters guide covers the whole no-drilling stack.
  • Full replacement (owner-grade). The Schlage Encode Plus and Sense Pro, the Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus, and the eufy FamiLock S3 Max swap the entire deadbolt for new hardware. In Schlage’s case that hardware is built to the highest grade in the door-hardware standard (BHMA Grade 1). Note the Yale and the Sense Pro are key-free: no keyway at all, so their only physical fallback is an emergency-power port (covered below).
  • The odd one out: the Level Lock Pro ($349) is a full replacement that looks like nothing happened: the entire mechanism lives inside the door. The trade, per its record: no keypad on the lock itself, and remote access needs a Thread border router or Level’s $79 bridge.

The second split: how you actually unlock

Every lock here does phone-app unlock; the differences are at the door. Keypad codes: both Schlages, Yale, eufy. Fingerprint: Aqara, SwitchBot. Face/palm recognition: the SwitchBot (the only tri-biometric: face + palm + fingerprint) and eufy’s 0.6-second palm-vein reader. Apple Home Key tap-to-unlock: five of the eight; the full breakdown is our Home Key guide. UWB hands-free (the door unlocks as you approach, phone still in your pocket): the 2026 frontier, on the Sense Pro only.

The third split: ecosystem reach

Locks adopted Matter faster than any camera brand, so the ecosystem columns above are greener than the doorbell table’s, but the catches matter:

  • Apple households are spoiled here: five Home Key locks, and the Sense Pro adds UWB on top. The one caveat is that the Yale’s Apple support rides its Wi-Fi cloud rather than Matter/Thread: the tap is local, the rest isn’t. The eufy FamiLock is the weakest fit: Matter over Wi-Fi gets lock control into the Home app, but there’s no Home Key and the doorbell-cam half stays in eufy’s app.
  • Alexa/Google households: everything works; the SwitchBot routes through its required hub (that’s its catch: remote, Matter, and voice all need the extra box), and the Yale needs its built-in-Wi-Fi model rather than the Bluetooth-only one.
  • Home Assistant: the Matter locks pair locally. The August, the Yale, and the Encode Plus all ride official Home Assistant integrations — cloud-based for August and Schlage, with a local Bluetooth option on the Yale that needs its offline key extracted first. August’s record still adds the deeper caveat: it’s the most cloud-dependent lock of the set.

Batteries are the category’s real recurring cost, from 3 months (August) to ~18 months (the Yale). What happens when they die ranges from “use your existing key” (the retrofits) to “hold a 9V battery to the Yale’s terminal” or “touch a USB-C power bank to the Sense Pro.” That’s covered model-by-model in what happens when your smart lock battery dies. To match a lock to your actual setup, run it through the checker or start from the quiz.

Frequently asked questions

Do smart locks require a subscription?

Almost never — and that makes locks the opposite of cameras. All 13 locks in our library work fully without any monthly fee. The recurring cost in this category isn't money, it's maintenance: every smart lock runs on batteries you'll replace or recharge every 3–12 months depending on the model.

Can renters install a smart lock?

Yes — that's what retrofit locks are for. The August WiFi lock and SwitchBot Lock Ultra replace only the inside thumbturn, so the exterior of the door (and your landlord's key) stays untouched. The Aqara U200 is also retrofit-style, though it depends on your existing deadbolt's geometry — measure first.

Which smart locks support Matter?

Five of our eight: the Schlage Sense Pro, Aqara U200, Level Lock Pro, SwitchBot Lock Ultra (via its hub), and the eufy FamiLock S3 Max (Matter over Wi-Fi, basic controls). The notable exception is the Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus — it does Apple Home Key over Wi-Fi, not Matter. Matter carries lock/unlock and status, but each brand's signature features (biometrics, guest schedules) still live in its own app.

What's the difference between the two Schlage locks?

The Encode Plus ($329) is the established pick: hardware built to the highest grade in the door-hardware standard (BHMA Grade 1), Apple Home Key via Thread, but no Matter. The Sense Pro ($399, June 2026) adds Matter and UWB hands-free unlock — with early-adopter firmware risk its record flags plainly. Same brand, different maturity.

How long do smart lock batteries actually last?

From our verified records: 3 months (August — the category's short pole and its #1 owner complaint) up to about 18 months (the Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus's 4×AA — the longest-lived here). Most land at 6–12 months. What happens when they die is its own question — see our battery guide.

Sources for this guide

Product facts in this guide come from our provenance-tracked research records — every claim traces to a named source with the date we verified it. Dates matter: ratings, prices, certifications, and compatibility can change after we check them, so read anything time-sensitive as true as of the date shown, not guaranteed current. Spot something stale? Tell us and we'll fix it.