Top 5 compared
The best smart plugs
Put a lamp on a timer, turn the fan off from bed and come home to the hallway light already on.
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The top 5 at a glance
A smart plug goes between an outlet and anything with an on switch (a coffee maker, a floor lamp, the Christmas lights in the window) and lets you switch it from your phone, by voice or on a schedule. Most connect over Wi-Fi, so they work from anywhere; some add Bluetooth for setup or control nearby, and Matter plugs work across Apple Home, Alexa, Google and SmartThings.
None needs a hub to get started; the Hue plug adds automations and control from anywhere once it joins a Hue Bridge. Each runs from its maker’s app, or the Alexa app for Amazon’s own, and most can put a lamp on a schedule so the house looks lived-in while you’re away.
What matters
- Support for the voice assistant your home already uses.
- A slim body that leaves the second outlet free.
- Two outlets on one plug, each switched on its own.
- Automatic reconnection when the power or Wi-Fi comes back.
#1Kasa Smart Plug HS103 (4-pack)
$30–$50
Four plugs that work with both Alexa and Google, so they suit a Google Nest home or one with both assistants. Away Mode switches lamps on and off at random so the house looks occupied while you’re out.
What owners say: Owners find setup in the Kasa app easy and switching lights from the phone simple, and it gets on well with both Alexa and Google Home. Some had a plug drop off the Wi-Fi or stop working inside a year.
A closer look: Group the four into a scene in the Kasa app, every lamp in the living room for instance, and switch them with one tap or one voice command. A countdown timer suits one-off jobs too, such as turning off a humidifier an hour after bedtime.
- Group plugs into scenes
- Countdown timers
- Leaves the second outlet free
- No hub needed
- 2-year warranty
Best for: Google and Alexa homes
- In the box
- 4 plugs
- Works with
- Alexa, Google
- App
- Kasa
- Control when you’re out
- Yes
- Handy extra
- Away Mode
#2Amazon Smart Plug
$20–$30
Set up entirely in the Alexa app, with no other app or account, which makes it the simplest smart plug for a home that already has an Echo. It’s slim enough to leave the second outlet free, and it reconnects to Alexa by itself after a power or Wi-Fi outage.
What owners say: It’s been dependable for most owners, who have it switching a lamp in the Alexa app within minutes. A minority run into connection trouble or expected it to cost less, and a few have died after only a week.
A closer look: Name it after what it powers, such as “bedroom lamp”, and Alexa will switch it by that name. Add it to an Alexa routine and one “good night” can turn off the lamp with the rest of the house. It needs 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and works with Alexa only.
- Works in Alexa routines
- Switch it by name
- Leaves the second outlet free
- 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only
- 1-year warranty
Best for: Echo owners who want no extra app
- In the box
- 1 plug
- Works with
- Alexa only
- App
- Alexa
- Control when you’re out
- Yes
- Handy extra
- Reconnects after outages
#3Philips Hue Smart Plug (2-pack)
$50–$75
Made to bring a lamp that can’t take a Hue bulb into a Hue lighting setup, so it switches with your Hue scenes and routines. It works over Bluetooth straight from the phone, and adding a Hue Bridge brings automations and control from anywhere.
What owners say: Owners add it to Hue and Apple Home in seconds and say it sits happily alongside the rest of their lights; one runs a terrarium lamp on it. Paying Hue prices doesn’t sit well with everyone, and long-term reliability varies.
Heads up: It switches a lamp on and off but can’t dim it, so keep dimmable lamps on Hue bulbs.
A closer look: Without a Bridge the phone reaches it over Bluetooth, so control works from inside the house. With one, it joins the Zigbee network the Hue bulbs use, routines run on time and Apple Home can see it. Two in the box cover a floor lamp and a set of string lights.
- Joins Hue scenes and routines
- Doesn’t block other outlets
- Up to 1,800W
- 2-year warranty
Best for: Hue lighting setups
- In the box
- 2 plugs
- Works with
- Alexa, Google; Apple Home with a Bridge
- App
- Hue
- Control when you’re out
- With a Hue Bridge
- Handy extra
- Bluetooth, no Wi-Fi needed
#4Govee Dual Smart Plug H5082 (4-pack)
$30–$50
Each plug has two outlets side by side, switched separately, yet covers only one outlet on the wall, so a standard wall plate becomes four smart outlets. It connects over Wi-Fi, or over Bluetooth when the phone is close by.
What owners say: Owners like controlling two things from one plug and find adding them to Alexa quick, though a few lose the Alexa connection. The Govee app is easy for some and confusing for others, and a small number had a plug malfunction in its first month.
A closer look: Give each outlet its own name and schedule in the Govee Home app, so the TV light and the fan behind the couch run on different timers. Setting them up needs a Govee account, and a schedule can also cut standby power to a TV and soundbar overnight.
- Covers only one wall outlet
- Works over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
- Govee account needed
- ETL safety certified
Best for: Two devices from one outlet
- In the box
- 4 plugs, 2 outlets each
- Works with
- Alexa, Google
- App
- Govee Home
- Control when you’re out
- Yes
- Handy extra
- Each outlet switched separately
#5Tapo P125M Matter Smart Plug Mini (3-pack)
$20–$30
Matter lets these work with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings, and keep responding on the home network even if the internet drops. Tapo and Kasa are both smart home brands of TP-Link, which two brothers founded in Shenzhen in 1996.
What owners say: Owners find the Tapo app simple and say programming a schedule beats setting an old dial timer by hand. Alexa and Apple Home take it smoothly, but some couldn’t get it onto Google Home or Home Assistant, and in a few homes one has flicked itself on and off.
A closer look: Add it in the Apple Home app with its Matter code and Siri can switch it alongside the home’s other accessories. Setup runs over Bluetooth, so keep the phone near the plug, and a Matter motion sensor can then turn a lamp on as someone walks into the room.
- Works with Matter motion sensors
- Bluetooth setup, phone nearby
- Leaves the second outlet free
- UL flame-retardant
- 2-year warranty
Best for: Apple Home and mixed households
- In the box
- 3 plugs
- Works with
- Apple Home, Alexa, Google, SmartThings
- App
- Tapo
- Control when you’re out
- Yes
- Handy extra
- Matter: works without internet at home
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Kasa HS103 (4-pack) | #2Amazon Smart Plug | #3Philips Hue (2-pack) | #4Govee Dual (4-pack) | #5Tapo P125M (3-pack) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Simplest with Alexa | Best for Hue lights | Best two-outlet plug | Best for Apple Home | |
| Picked Rating | 9.0 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.8 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $20–$30 | $50–$75 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 |
| In the box | 4 plugs | 1 plug | 2 plugs | 4 plugs, 2 outlets each | 3 plugs |
| Works with | Alexa, Google | Alexa only | Alexa, Google; Apple Home with a Bridge | Alexa, Google | Apple Home, Alexa, Google, SmartThings |
| App | Kasa | Alexa | Hue | Govee Home | Tapo |
| Control when you’re out | Yes | Yes | With a Hue Bridge | Yes | Yes |
| Handy extra | Away Mode | Reconnects after outages | Bluetooth, no Wi-Fi needed | Each outlet switched separately | Matter: works without internet at home |
| Best for | Google and Alexa homes | Echo owners who want no extra app | Hue lighting setups | Two devices from one outlet | Apple Home and mixed households |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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