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The Best Smart Plugs

Two picks. Zero regrets.
We do the homework so you don't have to. 7 expert reviews analyzed, simplified to just two picks: the best overall and the best value.
Smart Plugs
The 65 top products compared
Updated August 18, 2026

Verified by Ryan V. Ryan V. Editor-in-Chief

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Meet the winners
Best Overall
.
TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini EP25 front three-quarter view showing the outlet face and light-ring control button
SIMPLYTHEBEST 2026 THE BEST.
TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini EP25
$24.99MSRP
"The plug that shows up in every reviewer's top tier and just keeps working"
Best Value
.
Wyze Plug single smart plug 3/4 angle showing side control button and outlet
SIMPLYTHEBEST 2026 BEST VALUE.
Wyze Plug
$14.99MSRP
"The plug reviewers keep reaching for when the goal is covering a whole house cheaply"
Why the TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini EP25 is The Best

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini EP25 wins because it is the plug reviewers keep landing on when the goal is something that just works. Engadget's Amy Skorheim named it her Best Overall for a reliable connection across all four major platforms, meaning Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and SmartThings, so it drops into almost any setup. Dwelling Well reached the same verdict from the other direction, ranking it first out of 12,600 Reddit comments with a 97 out of 100, because what owners value most is that it does not fail. The slim body lets two units share one duplex outlet without blocking the second socket, a detail Reviewed and Engadget both called out. TP-Link also builds in real-time and historical energy monitoring, so you get power tracking the Wyze and Amazon plugs simply do not offer. At around $22 for a two-pack it lands in the sweet spot where reliability, ecosystem breadth, and price all line up, which is why it appears as a recommended plug in all seven sources we analyzed.

What It Won't Do

The EP25 rides on Wi-Fi rather than native Matter. Buyers who specifically want the newer standard need to step over to the KP125M sibling, which Reviewed actually crowned its own Best Overall for adding Matter and energy monitoring together. Engadget also pointed out the EP25 is a four-year-old design, so it looks dated next to newer Thread plugs, and like most plugs it controls power only and cannot dim a lamp the way Lutron's Caseta plug can.

Why the Wyze Plug is the Best Value

The Wyze Plug wins on value because it delivers the essentials for roughly $10 a plug and reviewers still rate it near the top. CNN Underscored's Jacob Krol went so far as to name it his Best Overall for quick, responsive control and huge value, while Reviewed, Tom's Guide, and PCWorld all slotted it in as their budget pick. Setup is easy, it includes a genuinely useful vacation mode, and the compact body leaves the neighboring outlet free, so a two-pack covers a lot of devices for the price of a single premium plug. You give up a few things to hit that price, but the core job of turning things on and off from your phone or by voice is handled cleanly.

What It Won't Do

The Wyze plug saves money by leaving features out. Reviewed, Tom's Guide, and CNN all noted it does not work with Apple HomeKit and has no Matter support, so it locks you into Alexa or Google. PCWorld and Reviewed pointed out it tracks runtime only, with no real energy monitoring, and it handles on and off without any dimming.

How They Compare

TP-Link Wyze Labs
Reliability Best +13
95
82
Ecosystem Best +25
85
60
Energy Best +55
80
25
Design Best +8
90
82
Setup Tie
88
88
Trust Best +23
95
72
Best Overall
89
TP-Link
Best Value
68
Wyze Labs

The Competition

#3 Eve Energy (Matter)
$43.95 MSRP

MatterCatalog's Best Overall for Matter over Thread and Reviewed's Best for energy monitoring, with a premium aluminum build, held back by needing a Thread border router and a higher price.

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#4 Amazon Smart Plug
$24.99 MSRP

Engadget, Tom's Guide, and CNN all named it Best for Alexa for a two-minute setup, but it works with Alexa only and offers no energy monitoring.

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#5 TP-Link Tapo P125M
$19.99 MSRP

Tom's Guide's Best Overall and MatterCatalog's Best Budget, a tiny Matter plug at the lowest entry price, but Matter over Wi-Fi rather than Thread and no energy monitoring.

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#6 Emporia Smart Plug
$34.99 MSRP

PCWorld's Best for energy monitoring with a detailed per-device dashboard at great value, undercut by no HomeKit or Matter and an earlier fire-risk recall since addressed.

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#7 TP-Link Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug EP40A

Engadget's Best Outdoor after a year of reliable testing, with two IP64 outlets and HomeKit support, but no energy monitoring and no Matter.

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Who Should Buy Which

BEST OVERALL $24.99 MSRP
TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini EP25

TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug Mini EP25

The plug that shows up in every reviewer's top tier and just keeps working

  • Anyone who wants one plug that works across Alexa, Google, HomeKit, and SmartThings
  • Buyers who value a rock-solid connection over the newest feature list
  • Homes that want energy monitoring built in without paying premium prices
  • People filling a duplex outlet who need a slim plug that leaves the second socket free
  • First-time smart home buyers who want the safe, widely trusted choice
BEST VALUE $14.99 MSRP
Wyze Plug

Wyze Plug

The plug reviewers keep reaching for when the goal is covering a whole house cheaply

  • Budget-minded buyers on Alexa or Google outfitting several outlets at once
  • Renters and first-timers testing the smart plug waters cheaply
  • People who mainly want voice and schedule control with a vacation mode
  • Anyone happy to skip energy monitoring to cut the per-plug cost
  • Households that do not use Apple HomeKit and do not need Matter
See head-to-head comparison →

How We Decided

65
Products
7
Reviews
2
Winners
Scoring Weights
28%
24%
14%
14%
10%
10%
Reliability
Ecosystem
Energy
Design
Setup
Trust
Sources Analyzed
ReviewedCNN UnderscoredEngadgetTom's GuidePCWorldMatterCatalogDwelling Well
Read our full methodology
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