When you're looking to upgrade your home to a smart home, you don't want to forget the garage door. Being able to open it from your phone makes it easier for you to enter your house when you don't have a remote or keypad handy. More than that, at some point, you or one of your kids might leave the garage door open. Most smart garage door openers, including the , let you check the status of your garage door and close it from a distance. Here are the best smart garage door openers for any home.
Best Overall: Refoss Smart Garage Door Opener
If you don't want to spend a fortune for a simple, smart garage door opener, but still want to be able to check the status of your garage door and control it from your Android or iOS phone, this is the unit to get. It's less expensive than other versions because it does require a wired installation. That being the case, it won't be the easiest thing to install compared to other options out there. However, it works really well and sends you notifications when your garage door has been left open for a certain amount of time.
You can control it with IFTTT devices, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa. It works with a wide range of garage door openers, so it's likely to work with the one in your home. You can use the app to control the door from anywhere that you have an internet connection, check the door's history, or receive safety alerts.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Works with smart home assistants
- App notifications
- No hub needed
- Wired installation
Refoss Smart Garage Door Opener
Inexpensive and reliable
It requires wired installation, but this smart garage door opener works beautifully with the app and doesn't need a hub.
Best Budget: *Chamberlain MyQ *
Considering how well it works, it's seriously surprising how inexpensive the Chamberlain MyQ Garage Hub is. In addition to being able to open your garage door using your app, the device sends notifications to your phone to let you know when there's activity or if the door has been left open. If you're out running errands and suddenly wonder if you left the garage door open, you can check the app, and it will tell you the status. You can then close your garage from just about anywhere as long as your phone can access the internet.
If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can opt-in to Key by Amazon, which allows Amazon delivery persons to drop packages off in your garage instead of leaving them on the porch where others might get at them. In addition to that, you can give up to three people the ability to access your smart garage. It's perfect for giving to guests or when you're out of town, and a trusted neighbor is taking care of Fluffy for you.
This setup connects to several smart services, including Nest, Wink, Xfinity Home, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Alpine, and EVE Connect for Tesla. In the past, you had to pay one dollar per month to connect one of these services to your smart garage hub. It's hardly any money, but, oddly, you had to pay in the first place. A limited-time promotion has been available since June 26 that does away with subscription costs allowing you to use smart home services for free. We're not sure how long this promotion will last, but it definitely makes this garage door opener even more appealing. You'll also need to make sure you have a Wi-Fi signal in your garage, or the device won't work properly, but that's how it goes with most smart garage door openers.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Smart Key
- Compatible with several smart services
- Sends notifications
- Payment plan
- Must have Wi-Fi signal in garage
Chamberlain MyQ
An inexpensive smart garage door opener
Check the status of your garage and also open or close the door from just about anywhere using this setup.
Best for Automatic Opening: NEXX Garage NXG-100b
This smart device has a feature that allows it to detect when you're near with your smartphone. You can set it to open when you approach automatically, making it, so you never have to reach for a garage door button ever again when driving up. This feature can be turned off if it's not something you want to have.
You can also control NEXX using the included app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Samsung SmartThings. As long as you have Wi-Fi, you'll be able to check the status, open, or close the garage door from any location using the app. This is one of the more expensive units on this list, but it's good at what it does. Just keep in mind that the sensors used to determine if the garage door is closed are wired. You'll need to make sure you have enough wiring running to the correct areas of your garage when you install the unit. This can make installation more complicated, depending on your house setup.
Pros:
- Auto opening
- Voice controls
- Works with several smart services
- Open the door from just about anywhere
- Expensive
- Wired installation
NEXX Garage NXG-100b
Access your house with auto opening
Control your garage door opener using the included app, voice control, or by merely approaching with your smartphone.
Best for Multiple Doors: Genie Aladdin Connect
Sometimes the easiest way to access your garage is by using a remote control. You don't have to turn on any apps or wait for loading times, you simply press a button, and the garage opens. The Genie Aladdin Connect comes with a physical button in addition to the smart aspects, so you can easily control your garage door using whichever method is easiest at the moment.
The app lets you check to see if the garage door is open or shut, an excellent tool for when you're on vacation or at work. You'll receive notifications when someone uses the door and can control it from just about anywhere. This unit pairs with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, which means you can use voice controls to open or close your door. If you do the proper installation work, this unit will be able to control up to three garage doors. As with any garage door opener, it takes some work to correctly set up the main unit as well as the wired sensors around the doors.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Comes with remote
- Voice controls
- Program up to three garage doors
- Sends notifications
- Difficult installation
Genie Aladdin Connect
Monitor and control your garage door
Use the app, the included remote control, or voice control to open and close your garage. Pairs with Alexa or Google Assistant.
Best for Easy Installation: Garadget Wi-Fi Garage Door Controller
Since this unit uses a laser sensor rather than wired sensors, installation is a lot easier. The laser itself runs on batteries, so you won't need to lay down any complicated wiring when installing the unit near the garage door. It comes with circular reflective tape that you'll need to place on the opposite side of the laser. The laser then bounces back to let the unit know that the door is shut. Many users state that the tape is tiny, making it hard to place in the exact location needed to bounce the laser back. You might want to purchase to make the job easier.
Once everything is set up, you can check on the status of your garage or control it from any location using the Garadget app. This device also works with a large number of home automation services, including Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Vera, Home Seer, OpenHAB, Androidwear, IFTTT, Pebble, and more. This means you're more likely to be able to control it in the manner you'd prefer.
While it isn't the most expensive smart garage door opener we've seen, it is on the pricier side of the spectrum. Still, considering how easy installation is and all of the smart home services it works with, this is an excellent device for the price.
Pros
- Uses a laser rather than sensors
- Easier to install
- Sends notifications
- Works with several home automation services
- Reflective tape is small
- It's on the more expensive side
Garadget Wi-Fi Garage Door Controller
Control your garage how you want
It works with a wide range of home automation services allowing you to check on and control the device in several different ways.
Best for Surveillance: Alcidae Garager 2
This garage door opener doubles as a security camera, so you'll be able to monitor your garage door better should someone tamper with it. The camera also includes night vision to capture the actions of would-be intruders no matter what time of day it is. The company does offer cloud storage, but like many other security camera companies, you need to pay a subscription to get the most out of it. The camera makes this garage door opener more expensive than many others, but it's worth the price if you want to monitor your home better.
You'll receive notifications if someone opens your door or if it is left open for too long. This device is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. So you can control and monitor it from your favorite home automation devices. The unit itself even has a built-in microphone and speaker so you can interact with it directly. Use the Alcidae app to check the status of your garage door at any time or to open it or close it from just about anywhere.
Pros:
- Built-in security camera
- Night vision
- Sends notifications
- Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
- Expensive
- Subscription for cloud storage
Alcidae Garager 2
Monitor your garage door
In addition to smartphone controls, this garage door opener features a security camera complete with night vision for monitoring.
The drawbridge of your castle
When you look around, you'll find plenty of smart garage door openers on the market, but finding a quality device that fits your specific needs can be a little trickier. We did the research and made a list of the best options you can find. When making your decision, you'll want to consider price, installation difficulty, how many smart home services the opener can pair with, and any additional conveniences the device might offer.
We highly recommend the . It provides plenty of convenience and is one of the least expensive smart garage door openers you'll be able to find. You'll be able to check the status of your garage door and control it from your phone whenever you have an internet connection. It also works with Key by Amazon, so deliveries can be placed within the safe environment of your garage rather than being kept out on the porch.
Credits
Rebecca Spear loves keeping up-to-date with the latest and greatest electronics. She is a life-long gamer and a writer who has written hundreds of online articles over the past four years. On any given day you'll find her drawing with her Wacom tablet, playing video games, or reading a good book.