Intro
There is an abundance of smart plugs on the market. In Germany and Europe alone, there are dozens of models available—from Shelly to TP-Link Tapo, Bosch, AVM Fritz!DECT, Homematic IP, and even Eve, Meross, Philips Hue, and many no-name products.
To help you keep track, we categorize smart plugs into three groups:
- ✅ Recommended – easy setup, stable connection
- 🟡 Compatible, but not recommended for new purchases – works, but often presents hurdles during setup
- ❌ Not supported – cannot be integrated
✅ Recommended: Shelly & myStrom
We currently recommend two manufacturers for smart plugs:
Shelly
Shelly is our top recommendation for smart plugs. Reasons:
- Open API – Shelly provides all data freely accessible
- Affordable – the Shelly Plug M is available from approx. €10
- Stable cloud connection
- Many model variants (Plug S, Plus Plug S, Pro series, Shelly 1, 2PM, 3EM, etc.)
- Regular firmware updates and long-term support
- Easy setup in our app
- Large ecosystem for all smart home applications
Recommended models:
- Shelly Plug S / Plus Plug S (for simple devices, measuring power consumption, and switching)
- Shelly 1 / Plus 1 (for fixed installation, e.g., in a flush-mounted wall box)
- Shelly 3EM / Pro 3EM (for 3-phase measurement at the main grid connection)
myStrom
myStrom is a Swiss manufacturer with a very solid solution:
- Reliable cloud
- Precise consumption measurement
- Well-suited for balcony power plant monitoring (switching between consumption and production possible)
- Slightly more expensive than Shelly
🟡 Compatible, but not recommended for new purchases
The following smart plugs work technically, but we do not recommend them for new purchases because they often cause issues during setup in our app, and the configuration is too complicated for many users.
AVM Fritz!DECT 200 / 210
- Communicates via DECT with the Fritz!Box
- Recommendation: If you already use a Fritz!Box and perhaps have other devices connected via it, it fits well into the system and you can use Fritz!DECT with confidence.
- Not recommended for starting from scratch: If you don't have any equipment yet and are just starting out, it is better to go directly with Shelly or myStrom – it is simpler, cheaper, and has fewer dependencies.
- Details on the setup can be found in the Fritz!DECT article in our helpdesk.
TP-Link Tapo / Kasa
- Very common and affordable
- Problem: Integration with our system is complicated and frequently causes issues during setup. We therefore advise against buying these new.
- If you already own the smart plug: Integration is possible, but expect some setup effort.
- For a smooth start, we recommend Shelly or myStrom instead.
❌ Not supported
These common models do not work at all with our platform. We list them here so you know that purchasing them is currently not advisable:
Bosch Smart Home Plug / Compact Plug [+M]
- Requires a Bosch Smart Home Controller as a central hub
- Communicates via Zigbee, not directly via Wi-Fi
- Problem: No open cloud API for third-party providers
Homematic IP (eQ-3) – HmIP-PSM, HmIP-PS, HmIP-PSM-2
- High-quality system from the German manufacturer eQ-3
- Requires a Homematic IP Access Point as a central hub
- Problem: Proprietary radio connection, no open API for third-party providers – the Homematic IP cloud does not allow external access
Eve Energy
- Focuses on Apple HomeKit, operates via Thread/Matter
- Problem: No open cloud API, integration only via Apple Home or local Matter bridges
Philips Hue Smart Plug
- Requires a Philips Hue Bridge
- Problem: The Hue API is designed for lighting and does not offer reliable consumption measurement
Meross Smart Plug
- Affordable Matter-capable plug
- Problem: The Meross cloud is not open enough for third-party integration
No-name / Tuya-based plugs (e.g., Hama, many Amazon brands)
- Very cheap, but usually rely on the Chinese Tuya cloud in the background
- Problem: Unreliable cloud, frequently changing API access, data privacy concerns
Why don't we just support everything?
We get this question often: "Why don't you just buy all the plugs and integrate them?"
The short answer: Every manufacturer would need an open, stable cloud API. However, many manufacturers want to keep their ecosystem closed and keep third-party providers out—often for commercial reasons, and sometimes for data privacy reasons.
Another challenge: Even if an API exists, it must run stably at all times; otherwise, the devices will constantly show as "offline" in our system. That would be frustrating for you as a user and unmanageable for our support team.
Therefore, we consciously focus on manufacturers with an open, stable API—currently Shelly and myStrom.
What should I do if I already have an unsupported smart plug?
Are you already using a Homematic IP, Bosch, or similar device? No problem, you have three options:
Option 1: Simply replace it (recommended)
For a simple setup, we recommend switching to a Shelly Plug S (from ~€10) or myStrom. The setup is completed in a few minutes, and you have full integration immediately.
Option 2: Continue using the existing plug for other purposes
If you use your existing plug for things like timers or voice control, you can of course continue to use it for those purposes. For integration into our energy management, you will then need an additional supported smart plug.
Option 3: Send us a request
Are you missing a specific manufacturer? Feel free to write to us. We regularly review new integrations, and your feedback is included in our prioritization.
Tips for new purchases
If you are looking to buy a new smart plug:
✓ Shelly Plug M – best all-rounder, very affordable (from approx. €10) ✓ myStrom Wi-Fi Plug – if design and precise measurement are important to you ✓ Shelly 3EM – if you need to monitor a balcony power plant or 3-phase measurements
Stay away from: No-name products, pure Matter/HomeKit devices without a cloud, and Zigbee plugs without an open bridge API.