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A smart plug is the cheapest, easiest way to start a smart home. Plug it into the wall, plug a lamp, fan or coffee maker into it, and you can switch it from your phone, by voice or on a schedule. Just in time for the holidays, an outdoor smart plug can also turn your string lights on at sunset and off at bedtime.
We compared five of the most popular smart plugs on Amazon for different homes: Matter for every platform, Alexa-only homes, Apple Home with Thread, and outdoor use.
Our Picks at a Glance
- Best Overall: Kasa Matter Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring (KP125M, 2-Pack)
- Best for Alexa Homes: Amazon Smart Plug (2-Pack)
- Best Budget Matter Plug: Tapo P125M Matter Smart Plug
- Best for Apple Home: Eve Energy (Matter, 2-Pack)
- Best Outdoor Plug: Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug (EP40)
1. Kasa Matter Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring (KP125M, 2-Pack) — Best Overall
The one to get if you are not sure which smart home platform you will use in a few years. Matter lets it work with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings, and it tracks how much power your devices use.
- Matter-certified: works with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Samsung SmartThings
- Local control over your home network keeps it working even if your internet goes down
- Energy monitoring shows how much electricity a device uses over time
- Compact (about 2.6 x 1.6 x 1.5 inches), so it leaves the second outlet free; 15 A / 1,800 W max
- UL-certified flame-retardant design; 2-year warranty; 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi; Amazon rating 4.3/5 (2,200+ ratings)
Pros: works with every major platform, energy monitoring, keeps working offline, compact.
Cons: 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only; indoor use only.
Best for: most homes, and anyone who wants to keep their options open.
2. Amazon Smart Plug (2-Pack) — Best for Alexa Homes
With more than 570,000 ratings, this is one of the most popular smart home devices on Amazon. If you already have an Echo, setup takes a couple of minutes in the Alexa app.
- Simple setup in the Alexa app, with no hub required
- Schedules, timers and Alexa routines, such as lights on at sunset or the coffee maker on at 7 a.m.
- Reconnects to Alexa automatically after a power or Wi-Fi outage
- Compact single-socket design that leaves the second outlet free; 15 A max
- Indoor use only; 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi; 1-year limited warranty; Amazon rating 4.7/5 (571,000+ ratings)
Pros: dead-simple setup, rock-solid with Alexa, one of the highest-rated smart plugs anywhere.
Cons: works only with Alexa, not Google Home or Apple Home; no energy monitoring.
Best for: homes that already use Echo speakers or the Alexa app.
3. Tapo P125M Matter Smart Plug — Best Budget Matter Plug
TP-Link's Tapo line packs Matter support into a very small, highly rated plug, a sensible choice when you need several.
- Matter-compatible: works with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings
- Local control through Matter keeps devices working when the internet is down
- Schedules and timers for lamps, fans, humidifiers and holiday lights
- Compact design leaves the other outlet free; 15 A / 1,800 W max
- UL-certified flame-retardant design; 2-year warranty; 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi; Amazon rating 4.5/5 (2,900+ ratings)
Pros: Matter support, very small, highly rated, easy to buy several.
Cons: no energy monitoring (Tapo's P110M adds it); 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only.
Best for: filling a home with plugs that work on any platform.
4. Eve Energy (Matter, 2-Pack) — Best for Apple Home
Eve is a favorite with Apple users because it runs on Thread, a fast, low-power mesh network, and keeps everything local, with no Eve cloud account and no tracking.
- Matter over Thread: works with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings and Home Assistant
- Built-in power meter
- No Eve cloud, no registration and no tracking; control stays local
- Each plug strengthens your Thread network's range and stability
- Needs a hub for your platform, such as an Apple TV 4K (2nd gen, or 3rd gen 128 GB), HomePod (2nd gen), HomePod mini, Echo (4th gen) or Nest Hub (2nd gen); UL-certified; Amazon rating 4.3/5 (300+ ratings)
Pros: excellent privacy, fast and reliable on Thread, power metering, works across platforms.
Cons: requires a compatible hub; fewer ratings than the Kasa and Amazon plugs.
Best for: Apple Home users and privacy-minded smart homes.
5. Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug (EP40) — Best Outdoor Plug
The easy way to automate holiday lights, landscape lighting or a pool pump. It has two outlets you control separately and can follow sunrise and sunset automatically.
- 2 outlets controlled independently, each rated 15 A / 1,875 W
- IP64 weather resistance with attached covers for unused outlets
- Long Wi-Fi range of up to 300 feet in open space
- Schedules, countdown timers and sunrise/sunset offsets
- Works with Alexa and Google Home, no hub required; 2-year warranty; Amazon rating 4.6/5 (17,500+ ratings)
Pros: two independent outlets, strong Wi-Fi range, sunset scheduling, very highly rated.
Cons: no Matter or Apple Home on this model (Kasa sells a separate HomeKit version, the EP40A); 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only.
Best for: holiday lights, porch and landscape lighting, and outdoor fountains.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Kasa KP125M | Amazon Smart Plug | Tapo P125M | Eve Energy | Kasa EP40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matter | Yes | No | Yes | Yes (Thread) | No |
| Works with | Apple, Alexa, Google, SmartThings | Alexa only | Apple, Alexa, Google, SmartThings | Apple, Alexa, Google, SmartThings | Alexa, Google |
| Energy monitoring | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Outlets | 1 per plug (2-pack) | 1 per plug (2-pack) | 1 | 1 per plug (2-pack) | 2 |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor | Indoor | Indoor | Indoor | Outdoor, IP64 |
| Hub needed | No | No (Alexa app) | No | Thread hub | No |
| Amazon rating | 4.3 (2,200+) | 4.7 (571,000+) | 4.5 (2,900+) | 4.3 (300+) | 4.6 (17,500+) |
From the Amazon listings and manufacturers' websites, checked October 2026. Amazon ratings change daily. Prices change often, so we do not list them here.
What to Look For
- Matter support: a Matter plug works with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings, so you are not locked into one platform if you switch later.
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi: almost every smart plug needs a 2.4 GHz network. Most routers broadcast one; mesh systems handle this automatically.
- Energy monitoring shows which devices waste power on standby and how much your holiday lights really use.
- A compact shape leaves the second outlet free.
- Safety certification: stick to UL- or ETL-certified plugs from known brands, and check the load rating (most are 15 A).
- Outdoors, use an outdoor plug: indoor plugs are not built for rain, frost or dust.
What Not to Plug Into a Smart Plug
- Space heaters: heater makers say to plug them directly into a wall outlet, so keep them off smart plugs and power strips.
- Devices with electronic on/off buttons (many coffee makers, fans and dehumidifiers) may not switch back on when power returns. Check that the device turns on by itself after being unplugged, or has an auto-restart feature.
- Anything that should not run unattended, such as irons, curling irons or kitchen appliances with heating elements.
5 Easy Ways to Use a Smart Plug
- Turn holiday string lights on at sunset and off at 11 p.m.
- Make a living room lamp come on at dusk so the house looks lived-in while you travel.
- Cut standby power to a TV, game console or home office gear at night.
- Schedule a fan or humidifier to run before you go to bed.
- Restart a frozen modem or router remotely (make sure it is not the Wi-Fi the plug itself uses).
Build out your smart home: smart plugs need solid Wi-Fi, so see the best mesh Wi-Fi systems. Ready for the next step? Read about the best smart thermostats, smart locks and indoor security cameras.
How we choose: we have not lab-tested these smart plugs ourselves. Our picks are based on manufacturer specifications, the Amazon listings, published independent tests and recurring themes in buyer reviews, checked in October 2026. We favor products with strong ratings from large numbers of buyers and say where a product falls short.
FAQ
Do smart plugs need a hub?
Most Wi-Fi smart plugs, including Kasa, Tapo and the Amazon Smart Plug, connect straight to your router with no hub. Thread plugs like Eve Energy need a Thread border router, such as a recent Apple TV, HomePod mini or compatible Echo or Nest hub.
What is Matter, and do I need it?
Matter is a shared smart home standard that lets one device work with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings at the same time. You do not need it if you only use Alexa, but it makes your plugs future-proof if you might switch platforms.
Do smart plugs save electricity?
They can, by cutting standby power to TVs, consoles and chargers on a schedule, and by switching off lights you forget. Plugs with energy monitoring show exactly how much a device uses, which helps you find the biggest energy wasters.
Can I use a smart plug for Christmas lights?
Yes. Indoors, any smart plug works. Outdoors, use a weather-resistant outdoor plug like the Kasa EP40 and set a sunset schedule so the lights come on automatically every evening.
Do smart plugs work when the internet is down?
Matter plugs like the Kasa KP125M and Tapo P125M keep working on your local network, so schedules and local controls continue. Cloud-based plugs may lose app and voice control until the internet comes back.
Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Product details and ratings on Amazon change often, so check the current listing before you buy.