I’m confident this hub-free smart plug is the best option for most homes (and only $20)

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What makes a smart plug one of my favorite smart home devices? It’s one of the most versatile gadgets you can get, delivering a high level of convenience at a very low up-front cost. You don’t have to shell out big bucks to upgrade your home with expensive smart appliances; just buy a smart plug for your existing electronics, and you’re set.

Also: 10 cheap gadgets that seriously upgraded my smart home (and are easy to install)

While most smart plugs cost under $30, the vast selection makes it hard to narrow your options to just one. After testing multiple brands, I’ve settled on the one that offers the biggest bang for your buck: the Shelly Gen4 Smart Plug.

At only $20, the Shelly Gen4 Smart Plug is a powerhouse among its kind. You don’t need a hub to use it; the smart plug supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and you can also connect it to an existing hub via other smart home protocols like Zigbee and Matter. Using these protocols lets you easily add your Shelly Gen4 to your preferred home automation system, whether it’s Google Home, Apple Home, or Amazon Alexa.

Also: Your smart plug is seriously underutilized: 7 ways I’ve programmed mine to automate my home

As a standalone device, a smart plug makes it easy to control your existing electronics with your phone or voice, without replacing them with expensive smart ones. For example, you can use a smart plug for a fan, space heater, floor lamp, or holiday lights, and set them on a schedule or run them via automations.

Using a home automation system lets you add complex “if this, then that” routines with your smart plug. You can use HomeKit, Home Assistant, or any other smart home platform to have your Shelly Gen4 Smart Plug turn on a dehumidifier when the room’s humidity reaches a specific threshold.

Also: Why this $7 smart plug beats any other that I’ve tested in my home

I’ve used smart plugs for many household functions — even to keep our pipes from freezing during harsh winter weather. To do this, my husband and I set up a space heater and smart thermometer in the crawlspace connected to a smart plug. Then we created an automation that would turn on the space heater when the temperature dropped below 23°F.

The Shelly Gen4 Smart Plug is perfect for these scenarios and more, thanks to its support for local connectivity protocols, energy monitoring, and advanced automations. Bluetooth and Matter support let you still control your Shelly Gen4 Smart Plug even if Wi-Fi goes out, giving you a leg up over Wi-Fi-only smart plugs that limit you to a cloud-based app. 

With 1800W of power support, the Shelly Gen4 Smart Plug can handle most household electronics, from fans to TVs. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

Even if there are other options available for less money that offer basic voice control and Wi-Fi support, the Shelly Gen4 is the best smart plug for its flexible coverage, real-time energy monitoring, scripting, and low price.

The only way I wouldn’t recommend the Shelly Gen4 Smart Plug is if you’re looking for an outdoor smart plug or one that is very basic for smart control. In this case, I’d recommend the Tapo Matter Outdoor Plug for the former and a Linkind Matter Smart Plug for the latter.