Intro
Smart plugs are as common as sand on the beach. In Germany and Europe alone, there are dozens of models on the market – from Shelly to TP-Link Tapo, Bosch, AVM Fritz!DECT, Homematic IP, as well as Eve, Meross, Philips Hue, and many no-name products.
To help you keep track, we divide the plugs into three categories:
- ✅ Recommended – easy setup, stable connection
- 🟡 Compatible, but not recommended for new purchase – works but often with hurdles during setup
- ❌ Not supported – cannot be integrated
✅ Recommended: Shelly & myStrom
For smart plugs, we currently recommend two manufacturers:
Shelly
Shelly is our top recommendation for smart plugs. Reasons:
- Open API – Shelly makes all data freely accessible
- Affordable – the Shelly Plug M is available from about €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 box)
- Shelly 3EM / Pro 3EM (for 3-phase measurement at the house connection)
myStrom
myStrom is a Swiss manufacturer with a very solid solution:
- Reliable cloud
- Precise consumption measurement
- Also well suited for balcony power plant monitoring (switching between consumption and production possible)
- Slightly more expensive than Shelly
🟡 Compatible, but not recommended for new purchase
The following plugs technically work, but we do not recommend them for new purchases because there are often problems when adding them with us and the setup 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 through it, it fits well into the system and you can confidently use Fritz!DECT.
- Not recommended for a fresh start: If you have nothing yet and are starting fresh, it is better to go directly for Shelly or myStrom – easier, cheaper, fewer dependencies.
- Details on setup can be found in the Fritz!DECT article in our helpdesk.
TP-Link Tapo / Kasa
- Very widespread and affordable
- Problem: Integration with us is complicated and often causes problems when adding. Therefore, we advise against new purchases.
- If you already have the 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 buying them is currently not advisable:
Bosch Smart Home Plug / Compact Plug [+M]
- Requires a Bosch Smart Home Controller as a central unit
- Communicates via Zigbee, not directly via Wi-Fi
- Problem: No open cloud API for third parties
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 unit
- Problem: Proprietary radio connection, no open API for third parties – the Homematic IP cloud does not allow external access
Eve Energy
- Apple HomeKit-focused, 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 provide reliable consumption measurement
Meross Smart Plug
- Affordable Matter-capable plug
- Problem: Meross cloud is not open enough for third-party integration
No-name / Tuya-based plugs (e.g., Hama, many Amazon brands)
- Very cheap, but mostly Chinese Tuya cloud in the background
- Problem: Unreliable cloud, often changing API access, data privacy concerns
Why don’t we just support everything?
We get the 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. Many manufacturers want to close their ecosystem and keep third parties out – often for commercial reasons, sometimes also for data privacy reasons.
Another challenge: Even if an API exists, it must run reliably over time, otherwise the devices constantly show "offline" with us. That would be frustrating for you as a user and unmanageable for our support team.
Therefore, we deliberately focus on manufacturers with an open, stable API – currently Shelly and myStrom.
What to do if I already have a non-supported plug?
Do you already have a Homematic IP, Bosch, or similar in use? No problem, you have three options:
Option 1: Simply replace it (recommended)
For an easy setup, we recommend switching to Shelly Plug S (from about €10) or myStrom. Setup takes just a few minutes and you immediately have full integration.
Option 2: Continue using the existing plug differently
If you use your existing plug, e.g., for timers or voice control, you can of course continue to use it for that. For integration into our energy management, you will then additionally need a supported 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 want to buy a smart plug fresh:
✓ Shelly Plug M – best all-rounder, very affordable (from about €10) ✓ myStrom WLAN plug – if design and precise measurement are important to you ✓ Shelly 3EM – if you need balcony power plant or 3-phase measurements
Avoid: no-name products, pure Matter/HomeKit devices without cloud, Zigbee plugs without open bridge API.