Best Smart Locks 2026: 5 Picks for Homeowners & Renters

Which one is right for you?

1★ Best PickA+Best OverallSchlage Encode Plus

The best overall — a Grade AAA secure deadbolt with built-in Wi-Fi (no hub) and Apple Home Key tap-to-unlock, plus a backlit code keypad and support for Siri, Alexa, and Google. A full replacement that doesn't trade security for convenience.

The Schlage Encode Plus is the best smart lock for most people because it pairs a genuinely secure deadbolt — Schlage's highest residential security ratings with strong anti-pick and anti-bump protection — with built-in Wi-Fi and Apple Home Key, no hub required. Unlike app-first locks it doesn't trade physical security for convenience. Home Key lets you unlock by tapping your iPhone or Apple Watch (working even when the phone's battery looks dead), and it adds a backlit code keypad, Siri/Alexa/Google support, and time-limited guest codes. It's a full deadbolt replacement, so it's less suited to renters, and it carries a premium price, but for a secure, hub-free, tap-to-unlock lock you own, it's the default.

Schlage Encode Plus

$284.99Price as of 2026-10-19

Product details →

Install

Full deadbolt replacement

Unlock methods

Keypad, Apple Home Key, app, key

Connectivity

Built-in Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz), Bluetooth

Apple Home Key

Yes

Matter

No

Batteries

4 AA (up to 6 months)

Security rating

BHMA A156.40 Grade AAA

Door thickness

1-3/8 to 1-3/4 in

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▶ Video review

2ABest for RentersAugust Wifi Smart Lock

The best for renters — a retrofit lock that replaces only the interior thumb-turn, keeps your existing keys and exterior, and installs in ten minutes with a screwdriver. Built-in Wi-Fi, auto-unlock, and DoorSense; no keypad of its own.

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is the renter's pick because it's a retrofit — it replaces only the interior thumb-turn of your existing deadbolt, so your keys still work, the exterior is unchanged (landlord- and HOA-safe), and it installs in about ten minutes with no drilling. Despite the simple install it's fully featured: built-in Wi-Fi with no separate bridge, auto-lock and auto-unlock as you arrive, remote guest access, and DoorSense to confirm the door is actually closed. It works with Alexa, Google, and Siri, and you keep your physical key as a reliable backup. It's bulkier on the interior than purpose-built locks and has no keypad of its own, but for keeping your keyway and a ten-minute install, nothing beats it.

August Wifi Smart Lock

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Install

Retrofit over your existing deadbolt

Unlock methods

App, Auto-Unlock, your existing key; separate keypad in the linked bundle

Connectivity

Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Apple Home Key

Not listed by August

Matter

Not listed by August

Batteries

2 CR123 (up to 3 months)

Security rating

Depends on your existing deadbolt

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▶ Video review

4ABest DesignLevel Lock Plus

The invisible-design pick — all electronics hidden inside the deadbolt so it looks like an ordinary premium lock, with Apple Home Key tap-to-unlock, physical key, and app control. Expensive and Apple-leaning, but nothing else is this stealthy.

The Level Lock+ is the design and stealth pick. Its trick is hiding all the electronics inside the deadbolt itself, so from both sides it looks like an ordinary premium deadbolt — no bulky keypad, no interior box. It supports Apple Home Key tap-to-unlock with your iPhone or Watch, works with a physical key and the app, and is the choice for anyone who wants smart convenience without their door advertising that it's 'smart.' It's expensive and leans heavily toward the Apple ecosystem, and it has no keypad, but nothing else here is this invisible. For minimalist design plus Home Key in a normal-looking lock, it's unmatched.

Level Lock Plus

$200.38Price as of 2026-10-19

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Install

Full replacement, hidden inside the door

Unlock methods

Apple Home Key, touch, app, key card, key

Connectivity

Bluetooth, Thread (no Wi-Fi)

Apple Home Key

Yes

Matter

Yes (earlier units via firmware update)

Batteries

1 CR2

Security rating

BHMA AAA

Door thickness

1-3/4 to 2 in

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▶ Video review

5B+Best Valueeufy Smart Lock C220

The value pick — a fingerprint-reader lock with built-in Wi-Fi, a keypad, and app control that recognises your print in under a second, with local-leaning storage and no mandatory fees. A lot of features for the price, with a bulkier interior.

The eufy Smart Lock C220 is the value pick, packing features that cost more elsewhere — a fast fingerprint reader that recognises your print in under a second, built-in Wi-Fi, a code keypad, and app control, with eufy's no-mandatory-fee approach. The fingerprint entry is genuinely convenient for daily use and great for kids and guests who don't carry phones, and the keypad covers everyone else. The interior unit is bulkier than the sleek premium locks and the build feels a step below Schlage or Level, but for the most access methods — fingerprint, code, app, and key — at the lowest price, it's the smart-value choice for a home you can modify.

eufy Smart Lock C220

$119.99Price as of 2026-10-19

Product details →

Install

Full deadbolt replacement

Unlock methods

Fingerprint, keypad, app, key

Connectivity

Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Apple Home Key

No

Matter

No

Batteries

8 AA

Security rating

BHMA Grade 3

Door thickness

1-3/8 to 2-1/8 in

Amazon →

▶ Video review

Top pick: Schlage Encode Plus

The Schlage Encode Plus is the best smart lock for most people because it combines a genuinely secure deadbolt with built-in Wi-Fi and Apple Home Key support, with no hub required. Schlage's deadbolts carry the highest residential security ratings (ANSI/BHMA Grade AAA and a strong anti-pick, anti-bump cylinder), so unlike some app-first locks you are not trading physical security for convenience. The built-in Wi-Fi means you control and monitor it from anywhere directly, without buying a separate bridge.

Its headline feature is Apple Home Key: you add the lock to your iPhone or Apple Watch wallet and unlock simply by tapping your phone to the lock — no app to open, no code to type, and it works even if your phone's battery is dead (Home Key reserves power for exactly this). It also has a fingerprint-free backlit keypad for codes, works with Siri, Alexa, and Google, and you can hand out time-limited codes to guests, cleaners, and trades.

The honest caveats: it's a full deadbolt replacement (you remove your existing one), so it's less suited to renters who can't modify the door, and the premium build commands a premium price. It's strongest for Apple households thanks to Home Key, though it works across all the major assistants. For a secure, hub-free, tap-to-unlock lock you own outright, the Encode Plus is the default.

Best for renters: August Wi-Fi Smart Lock

The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is the pick for renters and anyone who wants to keep their existing keys, because it's a retrofit lock: it replaces only the interior thumb-turn of your existing deadbolt and leaves the exterior — and your keyway — completely untouched. Your old keys still work, the outside of your door looks unchanged (important for landlords and HOAs), and installation takes about ten minutes with a screwdriver and no drilling. It's the least invasive smart lock here by a wide margin.

Despite the simple install, it's fully featured: built-in Wi-Fi (no separate bridge needed in the current generation), auto-lock and auto-unlock as you arrive, remote control and guest access from the app, and DoorSense to tell you whether the door is actually closed, not just locked. It works with Alexa, Google, and Siri, and because the exterior is unchanged, you keep a physical key as a universally reliable backup.

The trade-offs: because it sits on the inside of an existing deadbolt, it's bulkier on the interior than a sleek purpose-built lock, and it has no exterior keypad of its own — entry is by app, key, or auto-unlock, so guests without the app need a physical key unless you use the separate Yale Keypad — included in the bundle we link to — which mounts on the wall or frame beside the door. But for keeping your keyway, satisfying a landlord, and a renter-friendly ten-minute install, nothing beats the August.

Keypad and design picks: Yale Assure Lock 2 and Level Lock+

The Yale Assure Lock 2 is the most configurable mainstream lock and a keypad standout. It comes in key-free and keyed versions and in multiple styles, and crucially it uses swappable smart modules — you can buy the Wi-Fi version now, or start with Bluetooth/Matter and add connectivity later by changing a small module rather than the whole lock. Its sleek touchscreen keypad is one of the best for code entry, it can add Matter with a separate module (so it plugs cleanly into Apple Home, Google, Alexa, and SmartThings), and the key-free models give a clean, modern look.

The Level Lock+ is the design and stealth pick, and the other strong Apple Home Key option. Its trick is that all the electronics are hidden inside the deadbolt itself — from the outside and inside it looks like an ordinary premium deadbolt, with no bulky keypad or interior box. It supports Apple Home Key tap-to-unlock, works with a physical key and the app, and is the choice for anyone who wants smart-lock convenience without their door announcing that it's 'smart.' It's expensive and leans heavily Apple, but nothing else is this invisible.

Choose between them by what you value. The Yale Assure Lock 2 wins on a great keypad, format choice, and Matter-based future-proofing via swappable modules. The Level Lock+ wins on invisible design and Apple Home Key in a package that looks like a normal deadbolt. Both are full replacements rather than retrofits, so neither suits a renter who can't change the exterior.

How to choose: retrofit vs replacement, connectivity, keypads, and backup

Decide retrofit versus full replacement first, because it eliminates options. A retrofit lock (August) replaces only the interior thumb-turn, keeps your existing keyway and keys, and is the only renter- and HOA-safe choice since the door's exterior is untouched. A full replacement (Schlage, Yale, Level) swaps the entire deadbolt for a purpose-built unit — sleeker and often more featured, but it changes your keyway and isn't appropriate if you can't modify the door. If you rent or share a building's keying, retrofit is effectively mandatory.

Match connectivity to how you'll use it. Built-in Wi-Fi (Schlage Encode Plus, August, Yale's Wi-Fi module) lets you lock, unlock, and check status from anywhere with no extra hardware — essential for remote guest access. Bluetooth-only locks are cheaper and have longer battery life but only work within range of your phone unless you add a bridge. Apple Home Key (Schlage Encode Plus, Level Lock+) adds tap-to-unlock with your iPhone or Watch and is the slickest daily experience if you're in the Apple ecosystem; Matter support (Yale) future-proofs you across all platforms.

Weigh keypads and plan for dead batteries. A built-in keypad (Schlage, Yale) lets guests, kids, and trades enter with a code and no phone or app — the most universally convenient access method, and worth prioritising if you hand out access often. The August and Level have no keypad on the lock itself and rely on app, key, or auto-unlock unless you use a separate keypad (the August bundle we link to includes one). Finally, check the battery story: every lock here warns you well before the batteries die, keeps a physical key or external power-jump option as backup, and Apple Home Key reserves enough phone power to unlock even when your iPhone shows empty — but always keep a backup entry method so a dead battery never locks you out.