The best smart locks of 2026 do not make you safer than a regular deadbolt. The honest case for one is different. You stop hiding keys under fake rocks. Also, you stop driving home to let the dog walker in. Importantly, you stop dealing with the kid who locked themselves out for the third time this month. Modern smart locks have matured. However, the meaningful differences between brands come down to ecosystem fit, keypad design, and whether you want the lock to look like a smart lock or look like a regular deadbolt. For most buyers, the picks below cover the realistic options across budgets, ecosystems, and form factors.
Quick picks
- Best overall: August Wi-Fi Smart Lock 4th Gen
- Best for Apple Home: Aqara Smart Lock U100
- Best touchscreen keypad: Schlage Encode Plus
- Best mid-range: Yale Assure Lock 2
- Best budget: eufy Security Smart Lock Touch & Wi-Fi
1. August Wi-Fi Smart Lock 4th Gen: Best overall
The August 4th Gen mounts on the inside of an existing deadbolt without replacing the lock cylinder, which means the outside of your door looks exactly like it did before. Anyone walking up sees a standard deadbolt and a standard key. The smart functionality lives on the inside, where you can lock and unlock from your phone, see who came and went in the activity log, and let trusted contacts in remotely. For a smart lock that does not advertise itself as one to the street, this is the right design.
The August has built-in Wi-Fi, which is the spec that matters. Earlier-generation August locks required a separate plug-in bridge to get remote access, and the bridge eventually became one more thing that could disconnect. The 4th Gen drops the bridge requirement and talks directly to your home Wi-Fi network. Auto-unlock when your phone arrives works reliably with the August app, and the lock supports HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Home for ecosystem integration. The battery is replaceable with standard CR123A cells and lasts six months in normal use. For most homes, this is the right balance of features, looks, and reliability.
Who it's for: Renters and homeowners who want smart functionality without changing the outside appearance of their door or replacing the existing deadbolt cylinder.
2. Aqara Smart Lock U100: Best for Apple Home
The Aqara U100 is the smart lock to buy if you actually use Apple Home and you want home keys in your iPhone Wallet. Home keys is the Apple feature that lets you unlock the door with a tap of your iPhone or Apple Watch the same way you tap to pay. Most smart locks claim HomeKit compatibility and then implement it as a basic on-off switch in the Home app. Aqara is one of the few brands that ships full home keys support, which is the version of HomeKit integration that actually justifies being in the Apple ecosystem.
The U100 replaces the existing deadbolt entirely, so the install is more involved than the August's retrofit. The keypad and fingerprint reader on the outside are the modern smart-lock look, and the lock supports a physical key as backup. The trade-off compared to the August is that the U100 is a more obvious smart lock from the street, which some buyers want and others do not. For Apple ecosystem users, the home keys support is the deciding feature. For everyone else, the August offers a cleaner aesthetic.
Who it's for: Apple ecosystem users who want home keys in their iPhone Wallet and the full HomeKit integration that most smart locks only partially deliver.
3. Schlage Encode Plus: Best touchscreen keypad
Schlage's reputation for physical lock quality is the reason the Encode Plus belongs on this list even though it is more expensive than most retrofit smart locks. The Encode Plus replaces the full deadbolt and includes a backlit touchscreen keypad on the exterior. The lock is ANSI Grade 1 rated, which is the commercial-grade rating that matters if you care about the lock itself resisting forced entry, not just the smart features behind it.
The Plus version adds Apple home keys support in addition to standard Apple Home integration, Alexa, and Google Home. Wi-Fi is built into the lock itself, no bridge required. You can program up to 100 unique access codes, which is more than most households will ever use, but it matters for short-term rentals or homes with frequent contractors and service providers. The trade-off is that this is the most expensive lock on this list, and the cost only pays off if you actually value the ANSI Grade 1 rating and the keypad-first design over the August's inside-only approach.
Who it's for: Homeowners who want commercial-grade physical security combined with a full touchscreen keypad and broad ecosystem support.
4. Yale Assure Lock 2: Best mid-range
The Yale Assure Lock 2 is the mid-range answer that does what most buyers actually need without the premium price of the Schlage. It is a full deadbolt replacement with a backlit touchscreen keypad on the exterior, and the model with Wi-Fi built in supports remote unlock, activity log, and ecosystem integration directly without a separate bridge. Yale's app experience is competent, the lock is rated for the standard residential security levels, and the build quality is solidly above budget-tier locks.
The thing the Yale gets right is the form factor. It is slimmer than most replacement smart locks, which means it does not look like a giant electronic box bolted to your door. The keypad is glass-backed and the touchscreen response is consistent. The trade-off compared to the Schlage is the lower physical security rating and the lack of Apple home keys support. For most homes that does not matter, and the savings put this lock in the realistic mid-range zone where it competes well against more expensive options.
Who it's for: Mid-range buyers who want a clean-looking keypad smart lock with solid build quality and ecosystem support without paying premium pricing.
5. eufy Security Smart Lock Touch & Wi-Fi: Best budget
The eufy Smart Lock Touch and Wi-Fi is the budget answer that gives you fingerprint, keypad, app, and physical key access in a single lock for noticeably less than the premium brands. The fingerprint reader is the feature most users end up using daily. It is fast, accurate, and avoids the need to type a code or pull out your phone for everyday entries. The keypad is there as backup, and the physical key is there if everything else fails.
The honest trade-offs are real. The eufy app is more limited than August or Yale, the ecosystem integration is decent but not deep, and the lock body itself is larger and more obviously a smart lock than the August retrofit. The battery life is rated at six months but the fingerprint reader pulls more power than keypad-only locks, so heavy daily use drops that to about four months in practice. None of that is enough to disqualify it for buyers who want fingerprint access on a budget. For a smart lock that adds biometric entry without premium pricing, this is the realistic pick.
Who it's for: Buyers who want fingerprint and keypad smart lock features on a budget and do not mind a more visible smart lock appearance.
How to Choose
Retrofit versus full replacement is the first decision. A retrofit lock like the August mounts on the inside of your existing deadbolt and leaves the outside untouched. A full replacement lock removes your existing deadbolt entirely and installs a new exterior keypad or fingerprint reader. Retrofit locks are easier to install, do not change the look of your door, and let you keep using your existing key. Full replacement locks give you keypad and biometric access from outside but require more involved installation. If you are a renter or want the door to look unchanged, get a retrofit.
Wi-Fi built in versus a separate bridge matters more than you think. Early smart locks talked over Bluetooth and required a plug-in Wi-Fi bridge for remote access. The bridge becomes the failure point, and most users end up with at least one disconnect per month. Modern locks with built-in Wi-Fi skip the bridge entirely. If a lock requires a separate bridge to get remote unlock, that is a regression compared to the current generation of locks. Every pick on this list has built-in Wi-Fi.
Ecosystem support matters if you are already using a smart home platform. The August integrates well with HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Home but does not support Apple home keys. The Schlage Encode Plus and Aqara U100 both support full Apple home keys for iPhone Wallet unlock. The Yale Assure Lock 2 is HomeKit-compatible but no home keys. eufy works across ecosystems but with shallower integration. Pick the lock that matches the ecosystem you actually use, not the one with the longest feature checklist.
The Bottom Line
The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock 4th Gen is the right pick for most buyers. It mounts to an existing deadbolt, keeps the door looking normal, and the built-in Wi-Fi makes it work reliably without a bridge. The Aqara U100 is the Apple ecosystem answer with full home keys support. The Schlage Encode Plus is the premium pick when commercial-grade physical security matters as much as the smart features. The Yale Assure Lock 2 is the realistic mid-range. And the eufy Smart Lock Touch and Wi-Fi adds fingerprint access for the lowest reasonable price.
Related: A smart lock pairs naturally with a video doorbell to actually see who is at the door before letting them in. Our best video doorbells of 2026 guide covers that side of the system. If you are building out the full smart home, the best home security cameras of 2026 picks are the next stop.
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