Smart homes are getting trendy all over the world. They bring lots of convenience for you and allow you to have a peaceful and hassle-free life. There are tons of options out there that you can choose to get your appliances controlled by your smartphone, your PC, or simply by your voice commands.
If you are looking for any such options, SmartThings comes to your mind as it is released and supported by Samsung and works phenomenally with Alexa.
There are some other options as well available in the market such as VeraPlus that is released by an individual brand-named Vera.
If you want to have a fair comparison between both and want to make the right decision for your home, here are a few things that you need to consider.
VeraPlus Vs SmartThings
VeraPlus is the most advanced version that you can get your hands on. This version essentially includes additional processing power than the earlier version and has extended its support to the device types that you can connect to it. This will allow you to have as many devices of all the different sorts connected over the same smart home module to enjoy a simpler, seamless version with convenience.
If you are looking to have more and more devices connected with full control over the VeraPlus should be your optimal choice. It can control 75-125 devices at once so it should be enough for any size of home you might have and want to make it smart. It is also compatible with most major brands including Nest, Honeywell, and Amazon, liberating you from the limitations of choosing the appliances for your home. You can choose whatever you like and have it connected with Vera Plus without facing any sort of hassle at all.
Not only that, but all the major protocols such as Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave & Bluetooth are supported by Vera Plus so you will never be worried about any connectivity issues again. It comes with a dedicated application of its own, developed by Vera that is pretty stable and provides you fully customizable control over the features. It can be powered by your standard A/C wall adapter and supports compatibility with battery packs in case of a power failure as well.
The best thing is that you always have a backup on VeraPlus if you are concerned about losing the internet or you are away from your home as it can support 3G if needed. Another cool perk that other Smart home modules lack is that it is compatible with both iOS and Android and have dedicated applications for both so no worries on that part either.
SmartThings is the name that needs no introduction at all. The brand itself being Samsung is enough to reflect the authenticity, efficiency, and durability of the product. It is somehow similar to the VeraPlus as it can get the job done pretty well.
However, some additions would make SmartThings a better choice for you if you are looking to have these.
While both the devices support Zigbee and Z-Wave, SmartThings lack Bluetooth connectivity and this would be a downside for you if you have some appliances that are connectable to Bluetooth only. In addition to that, SmartThings does not support a direct Wi-Fi connection, unlike VeraPlus. That means you will have to configure the IP address of these devices over the same router for them to make it work.
Furthermore, there is no iOS app either so you will have to stick with Samsung or some other Android device to make this work.
On the other side, there are some considerable advantages as well that you get on SmartThings. Being an IP controlled module for connectivity, you get to enjoy a truly wholesome experience once you have set it up. It also has 2 USB ports for additional connectivity and comes with a built-in battery pack that would enable you to control your appliances in case of a power failure.
Additionally, you get to enjoy extended connectivity on this as you can connect up to 200 devices on SmartThings and even more so it would be perfect to install in some large-sized home or even in an office.