Sonoff and Shelly are probably the two most popular 240V wireless switches on the market.
So if you are just starting with home automation then which do you choose?
In this quick guide I will present some of the research I found on the Internet so as to give you a better understanding of the devices.
Regardless of which device you do choose then I would always recommend you standardise on one and don’t go for a mixture.
Pricing
Sonoff tend to be a little cheaper than Shelly, but that really is only an issue if you are going to be using lots of switches.
Build Quality
Shelly devices have a much better build quality than sonoff devices. Shelly also have started to offer a professional range of devices.
Research Notes:
I also have a Sonoff Basic (not R3) inline with a floor lamp. The wiring is easy to understand, so it’s easy for most people to install (compared to wiring a Shelly1 with a physical button). You basically get what I described in the previous paragraph: physical control and app control.
The Shelly1 is more expensive, because the relay circuit is detached, so you can power it with one voltage (say 24V DC) and control another (say 220V AC). The Sonoff is inline, which simplifies things, but everything needs to run on the same voltage.
I’d go with Shelly devices myself.
They can be configured and operated from their own webserver, or through the app and support MQTT out of the box so can easily be integrated to most home automation controllers.I have Shelly, Tuya and Sonoff switches all integrated with home assistant but the Shelly’s are by far the easiest to configure.
Source
Video
Good comparison but I disagree with the final verdict as I think that as Shelly comes with MQTT without the need to flash makes it the better option.
Does Shelly 1 need a neutral?
Shelly 1L works with neutral line or without neutral line. Bypass is required for resistive loads below 20W without connected neutral.
Flashing Sonoff
- flashing sonoff with tasmota
- Flashing with tasmotizer
- flashing sonoff shows pins and using the ftdi module
Personal View
I started with SonOff but because I don’t like not having local control I flashed all of my devices with Tasmota.
Not having flashed devices before this was a bit of a learning curve but I made it.
Having said that I don’t like it, and so from that standpoint alone I would recommend Shelly.
However as I have flashed a lot of SonOff switches with Tasmota I tend to use SonOff.
If I was starting afresh today I would opt for Shelly devices.
General View
Shelly is more popular with those who need robust, customizable devices, especially for advanced or professional installations. It is also more popular in Europe.
Meanwhile, Sonoff likely has a larger global market share due to its affordability and appeal in the DIY community. It is more popular in North America and Asia
Related Tutorials and resources
- Controlling the Tasmota SonOff Switch with HTTP and Node-Red
- Controlling the Tasmota SonOff Switch with MQTT and Node-Red
- Introduction to Sonoff Switches
- Setting up the Sonoff Tasmota MQTT Switch
- Introduction to Shelly MQTT
Thank you, I found it very usefull. Are you still happy with Shelly?
Yes but I have to confess That I’m not using it day to day . I wanted to try it for 12V switching but got delayed with the solar set up.
Rgds
Steve