The Best Smart Locks (2027)

The Encode Plus is the only mainstream lock combining ANSI Grade 1 security, built-in WiFi, and Apple HomeKey tap-to-unlock. HomeKey is the standout: holding an iPhone or Apple Watch near the lock opens it even when the phone battery is dead. With up to 100 access codes and no hub required, it is the complete package for Apple households and the best-built lock in this guide.

Fingerprint unlock is the fastest keyless method, and the Halo Touch does it for a mid-range price with up to 100 stored prints. Built-in WiFi means remote access with no bridge, and SmartKey lets you re-key the cylinder yourself in seconds, a genuinely useful feature when keys change hands. It is the family pick: kids without phones still get in with a finger.

The Assure Lock 2 modular radio system is unique: choose WiFi, Z-Wave, or Zigbee to match your hub instead of accepting the lock WiFi default. DoorSense auto-lock only engages when the door is actually closed, which prevents the classic smart lock failure of locking an open door. Up to 250 access codes suit rentals and small offices.

The August 4th Gen is the renter pick because it changes nothing outside: your key still works, the landlord sees the same deadbolt, and all the intelligence lives on the interior side. Built-in WiFi removes the old August bridge requirement, and DoorSense plus auto-unlock make it feel invisible in daily use. Add the separate keypad if guests need code entry.

The U-Bolt Pro WiFi puts a sub-second fingerprint reader on your door for mid-range money, plus five other entry methods as backup. Built-in WiFi means no bridge dongle, and the IP65 rating handles real weather. It lacks Apple HomeKey, but for fingerprint-first households it is the value king.

Lockly's PIN Genie scrambles the keypad digits after every use, so nobody can learn your code by watching or by reading smudges. Offline access codes keep working without internet, which matters during outages. It is premium-priced, but no other keypad takes shoulder-surfing this seriously.

The Lock Pro is the only pick that leaves your deadbolt completely intact: it clamps over the existing thumbturn, so landlords have nothing to object to. Remove it at move-out and the original lock is untouched. Add the keypad or fingerprint pad for full keyless entry, with Matter support through the SwitchBot hub.

The U200 brings Apple HomeKey to a retrofit form factor: tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock, with Matter-over-Thread keeping everything local and fast. It preserves your existing exterior cylinder, so the door looks unchanged from outside. You will need a Thread border router, but for Apple homes this is the retrofit to beat.

The U50 is the Home Key deadbolt: tap an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock, manage guest access in Apple Home, and use keypad codes for everyone else. It needs an Aqara hub for remote and Matter features, but in an Apple household it integrates deeper than anything else at its tier.

The Assure Lock SL commits fully to keyless living with no keyway at all, in Yale's slimmest touchscreen package. Guest codes, schedules, and auto-unlock cover every access pattern, and the module slot accepts WiFi, Z-Wave, or Zigbee. Just understand the trade: with no physical key, dead batteries mean the 9V backup terminals, so keep them in mind.