The best smart lock right now is the Schlage Encode Plus ($299). There. I saved you 20 minutes of reading. But if you want to know why, and whether that's actually the right choice for your specific situation, keep reading — because the honest answer is "it depends," and I hate that phrase as much as you do, so I'll be specific.
I've swapped out every door lock in my house over the past three years. Some were great, some were trash, and one literally locked me out during a firmware update. Let me walk you through what I know.
The Three Lock Types (And What Nobody Tells You)
Keypad locks are the most reliable day-to-day. No phone needed, no fingerprint scanner to confuse with sweaty hands. The downside: sharing codes is manual, and if you want to revoke access, you're doing it from a keyboard or an app. I give my parents a code that never changes. I give contractors a temporary code. Simple.
Fingerprint locks sound cool but have real-world problems. They struggle in cold weather, fail with wet or dirty hands, and every family member needs to enroll every finger they might ever use. The Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro ($219) is the best fingerprint lock I've tested, but I've watched it deny my own thumb three times in a row during a Minnesota January. Still, for interior doors or climates that don't get below freezing, they're genuinely slick.
App-only locks are a trap. Never buy a lock that requires a phone to open. Your phone dies, your Wi-Fi drops, you're locked out. Always have a keypad backup.
My Top Picks for 2026
Schlage Encode Plus ($299) — This is what I'd install at my front door. Matter-compatible out of the box, so it works with Apple Home, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa without a hub. The keypad has a tactile feel that cheaper locks don't have, and the deadbolt mechanism feels genuinely solid. It also has the highest residential security rating (BHMA Grade 1 + ANSI Grade 1). Auto-lock after configurable delay is a feature I didn't know I needed until I had it.
Yale Assure Lock 2 ($199) — Excellent if you're on a budget or already deep in the Yale ecosystem. Z-Wave Plus version pairs with SmartThings or Home Assistant beautifully. No Matter support yet, but Yale has been reliable about firmware updates. The touchscreen keypad is a fingerprint magnet — minor complaint, but real.
Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro Wi-Fi ($219) — Best fingerprint lock if you want that feature. Six ways to unlock: fingerprint, keypad, app, key, knock-to-open (yes, seriously), and voice. The knock-to-open is a party trick I've demoed to every guest. The app is decent, though the cloud dependency is worth noting — more on that below.
Level Lock+ ($329) — The invisible smart lock. Replaces just the interior cylinder, looks 100% like a regular deadbolt from outside. Works with Apple Home via Thread. If you're in a rental or HOA that would reject the look of a smart lock, this is your answer. No keypad (just NFC or app), which is my only complaint.
Keypad vs Fingerprint: The Real Answer
Keypad wins for front doors, garages, and anywhere multiple people need access. Fingerprint wins for personal spaces where it's mostly just you, and where environmental factors are controlled (temperature, cleanliness).
Here's what I tell people: get a lock with both. The Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro does this. So does the Eufy Smart Lock Touch & Wi-Fi ($189), which is actually solid value — good fingerprint reader, keypad, and Bluetooth + Wi-Fi without a separate hub.
Compatibility Issues You'll Hit
If you're on Apple Home, stick to Matter or HomeKit-certified locks. The Schlage Encode Plus and Level Lock+ are your options. Anything requiring a Zigbee or Z-Wave hub gets complicated on iOS.
Google Home works with Matter natively but has a more limited lock ecosystem than SmartThings or Home Assistant.
SmartThings + Home Assistant users have the most flexibility. Z-Wave locks (Yale Assure Lock 2 with Z-Wave module, Schlage BE469) work rock-solid with Home Assistant and ZWave-JS. No cloud required after setup.
Privacy: Who Has Access to Your Front Door Data?
This matters more than most people think. Every time you unlock your door, a cloud lock creates a log entry on a company's server. Schlage, Yale, and August all store access logs in the cloud. Ultraloq's app requires cloud authentication.
If this bothers you (it should bother you at least a little), the cleanest solution is a Z-Wave lock paired with Home Assistant running locally. Yale Assure Lock 2 Z-Wave + Home Assistant + ZWave-JS stick = zero cloud dependency. All your access logs stay on your own server. That's my home assistant setup, and it runs flawlessly.
August Smart Lock Pro ($199) has a deal-breaker for me: it still requires the August app even for local automations via HomeKit. If they kill the app or their servers, your smart features go with them. Happened to companies before. Will happen again.
Installation Reality Check
Every lock on this list is a DIY install if your door has a standard 2-1/8" bore hole. You need a screwdriver, maybe a drill, and 20-30 minutes. Watch the installation video for your specific model — they're all slightly different.
The one thing that bites people: backset measurement. Most exterior doors are 2-3/8" or 2-3/4" backset. Measure before you buy, or you'll be returning the lock. I measured wrong once. Learned my lesson.
What I'd Actually Buy
Front door, no hub, Apple ecosystem: Schlage Encode Plus ($299). Matter support makes it future-proof.
Front door, Home Assistant, want local control: Yale Assure Lock 2 with Z-Wave module ($229) paired with a ZWave-JS stick. Zero cloud, full automation capability.
Want fingerprint + keypad, don't care about cloud: Eufy Smart Lock Touch & Wi-Fi ($189). Best value fingerprint lock on the market right now.
Skip the August locks unless you're already bought into their ecosystem and don't mind cloud dependency. And skip anything under $100 — door security is not where you cheap out.
Where to Buy
Affiliate links — if you buy through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
