Which Is Better For Smart Homes, Wi-Fi or Zigbee?

All smart home appliances rely on connections to devices, applications, or hubs. For integrating a connected home, Wi-Fi is seen as a ubiquitous choice. Of course, when you buy devices that are compatible with Alexa or Google Home, it's best to pair them with secure Wi-Fi. You can easily use an existing home router without having to buy a separate smart hub to add equipment.
 
But Wi-Fi has its limitations. Devices that operate solely on Wi-Fi networks require frequent charging. Think about laptops, smart phones, and even smart speakers. In addition, they cannot identify themselves, and you must manually enter the password for each new wireless device. If for some reason, the network connection speed is reduced, it may turn your entire smart home experience into a nightmare.
 
In terms of wireless connection, Bluetooth has always been the second choice. However, in recent years, we have seen exponential growth in the usage of another IoT protocol, Zigbee. Many smart home companies have followed suit, and now Zigbee is almost as popular as Wi-Fi.
 
Let's explore the relative advantages and disadvantages of using Zigbee or Wi-Fi. Understanding these differences is important because it can greatly influence your purchasing decisions for specific smart home products.
 
Zigbee and Wi-Fi: the basic difference
 
The Zigbee protocol was established in 2003 and is an open standard communication protocol based on IEEE802.15.4. The protocol also manages other low-speed networks, such as 6LoWPAN and Thread. The "bee" in the Zigbee name is inspired by the zigzag dance of bees when they transmit information at close range. Therefore, Zigbee is considered a low-power, low-bit-rate, 2.4ghz short-range protocol for effective communication between "mesh" devices.
 
Zigbee's top speed is 250 kbps, which is insignificant compared to Wi-Fi. Obviously, this is not the reason for its popularity. As shown in the figure, the Zigbee Device Object (ZDO) is located at a higher application layer than the physical (PHY) layer running 2.4 GHz (and 915 Mhz) radio. This design is suitable for the longer battery life characteristics of Zigbee devices. Therefore, compared to Wi-Fi radios operating on a similar 2.4 GHz spectrum, Zigbee devices consume orders of magnitude less power.
 
Wi-Fi was established in 1997 and is a wireless network protocol based on the IEEE 802.11 standard. Its bandwidth is higher, ranging from 32Mbps (802.11a/b/g) to 700 Mbps (802.11ax), also known as Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi was originally used to connect computers and network devices in a local area network or a wide area network, and has rapidly developed to support the communication of smart phones, smart speakers, smart TVs, and other smart consumer home appliances. Wi-Fi standards are maintained worldwide by the Wi-Fi Alliance to ensure the compatibility and interoperability of Wi-Fi products.
 
Unlike Zigbee, which uses a "coordinator" (Hub) device to join a Zigbee node, Wi-Fi is managed using a wireless router, Wi-Fi device, or portable hotspot. Also different from Zigbee is that Wi-Fi is designed to consume more battery power, and most commercial Wi-Fi compatible devices have one for communicating with wireless access points (ie Wi-Fi routers) Wi-Fi chip.
 
The technical differences between Wi-Fi and Zigbee products are much more detailed than this. This explains the main advantages and disadvantages of each technology over others, and why each is suitable for different types of smart home applications.
 
The advantage of Zigbee:
 
1.Compatibility
2.Fault tolerance
3.Expand coverage
4.No need to enter the password every time
5.Reduce reliance on the cloud
6.Low-power devices
7.Supported device types
 
The advantage of Wi-Fi:
 
1.Cost
2.Scope
3.Equipment integration
4.Security
5. Consumer IoT applications
 
Wi-Fi and Zigbee: Which is more suitable for smart homes?
 
In the above comparison of Zigbee and Wi-Fi, we discussed their respective advantages and disadvantages. If you want greater autonomy and freedom from the supplier's control, Zigbee will get more support, but it is too early to announce Zigbee as our competition champion. Both network protocols have their acceptable standards for smart home use. If you’re just starting to build a smart home, it’s best to use a Wi-Fi compatible device that is compatible with Alexa, Google Home, and other speakers.
 
However, if you want to make some renovations to your house through smart lights, curtains, switches, thermostats and other building automation activities, having Zigbee compatible devices and smart home hubs will better meet your needs.