Zigbee vs Z-Wave in 2024: Does It Even Matter Anymore?
Five years ago, "Zigbee vs Z-Wave" was the holy war of the smart home community. Forum threads with hundreds of replies. Reddit posts with passionate defenses of each protocol. YouTube videos comparing range, latency, and device compatibility. People chose sides and stuck with them. In 2024, with Matter and Thread increasingly in the conversation, I keep getting asked: does the Zigbee vs Z-Wave debate even matter anymore? My answer is yes, but not for the reasons it used to.
A Quick Refresher
For anyone who has not spent years in smart home forums, here is the short version. Zigbee and Z-Wave are both wireless mesh networking protocols designed for smart home devices. They operate on different radio frequencies — Zigbee uses 2.4 GHz (same as Wi-Fi), Z-Wave uses sub-1 GHz (typically 908 MHz in the US). Both create mesh networks where devices relay signals to each other, extending range beyond what any single device could reach.
The traditional arguments went like this. Z-Wave has less interference because it avoids the crowded 2.4 GHz band. Z-Wave guarantees interoperability — every certified Z-Wave device works with every Z-Wave hub. Z-Wave has longer range per hop. On the other side, Zigbee has more devices available, is generally cheaper, supports more nodes per network (65,000 theoretical vs Z-Wave's 232), and is backed by more major companies.
Where Things Stand in 2024
Z-Wave is in a complicated spot. Silicon Labs, which owns the Z-Wave protocol, announced Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) which significantly extends range and allows direct communication with the hub from up to a mile away without mesh hopping. That is impressive on paper. But the reality is that Z-Wave device development has slowed. Fewer new Z-Wave devices are being released compared to a few years ago. Some major manufacturers who were Z-Wave-first — like Yale for locks and Honeywell for thermostats — have shifted their focus to Wi-Fi, Thread, or Matter for new products.
Zigbee, meanwhile, is in a slightly better position because of its relationship with Thread. Zigbee and Thread share the same underlying radio technology (IEEE 802.15.4), which means hardware that supports Zigbee can often be updated to support Thread through firmware changes. Several manufacturers, including Aqara and Ikea, have released devices that support both protocols or have transitioned their new products from Zigbee to Thread. The Zigbee Alliance even rebranded itself as the Connectivity Standards Alliance and became the organization behind Matter. Zigbee's DNA lives on in Thread and Matter even as the Zigbee protocol itself may eventually be superseded.
The Matter and Thread Factor
Matter is the new interoperability standard that is supposed to end the protocol wars. A Matter device works with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings without needing protocol-specific bridges. Thread is the preferred wireless protocol for Matter — low-power devices like sensors and switches use Thread, while higher-bandwidth devices like cameras typically use Wi-Fi.
Here is the practical reality as of spring 2024: Matter works, but the device ecosystem is still growing. If you walk into a store today and want to buy a smart home setup entirely based on Matter/Thread devices, you will find smart bulbs, a few locks, a handful of sensors, and some plugs. It is getting better every quarter, but the selection is nowhere near what Zigbee or Z-Wave offer after 15+ years of device development.
My Recommendation: It Depends on Your Hub
If you are using Home Assistant — which I think is the best smart home platform for enthusiasts in 2024 — the protocol barely matters because Home Assistant supports everything. Zigbee through a coordinator dongle, Z-Wave through a Z-Wave stick, Thread through a border router, Wi-Fi natively, and Matter through its built-in controller. You can mix and match freely. I have Zigbee sensors, Z-Wave switches, Thread lights, and Wi-Fi cameras all running through a single Home Assistant instance, and they all work in the same automations.
If you are using Samsung SmartThings, you have good support for Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, and Matter all in one hub. SmartThings has been aggressive about supporting new standards while maintaining backward compatibility. It is the best mainstream hub for protocol flexibility.
If you are using Apple Home, your realistic options are Thread/Matter devices or HomeKit-specific devices. Zigbee and Z-Wave are not natively supported. You can bridge them through Home Assistant or HomeBridge, but that adds complexity. For a pure Apple Home setup, buy Thread/Matter devices going forward.
If you are using Google Home or Amazon Alexa as your primary platform, you are mostly limited to Wi-Fi and Matter devices for direct connection. Both platforms support Matter, which gives you access to Thread devices as well. Zigbee and Z-Wave require a separate hub (like SmartThings) to bridge into these ecosystems.
What I Would Buy Today
For new purchases in 2024, my buying priority is: Thread/Matter first, Zigbee second, Z-Wave third, Wi-Fi last. Thread/Matter for future-proofing and cross-platform compatibility. Zigbee because the device selection is enormous, prices are low, and the technology is proven. Z-Wave when it is the best or only option for a specific device type — smart switches and in-wall dimmers from Zooz and Inovelli are still best-in-class on Z-Wave. Wi-Fi only when there is no reasonable alternative, because Wi-Fi smart home devices tend to be less reliable and more battery-hungry than their low-power protocol counterparts.
But the most important thing? Do not let protocol anxiety prevent you from buying devices you need. I wasted months deliberating over protocol choices for devices that I ended up using for years without a single issue regardless of which protocol they were on. Pick the best device for your specific need, make sure it works with your hub, and stop worrying about it. The interoperability problem is being solved by Matter at a pace that makes the Zigbee vs Z-Wave debate increasingly academic.