Two of the biggest brands in smart home gadgets are WeMo (by Belkin) and TP-Link. They are direct competitors to one another and both offer similar products: smart plugs, switches, cameras, bulbs, and other smart home devices. It’s best to commit to one of these brands so you can control all of your devices within one app. That’s why I want to compare WeMo vs TP-Link to find an overall winner between both platforms.

WeMo vs TP-Link

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Since both brands offer a variety of products, let’s break down each type sold by WeMo and TP-Link to do a complete comparison. The product quality varies greatly – I’ll openly say some of these are duds. We’ll choose a winner for each type of product, along with an overall winner at the end for WeMo vs TP-Link.

Smart Plugs

WeMo and TP-Link both offer 2 versions of their smart plug: one is for basic controls, while the other adds energy monitoring. Both outlets with energy monitoring are on the right in the images below; note that these typically come at a higher price.

In addition, an updated version of both WeMo and TP-Link plugs is small enough to only cover the outlet in use, keeping the other one open.

WeMo 

  

TP-Link 

 

Smart Light Switches

Smart light switches have the added benefit of allowing you to physically turn the light on and off. Sometimes your phone isn’t nearby and Alexa is blasting music, making it easier to just turn the light on manually. It’s also a nice benefit if your spouse isn’t thrilled about using their phone to turn off the lights.

Smart switches make it easy to control the lights either remotely or manually without having to reconnect or sync. They can also work with ceiling fans and other wired fixtures to add smart home automation and scheduling, which is much more affordable than replacing your whole ceiling fan with a smart fan.

Both of these smart switches require a neutral wire and have an “Away” mode to make it look like you are home when you are on vacation.

WeMo 

Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest, and IFTTT. HomeKit available if you buy the HomeKit bridge.
Dimmer light switch available
One year warranty

 

 

Security Cameras

I wouldn’t recommend TP-Link or WeMo for security cameras. But if you are wanting to stick with one brand for your smart home, then you may want to buy one of their cameras for consistency. Otherwise, go with a higher quality camera like Piper, Canary, or Arlo. They will still connect to most of your smart home devices, but with much more reliability and features.

TP-Link offers around a dozen security cameras in different shapes and sizes. We only included two of their cameras to give you an idea of what they offer.

TP-Link 

 

Winner: TP-Link

Both WeMo and TP-Link have offered cheap, low quality security cameras for years. The reason TP-Link is the winner is because its new Kasa Cam provides high quality features and integrations, including two days of storage in the Kasa Cloud, 1080p footage, and night vision.

Security cameras need to be trusted for reliability, security, and storage, which is why I wouldn’t recommend any other security cameras from WeMo or TP-Link. These older cameras function within their own app separate from the other devices: WeMo has the Belkin NetCam app, while TP-Link uses the tpCamera app. In other words, you can’t control your lights, switches, and security cameras within the same app. The only exception is the new TP-Link Kasa Cam 1080p, which works within the same Kasa app as all of the switches and outlets.

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Smart Bulbs

WeMo 

Works on schedules, with sunrise/sunset, and offers Away mode

Dimmable

Requires WeMo Link, but up to 50 bulbs work with 1 Link

Amazon says the bulbs were discontinued by the manufacturer, although WeMo still sells this bundle on their website.

No Alexa compatibility

TP-Link 

Works with Alexa and Google Assistant

 Dimmable and includes energy monitoring

Has a spectrum of soft and warm whites 2700-6500K; LB130 goes up to 9000K

LB130 is a multicolor bulb has 16 million colors

Winner: TP-Link

TP-Link bulbs are impressive. They don’t require a hub and work with Alexa. You can buy them individually or as a set. A good comparison bulb is the LIFX, but those come at a higher price tag. TP-Link bulbs function within the Kasa app, where you can also control your outlets and switches for ultimate convenience.

WeMo’s bulbs appear to be defunct and have not added features or products in quite some time.

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Other Devices

WeMo Maker

Wire any low-voltage electronic device to the WeMo Maker. This allows you to schedule and control almost anything remotely.
No other device like this on the market

Works with IFTTT

Too technical for anyone just getting started or not familiar with electronics

TP-Link Range Extenders

Extend WiFi, eliminating dead zones

N300 has outlet pass through so you don’t use precious outlet space

Includes signal Indicator to find the ideal spot for extending your WiFi

Offers a range of extenders with either internal or external antennas

 

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Overall Winner

While there’s no denying WeMo has a few additional features like HomeKit and Nest compatibility, TP-Link is still my personal preference. Their smart outlets and switches are less expensive and more reliable. TP-Link smart bulbs function in the same app and have quite a few features. Plus the new Kasa Cam is very high quality and offers free cloud storage.

TP-Link isn’t perfect, but they at least seem committed to smart home technology. They recently rebranded to add more emphasis on smart home gadgets, and continue to upgrade and improve their home tech. Hopefully, this commitment will mean more features and compatibility in coming years.

What’s your preference in WeMo vs TP-Link? We want to hear all experiences, positive and negative. Let us know in the comments!