Best Smart Garage Door Controllers for Your Home in 2025
After upgrading your front door with smart tech , the next smart move is your garage. Opening and closing your garage door yourself is so last year; a smart garage controller is simply more convenient. A smart garage door opener not only boosts security but also adds voice control convenience -- letting you open it hands-free as you arrive, even while driving. And surprisingly, many models still work during power outages.
CNET's experts have tested the top models, and the Chamberlain MyQ B6713T comes out on top. It offers intuitive app controls, powerful yet quiet operation and bright LED lighting -- ideal for larger garage doors. Looking at online discussions where people regularly ask for opinions about the best smart garage door openers, Chamberlain's model often comes up as one of the top choices.
Our guide also highlights affordable retrofit options, models compatible with voice assistants and smart car systems, and answers to common questions about setup and key features.
Best smart garage door controllers
Genie 7155-TKV StealthDrive Connect
If you do want smart home support for your garage door, don't worry: Genie steps up with this excellent smart garage door kit that includes many of the benefits of our top pick but with support for Amazon Alexa and Google Home (sadly, there are no Apple HomeKit options). The 1.5HP motor is powerful and includes lighting options if you have some bulbs to screw in. And Genies's app settings with Aladdin Connect also allow for Amazon Key support as well as remote operation and notifications.
Genie's smart garage offers numerous benefits including voice assistant support.
Meross Smart Garage Door Remote with External Antenna
If replacing the entire motor feels like too much work, you have another smart garage door remote option: a retrofit like this Meross kit, which includes an extender that's perfect for longer driveways or homes that have multiple garage doors. It's also very compatible with smart homes, including Apple HomeKit and Siri, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings and -- notably -- CarPlay, giving you easy control from your car's dashboard as you pull up.
Note: Always check compatibility with retrofits before you buy. This Meross model works with over 200 brands, but not all garage doors are compatible with it. Contact customer service if you have any questions.
Meross offers a retrofit with incredible smart home support.
Chamberlain B2211T Garage Door Opener
If you have a smaller, lighter garage door, you can save a significant amount of money by choosing a lighter motor like this 0.5HP version from Chamberlain. It includes all the myQ smart benefits and remote garage management, just in a smaller form. Unfortunately, it also shares Chamberlain's limited smart home compatibility -- but the many benefits of the myQ app still earned this motor a spot on our list.
Chamberlain's smaller motor is a perfect fit for small garages.
Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Control
Another retrofit option, Chamberlain's model has excellent compatibility with most newer garage door models (after the early '90s, anyway). You can also package this model with a camera or an additional sensor for a second door. We like the sleek design of the MyQ device and how easy it is to set up, too.
Chamberlain's garage retrofit is the cheapest way to add smart features.
Chamberlain MyQ B6713T Smart Garage Door Opener
For the complete garage door upgrade, no option resonates quite like this Chamberlain kit, a massive quality of life important for any garage. The 1.5-horsepower motor is built to be quiet, the MyQ technology allows a wide variety of app controls and the built in LED lighting is motion-activated, reaching up to 2,000 lumens to illuminate the darkest garage door corners. This model also comes with an important battery backup.
With the app, you can manage settings for remotely activating the garage door, getting notifications and arranging automatic entry for delivery partners like Amazon deliveries so you get packages inside the garage, safe from porch pirates .
The downsides? It's an expensive kit that requires work to install (we'll discuss this more below), and there's no smart home or voice assistant support, so you will have to add an extra app to your phone.
Chamberlain offers the most complete smart garage upgrade we've found.
Other smart garage door controllers we've reviewed
Chris Monroe/CNET
Tailwind iQ3 Pro : We liked the Tailwind iQ3 well enough in our review , but installation packages have come a long way since then and Tailwind didn't quite make it onto our list this time, although it remains a viable choice for anyone shopping around.
Wyze Smart Garage Door Opener : Wyze's retrofit is an option for those already invested in the Wyze ecosystem but who don't mind an extra cam and garage sensor bundle, but we're still concerned over Wyze's 2023/2024 security breaches , which makes this simple sensor hard to recommend right now.
Genie ALKT1-R Controller Aladdin Connect Kit : This button and app replacement is an option for those with compatible garage doors with dry contact adapters, especially Genie series doors. While it didn't quite make our list with its dated design, it's still a smart option if you want minimal changes to your old set up but with some smartphone functionality added in.
Chamberlain myQ Garage Door Video Keypad : This is a fun upgrade to your garage door buttons that combines smart features with a physical keypad. But unless you really want a keypad, it costs a bit too much for what you get compared to other choices.
Factors to consider when buying a smart garage door opener
Meross/CNET
Retrofit compatibility
If you're choosing a retrofit, take a close look at the product page, which should list the brands that the retrofit works with. It should also detail important caveats, like if the retrofit won't work on garage doors of a certain age (late 90s/early 2000s doors may have compatibility trouble). Some retrofits won't work on certain garage door sensor designs, either. Pay attention to all these details before making a choice.
Height
Garage door motor kits are typically rated for height, usually the standard 7 feet. If your garage door is higher, you may be able to spend extra on an extension kit, a.k.a. extra tracks to fit higher garage doors.
Horsepower
Horsepower requirements vary based on the side of the garage door and its overall weight. If you're getting a new motor, match the HP of your old motor. The smallest, lightest doors can get by on 0.3HP, but larger and sturdier doors need at least 0.75HP. Our top picks are rated at 1.5HP so you don't need to worry about the size of your garage door at all.
Lighting
If you don't have many sources of light in your garage, we suggest choosing a motor that includes lighting options, letting you install your own bulbs or offering LED lights.
App controls
One of the biggest benefits of a smart garage door opener is the ability to use app controls right from your phone, whenever you want. So pay attention to the app and the settings offered. See if you like the style of the app and if it offers settings you want like geofencing, long-distance control with Wi-Fi, automatic closing and so on.
Smart home support
Not all smart garage doors work with other smart home platforms. If you have a preferred voice assistant like Google Assistant or Alexa, look for a system that works with them. If you use a car dashboard like CarPlay, see if it's supported as well.
Installing a smart garage door
Garage door installations typically take some serious ladder work with fairly heavy objects.
One question almost everyone has when looking at smart garage doors is what installation looks like -- and how hard it is. That depends what kind of smart garage door you get. Retrofits replace or add onto your current garage door electronics, and are a very easy DIY project.
However, there's a trick to retrofits: They don't work on every garage door brands, they are limited by garage door design and they may not work with garage doors that are a few decades old. Unfortunately, that puts them out of the running for quite a few homeowners.
The other option is a full smart garage door kit, which doesn't replace the door itself but rather replaces the garage door motor and usually some of its tracking. These kits are rated for height (usually the standard 7-foot garage door) but may come with extension options. The motors also have horsepower ratings that should match the needs of your garage door (check your old motor for details).
A full garage door kit is also a DIY project but only if you're comfortable around ladders and somewhat heavy metal tracks that need to be installed on the ceiling. That can be a lot of work for one or even two people, but you do have the option to look up local garage door services to see what they charge for an installation.
Can I convert an existing garage door to a smart door?
Yes, you can convert almost any garage door manufactured after 1993 into a smart door without replacing the entire system. With a smart garage door controller, you can add app-based controls, voice assistant integration, and real-time notifications to most standard garage door openers. These retrofit devices are designed to work with your current setup, making installation simple and affordable. Just make sure the controller you choose is compatible with your garage opener model -- most brands offer compatibility guides to help you find the right fit.
