August Home review
Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
August Home keeps running costs at $0 a month on a contract term of 0 months, with the Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi at $129.99. It suits people who want virtual keys and an activity feed without a subscription, and it will not serve anyone who needs professional monitoring.
Key facts
- Best for
- A single app-controlled lock with $0 monitoring and a 0 month contract.
- Price
- $129.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Monitoring per month
- $0 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Minimum contract
- 0 months (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Products
- Smart-lock (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Professional monitoring
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Money-back period
- 30 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- End-to-end encryption
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Free features
- Free app with lock, unlock, virtual keys and activity feed (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Two-factor sign-in
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Installation required
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- August Home, Inc. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Diy
- Power source
- Battery
- Ecosystems
- Alexa, Google, Homekit, Smartthings
- Official website
- august.com
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- Google Play
Pros and cons
Pros
- The lock pairs with alexa, google and homekit, so it drops into a home already running one of those assistants or hubs.
- The $129.99 entry price sits above the €100.84 median starting price for smart locks on the site and below €149.06, so it is mid-range hardware.
- A 30 day money back window applies to the hardware purchase.
- It ranks 50 of 70 brands on price while sitting 1 of 51 on monitoring, so the running cost is the stronger part of the deal.
Cons
- End-to-end encryption is no, and that gap puts privacy-first buyers off an otherwise well priced lock.
- Professional monitoring is no, so there is no alarm centre watching the door and calling help.
- Support runs on help centre only, so a lock that fails at closing time draws a written answer rather than a call.
- The range is smart lock only, so buyers adding cameras or sensors have to look at Aqara or GHome Smart instead.
Who it suits
- Renters and homeowners already using alexa, google and homekit who want one lock tied to their phone rather than a whole system.
- People who refuse subscriptions: monitoring is $0 a month and the contract term is 0 months.
- Anyone fitting a lock to an existing deadbolt themselves, since installation is not required.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want professional monitoring, which August Home does not offer, and who should read a monitored alarm system page instead.
- Camera shoppers, since the range is smart lock: Aqara, quoted in sterling at £36.98, or GHome Smart at $23.99 suit video coverage.
- Privacy-first buyers, since end-to-end encryption is no.
Core features
Coverage is narrow and deliberate: smart lock is the only product type in the range, and the Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi is the unit on offer. On account security, two factor is yes, so app access needs more than a password. Two other controls are absent. Professional monitoring is no, meaning nobody is dispatched when a breach happens, and end-to-end encryption is no, meaning the link between the app and the lock is not end-to-end encrypted. Installation required is no, so the lock is designed to sit on an existing door rather than to be wired in.
How it compares on our data
The two measures that separate August Home from the brands beside it are the ones with nothing attached. On contract months it ranks 1 out of 60 brands ranked, and on monitoring monthly it ranks 1 out of 51. Price tells the other story, sitting at 50 out of 70. The pattern is a brand that wins on what a household pays each month and trails on what it pays once, which is the right trade for anyone keeping a lock for years rather than a season.
Plans and prices
There is one charge and nothing recurring. The Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi costs $129.99 up front, monitoring is $0 a month, and the contract term is 0 months, so the entry price is the full outlay. Renewal is not a factor here: with no monthly fee and no minimum term, nothing is billed after the hardware arrives, and the plan you buy on day one is the plan you keep. Readers who compare an opening discount against a later increase will find no such split to weigh for this brand.
The company behind it
The legal entity behind the brand is August Home, Inc., headquartered in the United States, and that base sets the currency and the market the pricing is written for. Support runs on help centre only, so expect written answers through a help centre rather than a call. Buyers outside that home market should check availability, stock and warranty cover before ordering, since the company, prices and support routes are all organised around a single market.
How August Home compares
- 8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.1- 8.8 vs 8.5
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8.8 vs 9.0- 8.8 vs 9.0
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8.8 vs 9.0
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Where August Home is available
- Available
- Canada, United States
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi cost up front?+
It costs $129.99 as a one-off purchase, and smart lock is the only product type in the range, so that figure buys the lock rather than a bundle. Monitoring runs at $0 a month, so there is no second charge and no renewal price to watch for.
Is there a monthly fee or a minimum contract?+
Neither, in practice. The contract term is 0 months and monitoring is $0 a month, which is why August Home sits at the top of the monitoring column in our data. Everyday access runs through the app features listed as Free app with lock, unlock, virtual keys and activity feed.
Do I need an installer to fit it?+
Installation required is no, and the unit runs on battery power, so the lock is built to go over an existing deadbolt without new wiring. That makes it a realistic weekend job, though anyone fitting to a door with an unusual backset should still measure first.
How protected is the account and the connection?+
Two factor is yes, so a code is required alongside the password on the app. End-to-end encryption is no, so buyers who put privacy first should weigh that gap before ordering.
Will it fit my existing smart home setup?+
The lock lists alexa, google and homekit as compatible, so voice assistants and hubs from those ecosystems can handle the door. It is a wi-fi model, which means it reaches the network without a separate bridge, and the Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi is the unit in the range.
What support is there if something goes wrong?+
Support runs on help centre only, so expect written answers rather than a phone line. The company is August Home, Inc., based in the United States, and buyers in other markets should confirm the brand ships there before ordering.
Is there a return window?+
There is a 30 day money back window, which is the main financial protection written into the purchase. Since there is no subscription to cancel, that window is the only time limit a buyer has to track.
How does the price sit against other smart locks?+
The $129.99 entry price is above the €100.84 median starting price for smart locks on the site and below the €149.06 upper quartile figure, so August Home sits in the middle of the range rather than at either edge.
Sources
- august.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Installation required, Pricing model, Products, Professional monitoring, Support channels
“Designed in San Francisco, California”
- august.com/pages/terms-of-service checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Legal entity
“August Home, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates ("August" or "us" or "we" or "our"), provides services via our website located at www.august.com”
- august.com/pages/warranty checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Money-back period
“you may return it to its original condition within thirty (30) days”
- august.com/pages/works-with checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Ecosystems
“Wi-Fi Smart Lock Works With Amazon Alexa, Apple Home (HomeKit, Siri), Google Home, Samsung SmartThings”
- august.com/products/yale-approach-lock-with-wi-fi checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Minimum contract, End-to-end encryption, Free features, Monitoring per month, Power source, Price, Two-factor sign-in
“Buy $129.99 - Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi”
Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
August Home
A single app-controlled lock with $0 monitoring and a 0 month contract.