Shelly review
Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
Shelly suits homeowners and renters who want broad smart home kit with no hub to buy first. Device prices start at €12.90, the range covers thermostat, lighting, plug, hub, sensor and blinds work over matter, zigbee and z wave, and local control keeps routines running when the internet drops.
Key facts
- Best for
- Broad smart home kit with no hub, no monthly plan and no contract.
- Price from
- €12.90 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Matter certified
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Hub required
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Local control
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Energy reporting
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Subscription per month
- €3.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Warranty
- 2 to 5 years (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Markets
- AT, AU, BE, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IT, LV, LT, LU, NL, NZ, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Shelly Europe Ltd (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Bulgaria (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Device types
- Thermostat, Lighting, Plug, Hub, Sensor, Blinds
- Protocols
- Matter, Zigbee, Z wave, Wi fi
- Ecosystems
- Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter
- Official website
- shelly.com
Home security
- Price
- €39.90 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Minimum contract
- 0 months (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Products
- Camera, Smart-lock (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Local storage
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Money-back period
- 14 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Cloud plan per month
- €3.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- End-to-end encryption
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Free features
- Camera live streaming, 5 events of event history, motion events with recordings, smart notifications (Shelly Smart Control standard plan) (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Top resolution
- 1080p (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Recording retention
- 30 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Shelly Europe Ltd (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Bulgaria (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Diy
- Power source
- Battery, Wired
- Ecosystems
- Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- Google Play
Pros and cons
Pros
- A hub is not required, so plugs, sensors and switches start working without bridge hardware.
- Local control is supported and energy reporting comes as standard, so offline routines and consumption figures arrive together.
- Entry price €12.90 sits below the €15.36 median for smart thermostat brands.
- The range covers thermostat, lighting and plug and works across alexa, google and homekit, with Matter certification on the relevant devices.
- Warranty runs 2 to 5 years, with cover stated by product rather than as one single term.
Cons
- Camera video tops out at 1080p, below the higher resolutions common on other security cameras.
- Cloud retention of 30 days needs the Shelly Smart Control premium plan at €3.99 a month.
- The camera runs on battery and wired, so placement decides between wiring and battery changes.
- Returns close after 14 days, a short window to test a wide install.
Who it suits
- Renters and new buyers who want a hub-free start and automations that keep working offline.
- Households already running Alexa, Google or HomeKit, or planning to settle on Matter later.
- Anyone tracking energy use, since energy reporting is standard across the range.
Who should look elsewhere
- SONOFF, if you want thermostatic radiator valves, since thermostat, trv and lighting includes trv and the Shelly range leaves it out.
- Aqara or Lutron, if the same device mix suits you better from another brand, since hub, sensor and lighting and lighting, blinds and thermostat cover the same categories.
What it does well
A hub is not required, which is the detail that separates Shelly from ranges that ask you to buy a bridge before anything else works. Local control is supported, so schedules, scenes and switching logic run on the device itself rather than waiting on a cloud round trip. Energy reporting comes as standard, so the same switches and plugs that control loads also report what those loads draw. Cover runs 2 to 5 years, and the term differs across the range rather than sitting at one figure.
Pricing
Entry price for hardware is €12.90, and that is the figure to weigh before anything goes in a basket. It is a device price rather than a bundle price, so a whole-home setup multiplies from a low base. Recurring cost sits with the Shelly Smart Control premium plan at €3.99 a month, which is where cloud storage and extended history live. The Shelly Smart Control standard plan keeps live streaming, motion event recordings and smart notifications at no cost, so that monthly figure is optional rather than compulsory. Renewal only matters if you take the paid tier.
Who runs it
The legal entity behind the brand is Shelly Europe Ltd, based in Bulgaria. Support runs on email, chat and phone, which means email, chat and phone reach the company directly, while the help centre and the community cover written guidance and shared fixes. Several contact routes sit under one named company, so a question about a device, a delivery or the app can go to the same place. Delivery, returns and warranty terms are published under that same entity.
How Shelly compares
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Where Shelly is available
- Available
- Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does Shelly hardware cost to start with?+
Entry price is €12.90, which covers the cheapest device in the range rather than a bundle. The camera sits higher at €39.90, and the catalogue spans camera and smart lock. Budget for hardware first, then decide whether the cloud extras earn their monthly fee.
Is there a monthly fee or a contract?+
The Shelly Smart Control premium plan costs €3.99 a month, and it is optional rather than required. There is no minimum term, since the contract length is 0 months. The Shelly Smart Control standard plan keeps live streaming, motion event recordings and smart notifications at no cost.
Do I need to buy a hub first?+
A hub is not required, and thermostat, lighting and plug lists a hub as one optional product among the device types. Local control is supported, so automations run on the device itself rather than through a cloud app. Adding a hub later stays optional too.
Which voice assistants and smart home platforms work?+
Shelly works across alexa, google and homekit, so Alexa, Google and HomeKit sit alongside Matter. The relevant range is Matter certified, which helps if you move platforms later rather than staying with one assistant. Certification applies to those devices, not to every product line.
Where does Shelly deliver?+
Orders ship across AT, AU and BE. That covers most of Europe plus Australia and New Zealand, so buyers outside the euro area can order direct. Delivery and returns terms apply in those markets, and the returns window is 14 days.
How long is the warranty?+
Warranty runs 2 to 5 years and the term differs across the range, so entry devices and larger units do not carry the same cover. Shelly Europe Ltd publishes that term alongside a returns window of 14 days for deliveries.
Can the Shelly camera record without a subscription?+
Local storage is available, and the camera records at up to 1080p with battery and wired options for placement. Cloud retention of 30 days comes with the Shelly Smart Control premium plan at €3.99 a month, so keeping footage history without a monthly fee means relying on local storage.
How do I reach Shelly if something goes wrong?+
Support runs on email, chat and phone. Email, chat and phone reach the company directly, with the help centre for written guidance and the community for shared fixes. The same Shelly Europe Ltd entity, registered in Bulgaria, handles device, delivery and app questions.
Sources
- shelly.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Ecosystems, Energy reporting, Local control
“Shelly devices are compatible with Alexa, Google Home, Android, and iOS, allowing voice control through your assistant!”
- shelly.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Pricing model, Products
“No cloud required - Control your Shelly devices locally without connecting them to an external cloud or server”
- shelly.com/collections/all-products checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Device types, Protocols
“Product Type: Relay Switches 40, Dimmer Switches 10, Shutters 4, Smart Plugs 8, Smart Controllers 11, Energy Meters 6, Sensors & Thermostats 14, Bulbs 2”
- shelly.com/collections/matter checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Hub required, Matter certified, Price from
“They help you link devices, scenes and automations without adding a separate Shelly hub”
- shelly.com/pages/delivery-returns checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Markets, Money-back period, Warranty
“Transit time by country: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,...”
- shelly.com/pages/impressum checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Support channels
“Seat and registered office: 1407 Sofia, Bulgaria, 51 Cherni vrah Blvd., building 3, floor 2-3”
- shelly.com/pages/shelly-app-premium checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Cloud plan per month, Minimum contract, Subscription per month
“Shelly Cloud Premium - 1 Camera - EUR 3.99/month: Get Shelly Premium features together with cloud storage for one Shelly Camera”
- shelly.com/pages/shelly-cloud-camera-storage checked September 30, 2026
Backs: End-to-end encryption, Free features, Recording retention
“Videos are encrypted and can only be unlocked with a unique password set by the user for each device. The password is never stored in the cloud.”
- shelly.com/products/shelly-camera checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Local storage, Power source, Price, Top resolution
“Local storage on a microSD card, downloadable recordings, and optional EU-based Shelly Cloud storage”
Compiled from 9 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.