There is no single best home automation system. The right choice depends on the size of the house, how much you want it to do, and whether you are building, renovating or living in a finished home.
As a rule of thumb, Crestron and Savant suit larger and more complex homes, Control4 is the best value all rounder for family homes, Lutron and Rako lead on lighting and blinds, and KNX suits new builds where the wiring can be planned from day one. We design, install and support Crestron, Control4, Savant, Lutron and Rako systems, so this is an installer's view rather than a sales pitch for one brand.
The six systems at a glance
| System | What it is | Best for | New build or retrofit | Typical budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crestron | A complete platform for lighting, blinds, heating, audio, video and security, set up by an authorised dealer | Larger homes where everything has to work together | Both, and at its best when planned from first fix | Premium |
| Control4 | One app, one remote and engraved keypads for the whole house, set up by an authorised dealer | Family homes, second homes and renovations | Both; wireless options suit finished homes | Mid range |
| Savant | A premium system built around a polished app, with scenes the household can change themselves | Homeowners who want the simplest possible app | Both | Premium |
| Lutron | A lighting and blinds specialist, with ranges from RadioRA 3 to HomeWorks | Beautiful lighting and quiet motorised blinds, on their own or inside a larger system | RadioRA 3 is ideal for retrofit; HomeWorks suits larger projects | Mid range to premium |
| KNX | An open standard supported by hundreds of manufacturers, rather than a single brand | New builds that want an open, wired system | New build, as it usually needs its own bus cable | Varies with the design |
| Rako | British lighting control with wireless and wired ranges | Good value lighting control | Both; wireless suits finished homes | Entry to mid range |
Budgets depend far more on the number of rooms and what each room does than on the brand. For a figure based on your own floor plan, try our Quote Builder or read how much a smart home costs in the UK.
Crestron: the most capable, for larger homes
Crestron is the system we choose when a house has a lot going on: lighting and blinds in every room, a cinema, music and video throughout, heating and cooling, gates, cameras and door entry, all on one platform. It is extremely reliable, it scales from an apartment to a country estate, and it can be tailored to the way a family actually lives, with elegant Horizon keypads and wall mounted touch screens.
Crestron Home, the residential platform, is quicker to set up and easier to change than the custom programmed systems of the past, while still leaving room for bespoke work. The trade off is cost. Crestron sits at the top of the market, and it needs a skilled, authorised dealer to design and commission it. For a closer look, see our Crestron installer page.
Control4: the best value all rounder
Control4 brings lighting, heating, blinds, music, TV, cameras and door entry together in a single app, with a handheld remote and engraved keypads on the wall. Families find it easy to use, it can start with one room and grow, and it works with a very wide range of other products, including Sonos, Lutron, most TVs and many heating systems.
Wireless lighting and keypads make Control4 a good fit for finished homes, and older Control4 systems can usually be upgraded to the current CORE controllers while keeping existing devices. For very large or unusual projects Crestron offers more flexibility, but for most family homes Control4 gives the best balance of cost and capability. There is more on our Control4 installer page.
Savant: a polished app for design led homes
Savant is a premium system with a strong focus on the app. Many homeowners find it the easiest to live with day to day, and the household can create and change their own scenes, such as Dinner or Movie Night, without calling the installer. Like Crestron, it handles lighting, blinds, climate, audio, video and security in one place.
Savant suits people who want a beautifully simple interface and are happy to invest in it. As with any premium system, choose an installer who works with it regularly. See our Savant installer page.
Lutron: the lighting and blinds specialist
Lutron has been making lighting controls for decades and is a favourite of lighting designers. Its ranges run from Caséta for smaller projects, through RadioRA 3, a professional wireless system that is ideal for existing homes, to HomeWorks for larger houses. Lutron is also known for very quiet motorised blinds and curtains, controlled from the same keypads as the lights.
Lutron can run on its own or sit inside a Crestron, Control4 or Savant system, which then looks after music, video and security while Lutron handles the lights and blinds. If lighting is your priority and the rest can wait, Lutron is an excellent place to start. See our Lutron installers page and our guide to automated blinds.
KNX: an open standard rather than a brand
KNX is different from the others. It is an open standard for home and building control, supported by hundreds of manufacturers, so switches, sensors, dimmers, heating valves and blind controllers from different brands all talk over the same bus cable. It is commissioned with standard software, it is popular across Europe and in commercial buildings, and because it is not tied to one company, a KNX home does not depend on a single manufacturer's plans.
The catch is that KNX is usually wired with its own cable to every device, so it really belongs in new builds and full renovations. For an app or touch screens, KNX homes add a visualisation server or connect to Crestron or Control4 through a gateway, which also puts music, video and security on the same app.
Rako: good value British lighting control
Rako is a British lighting control brand with wireless and wired ranges. The wireless system replaces existing switches and dimmers without rewiring, which makes it a popular choice for finished homes and period properties, while the wired range suits new builds. Rako keypads are neat and well made, and Rako can be linked to Control4 or Crestron when you are ready to put music, blinds and heating on the same app. See our Rako lighting installer page.
How to choose: five questions to ask
- How big is the house, and how many rooms will be controlled? A few rooms of lighting and music point to Control4, Lutron or Rako. A large house with a cinema, lots of blinds and complex heating points to Crestron or Savant.
- Are you building, renovating or living in a finished home? Wired systems, including KNX, are best value while the walls are open. In a finished home, wireless systems such as Lutron RadioRA 3, Rako wireless and Control4 keep disruption to a minimum.
- What matters most to you? If it is lighting and blinds, start with Lutron or Rako. If it is music, TV and cinema, start with Control4 or Crestron. If it is everything, plan the whole house on one platform from the start.
- Who will look after it? Every system here needs an installer who will still answer the phone in five years. Ask about remote support and maintenance plans such as 1Install Care.
- How will you add to it later? Choose a system your installer can extend room by room, and keep a record of how it was set up. Our clients' system details are kept in their client portal.
Our view as installers
Because we install Crestron, Control4, Savant, Lutron and Rako, we have no reason to push one brand. For most family homes, Control4 with Lutron or Rako lighting gives the best balance of cost and capability. For larger houses where lighting, blinds, cinema, heating and security all have to work together, Crestron is our first choice. Savant is a lovely option for clients who value the app above everything else, and KNX makes sense in a new build where an open, wired standard is a priority.
Before recommending anything, we visit, listen to how the household lives and send a clear online proposal with drawings, so you can see exactly what you are getting. Each stage is explained on our Our Process page.
Questions we are often asked
Is Crestron better than Control4?
Neither is better for every home. Crestron is more powerful and flexible, which suits larger and more complex houses. Control4 is simpler and better value for most family homes. Both are very reliable when they are properly designed and installed.
Can I mix brands, for example Lutron lighting with Control4?
Yes. Lutron lighting and blinds work very well with Crestron, Control4 and Savant, and Rako and KNX can also be linked to a whole house system, so one app controls everything.
Is wireless home automation reliable?
Yes. Professional wireless systems such as Lutron RadioRA 3 and Rako wireless are very reliable and ideal for finished homes. In a new build or major renovation, wired systems are usually better value and even more robust.
Can I control my home from my phone and by voice?
Yes. All of these systems have an app for phones and tablets, and most also work with voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
What happens if my installer goes out of business?
Crestron, Control4 and Lutron systems can be taken over by another authorised installer. We regularly take over systems installed by other companies, starting with a full backup and a written report of what you have.
How much does home automation cost?
It depends on the number of rooms and what you want in each. Our smart home cost guide explains what drives the price, and the Quote Builder gives you a room by room budget in a few minutes.
Book a consultation or call our head office on 01344 937999 (London office 0208 064 0196). We work across London, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Kent.
- Log in to post comments