Best Smart Garage Door Openers

Combining a steel-reinforced belt with new talents like home automation, our top pick is the Chamberlain B970. It's not only powerful and easy to install, but also compatible with your home Wi-Fi and comes with a free myQ automation app right out of the box. These smart features let you open and close your garage, check its status, and even set up a schedule from your phone.

Other garage doors have these same features, but they’re add-ons or require a little extra time and money.

All of these services require a monthly subscription but can make your home a lot smarter. For example, Key by Amazon allows your delivery person access to your garage to drop off packages. And Google Assistant lets you open your garage with voice commands.

The Chamberlain B970 also boasts a whopping 1 ¼ horsepower (over twice the power of similar models). So whether your door is frozen to the ground or just a heavy garage door, this Chamberlain belt drive garage door opener has the pulling power to open and close it smoothly. And the steel-reinforced belt drive makes the movement smooth and quiet, unlike jangly chain drives.

This Chamberlain model also comes with a backup battery that kicks in when the power goes out so your vehicle won’t be stuck inside if you need to leave. Add a lifetime belt and motor warranty to all of this, and you’ve got the best smart garage overall.

Beyond smart home compatibility, the Genie comes with a wireless keypad, backup battery, and smooth, quiet operation thanks to the Genie Stealthdrive belt. 

It only has two major drawbacks. One, it's more expensive than most of the garage door openers on our list. Two, it doesn't have a lifetime guarantee. The company only gives its customers a one-year limited warranty.

If your area is prone to storms, the backup battery is a good investment and costs under $80. Without it, you might not be able to open your garage door if the power goes out, which is bad news for potential evacuations or emergencies.

Without extra features like the backup battery or Skylink Hub, it costs just under $150.

The price is right for experimenting with new home automation abilities, making the Skylink ATOMS AT-1611 the right choice if you’re curious about smart features but don’t want to pay a lot for them.

Before installing, make sure to measure your garage door first. The ½ Horsepower model can handle doors up to 7 ft. tall, but if your garage is taller, you’ll need an extension kit for the chain drive.

The Craftsman 1/2 Horsepower lacks smart features, but that doesn’t mean it belongs in the Stone Age. The trifrequency radio reduces interference from other electronics in your house, and the PosiLock® system automatically locks the garage door when it’s closed. It also has an energy-efficient sleep mode that needs only 1 watt of power.

Instead of using a belt or chain, this LiftMaster tightens the torsion spring on your door, causing lift. It comes with the myQ automation app.

The NEXX controller isn’t exactly a garage door opener. It’s more of an accessory for your garage door opener. This device works with your existing garage door, allowing you to make a standard door opener smarter.

Before purchasing, make sure your Wi-Fi connection is strong enough in your garage (a 2.4 GHz connection should be good). It takes under 10 minutes to install and allows you to control your door remotely through your phone. Just be sure your door opener is compatible with NEXX before you buy.

beamUP Sentry is a futuristic-looking garage door opener with a bright white shell and built-in lights. These 3000 lumen (200W) lights are motion-activated, so you'll never get out of your car in the dark. It's also compatible with Alexa, Apple Watch, and IFTTT.

This little guy doesn't have as much horsepower as the top garage door openers on our list, though. And it's not compatible with Google Home.

The drive type refers to how your garage door opens.

Most doors use a chain drive opener or belt drive to pull the door up or down. Others, like the LiftMaster 8500, use a jackshaft that lifts the door through the torsion spring.

Before deciding on a new garage door opener, be sure to measure your door and research the type of door you have. For example, jackshaft drives aren’t compatible with roll-up doors.

Before buying a new garage opener, be sure to measure the height and width of your garage door. Most chain and belt drives can handle doors up to 7-feet tall, but you can find an extension kit up to 10 feet.

Unless you already have experience with garage door openers, we recommend getting a professional to install it. Most of these doors can be self-installed. But it's a dangerous project if you’re new to installations like this or don’t have the tools to install a garage door opener.

Whether you do it yourself or hire a pro, make sure all the accessories are present. Most garage door opener kits come with safety sensors, keypads, control panels, and remote control that require installation too—it’s a lot to keep straight if it’s your first time installing one.

Although cheaper options exist, the Chamberlain B970 garage door opener can't be beat in terms of quality, power, and smart home compatibility. It is the best garage door opener. The backup battery and 1.25 horsepower rating make its monthly subscription worth it.

For our garage door opener review, we dug through dozens of videos and written garage door opener reviews from customers and industry professionals. We also leaned on our dozens of years of home security experience.

Once we had a lineup, we compared features like home automation abilities, horsepower, drive types, safety features, and warranties. Learn more about how we ranked this and our other best-of lists in our full methodology.

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