Side by side

Schlage Connect vs Encode Plus: Plus has built-in Wi-Fi, and Connect needs a compatible Z-Wave hub

Quick verdict

If a compatible existing home or security hub will control the lock, the Z-Wave Schlage Connect is the choice. For built-in WiFi through Schlage Home or Apple home key entry, choose Encode Plus. Both replace the deadbolt and come with a touchscreen plus a physical key. The first compatibility check is the network protocol.

Before you buy

Why, and what it costs you

A Z-Wave controller already in place can settle the choice

Connect suits a compatible Z-Wave system, whereas Encode Plus has a different native control path.

Where this comes from

The selected Connect model and the exact hub integration are what Z-Wave compatibility rests on.

The catch

Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim

A compatible Z-Wave hub is what remote access depends on.

The catch

Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim

Its native control path differs from what a Z-Wave lock uses.

Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim

Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim

Why pick it
  • Add it to a compatible Z-Wave home system
  • Leave control with the supported hub platform
The catch
A compatible Z-Wave hub is what remote access depends on.
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Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim

Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim

Why pick it
  • Run Schlage Home over built-in WiFi
  • Use an iPhone or Apple Watch home key to unlock
The catch
Its native control path differs from what a Z-Wave lock uses.
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Comparison updated , Product data updated , Amazon.com / United States

What this page compares

An existing alarm hub, Apple home keys and guest-code capacity are the points on which Schlage Connect Z-Wave and Encode Plus are compared.

If a compatible existing home or security hub will control the lock, the Z-Wave Schlage Connect is the choice. For built-in WiFi through Schlage Home or Apple home key entry, choose Encode Plus. Both replace the deadbolt and come with a touchscreen plus a physical key. The first compatibility check is the network protocol.

Which one fits

Pick the situations that sound like you

  • Pair with a compatible Z-Wave alarm hub

    The selected Z-Wave model is Connect.

    Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim
    Better fit
    Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
    Caution
  • Using Apple home key

    The feature comes with Encode Plus.

    Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim
    Not suitable
    Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
    Better fit
  • Keep forty unique codes active

    Published limits come to 30 and 100.

    Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim
    Not suitable
    Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
    Better fit
  • Rely on local touchscreen codes plus a physical key

    Those local access methods come in both lock packages.

    Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim
    Good
    Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
    Good

In practice

Differences you will notice

A Z-Wave controller already in place can settle the choice

Connect suits a compatible Z-Wave system, whereas Encode Plus has a different native control path.

How we worked this out

The selected Connect model and the exact hub integration are what Z-Wave compatibility rests on.

Forty codes is more than Connect can hold

Within Encode Plus stated 100-code limit, forty individually assigned active codes fit, and they go past Connect stated 30-code limit.

How we worked this out

40 is more than 30 and under 100. The assumption is one code per person and no shared codes.

Tapping in with an Apple Watch needs the Plus features

Connect works through its touchscreen, key and supported hub controls, while Encode Plus supports Apple home keys.

How we worked this out

Encode Plus explicitly supports home key as an access method.

Option A
Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim

Schlage, BE469ZP CAM 619

Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim

Keypad entry is listed, and the documented door range is 1.375 to 1.75 inches thick.

Best for
Add it to a compatible Z-Wave home system

Facts we checked

  • Radio used: Z-Wave Plus
  • Hub for the native remote path: A compatible Z-Wave hub is required
  • Apple home key: It is not supported
  • Capacity for access codes: Up to 30
Option B
Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim

Schlage, BE499WB CAM 619

Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim

Documented to fit doors 1.375 to 1.75 inches thick, with home-key, keypad and phone listed as entry options.

Best for
Run Schlage Home over built-in WiFi

Facts we checked

  • Radio used: Built-in WiFi, along with Apple Home support
  • Hub for the native remote path: Schlage Home over WiFi needs no extra hub
  • Apple home key: It is supported
  • Capacity for access codes: Up to 100

Spec by spec

Where they really differ

Where Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim and Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim differ
SpecSchlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trimSchlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trimIn practice
Radio pathZ-Wave PlusBuilt-in WiFi, plus Apple Home supportA lock has to be compatible with the system meant to control it.
Hub for native remote pathCompatible Z-Wave hub requiredNo extra hub for Schlage Home over WiFiHaving WiFi available doesn’t turn Connect into a WiFi lock.
Apple home keyNot supportedSupportedTapping with a watch takes the Encode Plus hardware.
Access-code capacityUp to 30Up to 100A large guest roster can go past the smaller documented limit.
Local entry hardwareTouchscreen and physical keyTouchscreen and physical keyBoth locks have routine local code entry available.

Trade-offs

What each pick costs you

With Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim

  • There are no Apple home keys.

With Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim

  • Compatible Apple devices and setup are required for Apple features.

Change of plan

When the answer changes

The lock will be managed by my compatible Z-Wave hub

Go with Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim. The required radio comes with Connect.

Apple home keys or forty active codes are what I need

Go with Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim. Both work on Encode Plus.

I require a fingerprint reader

Neither model fits. No compared lock supplies one.

Decision guide

How to decide

The Z-Wave Schlage Connect fits when a compatible existing home or security hub will control the lock. Encode Plus fits when you want built-in WiFi through Schlage Home or Apple home key entry. Both replace the deadbolt and provide a touchscreen plus a physical key. The network protocol is the first compatibility check to make.

01

A Z-Wave controller already in place can settle the choice

Where an alarm or home hub already manages Z-Wave devices, check whether it explicitly supports Schlage Connect, because that can keep lock routines inside the system the household already uses. Encode Plus is suitable when Schlage Home over WiFi is the path you want. Sharing a familiar brand name does not make their integrations interchangeable.

02

Forty codes is more than Connect can hold

Encode Plus offers the documented capacity for a household or property that needs forty distinct active codes. With Connect you would have to shrink the roster or change the access plan. Confirm how the chosen app handles scheduling and removal, because a capacity number does not amount to a complete rental-management integration.

03

Tapping in with an Apple Watch needs the Plus features

Encode Plus is the choice when tapping a compatible Apple Watch is a central daily habit. If everyone is happy entering a code and the Z-Wave system is already installed, that extra method may add little. Local code entry stays on both, so a household without phones does not automatically need the Plus model.

Check these before you buy

  • Make sure the listing is the Z-Wave Connect version.
  • Look up the exact hub integration and how many codes you need at the same time.

What this page can’t tell you

  • Neither lock is claimed to win on security, radio range or battery life.

By the numbers

What the data shows

What we found across the smart locks we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.

Show the facts and the math
Models in the comparison
2 models
Sources
5 covering these models
Product data updated
The facts and sources behind each product in this recommendation
ProductNeeds it meetsFacts we checkedSources
Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt with Camelot trim
  • Add it to a compatible Z-Wave home system
  • Leave control with the supported hub platform
  • Radio used: Z-Wave Plus
  • Hub for the native remote path: A compatible Z-Wave hub is required
  • Apple home key: It is not supported
  • Capacity for access codes: Up to 30
  • Hardware for local entry: A touchscreen and a physical key
Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
  • Run Schlage Home over built-in WiFi
  • Use an iPhone or Apple Watch home key to unlock
  • Radio used: Built-in WiFi, along with Apple Home support
  • Hub for the native remote path: Schlage Home over WiFi needs no extra hub
  • Apple home key: It is supported
  • Capacity for access codes: Up to 100
  • Hardware for local entry: A touchscreen and a physical key

Ready to buy

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Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.

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