The smart thermostat is the most effective and convenient way to automate the temperature of your house. Its operations allow you to stay connected through the app, and the home assistant of these thermostats can save you money on energy bills and turn off the devices when you are not home.
Modern-day thermostats are packed with many features and functions that bring ease to life and allow us to control the thermostat in different ways. If you wish to get a system but not ready to invest big, you can choose to get a cheap smart thermostat. Inexpensive thermostats also offer similar benefits with a little bit of difference.
Getting new technology sometimes is not easy because manufacturers charge for new functions and features. The same case is here, and the most modern devices are costly near the three times of cheap devices.
What is a Cheap Thermostat?
In this category below, I only considered cheap and affordable thermostats. I list some of the best devices which are priced reasonably.
You might also like our recent blog post on the What Is The Best Smart Thermostat for Multiple Zones? and What Is The Best Smart Thermostat for Alexa? available on a separate page.
What Will Be Missing In A Cheap Thermostat
It’s a million-dollar question. When you pay more for Google Nest, Honeywell, Ecobee, or Emerson Sensi you are getting some extra features against the higher price tag. I try my best to figure out the main differences between the most advance and cheap thermostat. Some of them are:
- Inexpensive thermostats are not good learners; not made to learn the schedules and routines.
- Room Sensor Support is not provided in cheap thermostats.
- The home assistant is missing or poorly designed.
- A most simple and straightforward app that lacks in many areas.
- Inexpensive thermostats look traditional, not futuristic.
Hundreds of products are available below 100$, but we listed below a few of them which are successful, and customers are happy with them and offering similar benefits of costly thermostats. We recently reviewed the best smart thermostat for multiple zones and top-rated thermostats, which are hot selling items nowadays. Let’s move to the list of affordable products:
Cheap WiFi Thermostat With Touchscreen
- C-Wire Thermostat needs a C-wire for the extra power to work with most of the systems, while an additional power adapter is available if a C-Wire is not installed in your house.
- Flexible schedule and Geo-fencing: you can set a full seven-day schedule once, and it will follow that endlessly automatically select either heating or cooling, which can detect you from a mobile location.
- Work with Favorites: the T5+ works with the leading smart home partners like Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.
Honeywell Home T5 Plus Wi-Fi Touchscreen Smart Thermostat is an energy star rated thermostat that can save you money on your energy bills as well, as it is equipped with WiFi that opens the door to enjoy endless features. It is a real smart device that can decide whether you need heating or cooling and can turn on the right mode. Smart notifications will keep you informed about the filter change and extreme temperatures so you can change the mode accordingly to stay comfortable when entering your house.
Honeywell’s cheap thermostat also allows you to control the fan functions where you can choose the air circulation level to make the environment more pleasant for your family. If until now you never installed a smart home thermostat, then it will be your first one. Yes, you can do it yourself. This device comes with complete installation instructions, so while following that instruction, you can install it within 30 minutes.
Ask your home assistant to turn on the preferred mode of your AC or change the modes and temperature conveniently. It’s fully compatible with the most preferred Alexa other home voice assistants, so voice controls will enable you to access the thermostat with physical touch or app.
Best Energy Star Certified Cheap Smart Thermostat
- Energy Star Certified: it wins the energy star badge for continuous three years, a most-trusted option that can save you 23% on your energy bills.
- WiFi Connectivity: it connects to the internet that makes it possible to use its app as remote control from any part of the world; you also can see statistics on the app.
- Work With Favourites: compatible and can integrate with all of the well known smart home solutions like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit (c-wire required), Samsung SmartThings, and Wink smart home platforms.
Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat will not cost you like most of the other heavily marketed thermostats. It has all you need like you can make your schedule, and its home assistant feature will turn off your devices when you are not near. It can sense you. The most important thing is its state of art application. It provides you with all the features and convenience you can expect from a costly thermostat—a compact component with a traditional screen and buttons that will look good on your wall.
The app is a way to get access to your smart home thermostat, while on the other side, you can make your schedule and access its features through the buttons on the thermostat.
It’s fast and responsive and works with WiFi, so you can stay sure wherever you can see the temperature inside your house and also can amend the schedule and timers remotely.
Why do I recommend it most? The reason for me is its compatibility with all old and new HVAC and other heating and cooling systems. I do not find any incompatible system name a system, and it’s compatible with that. I believe that it’s highly consistent and most simple to install for novice smart homeowners.
Best Cheap Wifi Thermostat
- Work With Any System: it virtually works with any system; all advanced and old systems are compatible, except electric baseboards; C-wire is necessary for this thermostat to work.
- Programming and App: Its WiFi connectivity enables the user to connect and use full features through the app, and a day can be configured in four ways, while 7 days of programming is a plus of this thermostat.
- Work with Favorites: it works with most smart home solutions like; Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT, Bonomi, Wink, and Stringy.
Honeywell Home Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat is another cost-effective option loaded with most of the required features and convenience. It’s one that sold in thousands of numbers, and it’s one that is initial but most effective from Honeywell. The majority of customers love this thermostat because it’s compatible with any system. I try to find any incompatible system but did not find any. It’s not only a cheap thermostat, but it’s also one that offers all the features that one can expect from the most modern thermostats.
Equipped with smart response technology that will automatically follow your schedule and provide you with the environment that you like most, it can set the temperature you use most of the time without any intervention.
Its four programming periods allow setting the different temperatures in different time zones of a day. I also like its large display, which is easy to read and display all the necessary information and makes setting easy.
If you think that buying a cheap thermostat may lose some functionality, then it’s not a real issue here; instead of functionality, you may not get some of the features. Still, functionality is similar, and the app act as a remote from which you can access the thermostat from any part of the world. Information about local weather is also accessible on the app.
Vine Smart Thermostat Alexa compatible
- Energy Efficient: 8 periods 7 days programming provides full control over the device and temperature of your house; you can customize in various ways.
- Energy Efficient: it’s designed to save money on energy bills, approximately it can save you 23% of the energy you specifically use for heating or cooling purposes.
- Work With Favorites: yes, it’s cost-effective but loaded to work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant so you can control your thermostat with voice.
Vine Smart Thermostat Alexa compatible comes with a large screen display and eight periods setting that provides much convenience; with more time zones, you can have more settings and different temperatures in a day that will surely provide you more comfort. It’s cheap but loaded with WiFi connectivity, which is an utmost requirement of modern days to stay connected with the device.
The app allows you to amend the schedule and current temperature and better control over the device.
I personally test this thermostat; the number one factor of consideration for me was its price. I found its WiFi is a bit unstable, and its connectivity to Alexa sometimes a little bit slow, but when I installed it near the WiFi router where signals were strong it works fine. So it’s my advice for you to install it in the strong signal area or bring your WiFi hub near to it to keep it connected all the time.
Cheapest Wifi Thermostat
- Innovative Design: with a dial to change temperature level and a large display screen its most elegant thermostat in the market, move the dial to change your home’s temperature.
- Easy to Install: in just 30 minutes, you can install this thermostat while following the step by step guide and connect with an app to enjoy the remote control functions.
- Work With Favorites: this easy-to-maintain cheap thermostat is compatible with the two most preferred smart home systems Amazon Alexa, Google assistant.
Vine 2nd Gen Smart Home Thermostat is a design that looks great; this small piece is a combination of many advanced features that are hardly possible in other thermostats. Its modern design and large display allow accessing features and functions quickly. Its interface is also user-friendly, and its remote app is easy to understand.
I found that it also has WiFi connectivity issues during the review, just like other Vine thermostats. It only works fine when it’s installed in a strong WiFi area. From strong, I mean four signals. At least otherwise, you will suffer from the continuous disconnection. It’s an area where Vine needs to focus on. While its software is quick and app response is excellent, you can expect fast operations from this thermostat.
Cheapest Alexa Thermostat
Cheapest smart thermostat
MOES Wifi Programmable Smart Thermostat comes with 4 periods 7 days programming. This is a cheap thermostat that comes with Alexa support, and its remote control app provides control over device features. It’s new, and the manufacturer is trying to make a space for this product in the market.
Final Thoughts
There is a number of other poorly rated products in the market. I know many people who bought newly launched products from unknown manufacturers and even from those who are poorly rated but in the end, they give up and spend a handsome budget again to buy a device that can work smartly.
Before buying any device, just make sure that enough customers bought that device and they are quite satisfied with their purchase, especially when you are not buying for experimental purposes. I am sure you will get one that fits your budget.
I recommend Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat most because this a thermostat that is compatible with all systems and works with C-wire. You can hardly name a system that is incompatible with it. All the modern voice controllers work this system, and its app allows us to have full control over the device operations. So if you really decide to buy a budget-friendly product, then it’s one that I recommend for you.
