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Dongles · Head to head

Aeotec Z-Stick 7 vs Sonoff Dongle Max

Full Smart Dongles comparison in 2026

Updated October 2026
Data from Amazon and official Aeotec and Sonoff sites.
2026 verdict
Network placement is the protocol job that separates these dongles, and the Sonoff Dongle Max can leave the USB port.
Sonoff Dongle Max
Winner
Sonoff Dongle Max
€32.13€38.9918% OFFPrime exclusive deal
Buy on Amazon GermanyCheck price
It coordinates and routes Zigbee 3.0, borders Thread, and connects by USB, Ethernet, PoE or 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, with two antennas at +5dBi. Dual-network mode is experimental. The Aeotec Z-Stick 7 is the Z-Wave Series 700 controller, a 3.5 g stick with +9.3 dBm of transmit power and no external antenna. It does not do Zigbee or Thread. Buy the Sonoff Dongle Max to park a Zigbee coordinator where the signal is weak. Buy the Aeotec Z-Stick 7 when the protocol is Z-Wave.
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FeatureAeotec Z-Stick 7Sonoff Dongle MaxWinner
Price$39.99€32.13Sonoff Dongle Max
Rating4.54.3Aeotec Z-Stick 7
PowerUSBUSB, PoESonoff Dongle Max
ConnectivityUSBUSB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFiSonoff Dongle Max
Zigbee RouterNOYESSonoff Dongle Max
Z-Wave ControllerYESNOAeotec Z-Stick 7
Thread Border RouterNOYESSonoff Dongle Max
Transmit Power+9.3dBm+20dBmSonoff Dongle Max
Warranty1 year1 yearTie
Matter BridgeNONOTie
Dual NetworkNONOTie
Bluetooth ProxyNONOTie

What the differences mean

Where it can sit

The Sonoff Dongle Max has USB, Ethernet and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and it can be powered by USB or PoE. The Aeotec Z-Stick 7 is USB only. That is why the Max can leave the computer and the Z-Stick 7 cannot. Neither product lists 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

Zigbee and Thread versus Z-Wave

The Sonoff Dongle Max coordinates and routes Zigbee 3.0 on an EFR32MG24 and borders Thread. Dual-network is experimental, not a finished simultaneous mode. The Aeotec Z-Stick 7 is a Z-Wave Series 700 controller on a ZG14 and is not a Zigbee coordinator. Pick the protocol first. Placement only matters after that.

Antennas and transmit power

The Sonoff Dongle Max has two external antennas at +5dBi and publishes +20 dBm of transmit power. The Aeotec Z-Stick 7 publishes +9.3 dBm of transmit power and lists no external antenna. That is +20 dBm against +9.3 dBm of transmit power, in the same unit. The antenna count is not ambiguous: two against none.

Size

The Aeotec Z-Stick 7 is 37 x 17 x 8.5 mm and 3.5 g. The Sonoff Dongle Max is 169 x 32.5 x 22 mm and 102 g. One disappears on a USB port. The other is a small network device you can place on PoE. Both warranties are 1 year.

Which one to buy if

What owners say

Aeotec Z-Stick 7 owners who finished the first firmware update describe years without dropouts, a snappier network than older 500-series sticks, and a backup restore when they migrate. They complain the stick ships on old firmware that must be updated and can be bricked, that the USB connector is flimsy, and that there is no external antenna. Sonoff Dongle Max owners single out Ethernet or PoE so the coordinator can sit in a dead zone, including a detached garage, instead of on the host. They complain that a firmware update needs a physical power cycle the docs skip, that the web portal asks them to log in again, and that a minority of devices disconnect on their own. Dual-network, they add, is still experimental.

Price history compared

Every price change of both, in the same store, so the gap between the two lines is what one costs more than the other.

  • Aeotec Z-Stick 7
  • Sonoff Dongle Max

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better overall: Aeotec Z-Stick 7 or Sonoff Dongle Max?

The Sonoff Dongle Max when the job is a Zigbee 3.0 coordinator you can place on Ethernet or PoE, with Thread as well. The Aeotec Z-Stick 7 when the job is a small Z-Wave Series 700 controller. They do not speak the same protocol.

What is the biggest difference between the Aeotec Z-Stick 7 and the Sonoff Dongle Max?

The Aeotec Z-Stick 7 is a 3.5 g Z-Wave stick with USB only. The Sonoff Dongle Max is a 102 g Zigbee and Thread dongle with USB, Ethernet, PoE and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, plus two external antennas. Dual-network on the Max is experimental.

Can the Sonoff Dongle Max replace an Aeotec Z-Stick 7?

Not for Z-Wave. The Sonoff Dongle Max is not a Z-Wave controller. It replaces a USB Zigbee stick by adding Ethernet and PoE placement, Zigbee routing and a Thread border router. The Aeotec Z-Stick 7 remains the Z-Wave side of this pair.

Does the Aeotec Z-Stick 7 support Zigbee or Thread like the Sonoff Dongle Max?

No. The Aeotec Z-Stick 7 is Z-Wave Series 700 only. The Sonoff Dongle Max coordinates and routes Zigbee 3.0 and borders Thread. Its dual-network mode is marked experimental.

Who should buy the Sonoff Dongle Max?

Home Assistant or Zigbee2MQTT users who want the coordinator off the host PC, on Ethernet or PoE, and who also want Zigbee routing and a Thread border router.

Who should buy the Aeotec Z-Stick 7?

Home Assistant, openHAB or ioBroker users who need a compact Z-Wave Series 700 controller and are ready for the firmware update owners say it ships needing.

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