Winner
Updated October 2026
Data from Amazon and official Smlight and Sonoff sites.
2026 verdict
Smlight or Sonoff for Zigbee? Here the Smlight SLZB-06 comes out on top of the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21, because it can leave the server behind on Ethernet, PoE or Wi-Fi.
It also adds a Bluetooth proxy for Home Assistant and a stronger +5dBi antenna, on a Texas Instruments CC2652P. The Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 covers the same core roles, Zigbee 3.0 coordinator or router and a Thread border router after flashing, as a small USB stick that is the more affordable of the two by a wide margin, with owners praising its value. Both carry a one-year warranty and work with Home Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT. The Smlight SLZB-06 is for a home that needs a centrally placed coordinator; the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 is for a well-placed host or an extra router.
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| Feature | Smlight SLZB-06 | Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $72.99 | $24.90 | Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 |
| Rating | 4.2 | 4.5 | Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 |
| Power | USB, PoE | USB | Smlight SLZB-06 |
| Connectivity | USB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFi | USB | Smlight SLZB-06 |
| Antenna Gain | +5dB | +2dBi | Smlight SLZB-06 |
| Bluetooth Proxy | YES | NO | Smlight SLZB-06 |
| Zigbee Chip Model | CC2652P | EFR32MG21 | Different strengths |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | Tie |
| Zigbee Router | YES | YES | Tie |
| Z-Wave Controller | NO | NO | Tie |
| Thread Border Router | YES | YES | Tie |
| Matter Bridge | NO | NO | Tie |
What the differences mean
Placement
The Smlight SLZB-06 connects over Ethernet, Wi-Fi or USB and runs on PoE, so the radio can sit in the centre of the home on one cable. The Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 is USB only and lives next to the host, helped by its extension cable.
Range
Both have +20 dBm of transmit power; the Smlight SLZB-06 has a +5dBi antenna against +3dBi on the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21. The bigger range gain usually comes from placing the Smlight centrally rather than from the antenna alone.
Bluetooth proxy
The Smlight SLZB-06 can relay Bluetooth sensors to Home Assistant. The Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 cannot.
Size
The Smlight SLZB-06 is a 160 mm box that owners find visible wherever it sits. The Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 is a compact USB stick.
Chip
Texas Instruments CC2652P on the Smlight SLZB-06, Silicon Labs EFR32MG21 on the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21. Both are Zigbee 3.0 coordinators and routers that can also run Thread, so the chip rarely decides it.
Which one to buy if
- your server is far from the centre of the house
The Smlight SLZB-06 can be moved to a central spot over Ethernet, with PoE powering it.
- you want Bluetooth sensors in Home Assistant too
The Smlight SLZB-06 doubles as a Bluetooth proxy.
- your Home Assistant box already sits near the middle of the home
The Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 does the same Zigbee job from a USB port for far less.
- you are adding extra Zigbee routers
Owners run several Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 units as routers around the house at a low cost each.
Winner
- + Power: USB, PoE
- + Connectivity: USB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFi
- + Antenna Gain: +5dB
- - Price: $72.99 vs $24.90
- - Rating: 4.2 vs 4.5
- + Price: $24.90
- + Rating: 4.5
- - Power: USB vs USB, PoE
- - Connectivity: USB vs USB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFi
What owners say
Owners of the Smlight SLZB-06 and the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 agree that both run dozens of devices steadily with ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT. Smlight SLZB-06 owners single out moving the coordinator to the middle of the house over Ethernet or PoE, saying it stabilised meshes that cheap USB dongles could not hold, and like auto-discovery and firmware updates from inside Home Assistant. They complain that it is large and a bit unsightly, and a minority had units needing frequent power cycling. Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 owners talk about value, running one as coordinator and more as routers, and praise the extension cable in the box. Their complaints are that flashing it for Thread takes effort and that a firmware update once broke OpenHAB support.
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.
- Smlight SLZB-06
- Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21
Loading price history...
Frequently Asked Questions
Smlight vs Sonoff: which is better, the Smlight SLZB-06 or the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21?
The Smlight SLZB-06, for its Ethernet, PoE and Wi-Fi connectivity, its Bluetooth proxy and its +5dBi antenna. The Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 is the far more affordable USB stick with the same Zigbee and Thread roles.
Which has better range, the Smlight SLZB-06 or the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21?
On paper the Smlight SLZB-06, with a +5dBi antenna against +3dBi. In practice its biggest advantage is placement: on Ethernet or PoE it can sit in the middle of the house, while the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 stays near the host.
Do both support Thread?
Yes. Both the Smlight SLZB-06 and the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 can act as a Thread border router, one protocol at a time, since neither runs Zigbee and Thread together.
What do owners say about the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21?
Owners of the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 call it a cheap, nearly plug-and-play Zigbee coordinator for Home Assistant that runs dozens of devices reliably. The common caveat is that switching it to Thread takes a firmware flash and some effort.
Who should buy the Smlight SLZB-06?
Home Assistant users who want a centrally placed Zigbee coordinator on Ethernet or PoE, with a Bluetooth proxy in the same box.
Who should buy the Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21?
Budget builders whose host is already well placed, or anyone adding inexpensive Zigbee routers to an existing mesh.
Full comparison table
Compare all 36 Dongles side by side
You are looking at two of them. The full table lines up all Dongles in the catalog with the same specs, so you can filter by what you need and sort by price or rating.
- 36 Dongles
- 32 specs compared
- 29 filters
SmlightSLZB-MRW10
$100.00
SmlightSLZB-06 U
$72.99
SmlightSLZB-MR3
€158.13
SmlightSLZB-MR5U
$119.99
SmlightSLZB-07
$34.99
SmlightSLZB-MR1U
$102.99
SmlightSLZB-07p7
$36.99
SonoffZBDongle-E
$24.90
SonoffDongle Plus MG24
$35.90
Nabu CasaHome Assistant Connect ZBT-2
$65.00
SonoffZBDongle-P
16% OFF$39.99$33.45
ZoozZ-Wave Long Range Stick
$39.95
Nabu CasaHome Assistant Connect ZWA-2
$79.00
SonoffDongle-PZG23
$39.90
SmlightSLZB-06M
$72.99
SonoffDongle Plus PP10
$35.90
SmlightSLZB-06p7U
$78.99
SmlightSLZB-MR2
€111.97- Sonoff
Dongle Lite MG21
$24.90 
AeotecZ-Stick 7
$39.99
DonglesSmlightSLZB-06 MG24
4.5(6)$82.99
DonglesSmlightSLZB-06 MG26
3.4(7)$84.99- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-06 U
5.0(5)$72.99 - DonglesSmlight
SLZB-06
4.2(182)$72.99 - DonglesSmlight
SLZB-06M
4.6(111)$72.99 
DonglesSmlightSLZB-06P10
4.4(11)$85.99
DonglesSmlightSLZB-06p7
4.4(11)$79.99- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-06p7U
4.6(33)$78.99 
DonglesSmlightSLZB-07 MG24
3.3(5)$45.99
DonglesSmlightSLZB-07 MG26
4.5(86)- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-07
4.9(20)$34.99 
DonglesSmlightSLZB-07P10
3.0(1)$48.99- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-07p7
4.8(8)$36.99 
DonglesSmlightSLZB-MR1
4.4(11)$103.99- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-MR1U
4.8(16)$102.99 - DonglesSmlight
SLZB-MR2
4.6(8)€111.97 - DonglesSmlight
SLZB-MR3
5.0(1)€158.13 
DonglesSmlightSLZB-MR4
4.0(5)$130.00- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-MR5U
5.0(1)$119.99 - DonglesSmlight
SLZB-MRW10
5.0(11)$100.00
Air Quality MonitorsSonoffSAWF-07P Air Quality Monitor
3.7(193)$39.90
Air Quality MonitorsSonoffSAWF-08P Air Quality Monitor
4.3(169)$49.90
CamerasSonoffCAM GlassView
4.4(30)$34.90
CamerasSonoffCam Outdoor DUO
$79.90
CamerasSonoffCam Slim Gen2
4.4(176)$19.90
CamerasSonoffGK-200MP2-B
4.0(149)30% OFF$9.99$6.99
DisplaysSonoffNSPanel Pro Gen2
3.4(11)€149.90
DisplaysSonoffNSPanel Pro
4.1(75)$129.90- DonglesSonoff
Dongle Lite MG21
4.5(452)$24.90 
DonglesSonoffDongle Max
4.3(603)18% OFF€38.99€32.13- DonglesSonoff
Dongle Plus MG24
4.7(690)$35.90 - DonglesSonoff
Dongle Plus PP10
4.6(99)$35.90 - DonglesSonoff
Dongle-PZG23
4.6(175)$39.90 
DonglesSonoffZ-Wave 800 PoE Dongle Max
4.5(26)$44.90- DonglesSonoff
ZBDongle-E
4.7(3,743)$24.90 - DonglesSonoff
ZBDongle-P
4.6(5,678)16% OFF$39.99$33.45 
Door & Window SensorsSonoffDW2-WIFI
3.8(1,057)$12.23
Door & Window SensorsSonoffSNZB-04 ZigBee Wireless Door/Window Sensor
3.7(101)$17.99
Door & Window SensorsSonoffSNZB-04P ZigBee Door/Window Sensor
4.0(13)$18.99
Door & Window SensorsSonoffSenseGuard DW Gen2
4.4(203)£35.00