Smlight SLZB-MR3 vs Sonoff Dongle Max

On paper these two networked Zigbee coordinators are near twins, so the small gaps decide it, and the Smlight SLZB-MR3 takes them: a higher owner rating, dual network support listed as ready rather than experimental, and a Bluetooth proxy the Sonoff Dongle Max lacks. It gets there with two chips, a Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 and a Texas Instruments CC2674P10, while the Sonoff Dongle Max relies on a single EFR32MG24. The Sonoff wins no compared row, yet it matches the Smlight on nearly everything a buyer checks: USB, Ethernet and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, PoE power, Zigbee 3.0 coordinator and router roles, a Thread border router, two external antennas at +5dBi, Home Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT support and a 1-year warranty. If running Zigbee and Thread side by side matters, the SLZB-MR3 is the safer bet; if the Sonoff is easier to find or cheaper where you shop, it covers the same ground for a single network.