Updated November 2026
Data from the official Emporia and Refoss sites.
2026 verdict
A cloud app against a local API, and the Refoss EM16P wins this one for the self-hosted buyer.
It keeps the readings on your own network through a local web UI, an open JSON-RPC API and MQTT, adds a native Home Assistant integration that needs no flashing, reports power factor, and carries a two-year warranty. The Emporia Vue 3 counters with a polished cloud app, Alexa and Google Home, time-of-use rates and the deepest history at no subscription, and it is the better reviewed of the two. Both clamp onto a live breaker panel and cover circuit level metering, with mains clamps plus sixteen branch clamps in the box. Choose the Refoss EM16P if the data must stay local, and the Emporia Vue 3 if you want the easier consumer experience with voice control.
Works with
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz
- Ethernet
vs
Winner
10% OFF
$179.99
$199.99
Works with
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz
- Bluetooth
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| Feature | Emporia Vue 3 | Refoss EM16P | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.99 | $179.99 | Refoss EM16P |
| Rating | 4.6 | 4.1 | Emporia Vue 3 |
| Warranty | 1 year | 2 years | Refoss EM16P |
| Metering | Split-Phase Support, Three-Phase Support, Solar Net Metering | Split-Phase Support, Three-Phase Support, Solar Net Metering, Power Factor Readings | Refoss EM16P |
| Integrations | Google Home, Alexa, Home Assistant | Home Assistant | Emporia Vue 3 |
| Data & Monitoring | Energy Cost Tracking, Time-of-Use Rates, Data Export, Usage Alerts | Energy Cost Tracking, Data Export, Usage Alerts | Emporia Vue 3 |
| Local Control | None | Local API, MQTT, Local Web Interface | Refoss EM16P |
| Local Control | NO | YES | Refoss EM16P |
| Breaker Panel Install | YES | YES | Tie |
| Smart Meter Port | NO | NO | Tie |
| Connectivity | 2.4 GHz WiFi, Ethernet | 2.4 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth | Tie |
| Relay Output | NO | NO | Tie |
What the differences mean
Where the data lives
The Refoss EM16P runs locally over a built-in web UI, an open JSON-RPC API, webhooks and MQTT, and keeps seven days of minute data on the device. The Emporia Vue 3 is cloud-only: Emporia states it has no local storage and needs an internet connection to work.
Home Assistant
The Refoss EM16P has a native Home Assistant integration that discovers the monitor with no firmware flashing. The Emporia Vue 3 relies on a community integration, so it depends on the cloud as well as the local setup.
Power factor
The Refoss EM16P reports voltage, current, active power and power factor. The Emporia Vue 3 does not report power factor, so a load with a poor factor reads differently between the two.
Voice and consumer integrations
The Emporia Vue 3 works with Alexa and Google Home and has a polished consumer app. The Refoss EM16P has no Alexa, Google Home, HomeKit, SmartThings or Matter support, targeting automation platforms instead.
Time-of-use rates
The Emporia Vue 3 supports time-of-use rates and load-management automations around peak demand and excess solar. The Refoss EM16P does not offer time-of-use rate scheduling.
Clamp rating and warranty
The Refoss EM16P ships 60 A branch clamps against 50 A on the Emporia Vue 3, and a two-year warranty against one year, though both are rated within about two per cent on accuracy.
Which one to buy if
- your energy data has to stay on your own network
The Refoss EM16P works over a local web UI, MQTT and an open API, and keeps recording without a cloud account.
- you want the slickest app and voice control
The Emporia Vue 3 offers a polished app, Alexa and Google Home, time-of-use rates and data export with no subscription.
- you want a native Home Assistant integration
The Refoss EM16P is discovered by Home Assistant with no flashing; the Emporia Vue 3 depends on a community integration.
- you want the most exportable long-term history
The Emporia Vue 3 keeps unlimited hourly history with minute data for seven days and a one-second view, on top of its nineteen channels.
- you track your tariff by time of day
The Emporia Vue 3 supports time-of-use rates and load-management automations; the Refoss EM16P does not.
$199.99
- + Rating: 4.6
- + Integrations: Google Home, Alexa, Home Assistant
- + Data & Monitoring: Energy Cost Tracking, Time-of-Use Rates, Data Export, Usage Alerts
- - Price: $199.99 vs $179.99
- - Warranty: 1 year vs 2 years
Winner
10% OFF
$179.99
$199.99
- + Price: $179.99
- + Warranty: 2 years
- + Metering: Split-Phase Support, Three-Phase Support, Solar Net Metering, Power Factor Readings
- - Rating: 4.1 vs 4.6
- - Integrations: Home Assistant vs Google Home, Alexa, Home Assistant
What owners say
Owners of both buy these to find out where the money goes, circuit by circuit, and both groups praise solar net metering and local data with no subscription. Emporia Vue 3 owners lead with the app: naming each circuit, watching an appliance spike second by second, setting their own rate and exporting the data, all on a well-documented install; their recurring gripes are that the platform is cloud-only with no local API or MQTT, the clamps are bulky in a full panel and Wi-Fi struggles inside a steel enclosure. Refoss EM16P owners put the local Home Assistant integration and the plug-in CT connectors first, describing setup in half an hour to two hours, and value the MQTT and web UI; their warning is that some clamps read in reverse even when wired per the manual, fixed by flipping the clamp or a factor in the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better overall: Emporia Vue 3 or Refoss EM16P?
The Refoss EM16P for a self-hosted, local-first setup, on its native Home Assistant integration, MQTT, open API, power factor reporting and two-year warranty. The Emporia Vue 3 is the better consumer device, with a polished app, Alexa and Google Home, time-of-use rates and unlimited hourly history, but it is cloud-only.
What is the biggest difference between the Emporia Vue 3 and the Refoss EM16P?
Local versus cloud. The Refoss EM16P serves its data locally over a web UI, an open API and MQTT and runs without the cloud, while the Emporia Vue 3 is cloud-only, with no local API, MQTT or local web interface.
Do the Emporia Vue 3 and Refoss EM16P both monitor individual circuits?
Yes. Both include two mains clamps and sixteen branch clamps. The Refoss EM16P rates its branch clamps at 60 A and the Emporia Vue 3 at 50 A, and the Emporia Vue 3 offers a nineteenth channel with a fast one-second view.
Which one works with Alexa or Google Home?
Only the Emporia Vue 3, which supports Alexa and Google Home. The Refoss EM16P has no Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings or Matter support, working instead with Home Assistant, its Open API and MQTT. Neither supports HomeKit.
Do either of these need a subscription?
No. The Emporia Vue 3 includes the app, cloud history and automations, and the Refoss EM16P keeps five years of exportable history in its free cloud with local data on the device. Neither charges a monthly fee.
Who should buy the Emporia Vue 3?
Homeowners who want per-circuit insight with a polished app, voice control through Alexa or Google Home, time-of-use cost tracking and long exportable history, and who are happy with a cloud platform.
Who should buy the Refoss EM16P?
Home Assistant users and privacy-minded owners who need the readings kept local over MQTT, an open API and a web UI, and who want power factor data and a two-year warranty, even without voice assistant support.
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