Energy Monitors · Head to head

Shelly EM Gen3 vs Shelly EM Gen4

Full Smart Energy Monitors comparison in 2026

Updated November 2026
Data from the official Shelly site.
2026 verdict
For a circuit energy monitor that fits a modern smart home, the Shelly EM Gen4 is the newer and better buy over the Shelly EM Gen3.
Shelly EM Gen4
Winner
Shelly EM Gen4
£63.84
Buy on Amazon UK
It adds Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 LE, Zigbee with repeater behaviour and Matter certification that brings Apple Home, SmartThings and Google Home alongside Alexa and Home Assistant, and it stores at least 30 days of minute data on board against 10. The metering itself is the same on both: single-phase, two channels, a 50 A clamp in the box, bidirectional energy for solar and a dry contact relay that can switch the load it measures through a contactor. Choose the Shelly EM Gen4 for the radios and the longer local history, and the Shelly EM Gen3 if you run Home Assistant over plain Wi-Fi and want the same metering for less.
Works with
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FeatureShelly EM Gen3Shelly EM Gen4Winner
Price$69.99£63.84Shelly EM Gen4
Rating4.64.8Shelly EM Gen4
Connectivity2.4 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth2.4 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigbeeShelly EM Gen4
IntegrationsGoogle Home, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, Home AssistantGoogle Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant, MatterShelly EM Gen4
Warranty3 years3 yearsTie
MeteringSolar Net Metering, Power Factor ReadingsSolar Net Metering, Power Factor ReadingsTie
Breaker Panel InstallYESYESTie
Smart Meter PortNONOTie
Data & MonitoringEnergy Cost Tracking, Time-of-Use Rates, Data Export, Usage AlertsEnergy Cost Tracking, Time-of-Use Rates, Data Export, Usage AlertsTie
Local ControlLocal API, MQTT, Local Web InterfaceLocal API, MQTT, Local Web InterfaceTie
Relay OutputYESYESTie
Load ManagementYESYESTie

What the differences mean

Radios and Matter

The Shelly EM Gen4 adds Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 LE, Zigbee with repeater support and Matter certification, which brings it into Apple Home, SmartThings and Google Home directly. The Shelly EM Gen3 works over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with no Matter, Zigbee or Thread.

Local history

The Shelly EM Gen4 keeps at least 30 days of one-minute records on its larger flash, against about 10 days on the Shelly EM Gen3. If you want to look back a few weeks without the cloud, that difference matters.

Clamp ratings

Both ship with one 50 A clamp, but the Shelly EM Gen4 also supports 120 A transformers on top of 80 A, so it scales further up toward a whole single-phase supply. The Shelly EM Gen3 covers 50 A and 80 A.

Data export

The Shelly EM Gen4 exports power quality values as CSV and JSON through RPC, a little richer than the Shelly EM Gen3's CSV export of the consumption chart. Both keep the local API, MQTT and web interface.

Availability

The Shelly EM Gen3 is widely listed and stocked. The Shelly EM Gen4 has only just reached Amazon and is sold mainly through Shelly's European store, so stock and pricing outside Europe are still thin.

Which one to buy if

  • your smart home runs on Matter, Apple Home or SmartThings
    Shelly EM Gen4

    The Shelly EM Gen4 is Matter-certified out of the box and reaches Apple Home, SmartThings and Google Home, which the Shelly EM Gen3 does not.

  • you run Home Assistant over plain Wi-Fi and want the same job for less
    Shelly EM Gen3

    The Shelly EM Gen3 does the same single-phase two-channel metering with a local API, MQTT and Home Assistant support, without the newer radios.

  • you want to look back a month of minute data without the cloud
    Shelly EM Gen4

    The Shelly EM Gen4 keeps at least 30 days of one-minute records on board, against about 10 days on the Shelly EM Gen3.

  • you need the device shipped today
    Shelly EM Gen3

    The Shelly EM Gen3 is widely in stock, while the Shelly EM Gen4 has only just reached Amazon and is mainly sold through Shelly's European store.

  • you are metering a pump or an EV charger and want to switch it too
    Shelly EM Gen4

    Both have the dry contact relay for a contactor, but the newer Shelly EM Gen4 adds the radios and the longer history on the same small body.

What owners say

The Shelly EM Gen3 is the model with real reviews behind it, and their praise is specific. Owners rarely use it as a whole-home monitor, wiring it instead into a well pump, a pool pump or heater, an EV charger or a solar setup because they wanted both the measurement and a way to switch the circuit, and several describe replacing a mechanical timer with it plus a cheap contactor. They like the easy, reliable Home Assistant integration, an app they call well written, on-device storage that keeps logging when the router drops and accuracy that matched their own metering. Their warnings are practical: it is single-phase with two channels, only one clamp is included, it must be powered from the same phase it measures or the readings are wrong, and Bluetooth setup can be fiddly where Wi-Fi is weak.

Upgrading from the Shelly EM Gen3?

Moving from the Shelly EM Gen3 to the Shelly EM Gen4 is a straightforward radio upgrade. The metering is unchanged: single-phase, two channels, one 50 A clamp in the box, bidirectional energy for solar and a dry contact relay for contactor control on the same compact body. What you gain is Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 LE, Zigbee with repeater support and Matter certification, which opens Apple Home, SmartThings and Google Home, plus at least 30 days of minute data on board and support for 120 A clamps. Keep the Shelly EM Gen3 if you are happy on Wi-Fi with Home Assistant or MQTT and want the lower price. Move up if you have gone Matter or Zigbee, or want the longer local history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better overall: Shelly EM Gen3 or Shelly EM Gen4?

The Shelly EM Gen4 is the newer, better-connected option, adding Matter, Zigbee, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 LE plus at least 30 days of local history. The metering is the same on both, so the Shelly EM Gen3 remains a valid lower-cost pick for Home Assistant over Wi-Fi.

What is the biggest difference between the Shelly EM Gen3 and the Shelly EM Gen4?

The radios. The Shelly EM Gen4 is Matter-certified and adds Zigbee, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 LE, while the Shelly EM Gen3 has 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth only with no Matter. Both meter the same: single-phase, two channels, bidirectional and with a dry contact relay.

Does the Shelly EM Gen4 support Matter and Apple Home?

Yes. The Shelly EM Gen4 is Matter-certified out of the box, which brings it into Apple Home, SmartThings and Google Home directly, alongside Alexa and Home Assistant. The Shelly EM Gen3 has no Matter support.

How much local history does each store?

The Shelly EM Gen4 keeps at least 30 days of one-minute records on the device, and the Shelly EM Gen3 keeps about 10 days. Both also keep the local API, MQTT and an embedded web interface, so neither needs a cloud account.

Do the Shelly EM Gen3 and the Shelly EM Gen4 work on a North American split-phase panel?

No. Both are specified as single-phase, two-channel meters, so a 120/240 V split-phase service with two hot legs is outside their documented design, as is three-phase. For those, a monitor built for the panel is the safer choice.

Who should buy the Shelly EM Gen3?

Buyers who run Home Assistant or MQTT over Wi-Fi, want to meter one or two circuits or a single-phase supply, value the dry contact relay and the local API, and do not need Matter, Zigbee or the longer local history of the Shelly EM Gen4.

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