Shelly Plug M Gen3 Review: A Compact Schuko Plug With Matter and Real Power Metering
A 3000 W, 13 A Wi-Fi plug with a built-in energy meter, locally stored schedules and Matter support, in a body compact enough to leave the next socket usable.
The Shelly Plug M Gen3 is the Schuko plug to pick when the appliance is a heavy one and the data matters: it switches up to 3000 W at 13 A, and it measures voltage, current, power and energy on that outlet rather than just toggling it. Matter certification brings it into Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings without an extra bridge, while the official Home Assistant integration and the open Shelly API cover the local, scripted end of the spectrum. The trade-offs are the ones you would expect from a plug at this size and price tier: a 2.4 GHz radio only, no mesh protocol, indoor use only, and scripting that has to give way once Matter is switched on.
- Energy monitoring
- High-draw appliances
- Matter households
- Home Assistant setups
- Schuko sockets
Pros
- 3000 W and 13 A rating covers heaters, vacuums and other high-draw appliances
- Built-in voltmeter, ammeter and power and energy meters on the outlet itself
- Matter-certified, so Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings all commission it directly
- Official Home Assistant integration plus a local REST, MQTT and WebSocket API
- Schedules, timers and local actions keep running with the internet down
- Doubles as a Wi-Fi range extender and a BLE gateway for Shelly BLU sensors
- Overheating, overvoltage, overcurrent and overpower protection
- Three-year warranty on Shelly Gen3 hardware
Cons
- Type F Schuko only, so it does not fit UK or North American outlets
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only, with no 5 GHz band
- No Zigbee, Z-Wave or Thread radio, so it neither joins nor extends a mesh
- Scripting is available only while Matter support is switched off
- Indoor use only, with no ingress protection rating
- No USB charging output
Who is the Shelly Plug M Gen3 for?
This is a Type F plug for European sockets, built around a 13 A relay and a 3000 W resistive rating, which puts space heaters, kettles, vacuums and workshop tools inside its envelope rather than only lamps and chargers. It suits anyone who wants to know what an appliance actually costs to run: the plug carries an AC voltmeter, an AC ammeter and power and energy meters, so consumption is measured on the socket itself and not estimated. It also fits people building an automated home rather than a voice-controlled one, since schedules, countdown timers and local actions are stored on the device and keep running when the internet is down.
What the Shelly Plug M Gen3 offers
The headline capability is metering paired with genuine load capacity, a combination budget plugs usually split. On top of that sits the Gen3 platform: 20 webhooks with up to five URLs each, MQTT, scripting, virtual components and an embedded web interface, all reachable over the local network. Matter certification is what opens the ecosystems, covering Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings from one commissioning flow, and the official Home Assistant Shelly integration covers every Shelly generation for anyone who prefers the native path. Bluetooth 4.2 is not only there for onboarding: the plug can act as a BLE gateway for Shelly BLU sensors and as a Wi-Fi range extender, so a socket in a far corner of the house does double duty. Safety is covered by overheating, overvoltage, overcurrent and overpower protection, and Shelly backs its Gen3 hardware with a three-year warranty.
What to know before you buy
The socket standard is the first filter: this is a CEE 7/7 plug into a CEE 7/3 Type F outlet, so it belongs in continental Europe and will not fit UK or North American wiring. The radio side is deliberately simple, with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and no Zigbee, Z-Wave or Thread, which also means the plug never joins a mesh or repeats one for battery sensors. Scripting and Matter are mutually exclusive on this model, so a setup that leans on local scripts has to keep Matter switched off and reach the ecosystems another way. There is no USB output, and with no ingress rating the plug is an indoor device, rated for -20 to 40 °C and 30 to 70 % relative humidity. The 3000 W figure is a resistive rating; inductive and capacitive loads sit lower.
Is the Shelly Plug M Gen3 worth it?
For the money it asks, this is one of the cheapest ways to put a metered, locally controlled 13 A relay behind an appliance, and the angular body drops the light ring of the round Plug S to get there. Against pricier metering plugs you give up a mesh radio and any outdoor rating; against cheap Wi-Fi plugs you gain real measurement, local automation, an open API and a longer warranty. If the socket in question is indoors, European and carries something that draws real current, it is an easy recommendation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Shelly Plug M Gen3 need a hub?
No. It joins a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network directly and is set up over Bluetooth, and it can run standalone on the local network through its embedded web interface, with the Shelly cloud app optional.
How much power can the Shelly Plug M Gen3 switch?
Up to 13 A at 220 to 240 V, which is 3000 W for a resistive load. Inductive and capacitive loads such as motors, transformers and LED drivers are supported at lower ratings.
Does the Shelly Plug M Gen3 measure energy use?
Yes. It has an AC voltmeter, an AC ammeter and power and energy meters built in, so the app shows real-time consumption and history for whatever is plugged into it, plus an internal temperature sensor.
Which smart home platforms does it work with?
Matter certification brings it into Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings, and Home Assistant supports it through the official Shelly integration as well as over Matter.
Will its schedules still run if the internet goes down?
Yes. Schedules, countdown timers and local actions are stored on the device, so they keep executing on the local network without a cloud connection.
What kind of socket does the Shelly Plug M Gen3 fit?
It has a CEE 7/7 plug and a CEE 7/3 Type F Schuko output socket, so it fits Schuko and Type E outlets used across continental Europe. It measures 46 x 46 x 85 mm and weighs 73 g.
