Updated September 2026
Data from Amazon and official Shelly site.
2026 verdict
The Shelly 1 Gen4 is the newer and better equipped of these two single-channel Shelly relays, mainly because of its radios.
It adds Zigbee through a Zigbee hub to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, acts as a Zigbee router, keeps Matter and Apple Home support, lists a 3-year warranty and idles at 1W. The Shelly 1 Gen3 is the lower priced and better rated of the pair, and by the spec sheet it installs without a neutral wire, which the Shelly 1 Gen4 requires. Everything else carries over: the same 37 x 42 x 16 mm body, a 16A rating across resistive, inductive and capacitive loads, dry and wet contact modes, 110-240V AC or 12V / 24-48V DC power, and Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings and Home Assistant support. Choose the Shelly 1 Gen4 for Zigbee or a mixed-protocol home, and the Shelly 1 Gen3 for a box with no neutral or a Wi-Fi-only setup on a tighter budget.
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Winner
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| Feature | Shelly 1 Gen3 | Shelly 1 Gen4 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $22.99 | $24.99 | Shelly 1 Gen3 |
| Rating | 4.6 | 4.4 | Shelly 1 Gen3 |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth | Bluetooth, Zigbee | Shelly 1 Gen4 |
| Zibgee Router | NO | YES | Shelly 1 Gen4 |
| Safety | Overheating protection | Overheating protection | Tie |
| Integrations | Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant, Matter | Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant, Matter | Tie |
| Relay Channels | 1 | 1 | Tie |
| Dry Contact Mode | YES | YES | Tie |
| Wet Contact Mode | YES | YES | Tie |
What the differences mean
Zigbee
The Shelly 1 Gen4 can run on Zigbee through a Zigbee hub and repeats traffic for battery sensors as a Zigbee router. The Shelly 1 Gen3 has no Zigbee at all. If your home is Wi-Fi and Matter only, this headline upgrade changes nothing for you.
Neutral wire
The Shelly 1 Gen3 is listed as not needing a neutral; the Shelly 1 Gen4 requires one, and its owners call that out as a change from the previous generation. In older switch boxes without a neutral, this can decide the purchase on its own.
Idle draw and warranty
The Shelly 1 Gen4 idles at 1W against 1.2W for the Shelly 1 Gen3, too small a gap to notice on a bill. The Gen4 also lists a 3-year warranty, which the Gen3 spec sheet does not document.
Which one to buy if
- your switch box has no neutral wire
The Shelly 1 Gen3 is listed as working without a neutral, which the Shelly 1 Gen4 requires.
- you are building a Zigbee network
The Shelly 1 Gen4 joins through a Zigbee hub and strengthens the mesh as a router.
- you run everything over Wi-Fi and want the lowest price
The Shelly 1 Gen3 offers the same 16A rating, contacts and Matter support for less.
- you want to flash custom firmware or script the relay
Shelly 1 Gen3 owners specifically praise its on-device scripting and ESPHome flashing.
- + Price: $22.99
- + Rating: 4.6
- - Connectivity: Bluetooth vs Bluetooth, Zigbee
- - Zibgee Router: NO vs YES
Winner
- + Connectivity: Bluetooth, Zigbee
- + Zibgee Router: YES
- - Price: $24.99 vs $22.99
- - Rating: 4.4 vs 4.6
What owners say
Owners of both generations praise the same things: a tiny relay that makes any circuit smart from behind the existing switch, dry contacts that handle garage doors and pumps, and local control that keeps automations running without the internet. Shelly 1 Gen3 owners single out wiring it into a ceiling box when the switch has no neutral, on-device scripting and ESPHome flashing, and a low-power mode for battery projects; their complaints are no energy monitoring, a tight fit and no push notifications. Shelly 1 Gen4 owners talk about choosing Zigbee or Matter, schedules that survive power cuts and detached mode for scene control, and they warn that the Gen4 needs a neutral, that Zigbee pairing on hubs like Hubitat is fiddly and underdocumented, and that some hit Android app problems.
Upgrading from the Shelly 1 Gen3?
Moving from the Shelly 1 Gen3 to the Shelly 1 Gen4 buys one real thing: Zigbee, with Zigbee routing, next to the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Matter the Gen3 already has. The size, the 16A rating, the dry and wet contacts, the AC and DC power options and the platform support stay the same, and the Gen4 needs a neutral wire. If your Shelly 1 Gen3 works on Wi-Fi, there is no reason to replace it; the Shelly 1 Gen4 is worth it for a Zigbee home with a neutral in the box.
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.
- Shelly 1 Gen3
- Shelly 1 Gen4
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: Shelly 1 Gen3 or Shelly 1 Gen4?
The Shelly 1 Gen4 overall, because it adds Zigbee and Zigbee routing to everything the Shelly 1 Gen3 does. The Shelly 1 Gen3 remains the better buy for switch boxes without a neutral and for Wi-Fi-only homes, where it costs less.
What is the difference between the Shelly 1 Gen3 and the Shelly 1 Gen4?
Radios and wiring. The Shelly 1 Gen4 adds Zigbee through a hub and works as a Zigbee router, and it requires a neutral wire, which the Shelly 1 Gen3 is listed as not needing. Size, the 16A rating, dry and wet contacts and Matter support are the same.
Does the Shelly 1 Gen4 work without a neutral wire?
No, the Shelly 1 Gen4 requires a neutral. The Shelly 1 Gen3 is the one of this pair listed as installing without it.
Do the Shelly 1 Gen3 and the Shelly 1 Gen4 have energy monitoring?
The Shelly 1 Gen3 does not, and the Shelly 1 Gen4 does not document it; owners of both point to Shelly's PM models when power readings matter.
Who should buy the Shelly 1 Gen3?
DIYers with no-neutral switch boxes, Wi-Fi-only homes and tinkerers who want scripting or ESPHome on a 16A relay at the lower price.
Who should buy the Shelly 1 Gen4?
Anyone who wants the choice of Wi-Fi, Zigbee or Matter in one relay, and Zigbee users who want mains-powered routers behind their switches.
Full comparison table
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