Winner
$24.98
Updated October 2026
Data from the official Shelly and Sonoff sites.
2026 verdict
Sonoff or Shelly? For a tiny in-wall relay, the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 is the stronger pick, with more radios and a 3-year warranty.
It adds Bluetooth and Zigbee through a Zigbee hub on top of Wi-Fi, repeats Zigbee traffic for the mesh, switches up to 8A across resistive, inductive and capacitive loads and fits in a 29 x 34 x 16 mm body. The Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch is the lower priced and better rated option, with a physical on/off button and overcurrent protection, and it is built around the pulse-style dry contact triggers gates and garage doors expect. Both offer dry and wet contact modes, run on AC or DC and work with Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, SmartThings, Home Assistant and Matter. Choose the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 for lights and appliances in a crowded box, and the Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch for a gate or garage door trigger on a budget.
vs
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz
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| Feature | Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 | Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $24.98 | $14.90 | Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch |
| Rating | 4.5 | 4.7 | Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch |
| Warranty | 3 years | 1 year | Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 |
| Connectivity | 2.4 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee | 2.4 GHz WiFi | Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 |
| Zigbee Router | YES | NO | Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 |
| Safety | Overheating protection | Overcurrent 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 |
| Energy Monitoring | NO | NO | Tie |
| Dry Contact Mode | YES | YES | Tie |
| Wet Contact Mode | YES | YES | Tie |
| Local Control | YES | YES | Tie |
What the differences mean
Radios
The Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 adds Bluetooth and Zigbee through a Zigbee hub to its Wi-Fi, and acts as a Zigbee router. The Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch is Wi-Fi only, which is fine when your whole setup is Wi-Fi but leaves no Zigbee option later.
Load it can switch
The Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 handles 8A across resistive, inductive and capacitive loads. The Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch is rated 2A resistive, with no inductive or capacitive support, so it suits trigger signals and small loads rather than motors or lighting circuits.
Size
At 29 x 34 x 16 mm and 19 g, the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 is clearly smaller than the 43 x 41 x 21.5 mm Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch, which matters behind a switch in a full box but not inside a gate controller.
Button and protection
The Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch has a physical on/off button and overcurrent protection. The Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 has no button and lists overheating protection instead.
Warranty
Shelly covers the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 for 3 years, against 1 year for the Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch.
Which one to buy if
- you are wiring a gate or garage door opener trigger
The Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch is built for dry contact pulses and costs less, with a manual button as a fallback.
- the relay goes behind a switch in a crowded box
The Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 is the smaller module and handles lighting and motor loads up to 8A.
- you run a Zigbee network
The Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 joins through a Zigbee hub and strengthens the mesh as a router.
- you want the longer warranty
Three years on the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 against one on the Sonoff.
Winner
$24.98
- + Warranty: 3 years
- + Connectivity: 2.4 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee
- + Zigbee Router: YES
- - Price: $24.98 vs $14.90
- - Rating: 4.5 vs 4.7
$14.90
- + Price: $14.90
- + Rating: 4.7
- - Warranty: 1 year vs 3 years
- - Connectivity: 2.4 GHz WiFi vs 2.4 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee
What owners say
Owners of both relays reach for the dry contact first, and garage door triggering comes up in both groups. Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 owners dwell on its size, fitting boxes where a standard relay would not, on configuring it through the app or its own web page, and on near-instant local response; they complain about tiny printed instructions, the neutral it needs, a missing UL or ETL listing and a few units that arrived dead or dropped offline after months. Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch owners focus on gate and garage motors, voice control through Alexa and Apple Home and the manual button as a fallback, and their main complaint is thin eWeLink instructions for the pulse mode those installs need, with one mention of occasional disconnections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sonoff or Shelly: is the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 or the Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch better?
The Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 overall: it adds Zigbee and Bluetooth, handles 8A across more load types, is smaller and carries a 3-year warranty. The Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch is the lower priced choice and a good fit for gate and garage door triggers.
What is the biggest difference between the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 and the Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch?
What they are built to switch. The Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 drives lights and appliances up to 8A, including inductive and capacitive loads, while the Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch is rated 2A resistive and is aimed at dry contact triggers.
Do the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 and the Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch work with Apple Home and Matter?
Yes, both support Matter and Apple Home, as well as Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings and Home Assistant.
Do they need a neutral wire?
The Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 always needs one. The Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch needs a neutral in AC input mode and can also run from a 12-48V DC supply.
Who should buy the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4?
DIYers retrofitting lights or appliances in tight switch boxes, Zigbee users, and anyone who wants the longer warranty.
Who should buy the Sonoff MINI Dry Wi-Fi Smart Switch?
Budget buyers automating a gate or garage door opener through its dry contact, who value a physical button and do not need Zigbee.
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