Schlage Encode vs. Encode Plus: Which Smart Lock Should You Buy in 2026?

Update August 2026

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These are very similar locks.

Both have built-in Wi-Fi, remote access through the Schlage Home app, keypad entry, a physical backup key, up to 100 access codes, auto-lock, Alexa and Google Assistant support, and direct Airbnb integration.

The Encode Plus adds one feature that meaningfully changes the experience: Apple Home Key.

Schlage currently lists the regular Encode at $299 and the Encode Plus at $329, a difference of $30.

If this is going on your own front door and you use an iPhone or Apple Watch, we'd spend the extra $30.

If you don't care about Apple Home Key, the regular Encode gets you almost everything else.

Current features and manufacturer pricing verified in August 2026.

Apple Home Key is the reason to buy the Encode Plus.

Once the lock is added to Apple Home, a digital home key can live in Apple Wallet. Hold a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch near the lock and the door unlocks. With Apple's Express Mode enabled, you don't have to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID each time.

That may not sound like a big upgrade when you're comparing boxes in a store.

It makes more sense at your front door.

You come home carrying groceries, walk up to the lock and tap your watch. No app to open. No PIN to type. No key to find.

The regular Encode still gives you the keypad and Schlage app, so it's hardly inconvenient. Home Key just gives the Plus a better everyday way to unlock the door if you already use Apple devices.

Most of what makes the Encode a good smart lock is included in both models.

Built-in Wi-Fi means neither lock needs a separate bridge for normal remote access. Once connected to the Schlage Home app, you can check the lock remotely, lock or unlock it, create access codes, review lock history and receive notifications.

Both support up to 100 access codes.

That's useful even if you never operate a rental property. Instead of giving someone your own PIN, you can create separate codes for family, a housekeeper, dog walker or contractor and remove them later.

Both also include a physical key cylinder.

We like that. Smart locks are convenient, but having another way through the door is never a bad idea.

Security is essentially a draw as well. Schlage rates both models at its highest residential BHMA level for security, durability and finish.

In other words, the word Plus isn't buying you a tougher deadbolt. It's buying you more Apple integration.

For the right household, yes.

If you already own an iPhone, and especially if you wear an Apple Watch, Home Key feels natural very quickly. Apple designed it to work much like the other credentials stored in Wallet: bring the device near the compatible lock and unlock the door.

And the $30 price difference matters here.

If the Plus were $100 more, we'd have a different conversation. At current MSRP, you're paying roughly ten percent more for a feature you may use several times every day.

But don't confuse “worth it for Apple users” with “better for everyone.”

If your household uses Android phones, the major advantage of the Plus disappears. Both locks already work with Alexa and Google Assistant through the Schlage Home app.

There's little reason to pay extra for an Apple feature you're not going to use.

If Yale is also on your shortlist, our Schlage Encode Plus vs. Yale Assure Lock 2 comparison explains the differences that matter most.

This is one place where we'd save the $30.

The regular Schlage Encode makes more sense for a dedicated Airbnb or short-term rental.

Both locks connect directly with Airbnb. Once connected, the system can automatically generate unique access codes for reservations instead of requiring the host to create each guest code manually.

That's the feature the rental owner needs.

Apple Home Key isn't.

A short-term rental guest should be able to walk up, type the code they received and get inside. It doesn't matter whether they're carrying an iPhone, Android phone or a Nokia they found in a kitchen drawer.

There is an exception.

If you own a vacation home that you rent when you're not using it, the Encode Plus starts to make more sense. Guests can use keypad codes while you use Home Key when you're staying there yourself.

For a property that's strictly a rental, we'd buy the regular Encode.

There's no meaningful reason to choose between these two based on batteries.

Schlage says the Encode family uses four AA batteries and can provide up to six months of battery life under typical use, with advance low-battery warnings.

Real-world battery life will vary with usage and Wi-Fi conditions, so we'd treat six months as an estimate rather than something to circle on the calendar.

Either way, you're maintaining the same basic battery-powered lock.

Probably not.

This is different from deciding which one to buy new.

If you already own an Encode and it's working properly, the Encode Plus doesn't add enough to make replacing a good lock an obvious upgrade.

You would gain Apple Home Key and Apple Home integration. You wouldn't suddenly get better remote access, more access codes or a fundamentally different Schlage app experience.

We like Home Key.

We don't like it enough to throw away a perfectly good Encode to get it.

When the existing lock eventually needs replacement, that's the time to move to the Plus if Apple integration matters to you.

For a primary residence with iPhone or Apple Watch users, we'd choose the Schlage Encode Plus.

The price difference is small enough that Home Key is worth having, particularly on a lock you may interact with several times a day.

For a non-Apple household, buy the Schlage Encode. You're getting the core smart-lock experience without paying for an integration you won't use.

And for a dedicated Airbnb or rental property, we'd also stick with the regular Encode. Its built-in Wi-Fi, keypad, remote management and Airbnb integration are the features that actually matter there.

The mistake would be assuming that the Encode Plus is automatically the better buy because it's the more expensive model.

It depends almost entirely on whether Apple Home Key improves the way you'll use the door.

The main difference is Apple integration. The Schlage Encode Plus works with Apple Home and Apple Home Key, allowing compatible iPhone and Apple Watch users to tap their device to unlock the door. The standard Encode doesn't support Home Key.

For most iPhone or Apple Watch users buying a new lock for their home, we think so. For Android users or a dedicated rental property, the standard Encode is usually the better value.

Not for normal remote management through the Schlage Home app. The Encode Plus has built-in Wi-Fi and can connect directly to your home network.

Yes. Schlage's direct Airbnb integration supports both the Encode and Encode Plus and can automate unique guest access codes for reservations.

Yes. Both include traditional keyed access in addition to their electronic entry options. Schlage also specifies four AA batteries for the Encode family.

For this guide, we reviewed Schlage's current product specifications, integrations and manufacturer pricing, along with Apple's current Home Key documentation.

We put more weight on differences you'll notice after installation than on features that simply make a comparison table longer.

With the Encode and Encode Plus, that leaves one question that matters more than everything else:

Will you use Apple Home Key?

If the answer is yes, buy the Plus.

If it's no, you probably already have your answer.