Best Yale Smart Lock in 2026: Every Connected Model Compared

The short answer

Yale sells four main smart lock families in the US right now: the Assure Lock 2 (Keypad or Touchscreen), the Assure Lock 2 Touch (fingerprint), the Assure Lock 2 Plus (Apple home keys) and the Yale Smart Lock with Matter. It also sells two retrofit locks that fit over your existing deadbolt, the Yale Approach Lock and the August Wi-Fi Smart Lock, plus Z-Wave versions of the Assure Lock 2 for security systems. The big choices are how the lock connects (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Matter over Thread or Z-Wave) and how you get in (keypad, touchscreen, fingerprint or a tap of your iPhone).

• Get the Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi ($259.99 Keypad, $279.99 Touchscreen) if you want one lock that works with Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home, with remote access in the Yale Access app and no hub.
• Get the Assure Lock 2 with Bluetooth ($169.99 Keypad, $189.99 Touchscreen) if you live in Apple Home and already have an Apple TV or HomePod. You can add Wi-Fi later with Yale's $89.99 Wi-Fi Smart Module.
• Get the Assure Lock 2 Touch with Wi-Fi ($299.99) if you want fingerprint entry as well as codes.
• Get the Assure Lock 2 Plus with Wi-Fi ($309.99) if you want to tap an iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock.
• Get the Yale Smart Lock with Matter ($189.99) if your home runs on Google Home or another Matter platform and you have a Thread border router.
• Get the Approach Lock with Wi-Fi ($139.99) if you rent or cannot change the outside of your door.
• Get an Assure Lock 2 with Z-Wave (from $209.99) if the lock will live on SmartThings, Ring Alarm or Hubitat.

All prices are Yale's own prices on shopyalehome.com as of October 2026. Retailers often sell the same locks for less.

Yale smart lock comparison table

Specifications come from each model's product page and technical specifications on shopyalehome.com. "Not listed" means we did not find the feature on Yale's page for that model.

Yale Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi

Who it's for: Most homeowners who want a full-featured smart deadbolt that works with every major voice assistant and smart home app.

Key facts

• $259.99 for the Keypad (push buttons) and $279.99 for the Touchscreen on shopyalehome.com as of October 2026, in Black Suede, Oil Rubbed Bronze, Satin Nickel and Lifetime Brass. Key-Free versions with no keyway cost the same.
• Wi-Fi is built in, so you can lock, unlock, share access and get notifications from anywhere in the Yale Access app with no hub. Yale says Wi-Fi models need a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network.
• Share unlimited entry codes with family, friends and service people, and track who comes and goes in the activity feed.
• Auto-Lock with DoorSense locks the door once a sensor detects it is closed, and optional Auto-Unlock opens it as you arrive.
• Yale lists Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Samsung SmartThings, Philips Hue, ecobee and Airbnb as partners, and voice control through Alexa, Google and Siri.
• ANSI/BHMA Grade 2, fits doors 1-3/8 to 2-1/4 inches thick, and includes an adapter for 1-1/2 inch bore holes.

Trade-offs: Yale lists ANSI/BHMA Grade 2 for the whole Assure Lock 2 line, so check the grade if a higher security rating matters to you. Wi-Fi needs a 2.4GHz network, and Yale says its smart locks bought on its US site will not work outside the US or Canada.

Yale Assure Lock 2 with Bluetooth

Who it's for: Apple Home households, and anyone who wants a cheaper Assure Lock 2 now with the option to add Wi-Fi later.

Key facts

• $169.99 for the Keypad and $189.99 for the Touchscreen as of October 2026.
• Works with Apple Home out of the box. Yale says you get remote access when an Apple TV or HomePod is set up as a home hub.
• Share unlimited entry codes using the Yale Access app within Bluetooth range, with Auto-Lock, DoorSense and Auto-Unlock.
• Upgrade to Wi-Fi with the Yale Wi-Fi Smart Module ($89.99), which Yale says adds remote access in the Yale Access app, Alexa, Google and Siri with no hub or Connect needed.
• If the AA batteries die, Yale says you can power it from a 9V battery or use the backup key.

Trade-offs: Without the Wi-Fi Smart Module or an Apple home hub, you only control it from nearby over Bluetooth. The Bluetooth Keypad plus the module costs $259.98, one cent less than the Wi-Fi Keypad, so the Bluetooth version only saves money if you never add Wi-Fi.

Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch

Who it's for: Families who would rather use a fingerprint than a code or a phone.

Key facts

• Assure Lock 2 Touch with Wi-Fi (touchscreen): $299.99. Touch Keypad with Wi-Fi: $279.99. Bluetooth versions: $209.99 (Touch) and $189.99 (Touch Keypad). All as of October 2026.
• Yale's launch announcement says it holds up to 20 fingerprints. You unlock by touching the Yale logo on the keypad.
• Yale says fingerprints are stored locally on the lock and encrypted with AES 128-bit security, and lists 99% fingerprint accuracy.
• Keypad codes, Auto-Unlock, the Yale Access app and a backup key all still work.
• IPX5 rated and works outside from -22 to 140 F, per Yale. Grade 2, fits doors 1-3/8 to 2-1/4 inches thick.

Trade-offs: $20 more than the matching Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi. Twenty fingerprints may be tight for a large household that also enrolls sitters or cleaners, so they may need codes instead; Yale's Touch pages do not state a code limit.

Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus

Who it's for: iPhone households that want to unlock by tapping a phone or Apple Watch.

Key facts

• Assure Lock 2 Plus with Wi-Fi and Apple Home Keys: $309.99. Bluetooth version: $219.99. Both as of October 2026, Key-Free only, in Black Suede, Oil Rubbed Bronze or Satin Nickel.
• Apple home keys: tap an iPhone XS or later (iOS 15 or later) or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later (watchOS 8 or later) to lock or unlock. Yale says Express Mode makes this faster.
• Power reserve lets home keys work on the iPhone for hours after the phone needs charging, according to Yale.
• For more than one person to have a home key, Yale says you need a HomePod, HomePod mini or Apple TV set up as a home hub, and sharing a home key means sharing access to your whole Apple Home.
• The Wi-Fi version adds remote access, codes and notifications in the Yale Access app. Grade 2.

Trade-offs: No physical key at all, so the keypad, a home key or the app are your only ways in, with the 9V battery jump as a backup if the AAs die. Yale's spec table for the Plus does not list a door thickness range. Most of the extra cost over the Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi only helps Apple users.

Yale Smart Lock with Matter

Who it's for: Google Home users and anyone building a Matter smart home with a Thread border router.

Key facts

• $189.99 on shopyalehome.com as of October 2026, in Snow, Matte Black or Ash.
• Matter over Thread is built in. Yale designed it for the Google Home app and lists Google TV Streamer (4K), Nest Hub (2nd Gen), Nest Hub Max and Nest Wifi Pro as hubs that work with it.
• Remote access requires a Matter-enabled hub. Yale says Matter over Thread is an energy-efficient mesh network that minimizes power drain, but the product page does not publish a battery life figure.
• Push-button keypad with custom entry codes, a physical key and Google Assistant voice locking.
• IPX5 weather resistance, ANSI/BHMA Grade 2, fits doors 1-3/8 to 2-1/4 inches thick. Yale says it is made with 60% recycled plastic.
• Yale says the Nest x Yale Lock, its earlier Google lock, is no longer being produced; existing owners keep getting updates.

Trade-offs: No Wi-Fi, so nothing works remotely without a Matter hub with Thread. Yale's page does not list Auto-Unlock, DoorSense or a code limit for this model. Matter platforms do not always expose every lock feature, so check what your app supports.

Yale Assure Lock 2 with Z-Wave

Who it's for: Homes with a Z-Wave hub or alarm system.

Key facts

• Keypad with Z-Wave Plus: $209.99. Touchscreen with Z-Wave Plus: $229.99. Touch (fingerprint) with Z-Wave: $249.99. Touch Keypad with Z-Wave: $229.99. All as of October 2026.
• Yale names Samsung SmartThings, Ring Alarm and Hubitat as example systems, and says a compatible hub and app are required.
• Lock, unlock, share unlimited codes and get notifications through your Z-Wave system's app. Yale's Z-Wave product descriptions also list Auto-Lock with DoorSense.
• Grade 2, fits doors 1-3/8 to 2-1/4 inches thick, backup key included.

Trade-offs: Day-to-day control runs through your hub's app, not the Yale Access app, and nothing works remotely without a compatible Z-Wave hub.

Yale Approach Lock and August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (retrofit)

Who they're for: Renters and anyone who wants to keep their existing deadbolt, outside hardware and keys.

Key facts

• Approach Lock with Wi-Fi: $139.99 as of October 2026. Installs on the inside of the door over most single-cylinder deadbolts with a screwdriver. Auto-Lock with DoorSense, Auto-Unlock, unlimited virtual keys and Alexa or Google voice control, per Yale.
• Approach Lock with Wi-Fi and Keypad: $179.99. With Wi-Fi and Keypad Touch (fingerprint keypad): $239.99. Yale says the keypad mounts anywhere within Bluetooth range, and the fingerprint Keypad Touch is IPX5 rated.
• August Wi-Fi Smart Lock: $199.99, or $229.99 with the Yale Keypad and $249.99 with the fingerprint Keypad Touch. Yale lists Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Samsung SmartThings, and says no extra hub is needed. Existing August accounts sign into the Yale Access app.
• Both lines use the Yale Access app and keep your current key working from outside.

Trade-offs: No keypad on the base models, so guests need the app or a key unless you add a keypad. Yale's Approach pages do not list Apple Home. See "What we don't know" for a conflict on the Approach pages about the Yale Connect bridge.

Other Yale locks you will see

• Yale Code Keypad Lock ($99.99): a non-connected keypad deadbolt with up to 20 codes stored in the lock and no app. Yale lists it as ANSI/BHMA Grade 3. It is not a smart lock.
• Yale Assure Lock SL with Wi-Fi ($329.99): a slim, key-free touchscreen deadbolt with the Wi-Fi module included. It costs more than the Assure Lock 2 Key-Free Touchscreen with Wi-Fi ($279.99).
• Vacation rental bundles: Yale sells "Wi-Fi Connect" versions of the Assure Lock 2 for hosts (from $259.99) that include a Yale Connect Wi-Fi Bridge, which Yale says extends battery life, for sharing temporary guest codes through the Yale Access app or compatible partner apps such as Airbnb.

How to choose

1. Start with your smart home. Apple Home users can buy any Assure Lock 2, including the cheaper Bluetooth versions if they own an Apple TV or HomePod. Google Home users should look at the Smart Lock with Matter or a Wi-Fi Assure Lock 2. Ring Alarm and SmartThings Z-Wave users should pick a Z-Wave Assure Lock 2.
2. Decide on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Matter or Z-Wave. Wi-Fi gives you remote access with no hub. Bluetooth is cheaper and upgradable with the $89.99 module. Matter and Z-Wave need a hub.
3. Pick an entry method. Push buttons (Keypad), touchscreen, fingerprint (Touch), a phone tap (Plus) or keep your key (Approach and August).
4. Keep a key or go key-free. Most Assure Lock 2 models come Keyed or Key-Free at the same price. The Plus is Key-Free only.
5. Check your door and your country. Most deadbolt models fit doors 1-3/8 to 2-1/4 inches thick, and Yale says locks bought on its US site work only in the US and Canada.

If you are not set on Yale, our smart lock buying guide ranks locks across brands, and our Kwikset smart locks compared page covers the main rival. Fingerprint shoppers can compare every brand in our fingerprint door lock buying guide. Renters should read our smart lock for renters compared page before picking the Approach or August, and hosts can check guest-code features in our smart lock for Airbnb buying guide.

Batteries, app and warranty

• Batteries: The Assure Lock 2 models and the Approach Lock list 4 AA batteries, included in the box, and the Smart Lock with Matter lists AA batteries, included. Yale's August Wi-Fi Smart Lock pages do not list the battery type. Several Assure Lock 2 pages say a 9V battery can power the lock temporarily if the AAs die.
• App: The Yale Access app runs the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Approach and August locks. The Matter lock is set up in Google Home or another Matter app, and Z-Wave locks run in your hub's app.
• Region: Yale says smart locks bought on shopyalehome.com will not work outside the US or Canada.
• Warranty: Yale's US warranty page covers the Assure series and the Smart Lock with Matter with a 2-year electronic warranty. Finish and mechanical parts are covered for as long as the original buyer lives in the single-family home where the lock was installed, or 3 years for non-consumer installs, which Yale defines as multi-family, vacation rental, commercial and similar locations.

What we don't know

• Battery life. Yale's product pages do not publish an expected battery life for any current smart lock.
• August battery type. Yale's August Wi-Fi Smart Lock product pages do not state which batteries it uses.
• Matter on the Assure Lock 2. The Assure Lock 2 Bluetooth page says it can be upgraded with a Wi-Fi, Matter or Z-Wave Smart Module, but only the Wi-Fi Smart Module is listed in Yale's US store. Yale's Matter module FAQ ties the module to the Assure Lock SL with Matter bundle. We could not confirm a Matter module you can buy today for the Assure Lock 2.
• Approach and the Yale Connect bridge. The Approach Lock with Wi-Fi page describes built-in Wi-Fi but also mentions an "included Yale Connect". The Approach with Wi-Fi and Keypad page repeats the Wi-Fi-only description and lists "No Keypad" in its spec table. We follow the product names and prices.
• Code limit on the Smart Lock with Matter. Yale's page says you can create and remove custom codes but gives no maximum.
• Fingerprint count on current Touch models. The 20-fingerprint figure comes from Yale's September 2023 launch announcement; current product pages do not repeat it.

How this page was put together

HomeGearLab does not test products in a lab or at home. This page compares Yale's own published information: each model's product page and technical specifications on shopyalehome.com, Yale's store price data, its Matter module FAQ, its press releases and its US warranty page. Prices are Yale's own prices, and every fact was checked against the sources below on October 19, 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm on Yale's site before you buy.