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Smart Home · head to head

August Smart Lock vs Particle

August Smart Lock logo

August Smart Lock

Smart Home

Smart locks that work with your existing deadbolt

From
$29.99/mo
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Particle logo

Particle

Smart Home

Edge-to-cloud IoT platform for connected devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Particle has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: August Smart Lock one-time purchase model with no recurring subscription fees; Particle paid capacity is sold in blocks of 100 devices rather than per device, so 101 devices costs the same as 200
  • They diverge on capability: August Smart Lock covers Retrofit Design, Particle covers Device OS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which August Smart Lock and Particle actually diverge.

Attributes where August Smart Lock and Particle differ
AttributeAugust Smart LockParticle
Starting price$29.99/moFree
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsIOS, Android, WebParticle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps
Founded20122013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Smart Home).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in August Smart Lock

  • Retrofit Design
  • Auto-Unlock
  • Guest Access
  • Activity Log
  • Alexa
  • Google Home
  • HomeKit
  • SmartThings

Only in Particle

  • Device OS
  • Cloud Platform
  • Device Management
  • OTA Updates
  • REST API
  • WebHooks
  • Integration marketplace
  • 3rd party services

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

August Smart Lock

  • Keyless entrynot Particle
  • Guest accessnot Particle
  • Remote unlocknot Particle
  • Activity monitoringnot Particle

Particle

  • Connecting cellular and wifi IoT devices to a managed cloud platformnot August Smart Lock
  • Deploying firmware updates and collecting device telemetry at fleet scalenot August Smart Lock

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

August Smart Lock

  • One-time purchase model with no recurring subscription fees
  • Smart locks range from $129.99 to $229.99 depending on model and features

Particle

  • Paid capacity is sold in blocks of 100 devices rather than per device, so 101 devices costs the same as 200
  • The Basic block is $299 a month and the Plus block $599 a month
  • The free tier allows 100 devices and 100,000 data operations a month
  • Data operations are the billing unit, so chatty firmware costs more than the device count suggests
  • No overage rates are published at any tier, so exceeding an allowance has no stated cost

Pricing, plan by plan

August Smart Lock

$29.99/mo
  • Smart Lock$149.99/mo
    • Standard smart lock
  • Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi$129.99/mo
    • Wi-Fi enabled
  • Wi-Fi Smart Lock$229.99/mo
    • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Smart Lock + Connect$210.99/mo
    • Lock plus connectivity module

Particle

Free
  • MakerFree
    • 5 free devices
    • Cloud access
    • Basic features
  • Production$100/month
    • Unlimited devices
    • Advanced analytics
    • Enterprise support

Which should you pick?

Choose August Smart Lock if

  • You need retrofit design.
  • You work on IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want auto-unlock.
August Smart Lock review

Choose Particle if

  • You need device os.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Particle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps.
  • You also want cloud platform.
Particle review

Questions people ask

Is August Smart Lock or Particle better?
Neither clearly leads. August Smart Lock starts at $29.99/mo and Particle at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, August Smart Lock or Particle?
Particle has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29.99/mo for August Smart Lock and Free for Particle.
Does August Smart Lock or Particle run on more platforms?
August Smart Lock runs on IOS, Android, Web. Particle runs on Particle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps.
Can I use Particle for free?
Yes. Particle has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. August Smart Lock starts at $29.99/mo.
What is August Smart Lock best used for?
August Smart Lock is most often used for keyless entry, guest access, remote unlock, activity monitoring. Of those, keyless entry and guest access are not what Particle is typically brought in for.
What can August Smart Lock do that Particle cannot?
August Smart Lock covers Retrofit Design, Auto-Unlock, Guest Access, Activity Log. Particle covers Device OS, Cloud Platform, Device Management, OTA Updates.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

August Smart Lock: How much do August smart locks cost?

August smart locks are one-time purchases. Prices range from $129.99 for the Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi to $229.99 for the Wi-Fi Smart Lock. Standard Smart Lock is $149.99. Bundles like Wi-Fi Smart Lock + Keypad Touch are $249.99.

Source
Particle: What are the Particle pricing tiers and their costs?

Particle offers Free ($0, 100 devices, 100K Data Operations/month), Basic ($299/month per block), Plus ($599/month per block), Professional (custom pricing), and Enterprise (custom pricing). Each block supports 100 devices.

Source
August Smart Lock: Does August offer a money-back guarantee?

Yes. August offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on purchases. Additionally, shipping is free in the United States.

Source
Particle: What is a Data Operation and how is it charged?

A Data Operation is Particle's billing unit for user-controlled activities. One operation is charged per device-to-cloud message, cloud-to-device message, Location Fusion call, Ledger sync, or Logic function run. Network transmission and management tasks are included at no additional cost.

Source
Particle: What location data retention does each tier provide?

Location data retention ranges from 3 days in the Free tier up to 6+ months in Professional and Enterprise tiers.

Source
Particle: Are there additional costs for support or single sign-on?

Premium support and SSO are available as optional add-ons to all Particle plans. The pricing page does not specify the cost of these add-ons.

Source
Particle: Is there a minimum contract length or can I cancel anytime?

The Particle pricing page does not specify a minimum contract length, suggesting monthly billing without long-term lock-in.

Source
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