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Particle vs Yale Smart Locks

Particle logo

Particle

Smart Home

Edge-to-cloud IoT platform for connected devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Yale Smart Locks logo

Yale Smart Locks

Smart Home

Trusted smart lock security for your home

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Particle has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Particle paid capacity is sold in blocks of 100 devices rather than per device, so 101 devices costs the same as 200; Yale Smart Locks the Internet Archive's capture of Yale's US homepage on 22 December 2020 named six distinct smart lock and security product lines, Assure Lock, Assure Lever, Smart Delivery Box, Smart Cabinet Lock, Pro SL, and the Pivot Collection, each with a 'Buy Now' link but no price figure present on the page.
  • They diverge on capability: Particle covers Device OS, Yale Smart Locks covers Keypad entry.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Particle and Yale Smart Locks actually diverge.

Attributes where Particle and Yale Smart Locks differ
AttributeParticleYale Smart Locks
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsParticle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile appsIOS, Android
Founded20131840

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 Particle

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

Only in Yale Smart Locks

  • Keypad entry
  • App control
  • Guest codes
  • Auto-lock
  • Tamper alerts
  • Activity log
  • Apple HomeKit
  • Amazon Alexa

What people use each for

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

Particle

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

Yale Smart Locks

  • Keyless entrynot Particle
  • Guest accessnot Particle
  • Security monitoringnot Particle
  • Rental managementnot Particle

Where each one falls short

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

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

Yale Smart Locks

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Yale's US homepage on 22 December 2020 named six distinct smart lock and security product lines, Assure Lock, Assure Lever, Smart Delivery Box, Smart Cabinet Lock, Pro SL, and the Pivot Collection, each with a 'Buy Now' link but no price figure present on the page.

Pricing, plan by plan

Particle

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

Yale Smart Locks

On request
  • Assure Lock 2$190/month
    • Keypad
    • Auto-lock
    • DoorSense
  • Assure Lock SL$260/month
    • Touchscreen
    • No key
    • Modern design

Which should you pick?

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.

Choose Yale Smart Locks if

  • You need keypad entry.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want app control.

Questions people ask

Is Particle or Yale Smart Locks better?
Neither clearly leads. Particle starts at Free and Yale Smart Locks at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Particle or Yale Smart Locks?
Particle has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Particle and On request for Yale Smart Locks.
Does Particle or Yale Smart Locks run on more platforms?
Particle runs on Particle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps. Yale Smart Locks runs on IOS, Android.
Can I use Particle for free?
Yes. Particle has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yale Smart Locks starts at On request.
What is Particle best used for?
Particle is most often used for connecting cellular and wifi iot devices to a managed cloud platform, deploying firmware updates and collecting device telemetry at fleet scale. Of those, connecting cellular and wifi iot devices to a managed cloud platform and deploying firmware updates and collecting device telemetry at fleet scale are not what Yale Smart Locks is typically brought in for.
What can Particle do that Yale Smart Locks cannot?
Particle covers Device OS, Cloud Platform, Device Management, OTA Updates. Yale Smart Locks covers Keypad entry, App control, Guest codes, Auto-lock.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Yale Smart Locks: Where can I find Yale smart lock pricing on their website?

Yale does not publish pricing information on their main website or dedicated pricing page. Pricing details are not publicly listed online.

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
Yale Smart Locks: How do I get pricing for Yale smart locks?

Yale does not disclose standard pricing on their website. Customers must contact Yale directly through their support system to request pricing and product information.

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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