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Smart Home · head to head

TP-Link Kasa vs Yeelight

TP-Link Kasa logo

TP-Link Kasa

Smart Home

Affordable smart home devices with easy setup

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yeelight logo

Yeelight

Smart Home

Smart lighting for modern homes

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TP-Link Kasa has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: TP-Link Kasa plus plan only covers one camera per subscription; Yeelight requires owning Yeelight-branded smart lighting hardware; the app itself is a controller with no standalone function
  • They diverge on capability: TP-Link Kasa covers Affordable, Yeelight covers Color control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which TP-Link Kasa and Yeelight actually diverge.

Attributes where TP-Link Kasa and Yeelight differ
AttributeTP-Link KasaYeelight
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIOS, Android, WebIOS, Android
Founded19962012

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 TP-Link Kasa

  • Affordable
  • No Hub Required
  • Energy Monitoring
  • Scheduling
  • Alexa
  • Google Home
  • IFTTT
  • Web support

Only in Yeelight

  • Color control
  • Brightness dimming
  • Schedules
  • Music sync
  • Sunrise/sunset
  • Scenes
  • Google Assistant
  • Amazon Alexa

Both cover

  • SmartThings
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

TP-Link Kasa

  • Home security camera recording and playbacknot Yeelight
  • Smart home automation monitoringnot Yeelight
  • Pet and baby monitoringnot Yeelight
  • Outdoor property surveillancenot Yeelight

Yeelight

  • Ambient lightingnot TP-Link Kasa
  • Entertainment syncnot TP-Link Kasa
  • Automated schedulesnot TP-Link Kasa
  • Energy savingnot TP-Link Kasa

Where each one falls short

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

TP-Link Kasa

  • Plus plan only covers one camera per subscription
  • No free trial mentioned for paid tiers
  • Premium plan requires annual commitment discount to reach $100/year pricing
  • Video retention limited to 30 days even on paid plans

Yeelight

  • Requires owning Yeelight-branded smart lighting hardware; the app itself is a controller with no standalone function
  • Requires iOS 16.2 or later, per the App Store listing

Pricing, plan by plan

TP-Link Kasa

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • Live streaming
    • Push-to-talk
    • Activity zones
  • Plus$3/month
    • 30 days of video history
    • Manual clip recording
    • Video sharing
  • Premium$10/month
    • Covers up to 10 cameras
    • All Plus features
    • Snapshots with alerts

Yeelight

On request
  • Smart Bulb$15/month
    • WiFi
    • 16M colors
    • Voice control
  • Light Strip$30/month
    • Music sync
    • Extendable
    • Scene modes

Which should you pick?

Choose TP-Link Kasa if

  • You need affordable.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want no hub required.
TP-Link Kasa review

Choose Yeelight if

  • You need color control.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want brightness dimming.
Yeelight review

Questions people ask

Is TP-Link Kasa or Yeelight better?
Neither clearly leads. TP-Link Kasa starts at Free and Yeelight at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, TP-Link Kasa or Yeelight?
TP-Link Kasa has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for TP-Link Kasa and On request for Yeelight.
Does TP-Link Kasa or Yeelight run on more platforms?
TP-Link Kasa runs on IOS, Android, Web. Yeelight runs on IOS, Android.
Can I use TP-Link Kasa for free?
Yes. TP-Link Kasa has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yeelight starts at On request.
What is TP-Link Kasa best used for?
TP-Link Kasa is most often used for home security camera recording and playback, smart home automation monitoring, pet and baby monitoring, outdoor property surveillance. Of those, home security camera recording and playback and smart home automation monitoring are not what Yeelight is typically brought in for.
What can TP-Link Kasa do that Yeelight cannot?
TP-Link Kasa covers Affordable, No Hub Required, Energy Monitoring, Scheduling. Yeelight covers Color control, Brightness dimming, Schedules, Music sync. Both handle SmartThings, IOS support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

TP-Link Kasa: Does Kasa Care offer a free plan?

Yes, Kasa's free tier includes live streaming, push-to-talk, activity zones, and activity notifications at no cost.

Source
Yeelight: Where can I find Yeelight pricing?

The main Yeelight website redirects to a Chinese regional site (cn.yeelight.com) which does not display pricing information. Specific pricing details would need to be found through product pages or local retailers.

Source
TP-Link Kasa: What's the difference between Kasa Plus and Premium?

Plus costs $3/month and provides 30 days of video history per camera. Premium costs $10/month and covers up to 10 cameras with all Plus features. Premium is billed at $100/year vs Plus at $30/year per camera.

Source
TP-Link Kasa: Can Premium cover all my cameras?

Yes, Kasa Premium covers up to 10 cameras under one $10/month subscription, making it more economical than Plus for multiple devices.

Source
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