Comparison Ecosystems
Should you run Shelly on Zigbee or Wi-Fi?
Zigbee is alternative firmware on Gen 4 Shellys, not a second radio. What you gain, what leaving Wi-Fi costs you, and how to switch without losing your configuration.
The Gen 4 boards carry Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee hardware, which sounds like you get all of it. You don't. Shelly ships them running Wi-Fi with Matter enabled by default, and Zigbee is an alternative firmware you flash onto the same device. Choosing it changes what the device is, not just how it talks.
What each mode actually gives you
| Feature | Wi-Fi (default) | Zigbee |
|---|---|---|
| Protocols available | HTTP, WebSocket, MQTT, Matter | Zigbee only |
| IP address on your network | Yes | No |
| Local web interface | Yes | No |
| Shelly Cloud and the app | Yes | No |
| Firmware updates | Yes | Switch back to Wi-Fi first |
| Needs a coordinator | No | Yes |
Matter is included and on by default on Gen 4, with no enable step. That is worth knowing if you have older gear: on Gen 3 it needs firmware 1.6 or later and a manual enable, and it is not available on every model. Which generation you have decides all of this, and we cover that in Shelly generations.
Switching between them
On firmware 1.7.1 and later it is Settings, then Firmware, then Alternative Firmware in the device's own web interface. Otherwise it is five quick presses of the button, which puts the device into Zigbee inclusion mode for three minutes. Three more presses reopens that window if you miss it.
Two things people get caught by. Switching firmware resets the device's settings apart from Wi-Fi, so any input modes, timers or schedules you configured are gone and need setting up again on the other side. And it is not a factory reset, which Shelly keeps separate: five seconds on the button enables the access point and Bluetooth, ten seconds is the factory reset.
When Zigbee is the right call
You already run a Zigbee coordinator, through Home Assistant or SmartThings, and you would rather add to that mesh than add another Wi-Fi client. Mains-powered Shellys carry a Zigbee repeater, so each one you install strengthens the network rather than just leaning on it.
That case gets stronger in an apartment, where the 2.4GHz band is already crowded. If you go this way, Shelly's own network guidance is to keep the radios apart: main Wi-Fi on channel 6, and the Zigbee coordinator on channel 25.
When Wi-Fi is the right call
Most installs, and certainly the first one. You keep the local web interface, which matters more than people expect once the device is behind a wall plate and you need to check something. You keep MQTT and the local API, so Home Assistant talks to it directly. You keep Matter, already on. You can update firmware without touching the wall.
The detached-switch setup, where the wall switch stops cutting power and starts sending a command, is a device setting configured in that web interface. In Zigbee mode it is not there, and that behaviour becomes your hub's problem. Everything in does Shelly work without the internet is a Wi-Fi-mode story too.
Switching, in order
- Update the firmware first
Do it while updates still work, because they do not run over Zigbee.
- Write down your settings
Input modes, timers and schedules do not survive the switch.
- Remove the device
Take it out of the Shelly app or Home Assistant so you are not left with a dead entity.
- Switch the firmware
Settings, then Firmware, then Alternative Firmware. On older firmware, five quick presses of the button.
- Pair within three minutes
Put your coordinator in inclusion mode. Three presses on the Shelly reopens the window if you miss it.
- Reconfigure
Set up input modes and schedules again on the new side.
Frequently asked questions
Which Shellys have Zigbee?
The Gen 4 line: the 1 Gen4, 1PM Gen4, 2PM Gen4 and Dimmer Gen4, plus the Mini and Presence models. Gen 2 and Gen 3 are Wi-Fi only.
Can a Shelly run Zigbee and Wi-Fi at the same time?
No. Shelly states plainly that it cannot run both simultaneously, because Zigbee is alternative firmware rather than a second mode.
What do you lose in Zigbee mode?
Wi-Fi entirely: no IP address, no local web interface, no MQTT, no Shelly Cloud. Your coordinator is the only way in.
Can you update firmware over Zigbee?
No. Switch back to Wi-Fi, update, then switch back.
Does switching wipe the device?
It is not a factory reset, but it resets settings other than Wi-Fi, so plan to reconfigure.
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