The Best Smart Garage Door Opener Controller of 2023

Everyone has experienced some version of this scenario: You’re packed up and heading out on vacation. An hour into the drive—or deep in the airport security line—you realize that you don’t remember whether you closed the garage door. This is why a smart garage-door opener controller is a must-have sanity-saver.

Smart garage controllers don’t work with all door openers. Most companies offer a compatibility tool for confirming whether yours will work as is.

Installation typically requires a ladder and connecting wires from your controller to your garage-door opener. If you need help, hire a professional installer.

Some smart controller kits include cameras, so you can check a live video feed or saved motion clips to confirm whether the door is open or closed.

Newer garage-door openers often come with integrated smarts so you don’t have to buy a standalone controller. Check your opener’s features first.

This relatively simple smart device attaches to and elevates your existing door opener so that you can monitor or control it from anywhere—some let you view your garage through a camera—and receive alerts about any activity. You can also share access to your controller through the app with family members or anyone else you trust who regularly visits your home.

The Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller Pro is the best smart garage-door opener controller we tested. It offers a strong mix of durable, professional-grade hardware, easy in-app control, advanced features such as auto-open and auto-close, and an impressive variety of optional smart-home integrations.

Offering sturdy construction and a reliable geofencing feature, this is a controller that you can rely on for years.

Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Control4, Crestron, Google Assistant, Home Assistant, Hubitat, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings

The Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller Pro’s sheer number of compatibility options and advanced features, coupled with its solid hardware, excellent performance, and reasonable price, made it the overwhelming favorite in our tests.

This smart controller comes with a module and a wired door sensor that connects to the module and your garage-door opener. Although this model’s installation is comparatively involved because of that wired door sensor (the other controllers either lacked a door sensor or connected wirelessly), the Tailwind app for Android and iOS walks you through every step along the way.

In our tests, we found that the installation was worth the extra effort because the wired door sensor translated to particularly reliable performance with no errors, inaccurate alerts, or inconsistencies.

This controller works with up to three garage doors. It also supports automatic open and close, which worked seamlessly during our testing.