• Extensibility

One of the main advantages of Zigbee over Wi-Fi in smart home applications is its extensibility. Zigbee supports mesh networking, which allows devices to communicate with each other in a self-organizing, self-healing network. This makes it easy to add new devices to the network without the need for additional infrastructure, making it a good choice for smart home applications that may require a large number of devices.

• Power Consumption

Another advantage of Zigbee over Wi-Fi in smart home applications is its lower power consumption. Zigbee is designed to be highly energy-efficient, allowing devices to operate on battery power for extended periods of time. This is especially important for smart home applications where devices may be difficult to access or replace.

• Stability

Zigbee offers greater stability than Wi-Fi in smart home applications. Zigbee uses a mesh networking topology, which means that devices can communicate with each other even if one or more nodes fail. This makes Zigbee a good choice for applications where reliability is important.

• Response

Zigbee offers faster response times than Wi-Fi in smart home applications. Zigbee is designed to operate at low latency, which means that devices can respond quickly to user input. This is especially important for applications such as smart lighting or home automation, where quick response times are critical.

• Device Quantity

Zigbee is better suited for handling a large number of devices than Wi-Fi. Zigbee uses a mesh networking topology that can support much more devices at the same time without crushing your network. This makes Zigbee a good choice for smart home applications that require a large number of devices, such as home automation or security systems.

• Need for a Hub

Zigbee devices require a hub or gateway to communicate with the internet or other devices outside of the Zigbee network. While this may be seen as a disadvantage, it can actually provide greater security and control over the network. A hub can act as a central point for managing the network and can provide additional features such as local automation and remote access. In contrast, Wi-Fi devices can communicate directly with the internet, which can make them more vulnerable to security threats.

• Price

Considering the cost of hub, Zigbee solution are slightly more expensive compared to Wifi solution in the beginning. However, for add on devices, Zigbee devices are generally less expensive than Wi-Fi devices. Zigbee is a low-power, low-bandwidth protocol that can be implemented using inexpensive hardware. This makes Zigbee a good choice for smart home applications where cost is a consideration.

Overall, while both Zigbee and Wi-Fi have their strengths and weaknesses, Zigbee's extensibility, lower power consumption, stability, response speed, ability to handle a large number of devices, and lower cost make it a good choice for many smart home applications.