Check out the Home Assistant [1] documentation and Google 'zigbee vs z-wave' (the two major interoperable standards) and you'll be on the right track I think. Comparing and contrasting will explain the caveats and benefits of each and why they are designed the way they are.

Note: By default these standards are NOT radio-secure and you need to pursue secure device pairing for devices like door locks and garage openers.

[1]: https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/