Z-Wave is the only one that DOES matter.

Why? ZigBee is in the same range, no?

Z-Wave more often than not, is far more reliable.

Zigbee is using 2.4GHz. Add 50 Zigbee devices and watch all 2.4GHz connections in your home suffer (WiFi, Bluetooth, wireless mice/keyboards/gamepads...).

Z-Wave is using 800MHz range. Add 100 Z-Wave devices and watch your Z-Wave network getting stronger and stronger while all your other 2.4GHz devices continue to work as normal.

I have indeed noticed this... thanks for the insight. I guess I will be buying z-wave in the future

There is a downside of being an open protocol: no certification. Zigbee vendors are free to mandate the use of their hub (and software, and spying) because there is no gatekeeper. And most certainly do. Philips attempted to do this somewhat recently, only backpedaling due to the bad PR this caught them.

Z-wave devices are guaranteed to work with any hub. That means that it, ironically, behaves in a more open manner. I consider that worth the difference in cost.

The fact that they’re not in 2.4ghz range is interesting but Z wave stuff is just too expensive.

Random Smart plug on Amazon - 43 gbp or 55 usd. The last preflashed tasmota wifi ones I bought were under 10 each and had energy measuring too.

Maybe it’s better in the US but with that differential z wave is pointless.

Yes, the price tag is high but on the other hand they are super reliable. I have one on my water boiler that triggered its relay many times per day for five years and measured dozens of MWh.

The fact that they’re not in 2.4ghz range is crucial.

This. It's a feature, a well thought out one.

Does this mean we will finally get a Z-Wave enabled ESP32?

Making Z-Wave closed source in the beginning sealed its fate. All competing protocols were open source. Z-Wave failed and won’t recover.