If you’ve been thinking about making your garage door smart — without overpaying or dealing with clunky apps — here’s the easiest solution I’ve tested yet.
This $15 WiFi controller uses an ESP32-C3 chip, comes pre-flashed with ESPHome, and is auto-discovered in Home Assistant the moment it powers on. No flashing, no configuration, no cloud — just instant integration and control.
What It Does
- Opens and closes your garage door
- Reports open/closed status via magnetic sensor
- Fully local, reliable, and fast
- Installs in under 10 minutes
How to Install It
This couldn’t be simpler. Just two sets of connections:
- Relay wires → Garage door opener’s manual trigger terminals (same ones your wall button uses)
- Sensor wires → Magnetic contact (included) to detect open/closed status
Once wired, plug the device into USB power. It will boot up and broadcast a default Wi-Fi hotspot.
- Connect to that hotspot from your phone or laptop
- A setup page will appear
- Enter your Wi-Fi credentials (SSID + password)
- The device reboots and joins your network
At that point, Home Assistant will auto-discover it as an ESPHome device — no flashing, no coding. Just name it, add it to your dashboard, and you’re done.
Why It’s Great
Most smart garage solutions are overpriced or overly complex. Some require cloud accounts. Some don’t integrate well with Home Assistant. Others require flashing firmware.
This one?
✅ Already runs ESPHome
✅ Local-first
✅ Native Home Assistant support
✅ Clean install
✅ Dirt cheap
No coding. No soldering. No nonsense.
Ideas for Use
- Auto-open when you get home
- Send an alert if the door is left open at night
- Control it with your phone, watch, or voice
- Integrate with presence, alarms, or routines
It just works — and gives you full control without the vendor lock-in.
Final Word
For $15, this little ESP32C3-based controller is the smartest garage upgrade I’ve made in a while. It installs fast, runs local, and works flawlessly with Home Assistant right out of the box.
If you’re already running Home Assistant, this is a no-brainer.
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