We’ve reviewed scores of smart plugs over the years, but none quite as versatile as the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim With Energy Monitoring (EP25P4). This small plug works with nearly every available smart home platform, is a breeze to install, and even tells you how much energy it supplies to any appliance you connect. The only minor downside is that it's only available in a pack of four. But at $49.99 for the set, it works out to $12.50 per plug, which is totally reasonable for all of the features you're getting. That makes the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug our new Editors' Choice winner.

Compact Design, Excellent Third-Party Support

The Kasa Slim is currently available only in a pack of four, which means the per-plug price works out to about $12.50. A package of four Emporia Smart Plugs ($29.99) or a bundle of two Wyze Plugs ($14.99) are cheaper on a per-plug basis, but neither offers as many features.

At 1.5 by 2.6 by 1.6 inches (HWD), the Kasa Slim is small enough to fit into a two-plug outlet without blocking access to the second receptacle. It is a 15A plug rated to handle up to 1,800W (120V).

The front of the plug sports a three-prong outlet and the back houses a three-prong plug. An LED indicator and a power button are on the right side. The LED indicator flashes amber and blue during setup, pulses blue rapidly when it's connecting to your network, turns solid blue when it secures a connection, blinks amber quickly during a factory reset, and turns solid amber when there is no network connection. The power button resets the plug’s Wi-Fi connection when you press and hold it for five seconds. Under the hood is a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio for connecting to your home network.

The Kasa Slim works with multiple home automation platforms including Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. It also works with IFTTT; its channel on that service helps you create integrations with a multitude of third-party devices.

Kasa Slim App Features

The plug uses the same Kasa mobile app (available for Android and iOS) as all other Kasa devices, including the Kasa Smart Camera (KC400), the Kasa Smart WiFi Plug-In Dimmer (KP-405), and the Kasa Smart Lite Plug (HS-103). It appears in the app in the Smart Plugs section. The plug also shows up as an accessory in the Apple Home app. In that app, you can turn the plug on or off, add it to a group, and set it up in automations and scenes with other HomeKit devices. However, you still have to use the official Kasa app to view energy usage reports and configure it to work with other Kasa devices.

When you tap the plug’s panel in the Kasa app, a screen pops up with a large power button. The button is green when the plug is on and gray when it is off. A gear button in the top right corner opens a settings screen; here, you can edit the plug name, toggle the LED indicator, and add the plug to a HomeKit home.

At the bottom of the screen are Schedule, Timer, Away, and Energy buttons. Tap the Schedule button to create usage schedules based on the time of day or day of the week. The Timer button lets you set a specific time for the plug to turn on or off. The Away button helps you set up a schedule in which the plug randomly turns on and off; the idea is that this gives the impression that someone is home, even if that's not the case. Finally, tap the Energy button to view daily, weekly, and monthly power consumption and average runtime readings.

Back at the Devices screen, the Scenes button allows you to create scenes to control the plug and other Kasa devices with the touch of a button. You can also use the Smart Actions feature to create automations involving multiple Kasa devices. For instance, you can set the plug to turn on or off when a Kasa camera detects motion.

Quick Setup and Reliable Performance

Installing the Kasa Slim plug was fast and easy in testing. After you download the app and create an account, tap the plus button in the upper right corner of the Devices screen. Tap Add Device and then select HomeKit Smart Plug from the list of smart plugs. Plug in the device, tap Next, and verify that the LED is flashing amber and blue. Tap Add to HomeKit, scan the QR code on the side of the plug, and wait a few seconds for the app to connect to it. To complete the installation and link the device to your account, simply specify a name and location for the plug.

The Kasa Slim plug performed perfectly in my tests. It responded instantly to app commands and followed my usage schedules without missing a beat. Power usage readings were in line with readings I received from a Kill-A-Watt meter. HomeKit scenes and Siri voice commands worked as intended, as did Alexa routines and voice commands. I didn't run into any problems with a Kasa smart action I set for the plug to turn on when a Kasa camera detected motion, either.

A Budget-Friendly Winner

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim With Energy Monitoring (EP25P4) makes it easy to turn lamps, coffee makers, and other small appliances into smart ones that you can control with your phone and voice. It's easy to install and works with the most popular third-party automation platforms, more so than previous favorites such as the Emporia Smart Plug and the Wyze Plug. Throw in energy usage reporting and a reasonable price and you have our latest Editors’ Choice winner for smart plugs.