Keypad Deadbolt vs Smart Lock: What WiFi Adds

What is the difference between a keypad deadbolt and a smart lock?

Both replace a key with a code. The difference is what the lock is connected to.

A keypad deadbolt is self-contained. You program codes at the lock, it runs on its own battery, and it does not need a phone, an app or the internet. Schlage's Touch Keyless Touchscreen Deadbolt is an example: it stores up to 19 codes, runs on one 9V battery, and has no keyway at all. Its product page lists codes, battery and warranty and no app or wireless connection.

A smart lock adds a radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave or Thread, and an app or hub. Schlage's Encode is the connected counterpart in the same brand: it has built-in Wi-Fi with no separate hub, stores 100 access codes per Ring's listing, and runs on 4 AA batteries.

On paper, the two Schlage locks compare like this, as of October 2026:

So the connected lock costs $142 more than the keypad lock at Schlage's own prices, for the same physical grade class. What that money buys is the subject of the next section.

What does a Wi-Fi smart lock add?

The features that need a connection fall into four groups.

1. Remote control. Lock or unlock from anywhere, or check whether you locked the door. August, for example, lists remote access as requiring Wi-Fi.
2. Alerts and an entry log. Notifications when the door is unlocked and by which code. Level says its activity log can show when building maintenance or a landlord unlocked the door.
3. Guest access from a distance. Schlage's Encode can send a virtual key by text or email that the guest activates on their phone. A keypad lock can only add codes in person at the lock.
4. Alarm integration. This is the strongest reason for security buyers. SimpliSafe's Smart Lock locks when you arm the system and disarms it when you unlock with a valid PIN, and certified Z-Wave locks can arm or disarm Ring Alarm with a compatible Ring subscription. See smart locks for security systems for which lock works with which system.

What Wi-Fi costs, besides the price:

• Battery life. August quotes up to 3 months for its Wi-Fi Smart Lock with Wi-Fi on, and says Wi-Fi signal strength and router settings affect it. Locks without built-in Wi-Fi do better: Level quotes up to a year on one CR2 cell for its Level Bolt, which reaches Wi-Fi only through a separate bridge. See what happens when a smart lock battery dies.
• Dependence on the maker. ASSA ABLOY shut down the Kevo app and web portal on November 14, 2025; Kevo owners kept the physical key and fob but lost remote control.
• More attack surface. Researchers have documented flaws in smart lock radios and apps; our are smart locks safe guide covers the record.

When is the simpler keypad lock the better buy?

On paper, the keypad deadbolt wins when the job is just "let the right people in without a key":

• No home internet, or flaky Wi-Fi. A keypad lock never needed it. A Wi-Fi lock without internet loses the remote control and alerts you paid extra for. Our home security without internet guide covers the rest of the system. One exception on the smart side: SimpliSafe's Smart Lock talks to the SimpliSafe Base Station and SimpliSafe says Wi-Fi is recommended but not required.
• A back door, garage entry or rental unit where nobody needs to know who came in when.
• Households that will not keep an app account tidy. Every connected lock is also an account to secure.
• Budget. At Schlage's prices the keypad-only Touch is $142 less than the Encode.

The smart lock wins when you will use what it adds: you run an alarm system and want lock and alarm tied together, you let in cleaners, sitters or contractors while away, or you want to know when kids get home.

One point applies to both. A code-only lock with no keyway, like the Schlage Touch, has no mechanical fallback, so a dead battery means a 9V jump start. If you buy key-free, keep a 9V battery where you can reach it from outside.