In short: the Meross Smart Garage Door Opener is a Wi-Fi module connected to your garage door opener at the wall button terminals, with a wired sensor that detects whether the door is open or closed. To work it needs a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network that reaches the garage door well. If there is no Wi-Fi in your garage, or you would rather not touch the opener, the alternative is 1Control SOLO: it copies the remote you already have, runs on batteries and is controlled from your smartphone over Bluetooth, with no network. To open from anywhere you add LINK in the house, where the Wi-Fi is.
Below we put the two systems side by side, including what each one does better. The Meross details come from its official pages (shop.meross.com and the meross.com FAQ, checked on 13/10/2026), the 1Control details from our product documentation.
How the Meross garage door opener works
The Meross device works alongside your existing opener: it does not replace it. It is connected to the terminals where the wall button is wired and, for the opener, it is like pressing that button. The compatibility test Meross suggests says it clearly: “Use pliers to short the wall button terminals, if the garage door opens or closes, it works.” Its FAQ adds an honest warning: “If you are uncertain about the location of the wall button terminals, do not attempt the short test.”
In the box you find the device, a power cord with plug, the door sensor with its wire, screws and double-sided tape. The sensor is a real strength: the app shows the open or closed status and sends notifications. Meross states compatibility with Apple HomeKit, Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, no subscription fee, and, outside the USA and Canada, compatibility with “99%+ garage door opener models, no accessory needed”. The newer MSG200 model handles up to three doors and has an external antenna for better Wi-Fi reception.
The tricky part in a garage: Wi-Fi
Meross works through your home network. The product page asks you to make sure your Wi-Fi strength is “acceptable near your garage door”, lists 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and states that Enterprise Wi-Fi is not supported. When the internet is down, Meross says, you can still control your devices from the app, but only within your home network.
This is exactly where many garages cause trouble: underground garages, shared car parks, garages detached from the house, reinforced concrete walls. A Wi-Fi extender can help, but it is one more device to power and maintain. And you still need a socket for the power cord and a route for the wires to the opener.
The alternative with no Wi-Fi in the garage: SOLO
SOLO does not use your home network and is not connected to the opener. This is how it works:
- it copies your remote: following the guided procedure in the app, you hold the remote close to SOLO and press the button; SOLO learns the signal. It works with more than 800 models, fixed code and rolling code, and the original remotes keep working;
- it talks to your smartphone over Bluetooth: no Wi-Fi and no mobile signal needed, even in an underground garage. Typical range is 15-20 metres, less with thick walls in between;
- it runs on batteries: two C alkaline batteries already fitted, about two years at around ten openings a day. No socket, no wires;
- it controls up to four automations, even of different brands: for example the garage door and the driveway gate, if they are close enough.
The condition is that your remote can be copied: you can check it in a minute in the compatibility check. If it cannot, there is SOLO KIT: it adds a receiver with its own remote, which SOLO then copies. But SOLO KIT is connected to the control board, so in that case wiring comes back, just as with Meross.
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And to open from anywhere? LINK, where the Wi-Fi is
On its own, SOLO opens when you are nearby. To open from the office, let in a courier or use your voice, you add the LINK hub. The difference with a Wi-Fi module in the garage is where the network sits:
- LINK stays in the house and connects to the internet over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable to the router;
- it talks to SOLO over Bluetooth, within about 25 metres in a straight line; if the garage is far away or behind thick walls, there is a waterproof external antenna on a cable, bearing in mind that the same antenna also serves the Wi-Fi (with an Ethernet cable this is not an issue);
- LINK brings Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri Shortcuts from anywhere, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the 1Control opening sensor to know whether the garage was left open.
If all you need is the car dashboard, there is also SOLO AUTO, which works with CarPlay and Android Auto without LINK.
Meross or SOLO: the differences in a table
Meross Smart Garage Door Opener details (MSG100 and MSG200) according to Meross's official pages, as of 13/10/2026. 1Control SOLO details according to 1Control.
| Meross Smart Garage Door Opener | 1Control SOLO | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Connected to the opener's wall button terminals; door sensor with a wire. | No connection to the opener: copies the remote in the app and is mounted near the door. |
| Skills needed | Identify the wall button terminals and connect the wires; Meross itself advises not to try the test if you are unsure where they are. Otherwise, an electrician. | No electrical skills. |
| Power | Power cord with plug: you need a socket in the garage. | Two C batteries, about two years. |
| Network in the garage | 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with acceptable signal near the door; no Enterprise networks. | None: Bluetooth between smartphone and SOLO. |
| From anywhere | From the Meross app or Apple's Home app, over the internet. | With LINK at home (2.4 GHz Wi-Fi or Ethernet). |
| Door status | Sensor included, with notifications. | Optional 1Control opening sensor, with LINK. |
| Voice and smart home | Apple HomeKit, Siri, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant. | With LINK: Alexa, Google Home, Siri from anywhere. Siri also without LINK, nearby. No HomeKit. |
| Car and smartwatch | Not mentioned on the pages we checked. | CarPlay and Android Auto with LINK or with SOLO AUTO; Apple Watch and Wear OS. |
| Sharing | To let in family, guests or couriers, according to Meross. | Free shares by phone number, with start, end and time slots; 10 users on the standard version. |
| Running costs | No subscription fee, according to Meross. | Free 1Control app, free shares. |
| Compatibility | According to Meross, 99%+ of garage door openers outside the USA and Canada. | More than 800 remote models; if yours is not listed, SOLO KIT (wired). |
When Meross is the better choice
- You use Apple Home (HomeKit): Meross is integrated, 1Control is not.
- You want door status without an extra device: with Meross the sensor is in the box.
- Wi-Fi reaches the garage well and there is a socket, and you can identify the wall button terminals or have someone who does it for you.
- Your remote cannot be copied: Meross does not depend on the remote but on the wall button.
When SOLO is the better choice
- Wi-Fi does not reach the garage, or reaches it badly: underground garage, shared car park, garage detached from the house.
- You cannot or do not want to touch the opener: rented garage, opener under warranty, shared door of a block of flats.
- There is no socket near the door: SOLO runs on batteries.
- You also want to open the driveway gate with the same device: up to four automations.
- You want to give timed access to a cleaner or to someone renting your garage, with time slots and an end date.
If you are also considering a module with built-in Wi-Fi wired into the opener, read the comparison wired module or wireless. Every route for the garage is in the guide smart garage door opener without Wi-Fi.
Frequently asked questions
Does Meross work if there is no Wi-Fi in the garage?
Meross works through a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network and asks for an acceptable signal near the garage door. Without Wi-Fi in the garage you need an extender, or a solution that does not need it: 1Control SOLO is controlled from your smartphone over Bluetooth, with no network.
Does the Meross device have to be wired to the opener?
Yes. It is connected to the opener's wall button terminals and has a wired sensor for door status. Meross advises not to try the compatibility test on the terminals if you are unsure where they are; if you have no experience, you can hire an electrician. SOLO is not connected to the opener: it copies the remote.
Can I open the garage from my phone without Wi-Fi?
Yes, when you are nearby. SOLO and the smartphone communicate over Bluetooth, with no internet or mobile signal, even in an underground garage. To open from anywhere you need LINK, which stays in the house and uses 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable.
Can SOLO tell me whether the garage was left open?
Yes, with the 1Control opening sensor together with LINK: the app shows whether the door is open or closed and alerts you when it changes. With Meross the sensor is already in the box.
Are Meross and SOLO compatible with Apple HomeKit?
Meross is: it states compatibility with Apple HomeKit and Siri. SOLO is not: 1Control is not integrated with Apple Home (HomeKit). On an iPhone you can use Siri Shortcuts: near the garage over Bluetooth and, with LINK, from anywhere too.
The bottom line
Meross and SOLO reach the same result, your garage door on your smartphone, by opposite routes. Meross is wired to the opener, lives on your home Wi-Fi and brings a sensor and HomeKit with it: it makes sense if the Wi-Fi in your garage is good and the wall button terminals do not worry you. SOLO does not touch the opener, runs on batteries and opens over Bluetooth even where the network does not reach; distance, voice and door status are added with LINK, which stays in the house. The first step is finding out whether your remote can be copied.