Updating your home lighting is a big project, and it may be easy to lean towards smart lights. However, smart light switches can provide many of the same conveniences at a lower cost. Let's put these two types of products together and find out which setting is best for you.

You don't need a smart light bulb to install a smart switch. This is the convenience of smart switches. They don’t need to replace the bulbs to provide a connection to the lights, so you can remotely control them with voice assistants such as mobile phones, Alexa and Siri, or set up automation to turn them on at sunset. This feature is particularly useful when the lamp is set in a difficult-to-access location, which makes bulb replacement challenging. Smart switches are also convenient because they can activate other sockets connected to different devices. This can give you the opportunity to remotely control more than just the lights.

Most smart switches are used in conjunction with ordinary light bulbs. However, you need to check the packaging. Some smart bulb manufacturers make switches specifically for their bulbs. For example, Philips has a dedicated switch that can communicate wirelessly with all Hue bulbs in the house.

Smart switches used with ordinary light bulbs will have their own applications and setup procedures, and you must connect them to the appliances in your home. They also need Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to connect to the home network so that you can control switches and build automation from your device. At this point, you need to make sure that the smart switch is within range of your Wi-Fi router to ensure a consistent connection. Therefore, you may need to move a Wi-Fi router or obtain a network extender to ensure coverage.

Smart switches are often cheaper than smart lights. You can certainly find cheap smart lights, and the most high-end smart switches can reach the $100 mark. Those high-end smart switches usually have features such as built-in speakers and microphones, so you can use voice assistants such as Alexa.

However, generally speaking, a good smart bulb sells for between US$20 and US$40, and you can buy a qualified smart switch for US$10. Whether this makes a big difference will depend entirely on your budget. It may be worth it to spend a little more money on the colors provided by the smart lights.

Smart bulbs are definitely easier to set up than smart switches. For smart lights, just a simple bulb replacement and a few clicks on the app, and you can start using it. Replacing a light switch involves handling electrical work that not all homeowners are willing (or competent) to do. You need to check whether the switch you are replacing has a neutral wire to power the potential smart switch. Some smart switches require continuous power, while others do not. You also need to figure out if any other switches are connected to the same light fixture. Generally, smart switches are not compatible with these three-way arrangements. The only real way to handle any electrical work is to use mechanical switches like Switchmate, but they are quite large and seem bulky.

In terms of software, smart switches and smart lights are flatter. Manufacturers usually have product lines that can be managed from the same application. Even if you own various brands, third-party support for Google Home and Apple Home is common, otherwise you can manage all your smart home devices from one place.

Generally speaking, smart bulbs are better, but also more expensive. Smart lights are better for several reasons. First, if you want to experience the extra colors provided by the bulb, you need to update the bulb. This step may seem superficial, but when you consider the subtle improvements in using warm and cool white and the ability to synchronize lights with movies or music, smart bulbs start to look pretty good. Combine it with ease of installation and they can save you money in the long run, and the slightly higher price tag of smart lights becomes almost inconspicuous. Read our smart light bulb guide to learn more about which models to buy.

Hope this can eliminate the comparison between smart bulbs and smart switches. Although they are different means to achieve similar ends, no matter which way they are, they need to be weighed in terms of cost and labor.

Upgrade your lifestyle. Digital Trends helps readers pay close attention to the fast-paced technological world through all the latest news, interesting product reviews, insightful editorials and unique previews.