Comparison
Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip HS300 vs Amazon Basics Smart Plug Power Strip (6-Outlet): Which Should You Buy? (2026)
| At a glance | Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip HS300 | Amazon Basics Smart Plug Power Strip (6-Outlet) |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★★★★⯨ 4.7/5 | ★★★★★ 4.4/5 |
| Price | $60-$80 | $35-$45 |
| Best for | People who want hard data on which devices waste power and want to automate them off. | Alexa households that want a cheap, dependable strip to automate outlets off and skip phantom load. |
| Guarantee | Amazon return policy applies | Amazon return policy applies |
| Check Today's Price → | Check Today's Price → |
Both of these are six-outlet smart strips doing the same core job: switch individual outlets off remotely so the TV, console, soundbar, and charger pile stop drawing standby power all night. The real difference is simple, and it's two things. The Kasa HS300 measures actual power draw on each outlet and logs it over time, and it answers to both Alexa and Google Assistant through its own app. The Amazon Basics strip has no energy monitoring at all, no Google support, and no app of its own — it lives entirely inside the Alexa app — but it runs $35–$45 against the Kasa's $60–$80 and adds a USB-C port.
That's the whole decision. The rest of this page is about figuring out which side of that trade you're on.
The picks
Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip HS300
The energy-monitoring benchmark: 6 individually controlled outlets with real per-outlet power tracking.
$60-$80 · Amazon return policy applies
Amazon Basics Smart Plug Power Strip (6-Outlet)
A no-frills Alexa-only smart strip with modern USB-C and 6 switchable outlets.
$35-$45 · Amazon return policy applies
What the extra money actually buys
Phantom load is invisible, which is why most people never fix it. You can't tell by looking whether the cable box is pulling meaningful watts at 3 a.m. or the old subwoofer is the real offender. The HS300's per-outlet metering answers that with numbers: open the Kasa app, see which of the six outlets is drawing what, then schedule the guilty ones off. If you treat standby waste as a problem to diagnose rather than guess at, that data is the product — the switching is almost incidental. The Kasa also keeps its options open: no hub, plain 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and it works with either Alexa or Google Assistant, so it survives an ecosystem change.
Two honest knocks. It's the most expensive option in the category, and its three USB-A ports are always on — you can't schedule or switch them, so any charger drip on the USB side continues regardless.
Where the cheaper strip earns it
Here's the thing about energy graphs: plenty of people stop looking at them after the first week. Once you've learned the entertainment center should die at midnight and wake in the evening, what you actually need is a strip that reliably executes that schedule — and the Amazon Basics does exactly that through Alexa routines, for a lot less money. Six individually switchable outlets, three USB ports including a USB-C the Kasa doesn't offer, and setup through the Alexa app you already have. If your goal is "outlets off when we're not using them," the metering you'd pay extra for is a feature you'd admire once and never open again.
Who should skip which
Skip the Amazon Basics if anyone in the house uses Google Assistant — it's Alexa-only, full stop, and with no standalone app there's no fallback. Same if there's a real chance you'll leave the Alexa ecosystem while this strip is still on duty. It doesn't travel.
Skip the Kasa if you already know your schedule and just want it executed. Paying a premium for monitoring you won't read is how a $70 gadget ends up feeling like a $40 one.
One warning that applies to either: these are Wi-Fi devices. Don't put your router or modem on a switched outlet you control over Wi-Fi — turn it off remotely and you've locked yourself out of turning it back on.
Bottom line
Both are well-reviewed — 4.7 stars for the Kasa, 4.4 for the Amazon Basics — and both will kill standby drain on a schedule. Buy the Kasa HS300 if you want to see which devices waste power before deciding what to cut, or if Google Assistant is anywhere in your life. Buy the Amazon Basics if you're all-in on Alexa and want the same six switched outlets for the least money. Torn? The cheaper strip does most of the job; the Kasa is for people who want the receipts.