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# 24VAC Thermostats Compared: OWON vs the Brands

Most 24VAC thermostat comparisons are written by someone summarising other pages. This one is different: it is our actual internal comparison data, published as it is , including the one place where a column stands for a whole family rather than a single model.

We keep two comparison sheets for the 24VAC line. They list one competing thermostat per column, one feature per row, and a photo of each unit above its column. Below are three tables taken from them — the PCT5231 set, the PCT533C set and the PCT533 set — followed by what the counts say and what they do not.

## How to read this

- **Competitor prices are typical US retail** from public listings when the sheets were compiled. They move; verify before ordering.
- **Our own prices are not published.** The sheets record them; we removed them here, because ours depend on volume and configuration through distributors and OEM partners.
- **Data is a snapshot, not a lab test.** Features come from manufacturer documentation, not from side-by-side measurement in a house.
- **√ means the feature is present and X means it is missing**, exactly as the symbols appear in the source sheets. We changed only one thing: our own price, which the sheet records and we replaced with `on request`.
- One column (PCT533) represents a product family rather than a single model; that is called out under Table 3.

## Key takeaways

- **22 thermostats, three price bands**, from USD 69.9 for the Meross to USD 250 for the Honeywell X8S.
- **4H/2C heat pump control** is on all four OWON models, plus Sensi ST55, Sensi Touch, Sensi Touch 2, Meross, Vine, Nest 4th and Ecobee Premium. Honeywell X2S, T5, T6 Pro, T9 and X8S top out at 2H/1C or 3H/2C.
- **An 83.3 mm wall box, an SD card slot for firmware updates, occupancy sensing and a 7-day fan schedule** are ours alone across the three sheets.
- **No boolean row has a competitor at √ where we are not.** Counted across the Yes/No rows, our column has the most ticks in every sheet: 13 of 22, 12 of 22 and 15 of 27.
- **Where the big brands win** is display quality on the PCT5231, app ecosystems, retail availability and brand recognition, none of which these sheets measure.

## Table 1 — PCT5231 set (22 features)

| Features | PCT 5231 | Amazon | Sensi Lite | Sensi ST55 | Honeywell X2S | Honeywell T5 | Honeywell T6 Pro | Meross |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Picture | OWON PCT5231-W-TY thermostat front panel with LED segment display | Amazon Smart Thermostat front panel | Sensi Lite thermostat front panel with a small LCD | Sensi ST55 thermostat front panel with a 5-inch display | Honeywell Home X2S thermostat front panel | Honeywell Home T5 thermostat front panel with monochrome display | Honeywell Home T6 Pro thermostat front panel | Meross smart thermostat front panel with dot matrix display |
| Typical Retail Price | on request | USD 79.99 | USD 79.9 | USD 89.9 | USD 79.9 | USD 99.9 | USD 139 | USD 69.9 |
| Conventional Compatibility | 2H/2C | 2H/1C | 2H/1C | 2H/2C | 2H/2C | 2H/2C | 2H/2C | 3H/2C |
| Heat Pump Compatibility | 4H/2C | 2H/1C | 2H/1C | 4H/2C | 2H/1C | 3H/2C | 2H/1C | 4H/2C |
| Display Size | LED | LED | 2.25-inch LCD | 5-inch | 4.84 sq. in | 6.89 sq. in. | 6.89 sq. in. | LED |
| Display Type | Segment | Segment | Segment LED | Segment LED | Segment | Monochrome LCD | Monochrome LCD | Dot Matrix |
| Interaction | Touch-sensitive buttons | Touch-sensitive buttons | Touch-sensitive buttons | Physical Buttons | Physical Buttons | Touch-sensitive buttons | Touch-sensitive buttons | Touch-sensitive buttons |
| Daily Schedule | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible | Fix 4-Period | Fix 4-Period | Fix 4-Period | Flexible |
| Hold | Temporary/Permanent | Temporary | Temporary | Temporary | Temporary/Permanent | Temporary/Permanent | Temporary/Permanent | Temporary/Permanent |
| Voice Control | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant |
| Filter Reminder | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Preheat / Precool | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Energy History | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Temp Limit | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | X |
| Duel Fuel | √ | X | √ | √ | X | √ | X | √ |
| Child Lock | √ | X | √ | √ | X | √ | √ | √ |
| Adjustable Temp Differential | √ | X | √ | √ | X | X | X | √ |
| Remote Sensor Compatible | √ | √ | X | X | X | X | X | √ |
| Temp Presets | √ | Only Home/Away/Sleep | X | X | X | X | X | √ |
| Delay & Protection Feedback | √ | √ | X | X | √ | X | X | X |
| Occupancy Sensing | √ | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 7-Day Fan Schedule | √ | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 83.3mm Electrical Box Fits | √ | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |

Three rows at the bottom are ours alone: occupancy sensing, a 7-day fan schedule, and fitting an 83.3 mm electrical box. Everything above them is matched by at least one competitor.

## Table 2 — PCT533C set (22 features)

| Features | PCT533C | Honeywell | Sensi Touch | Ecobee Essential | Nest 2020 | Nest 3rd | Vine |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Picture | OWON PCT533C-W-TY thermostat front panel, colour touchscreen | Honeywell Home colour touchscreen thermostat front panel | Sensi Touch thermostat front panel | Ecobee Essential thermostat front panel | Google Nest Thermostat 2020 front panel | Google Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd generation front panel | Vine thermostat front panel |
| Typical Retail Price | on request | USD 120 | USD 130 | USD 140 | USD 120 | USD 180 | USD 100 |
| Conventional Compatibility | 2H/2C | 2H/2C | 2H/2C | 2H/1C | 2H/1C | 3H/2C | 2H/2C |
| Heat Pump Compatibility | 4H/2C | 3H/2C | 4H/2C | 2H/1C | 2H/1C | 3H/2C | 4H/2C |
| Display Size | 4.3-inch LCD | / | 4.3-inch LCD | 2.8-inch LCD | 2.4-inch LCD | 2.08-inch LCD | 4.3-inch LCD |
| Screen Resolution | 480*800 | / | / | 240*320 | 240*320 | 480*480 | / |
| Interaction | Touchscreen | Resistive Touch | Touchscreen | Touchscreen | Capacitive touch bar | Rotating Ring | Touchscreen |
| Daily Schedule | Flexible | Fixed 4-period | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible |
| Hold | Temporary/Permanent | Temporary/Permanent | Temporary | Temporary/Permanent | X | X | Temporary/Permanent |
| Voice Control | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant |
| Dual Fuel | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Energy History | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Filter Reminder | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Preheat / Precool | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | X |
| Child Lock | √ | √ | √ | √ | X | √ | √ |
| Temp Limit | √ | √ | √ | √ | X | √ | X |
| Delay & Protection Feedback | √ | √ | X | X | √ | √ | X |
| Multiple languages | English/French/Spanish/Chinese | English/French/Spanish | X | X | English/French/Spanish | √ | X |
| Adjustable Temp Differential | √ | X | X | √ | X | X | √ |
| Temp Presets | √ | X | X | √ | √ | X | √ |
| 7-Day Fan Schedule | √ | X | X | **Yes** | X | X | X |
| 2.5D Screen Edge | √ | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| SD Card Slot for firmware upgrades | √ | X | X | X | X | X | X |

Two notes on this table. The column labelled Honeywell has no model number in the source, and its photo shows a Honeywell Home colour touchscreen unit — we kept the source label rather than guess. And Ecobee Essential carries a Yes on the 7-day fan schedule , which is worth knowing: it is the one competitor that matches us there.

## Table 3 — PCT533 set (27 features)

| Features | PCT533 | Nest 4th | Ecobee Premium | Ecobee Enhanced | Honeywell X8S | Honeywell T9 | Sensi Touch 2 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Picture | OWON PCT533-W-TY thermostat front panel, colour touchscreen | Google Nest Thermostat 4th generation front panel | Ecobee Premium thermostat front panel | Ecobee Enhanced thermostat front panel | Honeywell Home X8S thermostat front panel | Honeywell Home T9 thermostat front panel | Sensi Touch 2 thermostat front panel |
| Typical Retail Price | on request | USD 249 | USD 249 | USD 180 | USD 250 | USD 180 | USD 160 |
| Conventional Compatibility | 2H/2C | 3H/2C | 2H/2C | 2H/2C | 2H/2C | 2H/2C | 2H/2C |
| Heat Pump Compatibility | 4H/2C | 4H/2C | 4H/2C | 3H/2C | 3H/2C | 3H/2C | 4H/2C |
| Display Size | 4.3-inch LCD | 2.7-inch LCD | 4-inch LCD | 4-inch LCD | 5-inch LCD | 2.8-inch LCD | 4.3-inch LCD |
| Screen Resolution | 480*800 | 600*600 | 540*540 | 540*540 | 480*800 | / | 480*272 |
| Interaction | Touchscreen | Rotating | Touchscreen | Touchscreen | Touchscreen | Touchscreen | Touchscreen |
| Daily Schedule | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible | Flexible |
| Hold | Temporary/Permanent | X | Temporary/Permanent | Temporary/Permanent | Temporary/Permanent | Temporary/Permanent | Temporary |
| Voice Control | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant | Alexa/Google Assistant |
| Filter Reminder | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Remote Sensor Compatible | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Preheat / Precool | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Energy History | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Child Lock | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Temp Limit | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Temp Presets | √ | √ | √ | √ | X | X | X |
| Occupancy Sensing | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | X | X |
| Duel Fuel | √ | √ | √ | √ | X | X | √ |
| Adjustable Temp Differential | √ | √ | √ | √ | X | X | √ |
| HVAC Accessory | 2-wire | 2-wire | 2-wire | 1-Wire | 2-wire | X | 2-wire |
| Multiple languages | English/French/Spanish/Chinese | √ | X | X | English/French/Spanish | English/French/Spanish | X |
| Delay & Protection Feedback | √ | √ | X | X | √ | √ | X |
| 2.5D Screen Edge | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | X | X |
| 7-Day Fan Schedule | √ | X | √ | √ | √ | X | X |
| VOC Sensor | √ | X | √ | X | √ | X | X |
| CO2 Sensor | Optional | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| SD Card Slot for firmware upgrades | √ | X | X | X | X | X | X |

 One note on this table. The PCT533 column stands for the whole 533 series , and the series includes the 533U variant. That is why the VOC row reads Yes and the CO2 row reads Optional: those two sensors come with the 533U, not with the base 533. The sheet folds the family into one column, so we are saying it plainly here rather than letting a buyer assume every 533 has air-quality sensing.

## What the counts say

Counting only the boolean rows (Yes / No), not the descriptive ones:

| Sheet | Ours | Highest competitor | Lowest competitor |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PCT5231 set (22 rows) | **13** | Meross 8 | Honeywell X2S and T6 Pro, 5 each |
| PCT533C set (22 rows) | **12** | Ecobee Essential 9 | Sensi Touch, Nest 2020, Vine, 6 each |
| PCT533 set (27 rows) | **15** | Nest 4th and Ecobee Premium, 13 | Honeywell T9 7, Sensi Touch 2 8 |

Three observations, in order of how much we trust them.

 One: our column is the highest count in each table, and that is a count of features, not of quality. A thermostat that does twelve things adequately is not automatically better than one that does eight things well. The Nest line, for instance, deliberately drops temporary hold and manual scheduling in favour of learning.

 Two: no boolean row in any table has a competitor at √ where we are not. That is the claim worth checking cell by cell, and it is a narrower claim than “we win everything”. The one apparent exception is the Multiple languages row, where our cell holds the language list rather than a Yes — the sheet is inconsistent in format there, not in substance.

 Three: four features are ours alone across all three tables — occupancy sensing and a 7-day fan schedule in the PCT5231 set, the 2.5D screen edge and the SD card slot in the PCT533C set, and the SD card slot again in the PCT533 set. The SD card is the one that recurs: it means a firmware update in the field does not need a laptop or an RMA.

## Where the competitors are ahead

The tables only cover features someone thought to write down. These are the things they do not measure, where the big brands are clearly ahead:

- **Display quality on the PCT5231.** It is an LED segment display by design — cheap, readable, no glare. Nest, Ecobee and Sensi Touch have colour screens at similar or lower prices. If the screen matters to the buyer, buy theirs.
- **App ecosystems.** Nest and Ecobee have spent years on their apps. Ours runs on the Smart Life app.
- **Retail availability.** You can collect a Sensi or a Nest the same afternoon. Ours ships through distribution.
- **Brand recognition.** A buyer who wants the name they know should buy the name they know. It is not a feature, but it is real.

## When not to choose us

These four are built for low-voltage conventional and heat-pump systems : 2H/2C conventional, 4H/2C heat pump, one fan output, no damper control. Line voltage (120V or 240V), two-wire systems, baseboard heaters and three-stage conventional heating are out of scope for all four. The detail is in what these thermostats do not support , and no adapter changes that.

Three of the limits are about this range rather than about OWON as a whole:

- **Fan coil units** are handled by a different OWON range: the [PCT504](/products/pct504/) and [PCT504-Z](/products/pct504-z/) ZigBee fan coil thermostats, for 4-pipe heating and cooling with AUTO/Low/Medium/High fan.
- **ERV, HRV, multi-speed fans and fresh-air control** are supported by the **PCT533U**, the air-quality variant of the 533 platform. It is not one of the four models compared on this page.
- **VRV / VRF** systems are not served by this range at all.

## How to use these tables

- **Filter by the heat pump row first.** If the system has auxiliary heat, you need 4H/2C. That removes Honeywell X2S, T5, T6 Pro, T9, X8S, Nest 2020 and Ecobee Essential from consideration.
- **Then check the wire count.** Three conductors (Y/Y1, G, R) with the [SWB511 adapter](/products/swb511/) is enough. The [compatibility check](/resources/thermostat-compatibility-check/) walks through it in four questions.
- **Then pick by what the sheet says is unique.** 16 sensors on the [PCT513](/products/pct513/), humidity control on the [PCT533](/products/pct533-w-ty/), 83.3 mm boxes on the [PCT5231](/products/pct5231-w-ty/), and none of the extras on the [PCT533C](/products/pct533c-w-ty/).

The four-model comparison is in the side-by-side article , and the full range is on the 24VAC category page . If you want the wiring confirmed before ordering, send a photo of the old terminal block to our engineers .

## Frequently Asked Questions

 Where does this data come from?

From two internal comparison sheets we maintain for the 24VAC line, versions V0.2 (PCT5231) and V0.1 (PCT533 / PCT533C). Each sheet lists one column per competing thermostat and one row per feature, with a photo of each unit above its column. We published them as-is rather than re-summarising, so you can check every cell.

 Does OWON win on every feature?

No. Counted across the boolean rows, our column has the highest number of Yes cells in each of the three sheets (13 of 22, 12 of 22, 15 of 27), but that is a count, not a verdict. Four features are ours alone, and on display quality the colour-screen brands are ahead of the PCT5231, which uses an LED segment display.

 Which of these thermostats handle a 4H/2C heat pump?

From the heat pump row in the sheets: OWON PCT513, PCT5231, PCT533 and PCT533C, plus Sensi ST55, Sensi Touch, Sensi Touch 2, Meross and Vine. Nest 4th and Ecobee Premium reach 4H/2C. Honeywell X2S, T5, T6 Pro, T9 and X8S are 2H/1C or 3H/2C on a heat pump, and Nest 2020 and Ecobee Essential are 2H/1C.

 Why is one Honeywell column listed without a model number?

Because the source sheet does not name it. That column is labelled simply "Honeywell" and its photo shows a Honeywell Home colour touchscreen unit. We did not want to guess the model, so the table keeps the source label.

 Does the PCT533 have VOC and CO2 sensors?

It depends which member of the family you buy. The PCT533 column in the sheet stands for the whole 533 series, and that series includes the 533U variant, which carries the VOC and CO2 sensing. The base 533 does not have them. Confirm the exact model number before ordering if air quality sensing is the reason you are buying.

 Why do you not list your own prices?

We sell through distributors and OEM partners, so our prices depend on volume and configuration. The competitor prices in the tables are typical US retail from public listings at the time the sheets were compiled; they move, so verify before ordering.

- [Thermostats](/tag/thermostats/)
- [Comparison](/tag/comparison/)
- [Sensi](/tag/sensi/)
- [Honeywell](/tag/honeywell/)
- [Nest](/tag/nest/)
- [Ecobee](/tag/ecobee/)
- [24VAC](/tag/24vac/)
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