Does a smart thermostat work with a heat pump?

Google Store page for the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen), read Oct 23, 2026: $279.99, includes one Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd gen) for room-by-room comfort (extra sensors $39.99). Automatically creates a schedule by learning your routine and preferences. Designed to work in most homes without a C wire (Power Sharing); some systems, such as heating-only, cooling-only, zoned and heat pump systems, need a Nest Power Connector or C wire. Works with 85% of systems.

"Nest thermostat compatibility" help article (read Nov 2, 2026): on heat pump systems the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) supports up to 4 heating stages (2 heat pump stages and 2 alternate heat stages) and up to 2 cooling stages. Dual fuel systems (heat pump with furnace) are compatible but need professional installation. High-voltage systems such as electric baseboard heaters aren't compatible. Many systems don't need a C wire; some need a C wire or the Nest Power Connector.

Product page for the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium, read Oct 23, 2026: $259.99; ecobee claims savings of up to 26% on energy bills. Includes a SmartSensor that detects which rooms are occupied and adjusts the temperature, and lowers heating or cooling when the home is empty. eco+ uses occupancy and schedules; Schedule Assistant recommends schedule changes based on your routine. Runs on a C wire, with an included Power Extender Kit for most homes without one. Works with Apple Home; Siri or Alexa built in. Works with over 95% of HVAC systems. Re-read Oct 25, 2026: lists Apple HomeKit next to Alexa, Google Assistant and SmartThings; Siri needs pairing with a HomePod or HomePod mini (iOS 15 or later). Security features such as intruder alerts need a paid ecobee Smart Security plan. Re-read Nov 2, 2026: works with most 24VAC systems, including conventional furnaces and air conditioners (2 heat/2 cool), radiant heat and multistage and dual-fuel heat pumps; "over 95%" of HVAC systems. Alexa Built-in and can be enabled with Siri; the spec list says it works with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and IFTTT, and ecobee Smart Security works with Alexa and the Google Assistant. Dual-band Wi-Fi; the page doesn't say what still works without Wi-Fi.