Best Garage-Door Openers (2023 Guide)

Garage-door opener technology has come a long way. Beginning as simple chain-operated pulleys, garage-door openers now offer various improvements to home security, such as robust automatic locking, data encryption, and smart-home device integration. 

We conducted detailed brand, consumer, and subject matter research to find the best garage-door openers for a range of residential garages, homeowner preferences, and price points. We’ve also provided tips and answered common questions to help you find the ideal garage-door opener for your home.

 

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Top 5 Garage-Door Openers

• Best Overall: Chamberlain B2405 Whisper Drive Garage-Door Opener 
• Best Security Features: Chamberlain B6753T Video Garage-Door Opener
• Best Horsepower: Genie StealthDrive 7155-TKV Garage-Door Opener
• Best Wall-Mounted: Chamberlain RJO70 Wall Mount Garage-Door Opener
• Best Light-Duty: Genie Chain Drive 550 Garage-Door Opener

 

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Fast Facts

• Drive and power: Belt drive; 0.5 HPc
• Smart functionality: Yes
• Battery backup: No
• Warranty: Lifetime belt and motor, five-year parts, one-year accessories

What we like: Although the Wi-Fi-enabled Chamberlain B2405 belt-drive garage-door opener isn’t the most powerful option, it has one of the most robust feature sets. This product offers innovative and practical smart settings, including Bluetooth connectivity and Security+2.0 access encryption.

What Customers Are Saying

Numerous verified buyers like the B2405 garage-door opener for its motion detection, nearly silent noise level, and collection of smart features. However, several users find that HomeLink-enabled vehicles manufactured prior to 2012 cannot connect to the garage-door unit’s HomeLink system.

“I bought this model because I needed to be able to open the garage door from anywhere without being home. This is a super buy! It’s so quiet, yet it’s powerful. My garage door is a bit heavy [compared to] the new ones sold today. This opens the garage door so easy. I will say the instructions given by the mobile app from Chamberlain is extremely helpful. I installed it by myself, and it took a bit longer. I would buy another one. This is very worth it.” —Valeria via Amazon

“One of my LiftMaster garage door openers failed after 17 years. After doing some research, I chose to replace it with the Chamberlain B2405 unit. The instructions were straightforward as was the actual installation. The unit is quiet and works as advertised. I can even open and close the door from a far away location using the myQ smartphone app. I definitely recommend this unit and have purchased another one to replace my second 17 year old unit.” —Luigi via Amazon

“If you have a vehicle that is 2011 or older and it has the HomeLink integrated garage door opener,  it is not compatible with this unit. You will have to purchase a $25 repeater or bridge from HomeLink in order to use your integrated opener in your vehicle. I do not see any notes in the Chamberlain listing that states this caveat about 2011 and older vehicles. Buyer Beware!” —Verified buyer via Amazon

 

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Fast Facts

• Drive and power: Belt drive; 1.25 HPc
• Smart functionality: Yes
• Battery backup: Yes
• Warranty: Lifetime belt and motor, five-year parts, one-year accessories

What we like: This smart, Wi-Fi-enabled garage-door opener runs on Chamberlain’s myQ smart programming. It also features Amazon Key compatibility and offers users video streaming and remote monitoring from any location.

What Customers Are Saying

Satisfied buyers praise this smart garage-door opener for its easy installation, highly sensitive motion detection, and powerful Wi-Fi connectivity. Some customers, however, have experienced video streaming issues from Chamberlain’s myQ smartphone control app.

“I really wanted a door I could utilize my smartphone to open and [saw] this unit. It comes with a camera that I did not think would be that useful but was pleasantly surprised about its good quality. Easy to install (great instructions), really quite, bright light, battery backup, camera, and smart phone app. I am really happy with my purchase.” —P via Amazon

“So glad I went with this unit. It works perfectly, and it’s very quiet. I had a Ryobi belt driven system that was prone to issues and eventually stopped working completely. This unit has been working great, and the camera feature is pretty cool. The light output is pretty good too.

Note that it does not come with a outside keypad, but the app has worked perfectly with being able to open/close/view camera.” —Sam Kumar via Amazon

“All the internet features on Chamberlin products rely on their myQ App, designed for mobile phone devices. The camera/video features would be much more useful on a larger screen, and there are workarounds available for some laptops and computers to use the myQ App. Unfortunately, none work on Apple devices with the latest Apple processors. Disappointing for those with difficulties using small screen devices.” —Paka via Amazon

 

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Fast Facts

• Drive and power: Belt drive; 1.25 HPc
• Smart functionality: Yes
• Battery backup: Yes
• Warranty: Limited lifetime motor and belt, limit five-year parts

What we like: The Genie 7155-TKV is ideal for handling heavier doors and two-car garages. Its Aladdin Connect programming is compatible with smart technologies, including Alexa, BenchSentry, Brilliant Smart Home, Car2U, Control4, Google Home, HomeLink, SmartThings, URC, and Yonomi. Further, its five lithium batteries provide dependable backup power during outages.

What Customers Are Saying

Customers praise the StealthDrive garage-door opener for its sturdy yet lightweight rail system, quiet motor, and easy setup. Some critical buyers dislike that the base model could only accommodate doors up to 7 feet high.

“It’s pretty quiet, the belt drive is nice. The battery backup works well. The phone app integration is a new feature for us, and now no more wondering if we forgot to close the door.” —James Colman via Amazon

“Aladdin app works great. … Mine takes about 5 seconds to activate the alarm on the garage door that lets me know the door is being opened or closed by someone. Alexa integration was simple. Bonus, Alexa will let you know if it is open or closed when you ask! It took about two hours to install and set up the app and Alexa. It’s also very quiet. I haven’t used the battery backup yet but have no doubt it will be flawless as well. Pleasantly surprised.” —Kevmaint via Amazon

“My only warning is the product description is not clear that this model is for a 7-foot garage door only. That should be emphasized in the description, and there should be a specific link to the extension kit that is needed to be purchased if you have an 8-foot garage door. I now have to purchase the extension kit and basically re-install the opener. It would have been nice to know about this in advance.” —David via Amazon

 

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Fast Facts

• Drive and power: Direct drive; 0.75 HPc
• Smart functionality: Yes
• Battery backup: Yes
• Warranty: Lifetime motor, five-year parts

What we like: This wall-mounted opener comes equipped with Chamberlain’s myQ smart app programming, Security+2.0 hacking prevention, and Wi-Fi connectivity. It also features battery backup, automatic garage-door locking, and a remote-controllable 1,500-lumen LED light. 

What Customers Are Saying

Satisfied customers especially like the Chamberlain RJO70’s slim design, easy setup, and near-silent motor. Some buyers express frustration with the instruction booklet, and one customer experienced drive failure after two years of use.

“This opener is fantastic: powerful, discrete design, WiFi enabled, app controlled, built-in battery backup, camera capable. I had one complaint: I wish the wall control panel was wireless. Meets every need.” —Mary via Home Depot

“The Chamberlain is even more quiet than my previous Ryobi opener. I’m super happy with the quality and now the garage ceiling is free from the old opener. The light that’s included is super bright. I bought a second one for additional coverage.” —Scott Cornelius via Home Depot

“Installation went smoothly. But the instruction manual does not match the equipment. Specifically, the manual references a red ‘learn’ LED on the control panel that was deleted in the manufacturing process. You need this to program additional remotes or a keypad. Chat with customer service went round and round. What I would like to see is that the instruction manuals are updated as the equipment changes.” —JWA1990 via Home Depot

 

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Fast Facts

• Drive and power: Chain drive; 0.5 HPc
• Smart functionality: Yes
• Battery backup: No
• Warranty: Limited 10-year motor, five-year chain, one-year parts and accessories

What we like: The Genie Chain Drive 550 opener has a straightforward, reliable design featuring a sturdy, five-piece rail system. Genie claims that its DC motor and gearbox are precision-machined for minimal maintenance and that the heavy-duty chain will endure years of operation.

What Customers Are Saying

Customers are impressed with the Chain Drive 550’s quiet operation, pain-free installation, and compact build. One critical customer indicated that the garage-door opener’s light covers are low quality.

“I purchased the Gene chain drive garage door opener because Craftsman are no longer available. This [one is] quiet and smooth operating. It is far better than my previous Craftsman units ever were. I purchased the garage door light bulb with it.I recommend the bulb because it puts out a bright light.” —Floyd Rowe via Amazon

“My original [garage door opener] finally broke, and I bought this one due to the other reviews. I couldn’t be happier that I did. It works perfectly. Easy to program. And it’s super quiet. Just buy it!” —Mike81 via Amazon

“Plastic light covers on each side are designed very poorly. They have a hole on the top (maybe to change a bulb or to collect debris?), which is not necessary because the covers are the snap fitting type (not screw). Also, the light covers are flimsy and don’t fit well. Customer service was quick and courteous to answer questions and concerns.” —Mike via Home Depot

 

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What to Look For in a Garage-Door Opener

There are several key variables to focus on when shopping for a new garage-door opener:

Control options

Garage-door openers use keyless entry and come with at least one wireless keypad. Most openers also come with a dedicated remote control. Many new garage-door openers include smart features for app-based control and monitoring.

Drive system

A garage-door opener’s drive is the mechanism that physically lifts and lowers the garage door. There are three common drive styles from which to choose:

• Belt drive: Belt drives are usually more expensive than other lift mechanisms, but they are very low-maintenance and quiet.
• Chain drive: The least expensive drive type, chain drives require routine maintenance and can be noisy.
• Direct drive: Also known as screw drives, direct drives cost more than chain drives and less than belt drives. They’re popular for being low maintenance and relatively quiet. 

Lifting capacity

A garage-door opener’s lifting capacity is measured in horsepower (HP) for AC-type openers and horsepower comparable (HPc) or horsepower similar (HPs) for DC-type openers. Light-duty garage-door openers have a lifting power of less than 0.5 HP/HPc; medium-duty models offer between 0.5 and 0.75 HP/HPc; and most heavy-duty residential models offer 1 HP/HPc or more.

Motor

Garage-door openers come with either AC or DC motors. Most AC garage-door openers are more dependable and cost effective than DC alternatives, but they’re also bulkier and noisier. DC motors are available in many new garage-door opener models and are popular for their low profile and relatively quiet operation.

 

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Our Recommendation

Our foremost recommendation for most buyers is the Chamberlain B2405 Whisper Drive Garage Door Opener. It offers a best-in-class “whisper-quiet” motor, smart improvements and safety sensors, high customer ratings, and a low price point. The right garage-door opener for you should strike a balance between cost and added features.

 

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How We Chose the Top Garage-Door Openers

Over the years, our team has vetted thousands of home improvement products to help you find the best fit for your needs. We update our data points and review content regularly to account for shifts in customer consensus, product availability, new releases, and overall quality.

To steer the product selection process, our reviewers conduct detailed research that focuses on several key factors:

• Brand research: We cast a wide net by first looking at the latest, most reputable models available through trusted retailers. 
• Ratings: We then narrow down our list to products with a high number of verified-buyer reviews and average customer rating between four and five stars. 
• Expert and consumer insights: Next, we look at what independent product testers, subject matter experts, and other publications have to say about each model we review.
• User needs: Finally, we compare each item’s features, specs, and warranty information to find the best option for every type of consumer and price point.