Sense Energy Monitor vs. Emporia Vue 3 (2026)
Buy the Emporia Vue 3. Sense says it stopped selling its home energy monitor at the end of 2025, and that monitors bought from resellers after that carry no warranty. Sense still supports monitors already installed, so replacing a working one gains nothing on support for now.
The Short Version
Sense works from two main-line sensors and tries to recognize each appliance by its electrical signature. Emporia has the same two main sensors and adds a sensor on each circuit you choose, up to 16, and reports what that circuit draws. A circuit sensor reads its circuit from day one; signature detection has to learn.
We’d buy the Vue 3 because it’s the one you can still buy new with a maker’s warranty behind it; Sense is out of the monitor business.
Choose Emporia Vue 3 if
You’re buying a monitor now and want per-circuit readings, costs in dollars at your utility rate, and a 1-year Emporia warranty.
Choose Sense if
You already own one. Sense says the app, firmware fixes and solar support continue for installed monitors, and it calls 10 years from purchase a reasonable hardware lifespan, which is not a support date.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Emporia Vue 3 | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| How it reads loads | Main sensors plus 8 or 16 circuit sensors (50A) | Two main-line sensors; device detection by electrical signature |
| Main sensors | 2 x 200A | 2 x 200A |
| Sampling | 24,000 samples per second (Emporia) | Over 1 million times per second (Sense) |
| Accuracy | Plus or minus 2% | Not published |
| Solar | Yes, with a circuit sensor on the solar breaker | Sense Solar model; Sense says solar support continues |
| Wi-Fi | 2.4 GHz or Ethernet | 2.4 GHz |
| Warranty | 1 year | None on units bought now, per Sense (its 1-year warranty covered certified-reseller purchases) |
| Sold new by the maker | Yes | No; Sense ended monitor sales by December 31, 2025 |
| Price | ~$199.99 (16 sensors), ~$149.99 (8 sensors) | No longer sold by Sense |
| Emporia Vue 3 on Amazon |
Circuit Sensors or Device Detection
Sense’s pitch was a monitor that names your appliances without a sensor on each one. It analyzes the main-line current over a million times a second and matches patterns to devices, and devices that cycle on and off often get picked up on their own, per Sense. Detection builds up as the monitor learns, and a device it hasn’t learned shows up as unassigned use.
Each Emporia 50A sensor clamps around one circuit’s wire, so the app reports that circuit’s draw from the first day. If a circuit feeds the dishwasher alone, you see the dishwasher. If it feeds a bedroom’s outlets, you see the bedroom.
What Happens to Sense Owners
Sense says the Sense Home app stays, firmware gets minor fixes and refinements, security updates continue when needed, and solar installations keep their support. Sense gives no end-of-support date. It does say the end of monitor sales is permanent, and that monitors from resellers have no warranty.
A buyer shopping today is in a different spot: a reseller’s Sense comes with no warranty, from a maker that has moved on to smart meters.
Costs, Data and the App
Emporia’s app shows costs in dollars once you enter a utility rate plan or a per-kWh rate, for today, the last 7 days, the last 30 days and the current billing period. It keeps 1-second data for 3 hours, 1-minute data for 7 days, 15-minute data for a year as CSV, and hourly and daily data for the life of the device. Emporia doesn’t document a bill forecast, so don’t buy it expecting one.
If the Wi-Fi drops, the Vue 3 stores readings through an outage of about 15 minutes and uploads them later; longer outages leave a gap, per Emporia. The Vue has no native Home Assistant integration; it takes flashing ESPHome, which replaces Emporia’s firmware. For a monitor that talks to Home Assistant out of the box, see our Emporia Vue 3 vs. Refoss EM16P comparison.
Which One Should You Buy?
Take the 16-sensor Vue 3 if your list of circuits to watch runs past eight, the 8-sensor kit if it doesn’t, and keep a Sense you already own. If you have solar, our solar monitoring guide covers where the Vue’s sensors go, and our whole-home energy monitor guide compares the full field.
How We Compared
Sense details come from Sense’s help center (its support, warranty and installation specification articles) and its product page, read October 25, 2026. Emporia details come from Emporia’s help center and store, read the same day. Prices were read on Amazon on October 25, 2026. We have not tested either monitor hands-on. Our editorial policy explains how picks are made.