The best thermostat for heat pump systems is the one that knows when to keep your backup heat switched off. A heat pump moves heat rather than making it, and most ducted systems pair it with a backup source (electric heat strips or a gas furnace) for the coldest days. The thermostat decides when that backup kicks in, and Google puts the running cost of auxiliary heat at roughly two to five times that of the heat pump itself. Get that decision wrong and a mild January morning can cost you like a cold snap.
So the screen, the voice assistant and the app matter less here than usual. What matters is wiring support, control over auxiliary heat, and whether the thermostat can handle your exact setup. Before you shop, find out two things: whether your backup is electric or gas, and whether your heat pump is ducted or a ductless mini-split. Prices below are regular list prices, not temporary deals. If you do not have a heat pump, our main smart thermostat guide covers furnace and AC systems.
Quick Recommendations
- Best overall: ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium — the most complete aux-heat and compressor controls, with a room sensor in the box.
- Best for Google Home and dual fuel: Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) — handles every heat pump and dual-fuel setup in Google’s own compatibility table.
- Best value: Google Nest Thermostat — Heat Pump Balance for about $130, if your system is single-stage.
- Best for electric backup heat: Honeywell Home X8S — a Matter-certified touchscreen for heat pumps with electric strips.
- Best budget: Meross MTS300 — Matter, two-stage heat pump support and all three voice platforms for about $62.
- Best for ductless mini-splits: Cielo Breez Max — a wall-mounted controller for mini-splits that only came with a remote.
Heat Pump Thermostats at a Glance
The whole guide in one table, with approximate US list prices.
| Product | Ecosystem | Key Feature | Approx. Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium | Apple Home, Alexa, Google | Outdoor-temperature aux and compressor lockouts | ~$260 | Most ducted heat pumps |
| Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) | Google, Matter | Heat Pump Balance plus full dual-fuel support | ~$280 | Google homes, dual fuel |
| Google Nest Thermostat | Google, Matter | Heat Pump Balance at an entry price | ~$130 | Single-stage systems |
| Honeywell Home X8S | Apple Home, Alexa, Google, Matter | 5-inch screen, emergency heat mode | ~$240 | Electric-strip backup |
| Meross MTS300 | Matter (Apple Home, Alexa, Google) | Two-stage heat pump support for under $70 | ~$62 | Tight budgets |
| Cielo Breez Max | Alexa, Google | Infrared control for mini-splits | ~$116 | Ductless systems |
Compatibility Matrix
Every heat pump thermostat here works with your phone, but platform support, dual fuel and aux-heat control vary a lot. Values come from each manufacturer’s own documentation.
| Product | HomeKit | Alexa | Google Home | Matter | Dual Fuel | Outdoor Aux Lockout | Wiring/Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium | Yes | Yes (built in) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | C wire, or Power Extender Kit (included) |
| Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) | Via Matter | Via Matter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (Heat Pump Balance) | Usually no C wire needed; pro install for dual fuel |
| Google Nest Thermostat | Via Matter | Via Matter | Yes | Yes | Single-stage only | Yes (Heat Pump Balance) | C wire or Nest Power Connector for heat pumps |
| Honeywell Home X8S | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (electric backup only) | Not stated | C wire required |
| Meross MTS300 | Via Matter | Via Matter | Via Matter | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | C wire required |
| Cielo Breez Max | Siri Shortcuts only | Yes | Yes | No | Not applicable | Not applicable | Plug-in, infrared control |
Three things in that table usually decide the best thermostat for heat pump setups like yours. The Honeywell X8S only supports electric backup heat, so it is the wrong pick if a gas furnace backs up your heat pump. The Nest Thermostat needs a C wire or Google’s Power Connector on any heat pump and cannot run a two-stage compressor. And ecobee still has no working Matter support on any model, so if Matter is a requirement, look at Google, Honeywell or Meross instead.
The 6 Best Thermostats for Heat Pumps
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium — Best Overall
The ecobee Premium gives you the most direct control over the single most expensive decision a heat pump thermostat makes: when to call for auxiliary heat. It also comes with a room sensor, which helps more on a heat pump than on a furnace.
Best for: ducted heat pump homes that want real control over backup heat, in any of the big three ecosystems.
What stands out in real use
The threshold settings. Beyond the default automatic staging, which offers a simple savings, balanced or comfort choice for aux heat, ecobee lets you set an Aux Heat Max Outdoor Temperature (above it, the strips stay off) and a Compressor Min Outdoor Temperature (below it, the compressor rests and backup heat takes over). Those two numbers are how you stop resistance heat from running on a 45°F afternoon. They live in the thermostat’s installation menu rather than the app, so set them once, ideally with your heat pump installer’s recommended values. The included SmartSensor also lets the system heat to the room you are actually in, rather than chasing the hallway.
Key specs
- Heat pumps with up to 2 heating and 2 cooling stages, plus 2 stages of aux heat
- Aux and compressor outdoor-temperature lockouts
- SmartSensor included (temperature and occupancy)
- Alexa built in, air quality monitor
- Power Extender Kit included for homes without a C wire
Pros
- The most complete aux-heat controls in this guide
- Supports dual fuel as well as electric-strip backup
- Works with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings
- Room sensor included rather than sold separately
Cons
- No Matter support
- Threshold settings are on the thermostat only, not in the app
- On Amazon, the standalone unit is currently sold by third-party sellers
Installation and compatibility notes
ecobee lists support for most 24V systems, including heat pumps with two-stage auxiliary heat. If you do not have a C wire, the Power Extender Kit in the box usually solves it at the furnace or air handler. If you do not need the room sensor, air quality monitor or built-in Alexa, the cheaper Smart Thermostat Enhanced (~$200) keeps the same threshold controls but supports one aux stage instead of two.
Price: ~$260
Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) — Best for Google Home and Dual Fuel
The 4th-gen Nest Learning Thermostat is the most flexible pick here on wiring. It supports single- and two-stage heat pumps, auxiliary and emergency heat, and every dual-fuel configuration in Google’s compatibility table.
Best for: Google Home households, and anyone with a dual-fuel or two-stage heat pump system.
What stands out in real use
Heat Pump Balance. Instead of asking you for a lockout temperature, the thermostat uses the weather forecast and how quickly your home loses heat to decide when aux heat is worth it. You pick Max Comfort (the default), Balanced or Max Savings, and it sets the lockout for you. The one catch is dual fuel: Heat Pump Balance is not available there, so you set the furnace lockout temperature manually in the equipment settings. A Nest Temperature Sensor comes in the box.
Key specs
- Up to 5 heating and 3 cooling stages (O/B, AUX, E)
- Heat Pump Balance with three comfort and savings levels
- Matter certified, over Wi-Fi
- Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd gen) included
- Built-in rechargeable battery
Pros
- Handles the widest range of heat pump and dual-fuel setups here
- Heat Pump Balance works without any manual tuning
- Matter brings it into Apple Home, Alexa and SmartThings
- Temperature sensor included in the box
Cons
- The most expensive thermostat in this guide
- Dual-fuel systems lose Heat Pump Balance and need a professional install
- No Thread radio
Installation and compatibility notes
Google flags dual-fuel installs as needing advanced configuration and wiring, and recommends a professional. For a standard heat pump with aux heat, most homes will not need a C wire.
Price: ~$280
Google Nest Thermostat — Best Value
The standard Nest Thermostat brings the same Heat Pump Balance feature to a much lower price. The limits are clear, though: it is a single-stage heat pump thermostat and it needs a C wire on heat pumps.
Best for: single-stage heat pumps with a C wire, in a Google Home household on a budget.
What stands out in real use
You get the feature that matters most on a heat pump (automatic control of when aux heat runs) for less than half the price of the Learning model. Heat Pump Balance works the same way, using the forecast and your home’s heat loss to set a lockout, with Max Comfort as the default. It also supports emergency heat, which you switch on manually if the heat pump itself fails.
Key specs
- Single-stage heat pump with or without aux heat
- Single-stage dual fuel (heat pump plus a single-stage furnace)
- Heat Pump Balance
- Matter support, over Wi-Fi
- Mirrored display with touch controls on the side
Pros
- Heat Pump Balance at an entry-level price
- Emergency heat support
- Matter support for use outside Google Home
Cons
- No two-stage heat pump support
- Needs a C wire or Nest Power Connector on any heat pump
- No room sensor support
Installation and compatibility notes
Google’s compatibility table is specific here: every heat pump configuration the Nest Thermostat supports requires a C wire or the Nest Power Connector. If your heat pump has a second compressor stage or a two-stage furnace behind it, step up to the Learning model instead. For more Google-first options, see our picks for smart thermostats for Google Home.
Price: ~$130
Honeywell Home X8S — Best for Electric Backup Heat
The Honeywell X8S is a large-screen, Matter-certified thermostat that handles a heat pump with electric heat strips cleanly. It is not a dual-fuel thermostat, and Honeywell says so plainly.
Best for: heat pumps with electric-strip backup in a home that wants Matter and a big display.
What stands out in real use
The screen and the extras. The X8S has a 5-inch touchscreen that can show weather, a clock or indoor air quality, and it can display a live feed from a compatible Ring or First Alert video doorbell. On the heating side, it supports up to two compressor stages and one stage of backup heat, plus a manual Emergency Heat mode that locks out the heat pump. Honeywell’s setup guide says it only supports electric backup, and it warns you if you select a furnace or hot water backup during setup.
Key specs
- Heat pumps with up to 2 compressor stages and 1 backup heat stage
- Electric backup heat only
- Emergency Heat mode
- 5-inch touchscreen, doorbell video view
- Matter certified; humidity, VOC and estimated CO2 readings
Pros
- Matter certified, plus Apple Home, Alexa and Google Assistant
- Largest and most useful display here
- Tracks indoor air quality alongside temperature
Cons
- No dual fuel: electric backup only
- No outdoor-temperature aux lockout in its documented setup options
- C wire required
Installation and compatibility notes
The X8S needs a C wire, and the box includes a voucher for a free Honeywell C-Wire Adapter if you do not have one. Honeywell’s own product page lists a higher heat pump stage count than its installation guide; we have gone with the installation guide’s two compressor stages and one backup stage. Remote room sensors are optional on this model.
Price: ~$240
Meross MTS300 — Best Budget
The Meross MTS300 is the cheapest way to put a heat pump on Matter. It supports two-stage heat pumps with or without aux heat, and works with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings.
Best for: a simple heat pump setup with a C wire, where the budget matters more than aux-heat tuning.
What stands out in real use
The platform coverage for the price. Because it is Matter-certified, the MTS300 joins Apple Home, Alexa or Google Home locally. What you give up is fine control over backup heat: Meross does not document an outdoor-temperature lockout or any balance-point setting, so auxiliary heat staging is basic. If Apple Home is your platform, our guide to the best HomeKit thermostats compares native HomeKit and Matter options, including several that handle heat pumps.
Key specs
- Heat pumps up to 2 stages, with or without aux heat
- Up to 3 heating and 2 cooling stages on conventional systems
- Matter certified, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
- Schedules keep running offline
- Compact 3.6-inch body
Pros
- About $62, the lowest price in this guide
- Works with all four major platforms through Matter
- Two-stage heat pump support
Cons
- No documented aux-heat lockout
- C wire required, adapter sold separately
- No room sensor in the box
Installation and compatibility notes
Meross says the MTS300 needs a C wire, and sells its own MCA100 C-wire adapter for homes without one. Run the compatibility check on the Meross site before buying if your system has a second stage of aux heat or a dual-fuel furnace, since neither is spelled out on the spec sheet.
Price: ~$62
Cielo Breez Max — Best for Ductless Mini-Splits
A ductless mini-split usually has no wall thermostat at all, only an infrared remote. The Cielo Breez Max replaces that remote with a wall-mounted smart controller that works with most mini-split brands.
Best for: ductless mini-split heat pumps that are controlled by an infrared remote.
What stands out in real use
It behaves like a real thermostat on a system that never had one. The Breez Max has its own screen, reads room temperature and humidity, and its Comfy mode runs the mini-split to hold a set temperature instead of relying on the indoor unit’s sensor up near the ceiling. It covers heat, cool, dry, fan and auto modes, and a freeze protection mode helps keep pipes from freezing when a room sits empty in winter.
Key specs
- Infrared control of mini-split, window and portable units
- Built-in display, temperature and humidity sensors
- Heat, cool, dry, fan, auto and Comfy modes
- Freeze protection mode
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, no subscription
Pros
- Works with a wide range of mini-split brands
- On-device controls, not just an app
- Alexa, Google Assistant and SmartThings support
- No monthly fee for its smart features
Cons
- No Apple Home support (Siri Shortcuts only)
- Needs a clear line of sight to the indoor unit
- One controller per indoor unit
Installation and compatibility notes
Cielo says the Breez Max works with over 20,000 AC models that use an infrared remote. It does not connect to low-voltage thermostat wiring, so it is only for ductless and room units. If Apple Home matters to you, the Mysa for Mini-Splits is the HomeKit-native alternative, although on Amazon it is currently sold only through a reseller above its list price.
Price: ~$116
How to Choose a Heat Pump Thermostat
Check the wiring first
A heat pump thermostat needs an O/B terminal, which controls the reversing valve that switches the heat pump between heating and cooling. If your system has backup heat, there is also a wire on W2 or AUX, and sometimes an E wire for emergency heat. Take a photo of your current thermostat’s wiring before you buy. Our thermostat wiring guide has a heat pump wiring diagram if you’re not sure which wire is which. Every pick in this guide supports O/B, but C-wire needs differ: the Nest Thermostat needs one on any heat pump, the X8S and Meross need one on every system, and ecobee ships a Power Extender Kit for homes without a C wire. Our guide on how to install a smart thermostat covers the O/B setting and the rest of the wiring.
Aux heat is where the money goes
Auxiliary heat is the backup that kicks in when the heat pump cannot keep up, and it is far more expensive to run. Our guide to aux heat explains when it turns on and how it differs from emergency heat. A good heat pump thermostat limits it by outdoor temperature. ecobee lets you set that lockout yourself, while Nest’s Heat Pump Balance sets it automatically from the forecast. Your heat pump installer can tell you a sensible balance point for your climate, which is worth asking before you change anything. For the bigger picture, see our breakdown of whether smart thermostats save money.
Dual fuel is a different job
A dual-fuel system pairs a heat pump with a gas or oil furnace, and the thermostat has to switch between them rather than run strips alongside the compressor. The ecobee Premium and the Nest Learning Thermostat both support dual fuel. The Nest Thermostat supports it only with a single-stage furnace, and the Honeywell X8S does not support it at all. If you have a dual-fuel system, the best smart thermostat for heat pump control is one of the first two.
Ducted or ductless
Everything above applies to ducted systems with a low-voltage wall thermostat. Most ductless mini-splits use an infrared remote instead, and a standard wall thermostat can’t control them without the manufacturer’s interface adapter. For those, you want an infrared controller like the Cielo Breez Max, one per indoor unit. Our guide to the best smart thermostats for mini splits compares five of them, including three that work with Apple Home.
Final Recommendations
For most ducted systems, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is the best thermostat for heat pump owners who care about their winter bill, thanks to its outdoor-temperature controls over aux heat and its included room sensor. If you live in Google Home or have a dual-fuel or two-stage system, the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) is the more flexible choice. If you are torn between those two, our Nest vs ecobee comparison goes deeper.
On a budget, the Nest Thermostat gives you Heat Pump Balance for about $130, provided your system is single-stage and you have a C wire. The Honeywell X8S suits electric-strip systems that want Matter and a big screen, the Meross MTS300 is the cheapest route to Matter, and for a ductless mini-split, the Cielo Breez Max is the controller to get.
What is the best thermostat for a heat pump?
For most ducted heat pumps, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is the strongest pick. It lets you lock out auxiliary heat and the compressor by outdoor temperature, supports two stages of aux heat and includes a room sensor. If you use Google Home or have a dual-fuel system, the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) is the better fit.
Do I need a special thermostat for a heat pump?
You need one that supports heat pump wiring: an O/B terminal for the reversing valve and, if you have backup heat, an AUX or W2 terminal, sometimes with an E wire for emergency heat. Most smart thermostats support this, but stage counts and dual-fuel support vary a lot between models.
What is the difference between aux heat and emergency heat?
Auxiliary heat turns on automatically when the heat pump cannot keep up on its own, and it costs roughly two to five times as much to run. Emergency heat is a mode you switch on manually, usually when the heat pump itself has a problem, and it runs the backup heat instead of the heat pump.
Do Nest thermostats work with heat pumps?
Yes. The Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) supports single- and two-stage heat pumps and every dual-fuel setup in Google’s compatibility table. The cheaper Nest Thermostat handles single-stage heat pumps only and needs a C wire or Nest Power Connector. On heat pumps with electric aux heat, both use Heat Pump Balance to limit it; dual-fuel systems use a manual switch-over temperature instead.
Does ecobee work with Matter?
Not as of September 2026. No ecobee thermostat has working Matter support, although they connect directly to Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings. If Matter matters to you, the Nest thermostats, the Honeywell X8S and the Meross MTS300 are all Matter certified.
Written by Evan Mercer
Founder & Lead Researcher, Smart Home Matrix
Evan digs through spec sheets, firmware changelogs, and thousands of owner reviews so you don’t have to. Every guide starts with a compatibility check and ends with picks he would install in his own home. Read more about Evan and this site, or see exactly how we choose products.