Sofabaton vs Harmony: Best Replacements (2026)

Here is the current SofaBaton vs Harmony breakdown after Logitech’s remote lineup was discontinued.

Farewell Logitech Harmony

Ok let me get something out of the way right up front. Anyone who knows me knows what a big fan I am of Harmony remotes.

As a frequent contributor to this universal remote review blog, I have tested, researched, and blogged about nearly every Harmony remote there is.  I think I have written somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 blog posts on Harmony.

With a few exceptions, no one has come close to the quality and overall user experience that Harmony remotes afford to control your home theater and smart devices. Since Logitech’s announcement that it will no longer make new remotes, I’ve been scratching my head, wondering whether someone will step in to fill the void in the universal remote market.

Enter Sofabaton!

While not perfect, new-kid-on-the-block Sofabaton now has newer U3 and premium X1S remotes that do compare nicely to Harmony.  I am super encouraged by what I am seeing with these remotes and with Sofabaton as a company.

But how does Sofabaton vs Harmony measure in the areas of setup, usability, features, and functionality as well as price?

Let’s take a closer look.

Related: Sofabaton X1S vs U2: How They Measure Up

---

Sofabaton vs Harmony Comparison Table

The following table compares Sofabaton vs Harmony remotes side by side with the X2 as my new top pick.

Related: 11 Best Logitech Harmony Alternatives

---

Sofabaton X1S vs Harmony Elite

---

With Sofabaton’s release of the X1S remote, we finally have a mass-market universal remote that actually competes with Harmony and even excels in a few areas.

The thing that I like most about this remote, isn’t the remote at all. It’s Sofabaton as a company. They are genuinely concerned about the user experience and improving their products.  When the X1S first came out there were some issues with the early versions of the remote’s firmware (the software that controls the hardware was buggy). The engineers at Sofbaton went to work and have ironed out most of the kinks. You can read my full review of Sofabaton X1S here.

They also proactively send new customers an email with tips to set yourself up for success with this remote.

Harmony Elite Pluses Over Sofabaton

• All around higher-end remote
• Superior LCD color touchscreen over Sofabaton’s black and white OLED display
• Ability to control devices through walls and cabinets
• Sofabaton won’t support Wi-Fi devices like Roku Stick and most smart home tech
• Elite has voice control with Alexa, Google, Siri; Sofabaton does not.

Sofabaton Pluses Over Harmony Elite

• It’s cheaper, especially now that prices on Harmony remotes are at an all-time high due to final inventory selling off.
• Smaller less complex remote is just easier to use.
• The setup process is easier with good documentation.
• Learning remote feature, where you can point an exiting remote at the Sofabaton to set it up.
• The support experience is better.

Where They Are About the Same

• Both let you replace up to 15 remotes
• Both include a smartphone app option.
• Both let you power on multiple devices with a single button push.
• Both remotes have a motion-activated wake-up mode.
• The approach to set up is different but each method has its quirks
• Broad device support [hundreds of thousands]

🏆 WINNER: Sofabaton x1S

See Sofabaton X1S at Amazon ▶ | See Harmony Elite at Amazon ▶

---

Sofabaton U3 vs Harmony Elite

---

From the usability and functional perspectives, the Harmony Elite is still the higher-end remote if you already own one or find a clean used bundle. The U3 is the current SofaBaton handheld option here: it controls IR, compatible Bluetooth, and RF 433/315 MHz devices, but it is not a hub remote and it does not add Wi-Fi/IP smart-home control.

Harmony Elite Pluses Over Sofabaton U3

• Higher-end hub remote with a color touchscreen.
• Harmony hub control can reach compatible gear in cabinets; U3 uses line-of-sight IR unless you add the optional SofaBaton R1 repeater.
• Broader legacy smart-home and voice-assistant integrations through the Harmony hub.
• Activity-based control is more mature if your old Harmony account and devices are still working.

Sofabaton U3 Pluses Over Harmony Elite

• It is a current product, while Harmony Elite is discontinued.
• It supports IR, compatible Bluetooth devices, and RF 433/315 MHz learning.
• It has a 2.4-inch LCD, rechargeable battery, macros, air mouse support, and Google voice support on compatible Bluetooth devices.
• It is easier to recommend as a new purchase because you are not relying on a discontinued Harmony ecosystem.

Where They Are About the Same

• Both can simplify a living-room setup with multiple devices.
• Both include app-based setup.
• Both support one-touch control sequences, though Harmony calls them activities and U3 uses macros.
• Neither should be described as weatherproof or as a through-wall handheld remote by itself.

🏆 WINNER: Harmony Elite if you want the stronger legacy hub system; SofaBaton U3 if you want the current buy.

See SofaBaton U3 at Amazon > | See Harmony Elite at Amazon >

---

Sofabaton U3 vs Harmony Companion

---

The Companion is functionally a lot like the Harmony Elite without the touchscreen, and it relies on the Harmony Hub. U3 is different: it is a current handheld SofaBaton remote for IR, compatible Bluetooth, and RF learning, but it does not give you the Harmony hub’s Wi-Fi/IP smart-home layer.

Harmony Companion Pluses Over Sofabaton U3

• Better legacy hub integration if your Harmony setup still works.
• Can control cabinet-hidden compatible gear through the Harmony Hub.
• More mature smart-home routines through the old Harmony ecosystem.

Sofabaton U3 Pluses Over Harmony Companion

• It is still being made, while Harmony Companion is discontinued.
• It supports IR, compatible Bluetooth devices, and RF 433/315 MHz learning from one handheld remote.
• It adds a 2.4-inch LCD, rechargeable power, macros, air mouse support, and Google voice support on compatible Bluetooth devices.

Where They Are About the Same

• Both can simplify home-theater control.
• Both use an app during setup.
• Both can run multi-step commands, though the systems work differently.

🏆 WINNER: Harmony Companion for an existing hub setup; SofaBaton U3 for a current handheld purchase.

See SofaBaton U3 at Amazon > | See Harmony Companion at Amazon >

---

Harmony 950 vs Sofabaton U3

---

Where the Companion is like the Elite without a screen, the 950 remote itself is almost identical to the Elite remote, including the touchscreen. However, it does not include the Harmony Hub. U3 is a current handheld remote with IR, compatible Bluetooth, and RF learning, so this comparison is closest when you care about handheld control rather than hub-based smart-home automation.

Harmony 950 Pluses Over Sofabaton U3

• More premium remote hardware and a color touchscreen.
• Backlit buttons and haptic feedback on the touchscreen.

Sofabaton U3 Pluses Over 950

• It is a current product.
• It controls IR, compatible Bluetooth devices, and RF 433/315 MHz devices.
• It has app setup, rechargeable power, macros, air mouse support, and Google voice support on compatible Bluetooth devices.

Where They Are About the Same

• Neither is a Wi-Fi/IP hub remote by itself.
• Both can control home-theater gear.
• Both allow single-button control sequences.
• The approach to setup is different, but each method has its quirks.

🏆 WINNER: Harmony 950 for premium touchscreen hardware; SofaBaton U3 if Bluetooth or RF learning matters.

See SofaBaton U3 at Amazon > | See Harmony 950 at Amazon >

---

Sofabaton U3 vs Harmony Hub

---

I recently wrote a huge blog post about the 21 best universal remote apps, and the Harmony Hub came out on top. The Hub is not a handheld remote like U3; it is an app-and-hub control system for home entertainment and smart-home gear. U3 is the better fit if you want a current physical remote, but it should not be described as a Wi-Fi hub or a through-wall controller unless you are talking about the optional R1 repeater for enclosed IR gear.

Harmony Hub Pluses Over Sofabaton U3

• The app and hub model is stronger for old Harmony smart-home routines.
• It can control compatible cabinet-hidden gear through the hub.
• It supports broader legacy integrations with Alexa, Siri, and Google Home.

Sofabaton U3 Pluses Over Harmony Hub

• It includes a physical remote.
• It is a current product rather than a discontinued Harmony hub.
• It supports IR, compatible Bluetooth devices, RF 433/315 MHz learning, macros, air mouse support, and Google voice support on compatible Bluetooth devices.

Where They Are About the Same

• Both can help reduce remote clutter.
• Both depend on app setup.
• Both can trigger multi-step control sequences.

🏆 WINNER: SofaBaton U3 if you want the current physical remote; Harmony Hub if your priority is legacy hub automation.

See Harmony Hub at Amazon > | See SofaBaton U3 at Amazon >

---

Sofabaton U3 vs Harmony 650 & 665

---

The 650 and 665 are basically the same remote so I’ll lump them together here. Comparing the 650 / 665 Harmony vs Sofabaton is closer to apples and apples than the hub comparisons above. The biggest difference is that U3 adds compatible Bluetooth control and RF learning, while the 650/665 family is mainly about basic IR control.

Harmony 665 Pluses Over Sofabaton U3

• Color LCD screen and familiar Harmony button layout.

Sofabaton U3 Pluses Over 650 /665

• U3 can control compatible Bluetooth devices in addition to IR devices.
• U3 supports RF 433/315 MHz learning from compatible RF remotes.
• U3 has app setup, rechargeable power, macros, air mouse support, and Google voice support on compatible Bluetooth devices.
• 650 /665 do not have a smartphone app setup option.

Where They Are About the Same

• They both contain display screens.
• Neither one is a Wi-Fi/IP hub remote.
• Both can control home-theater gear.
• Both allow single-button control sequences.
• The approach to setup is different, but each method has its quirks.

🏆 WINNER: SofaBaton U3

See Harmony 650 at Amazon > | See SofaBaton U3 at Amazon >

---

Sofabaton Setup

Here is my TecTimmy SofaBaton X2 unboxing and hardware setup video if you want to see the current SofaBaton hub and remote up close.

---

Logitech Harmony Setup

Tech With Brett has probably one of the best Harmony setup videos on the web. The process is essentially the same for all of the Hub based remotes [Elite, Companion, and Hub].

…..And Techno Dad has the same for the Harmony 650 -665 process is also very similar:

Yeah, I used to have all those remotes too. Now they are in storage which is awesome.

---

Sofabaton vs Harmony: Over to You

So what do you think about this post comparing Sofabaton vs Harmony?

Did you find it helpful?

Do you think that the high-end Harmony remotes are better options to Sofabaton?  Or are you encouraged like me by the potential of the new X1S remote and the Sofabaton brand.

Either way, I think this company will be fun to watch and I will be doing more reviews of their products in the future.

Please leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts. I would love to hear from you.

Also, if you liked this article, would you mind giving it a quick share on social media?  You can use the colorful social buttons up at the top of this page. Thanks!

Related: Sofabaton U1 vs U2