Hi, there were several threads about the “cheap” z-wave/zigbee thermostats vs. smart thermostats
like ecobee.
I did a summary of those threads here:
In brief, it really depends on your needs: if you have a small appartment, a cheap thermostat will be
enough; if you have a large house and want to be able to support more requirements (ex. zones), then a smarter thermostat is much better.
Regards.