Best Garage Door Opener 2020 (Updated)

Are you looking for the best garage door opener? If you’re installing a new system or upgrading your existing garage door opener then I can help! Read through my garage door opener reviews to work out the best garage door opener for your garage and your budget. My list of the best rated garage door opener systems will help you quickly compare and work out the right option for your home.

 

 

 

What to Consider When Buying a Garage Door Opener

• Horsepower – The horsepower rating on a garage door opener is important because it tells you the size and weight of garage door that your opener will be able to lift. A 1/2 horsepower unit will lift a standard aluminium garage door. If you have a heavy, oversized garage door (over 7 feet or made from wood) you will need a 3/4 to 1 1/4 horsepower garage door opener.
• Chain drive vs Belt drive vs Screw drive – This is the method in which your opener motor pulls open your door – by using a chain, a belt or screws. (I’ll do a post soon fully explaining these.) To decide which to use, think about where is your garage in relation to the living space of your house. If you garage door is below a bedroom or next to a living room then you noise will be a factor. If you’re looking for a quieter garage door opener, then go for a belt drive as this will reduce noise. If you’re not looking for something quiet, you can go for a chain drive or screw drive. If you need reliability over anything else, especially if you’re in a hot climate, then a a screw drive is a good choice. There are a couple of other options too like a jackshaft or direct drive garage door opener. I’ve included details of those in the individual reviews below.
• Brand – You’ll notice that in my best garage door opener reviews, one brand features most dominantly and that is Chamberlain. They really are the premier brand name when it comes to finding the best garage doors openers. Chamberlain actually manufactures both Liftmaster and Craftsman garage door openers as well. I would always choose a Chamberlain as the best brand of garage door opener unless there was a certain feature I needed that I couldn’t get from them.
• Safety Features – Almost every garage door opener these days will have sensors that prevent the door closing on children, your car or anything else that moves over the sensor beam. All the models I’ve included have this.
• Security Features – Rolling codes prevent your garage door opening when other people use the same brand of remote. This is the ultimate in security for homeowners worried about a break in through their garage. All the openers on my list use rolling codes.
• Wifi Enabled for Smart Homes –  If you’re tech-focused then having a wifi enabled garage door opener is a great idea. With apps like Chamberlain’s MyQ app or Ryobi’s app you can manage your garage door remotely. You’ll get notifications when the door goes up or down, warnings if you’ve left your door open and can open and close your door remotely or lock it down when you’re on vacation. MyQ is also compatible with Nest and Xfinity Home so can work with other smart home technology. There are a few add on products that you can get to turn an existing garage door opener into a wifi garage door opener and I’m going to do a separate post about those at a later date but, on the whole, the performance of these isn’t as great as the garage door opener’s own brands of smartphone apps.
• Homelink Compatible – If you have Homelink in your vehicle you can link these up your garage door opener. This does depend somewhat on the version of Homelink your vehicle is using, and a bridge may be required, but in general all the new Chamberlain garage door openers are compatible with Homelink for cars newer than 2012. You can check this on their website here.

 

Best Garage Door Opener 2020 Comparison Chart (Updated)

I’ve picked out the top garage door openers for 2020 and made some picks on which model is best for certain needs. Use my garage door opener comparison chart below to help filter out the right model for you based on what you’re looking for in a garage door opener.

Best Garage Door Opener	Drive	Horsepower	Timer Close	Backup Power	Wifi Capable	Homelink	Best for:	Price
Chamberlain WD962KEV Garage Door Opener	Belt drive	3/4	✔	✔	✔	✔	Best (Overall) & Best Wifi/Smart	Check Prices
Chamberlain WD832KEV Whisper Drive Garage Door Opener	Belt drive	1/2	✔	-	✔	✔	Best quiet & Best belt drive	Check Prices
Liftmaster 8500 Wall Mount Garage Door Opener	Jack shaft	N/A	✔	-	✔	✔	Best jack shaft	Check Prices
Chamberlain PD512 Garage Door Opener	Chain drive	1/2	-	-	-	✔	Best chain drive & Best value	Check Prices
Ryobi Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener Model GD 200	Belt drive	2	-	✔	✔	✔	Best for a small garage	Check Prices
Chamberlain WD1000WF Garage Door Opener	Belt drive	1 1/4	-	✔	✔	✔	Best for a heavy door	Check Prices
Sommer 1052V000 Garage Door Opener	Direct drive	1	-	-	-	✔	Best direct drive	Check Prices
Genie 2562-TC PowerLift 900 Screw Garage Door Opener	Screw drive	1/2	-	-	-	-	Best screw drive	Check Prices

 

Top 8 Garage Door Opener Reviews 2020 (Updated)

Here is my list of the garage door opener reviews 2020. Use the comparison table above to compare all the top options and their features, then read through my garage opener reviews to get further information on the models that you think would work best for your garage door.

I review garage door openers with a set of certain criteria in mind and have pulled out the top choices for each specific need. Whether you want something top of the range or budget, belt drive or chain drive, wifi enabled for smart home connectivity or just a simple push button garage door opener, my reviews will help you find the best automatic garage door opener for your needs. So, let’s get started!

Chamberlain WD962KEV Garage Door Opener

My pick for the best garage door opener 2020

This is model is the gold standard in garage door opener! It’s the best chamberlain garage door opener and it comes with all the bells and whistles This is a garage door opener best suited to almost every need (except a very heavy, oversized door). Chamberlain garage door opener reviews invariably rank this model as it’s best ever. Here’s what I think is great about this model:

It has a whisper quiet belt drive so is ideal for garages that are next to living rooms or underneath bedrooms. You really won’t here much of anything when this garage door opener is in action. It’s the best residential garage door opener for an attached garage where you need to be conscious of the noise your system makes.

The built in backup battery allows you to access your garage even during a power outage. The timer to close function means that you don’t need to worry about forgetting to close the garage door. Secure rolling 2.0 codes mean that you garage door is safe from potential intruders trying to “hack” your garage code open. Motion detecting control panel switches the light on for you so you can enter a lit garage.

It’s the best wifi garage door opener as it can be paired with MyQ app which is available on both Android and Apple devices. You do need to purchase the MyQ gateway (sold separately here) and install it close to the garage door opener but it’s easy to do and by far the best option if you’re looking for the best smart garage door opener. It allows you to open and close your garage door from your phone, tablet or computer as well as receive notifications when your garage door opens or closes. It will alert you if you’ve forgotten to close your door. MyQ is also compatible with Nest and Xfinity Home. It’s also compatible with Homelink V3 plus.

Chamberlain also sells an extension kit enabling you to use this garage door opener on doors over 7 feet in height and the 3/4 horsepower of this model means you can easily lift a larger door. You can purchase the extension kit for 8 foot doors here or 10 foot doors here.

Click here to read more reviews and check prices on the Chamberlain WD962KEV Garage Door Opener.

Chamberlain WD832KEVG Whisper Drive Garage Door Opener

My pick for best quiet garage door opener and my runner-up pick for best garage opener 2020

If you’re looking for the best quiet garage door opener then this is my pick for you! If you don’t need the backup battery or extra horsepower of the model above then this is the next best option. It’s quite a bit more budget friendly too. It’s also one of the highest rated garage door openers on the market and gets great results in quiet garage door opener reviews from customers.

The whisper belt drive means this models wins out in all the quietest garage door opener reviews. If you’re looking for a new garage door opener and your garage is next to a living area or bedroom then this is a fantastic choice as you won’t hear it from other rooms in the house. This is thanks to Chamberlain’s motor vibration isolation system which eliminate powerhead vibration for reduced noise.

You can set up a MyQ gateway and control this garage door opener from your phone, computer or table. MyQ is hands down the best choice when comparing smart garage door opener reviews. The MyQ gateway is included with this model so no need to purchase it separately. It’s also Homelink compatible though a bridge may be required.

There are lots of great safety and security features with this system. The timer to close function can be set for one, five, or 10 minutes keeping your home safe if you accidentally leave the garage door up. Safety sensors with rapid-snap brackets reverse the door if anything or anyone tried to get under the door while it is going down. Garage door opener lights automatically turn on when motion is detected.

If you’re looking at quiet garage door openers comparison with any other models will show this as a winner every single time!

Liftmaster 8500 Wall Mount Garage Door Opener

My pick for best wall mount garage door opener

If you’re looking for the best jackshaft garage door opener, then this is my top choice. This is an wall-mounted garage door opener so easy to install as there are no rails to hang. Wall mounted garage door openers are ideal where overhear garage storage in installed or garages with cathedral ceilings. Read any jackshaft garage door opener reviews and you’ll see that people love the sleek design and freedom to use their garage ceiling for storage.

The auto-force feature constantly monitors garage door system and adjusts forces of opening to temperature fluctuations, floor height, and door track movement. Your garage must have front mount torsion springs and sectional doors for this model to be installed.

Safety and security features include  electronically programmed security codes from the MyQ controls, safety sensors to stop the door closing on anything when it’s going down, motion activated light switches on when you enter the garage and secure rolling 2.0 codes for remotes. Timer to close can be set using the control panel. From reading other wall mount garage door opener reviews it is absolutely clear that the Liftmaster 8500 is the best option.

While this unit doesn’t come standard with a backup battery it can be installed separately. See here for details.

While Liftmaster garage door opener reviews aren’t as good overall as Chamberlain you can’t go wrong with this garage door opener if you want something wall mounted to save space or use your garage ceiling for storage. All the side mount garage door opener reviews I have gone over indicate that this model is the pick of the bunch.

Here’s what a wall mounted garage door opener looks like when it is installed:

Chamberlain PD512 Garage Door Opener

My pick for best chain drive garage door opener and the best cheap garage door opener

This is the top option if you’re looking for the best chain drive garage door opener. It’s also a really affordable garage door opener and is the most cost effective Chamberlain garage door opener on the market. You’re getting the best price on garage door openers when your purchase this model. Choose this model if you want the best value garage door opener.

Why pick a chain drive over a belt drive?  Strength and durability are the main advantage of a chain drive garage door opener. There is less that can go wrong with the simpler chain mechanism. Provided you are not worried about noise in adjacent living space then a chain drive garage door opener is a lower cost alternative to a belt drive.

Safety Sensors project an invisible beam preventing the garage door from closing on people, pets or other objects. Rolling 2.0 code technology means added security and protection against would be intruders.

If you don’t need all the bells & whistles like wifi capability, timer close or battery backup then this is a great garage door opener by the best garage door opener brand.

Click to read reviews and check prices on the Chamberlain PD512 Garage Door Opener

This Ryobi garage door opener review will show you all the great features that Ryobi has implemented in their first run at a garage door opener system. The main reason to choose this Ryobi garage door opener is if you want to add in all the accessories that go along with it. The parking assist sensor is fantastic if you are trying to fit two cars into a small garage space.

A whisper quiet, steel reinforced belt drive with 2 horsepower means you’ll be running a quiet and quick garage door opener that is suitable for the heaviest of doors. Safety sensors stop it closing on anyone or thing. This garage door opener is quick and easy to install with relatively few parts. It comes with rails for a 7 foot door but you can purchase an extension kit to handle 8 foot doors here.

The battery back up is a great feature. It uses Ryobi’s standard Lithium ion batteries (the same as for power tools) which does have to be purchased separately here. The door can open and close up to 100 times on the back up battery. It can be monitored using the Ryobi App.

Ryobi’s garage door opener is designed to be used with a suite of different modules. There is a great parking assist aid, a fan, wireless bluetooth speaker, a power cord reel and a security camera. Click here to see prices and details on the modules.

Ryobi uses it’s own garage door opener app so it’s one of the best smartphone garage door opener. The app sends notifications when the door is left up, allows your to open or close the door from the phone, check battery back up, prevent openers being used while you’re on vacation and use the app to open the garage door to a certain height for airing out or for using the Ryobi garage door opener modules like the fan or security camera.

Here’s what the Ryobi garage door opener and modules look like fully installed with the parking sensors in action. Great if you’re trying to get two cars into a smaller garage!

Read the reviews and check prices for the Ryobi Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener Model GD 200

Chamberlain WD1000WF Garage Door Opener

My pick for best belt drive garage door opener for a heavy door

My Chamberlain WD1000WF review will show you why this is the best belt drive garage door opener for heavy or oversized doors.

The heavy duty steel reinforced belt drive and 1 & 1/4 horsepower means this garage door opener can quietly and quickly open heavy wooden garage doors or oversized doors with ease. It’s compatible with the Chamberlain extension rails for 8 foot or 10 foot doors.

Wifi is built into this unit so no additional equipment is needed to connect this to your home wifi and control your garage door opener with MyQ. Something that makes this model a real winner in wifi garage door opener reviews.

Battery backup means you can open your door even in a power outage. The LCD wall control enables you to view the time, temperature, diagnostics and program additional remotes. You can also use it to turn opener lights on and off, lighting your garage with ease, or you can rely on the motion activated lighting. Safety sensors means the door won’t close on anything or anyone. 

This is definitely one of the best garage door opener remote systems on the market and you will not be disappointed if you purchase it. If you’re reading through belt drive garage door opener reviews and looking for the highest horsepower model then this is a good choice.

Click here to read more reviews or check the price on the Chamberlain WD1000WF Garage Door Opener

Sommer 1052V000 Garage Door Opener

My pick for best direct drive garage door opener

Why choose a direct drive garage door opener? Read any direct drive garage door opener reviews and you’ll see that they’re the ultimate in quiet garage door opening.  In a direct drive garage door opener, the motor is attached to the door travels along a stationary chain.

While they are quiet, they can be a bit slower than belt or chain drive doors however. This 1 HP model is designed to go a bit slower actually in order to lift heavy or oversized garage doors.

This model is for 7 foot garage doors but there is an extension kit available for 8 foot doors.

Sommer also has a kit that can turn their doors into side mounted garage doors. You can check out those here.

Sommer also make a 3/4 horsepower direct drive garage door opener so choose those if you are looking for a slightly less powerful but quicker garage door opener. It has the same features as this model so there is no need for me to write out multiple Sommer garage door opener reviews.

Click here to read more reviews or purchase the Sommer 1052V000 Garage Door Opener

Genie 2562-TC PowerLift 900 Screw Garage Door Opener

My pick for best screw drive garage door opener

If you want a simple garage door opener without any fuss then this is a good option for you. Just push the button on the wall or remote to open or close. Very easy to use! So great for technophobic people or older people who need something uncomplicated. While screw drive garage door openers are almost out of fashion, Genie still makes one and it can be great if it’s installed properly.

Why pick a screw drive garage door opener? They are maintenance free and reliable in all weather conditions (unline belt drives which can slip in hot climates). Read any screw drive garage door opener reviews and you’ll see that they come out tops for reliability. I’ve heard of people who have had a screw drive garage opener for 30+ years and it’s still going strong!

Rolling code means this garage door opener has added security and can’t be opened with any old garage door opener. Safety beams mean it won’t close any your car or you kids if they get in the way of a closer door. This is a simple and safe garage door opener and our pick for the best genie garage door opener.

Click here to check prices and read more reviews of the Genie 2562-TC PowerLift 900 Screw Garage Door Opener

 

 

Quick Garage Door Opener Price Comparison

Now that you’ve read through all my garage door opener comparison reviews, take a quick look and compare prices on each of these models using the chart below. (You’ll need to have AdBlock disabled in order to view this section.)

 

 

A Few More Tips on Choosing the Best Rated Garage Door Opener

So, what’s the best garage door opener? I hope my list of the the best garage door openers has helped you answer this question for yourself. I covered eight models in my reviews of garage door openers above so not quite a list of the top 10 garage door openers but I don’t think it necessary to offer too many options. You should be able to find the best garage door remote and opener for your needs by using the above lists.

If you’re still not sure then go back and read through the first two Chamberlain garage door reviews as they’re the best two overall and should suit all your needs for finding best automatic garage door closer. If you’re really unsure, the highest rated garage door opener based on my criteria is the Chamberlain WD962KEV Garage Door Opener.

What’s the best place to buy garage door opener? You can absolutely purchase your garage door opener online. I recommend picking out the best home garage door opener using my post and then hoping over to Amazon to purchase. Why Amazon? It’s easy to search through and find the best brand garage door opener, read reviews on garage door openers, ask questions to troubleshoot installation problems. Amazon makes it simple to get the  shipped straight to your door and if you have Prime you get free 2 day shipping and returns.

 

Can You Install a Garage Door Opener Yourself?

Yes! You can absolutely purchase a garage door opener online and install it yourself. You need some basic home DIY skills and tools but you can have garage door openers up and running within about 3 hours. Bookmark this post and, once you’ve made your purchase, come back and read this guide and I’ll show you how.

If you do want to have a professional install your garage door opener system then you’ll looking at about an additional $150 to $200. You can still purchase the garage door opener you want online via Amazon and have a local installer set it up for you. Amazon even offer that option themselves in some areas (they will connect you with a local service) or just do a quick Google search for “garage door opener installation + your city name”.

It is definitely cheaper to purchase your garage door opener system online and have a go at installing it yourself. Plus you’re guaranteed to get the exact system you want with the features you require at a good price and you don’t have to worry about a salesman putting the hard sell on you to upgrade to something more expensive than you need.

 

Got questions? Feel free to leave me a comment below and I’ll see if I can help you out.