Still using Lutron in your new builds? For years, Lutron RadioRA 3 has been the default answer when a builder wanted to offer whole-home smart lighting. It’s a capable, well-respected system. But it was designed for professionally programmed, processor-based installs, and that comes with a premium price tag.
Deako takes a different approach. It delivers the smart lighting features homebuyers actually use (app and voice control, scenes, schedules) without a central processor, and with a modular design that lets buyers upgrade any switch, anytime. Below, we compare the two side by side from a builder’s point of view: features, install, scalability, homebuyer flexibility, and cost.
Meet The Two Systems
Lutron RadioRA 3 is Lutron’s professionally installed, wireless whole-home system covering lighting controls, intelligent lighting, and motorized window treatments. Devices talk over Lutron’s proprietary Clear Connect RF, and the system runs through a cloud-connected RadioRA 3 processor that a trained installer programs from a PC. It’s built for integrators who want deep customization and tie-ins with shades, audio, and premium lighting.
Deako is a modular, plug-and-play smart lighting system built with builders in mind. An electrician wires a Deako Connector (Backplate) into a standard junction box, and a switch or dimmer clicks into it. Builders can install low-cost Simple Switches at closing, and homebuyers can later click in a Smart Switch or Smart Dimmer, with no electrician needed. Deako devices connect over Bluetooth Mesh and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, so there’s no processor to buy, mount, or program.
Where they’re even: the features homebuyers use every day
On the core smart lighting experience, Deako and RadioRA 3 deliver the same essentials.
- Smart lighting controls. Both offer smart switches and dimmers that control individual lights, groups, or the whole home.
- App + voice control. Both have a mobile app for control from anywhere and work with major voice assistants. Deako integrates with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, Alarm.com, Control4, Home Assistant, and more.
- Scenes + automation. Both support scenes, schedules, and automations. RadioRA 3 offers scenes like “Movie Night” and sunrise/sunset scheduling. Deako offers scenes, schedules, and timers in its app, and any Deako smart switch can act as a scene controller.
For most homebuyers, these three features are what “smart lighting” means. That’s the point: you don’t need a premium, processor-based system to deliver them.
Where They Differ: Install, Scale, and Flexibility
No hub or processor
RadioRA 3 runs through a dedicated processor, an all-in-one PoE unit that has to be purchased, installed, networked, and programmed by a trained pro. Larger homes can require paired processors.
Deako needs no hub or processor. Each switch connects over Bluetooth Mesh and Wi-Fi, and each switch repeats the wireless signal, so coverage gets stronger as more switches are added. Multi-way setups configure themselves with Deako’s Magic Linking, with no programming required. For builders, that means one less piece of equipment, one less trade, and fewer things to troubleshoot at closing.
Easy for homebuyers to upgrade anytime
This is Deako’s biggest advantage for builders. With RadioRA 3, changes typically go through a Lutron-trained installer who designs and programs the system.
The Deako Connector (Backplate) is the only wired part. Once it’s in, anyone can swap a Simple Switch for a Smart Switch or Smart Dimmer, or a dimmer for a timer or motion sensor, without an electrician. Builders can deliver a home that’s “smart lighting ready” at every switch, and buyers can upgrade one room at a time on their own schedule. Fewer callbacks and truck rolls for you; more flexibility for them.
Cost for builders:
Premium features don’t have to come with a premium price tag. RadioRA 3’s cost includes more than the switches: the processor, a Lutron-qualified installer, and PC programming time all add up on every home.
Deako cuts those layers out. There’s no processor, Simple Switches keep the upfront cost low, and smart upgrades are click-in parts rather than service calls. At retail, a Deako Smart Switch (Gen 2) is $99.99, and builder pricing is available through Deako’s team. The result is a whole-home smart lighting offering that fits production-build budgets, not just luxury custom homes.
Deako vs. Lutron RadioRA 3 at a glance
Conclusion
Deako works for everyone who touches the home. Builders get a simpler install with no processor, fewer callbacks, and a smart lighting feature that sets their homes apart without blowing the budget. Homeowners get a home that’s ready for smart lighting at every switch, plus the freedom to upgrade a room, swap a dimmer for a timer, or go whole-home whenever they’re ready, all with a simple click and no electrician. It’s lighting that grows with the people who live there, built by the people who build there.
