The market for pool automation is booming. But for an owner looking to buy in 2026, the offer is often confusing: between small floating analysers, modular systems and all-in-one units, it is hard to choose well — and harder still to work out the real cost.
We have analysed the market's leading solutions. Here is why a centralised, self-contained unit remains the best strategy, both technically and financially.
🔍 The market's three main categories
1. Floating analysers (e.g. Flipr, Ondilo ICO)
These look like small floats bobbing in your pool or sitting in the skimmer. They carry probes (pH, ORP, temperature) and connect over Wi-Fi or Sigfox.
- The upside: no installation in the plant room, and a moderate entry cost (between €200 and €300).
- The major limitation: they are only informers. They send you a notification ("pH too low") but they cannot act. You still have to go down to the plant room and add the chemicals yourself.
- Who for? Owners of above-ground or small pools who want a simple diagnostic aid.
2. Modular systems (e.g. Modul'eau, modular Klereo)
You buy a central "brain" unit, then add paid modules for each function: one for pH, another for ORP, an extra relay for the lighting, and so on.
- The upside: at the outset, you pay only for what you need.
- The major limitation: the cost climbs very fast (see the comparison below) and the electrical panel ends up a tangle of cables.
3. Centralised all-in-one units (e.g. Bayrol Pool Relax, PoolNexus)
This is a complete controller — often a wall box or DIN-rail unit — that includes every reading as standard (pH, ORP, pressure, levels, temperature) and every control relay (filtration, dosing pumps, lighting, heat pump).
- The upside: global management — the brain controls everything — which allows intelligent interactions, such as not injecting chlorine while the pump is stopped.
- The limitation: it needs a more structured installation at the start, by a professional or a capable DIYer.
💶 The financial comparison: the hidden cost of modularity
Take a standard requirement for a good in-ground pool: automated filtration, automatic pH control, automatic chlorine (ORP) control and lighting control from the phone.
| Required features | Typical modular solution | "Premium" brand solution | PoolNexus (target) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain / base unit | ~ €450 | Included | Included |
| pH control (probe + board + pump) | + €350 | Included | Included |
| ORP control (probe + board + pump) | + €450 | Included | Included |
| Lighting and temperature relays | + €150 | Included | Included |
| Phone app and connectivity | Often €50/year (subscription) | Included | Included (Matter/MQTT) |
| Estimated total, incl. VAT | ~ €1,400 + subscriptions | €2,500 to €3,500 | ~ €1,500 |
Note: these are average market estimates (excluding installation) for 2026.
The problem with "options"
With many traditional manufacturers, the moment you want to add an air temperature sensor or cover control, you are billed more than €200 for an expansion board. The initial budget doubles quickly.
🏆 Why is all-in-one more capable?
Beyond the money, the technical advantage of the all-in-one unit lies in cross-referenced intelligence.
In a modular or fragmented system, the module handling pH does not always talk to the one handling filtration. With a central controller such as PoolNexus, the processor holds every piece of information at once. It can make advanced safety decisions:
"I want to inject pH-minus (action). But I can see that water pressure is zero (sensor) AND that the filtration pump status is off. So I block the injection, to avoid creating a plug of acid in the pipework."
That safety and software coherence is what a single brain brings.
Conclusion: the PoolNexus approach
Our philosophy is simple: hardware modularity is expensive for the customer. That is why the PoolNexus controller aims at a fair price point — around €1,500 — while including natively every input and output you might need: multiple BNC probes, pressure-switch inputs, power relays and more.
You will not have to buy an overpriced board next year to automate your heat pump. The hardware is already there; it just has to be enabled in software. That is home automation without compromise.