Liftmaster and Overhead Door are undoubtedly two of the most renowned brands when it comes to garage door openers. They have built a solid reputation over the years for making modern and innovative garage door openers that homeowners love. However, picking the right garage door opener to purchase for your home can be a daunting task. So in this post, we will make a head-to-head comparison between Liftmaster and Overhead door garage door opener and help you decide which is best for you.
So, what are the major differences between Liftmaster and Overhead Door garage door openers? Liftmaster garage door openers are compatible with myQ, which offers many features like home automation, integrated garage video, and Key by Amazon. Overhead Door garage door openers, on the other hand, works with OHD Anywhere, which allows you to control and monitor your garage door on your smartphone.
I’ll break this comparison into different sections, explaining the strength and weaknesses of both manufacturers. At the end of this blog post, you should have an idea which garage door opener brand to go for. Now let’s get into it.
Garage Door Opener Types
Whether you prefer a Belt-drive, Chain-drive, Screw-drive, or a Jackshaft garage door opener, they are all offered by both Liftmaster and Overhead Door. So when it comes to opener types, I’ll say there is no comparison between the two. They all offer similar products.
Something to note, however, is Liftmaster’s flagship screw drive, which is the Liftmaster 3240 ½ HP AC model opener, is discontinued. You will still find one to buy if that’s what you want, but it won’t be brand new.
Overhead Door, on the other hand, still makes some of the best Screw-Drive garage door openers on the market. So, if you are on the market for a brand new screw-drive, you should probably go with an Overhead Door garage door opener.
Security
Garages are the biggest entries to our homes. And we always want to leave home knowing all of our belongings are secure. That is why security is a critical factor for all garage door opener manufacturers. Let’s take a look at the security features of Liftmaster as compared to Overhead Door.
Security features of Liftmaster
All garage door openers from Liftmaster are Security+ 2.0 enabled. Security+ 2.0 is a narrow band, tri-band radio frequency technology, used for communicating between garage door opener accessories and the opener itself. The tri-band frequencies are 310, 315, and 390.
Let me make this simple for you. For instance, anytime you use your Liftmaster remote control to open or close your door, it sends a signal randomly through one of the three frequencies. The opener receives this signal, and then it activates. Because every signal is sent through a different frequency, it makes it hard for hackers to steal your remote control’s code and potentially gain access to your garage. Security+ 2.0 also gives your garage door opener a new access code any time you open your garage door. You never have to worry about hackers and code grabbers anymore.
In addition, Liftmaster’s Elite series garage door openers have an excellent security feature called Timer-To-Close. This feature allows you to set a predetermined time interval for the garage door to close automatically. Think about the times you came home after shopping, with your hands so full you couldn’t close your garage door. Or the times you left home, not knowing whether you closed the garage door or not. In my opinion, this should be a feature in all garage door openers.
If you want to take your garage’s security to the next level, Liftmaster makes it possible. With their automatic garage door lock (on Amazon), you can secure your home and make it virtually impenetrable. This locking system automatically unlocks your garage door when you open it, and then automatically locks the door when it is fully closed. And it can be controlled from your smartphone with the myQ app.
This lock, however, works with only three Liftmaster opener models: 8580W, 8587W, and 8360W
Security features of Overhead Door
All Overhead Door garage door openers made from 1995 to date has CodeDodger® technology. But what exactly is CodeDodger®? It is a coding system that generates a new access code for your garage door opener anytime you use your remote control.
So, in essence, a hacker may be able to sniff the remote control code while you open the door. However, that code will not work with your garage door opener. That’s a very thoughtful security technology, considering there are billions of possible combinations to choose from anytime a new code is generated.
Safety
When it comes to safety, both Liftmaster and Overhead Door offer similar, if not the same, features.
Liftmaster provides safety sensors for all of their garage door openers. These are installed on the bottom of the garage door. To prevent accidents and injuries, the garage door stops and reverses anytime these sensors detect an obstruction.
Overhead Door calls their safety sensors, Safe-T-Beam® system, and essentially works the same way as any garage door safety sensor. One advantage of this system over others is, it alerts homeowners whenever there is a misalignment of the sensors. This makes troubleshooting easier.
Also, on their Elite series garage door openers, Liftmaster offers Motion-Detecting Light Activation. And just the name depicts, this series of garage doors have motion sensors that turn on the garage lights when movement is detected.
Overhead Door offers the same feature on three of their garage door openers – Destiny 1500, Destiny 1200, and Odyssey 1200. All of these openers are equipped with motion detectors that turn on the lights automatically.
Features
Now let’s talk about the overall features provided by Liftmaster Overhead Door.
Features of Liftmaster Garage Door Openers
- Most Liftmaster garage door openers have a built-in Wi-Fi
- Maintenance alert system notifies homeowners to perform routine maintenance on their openers
- All Liftmaster openers are compatible with myQ technology
- They are also compatible with HomeLink and Car2U
- Electronic Limit/Auto Force makes it easy to set the travel limit and force adjustments
- Three opener models from Liftmaster supports a battery backup
Features of Overhead Door Garage Door Openers
- Most residential garage door openers from Overhead Door has a built-in Wi-Fi.
- Most Overhead Door openers are compatible with OHD Anywhere app
- They are also compatible with HomeLink and Car2U
- Most opener models from Overhead Door supports a battery backup.
Smart Technology
We live in an age where everything is interconnected, and IoT has made it possible to control our home from our smartphone. Let’s see the features we have when it comes to smart technology.
Liftmaster’s Smart Technology system
This is where Liftmaster outshines Overhead Door completely. All Liftmaster garage door openers are compatible with the myQ technology, as mentioned earlier. And myQ expands the capabilities of Liftmaster openers to another level.
With myQ, you can monitor your garage door on your smartphone. You will know whether you mistakenly left it open or it is safely closed. You can also open and close your garage door from your smartphone. These are all standard functions you’d expect from smart technology.
MyQ takes it further by partnering with some of the most popular home automation systems. Now you can automate your Liftmaster garage door opener with automation and systems like Alarm.com, Apple HomeKit, Clare Controls, Resideo, IFTTT, Tend, Vivint, Xfinity, and Google Assistant. Unfortunately, MyQ doesn’t work with Amazon Echo. However, some geeks have figured out how to make it work together. The downside is, it’s going to cost you some extra bucks. That’s a bummer!
Liftmaster recently partnered with Key by Amazon to provide a service called in-garage delivery. This is the perfect solution to end package theft. Now you can watch, in real-time, your packages being delivered in your garage. All you need is a Liftmaster smart garage camera paired with your opener.
Overhead Door’s smart technology
Overhead Door, on the other hand, uses a smart technology called OHD Anywhere. This is a system developed for only Overhead Door openers. It works the same as myQ but with fewer features.
You have the ability to open and close your garage door remotely with your smartphone. You can also monitor your garage door’s position and know whether it’s opened or closed.
On the plus side, OHD Anywhere is compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa Home. This is great because they are two of the biggest home automation systems. They don’t support Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, or any of the other systems out there. That’s the downside.
Ease of Programming
The new generation of garage door openers from Liftmaster has made it simple and straightforward for homeowners to program. Because of the new Electronic Limit/ Auto-Force buttons found on these openers, homeowners can adjust their door’s travel limits within 1 or 2 minutes.
Programming Liftmaster remotes is also a walk in the park. By following a few simple instructions, you can get your remote programmed to your opener in no time. I have a dedicated post that teaches you how to program Liftmaster remotes within 3 minutes simply. I think you should check it out.
Overhead Door travel limit and force adjustment can be programmed by anyone who is a bit technical. However, it’s something better left for a garage door professional.
I did a bit of research online, and I realized how confusing it is to homeowners regarding how to program their Overhead Door openers. The process of programming overhead door remotes is complicated for a lot of people. But that should not be the reason why you don’t choose Overhead Door. I have a straightforward, less complicated guide on how to program Overhead Door remotes. Check the entire process out.
Warranty
There is no competition between these two when it comes to warranty. Both companies offer a similar warranty on their garage door openers, just a few minor differences.
| Warranty | Liftmaster | Overhead Door |
|---|---|---|
| Motor | Lifetime | Limited Lifetime |
| Parts | 5 Years | 5 Years Limited |
| Accessories | 1 Year Battery, Lifetime Belt | 1 Year |
This is the general warranty for most of the garage door openers by Liftmaster and Overhead Door. There are minor tweaks and changes for specific models. Just be sure to check the warranty on any model you are interested in.
Support
Liftmaster has a YouTube channel with over 200+ videos that teach you everything you need to know about their products. They have well-made videos on programming, troubleshooting, latest products, and more. And they keep updating these videos regularly to answer more popular questions from users. You’ll also find helpful articles on their support site.
Also, because Liftmaster has grown in popularity over the years, third party Youtubers and bloggers who are not affiliated with the company, make videos and blog posts to answer specific issues people are having. An example of such blog posts is our Liftmaster opener troubleshooting guide, which has helped a lot of people solve their opener issues. The chances are that the solution to your problem will be a Google search away. You wouldn’t have to contact them or a professional garage door expert to fix your problem.
Liftmaster also provides firmware updates to all of their products and, not only garage door openers. This means a bug on your opener can be easily fixed with the next update.
Overhead Door has also done a very great job of providing helpful video on their YouTube channel. They have 60+ videos on their channel. If you didn’t find your answer there, you might find it on their resource page. And of course, you can always contact their support.
You won’t find a lot of resources from third party content creators. Sure, they are reputable for making great products. But they are not a very popular brand as compared to Liftmaster.
Recommendations
If you are looking for recommendations on which Liftmaster or Overhead Door to choose, here are my top picks.
Liftmaster Elite Series 8550W
The Liftmaster Elite Series 8550W (on Amazon) has it all, in my opinion. This is a belt-drive system that operates quietly. With the Detection Light Activation Feature, this opener illuminates every corner of your garage. That’s because it has a light installed on each side of the drive. It also has a built-in Wi-Fi capability and myQ compatibility. This means you don’t need any extra device to connect your opener to your home network. I don’t have to go through all the features of Liftmaster; I believe you already know them.
The selling point of the 8550W Elite Series garage door opener is the battery backup. The battery backup comes with the purchase at no additional cost. This keeps your garage door, including all safety and security features running when there is a power outage.
Liftmaster Elite Series 8500W Jackshaft
If you have a bedroom on top of your garage, the Liftmaster Elite Series 8500W Jackshaft (also on Amazon) is for you. Why? Because it attaches to the wall next to your garage door instead of the ceiling. Why is this important? Firstly, noise is significantly reduced because of this, and secondly, there are no vibrations in the ceiling to disturb someone’s sleep.
The Jackshaft is also excellent for heavier garage doors. This garage door opener is designed to lift doors as heavy as 850 lbs.
Overhead Door Destiny® 1500
If you want to go with Overhead Door, the Destiny® 1500 is one of their top of the line residential garage door openers. It features their patented direct drive system. This makes this opener very reliable with the faster operation. The max speed of the Destiny 500 is 12 inches per second, making it the fastest residential opener they have ever made.
This device also has a built-in Wi-Fi, which is required if you want to use OHD Anywhere. At an additional cost, you can get a battery backup for this opener.
Infinity™ 2000
If you are looking for a heavy-duty garage door opener, the Infinity™ 2000 from Overhead Door is something worth considering. Just as Liftmaster’s Jackshaft, this is also a wall mount opener. This makes it extremely quiet when it is operating. The Infinity 2000 also works with OHD Anywhere and has built-in Wi-Fi.
This garage door opener is also capable of lifting heavy garage doors. Provided the garage door doesn’t weight more than 850 lbs., you are good to go.
Final Thoughts
Overhead Door makes really excellent garage door openers, which can last for years with little to no issues if you maintain it properly. However, if you are looking for a safer, more secure, innovative garage door openers with excellent support and firmware updates, Liftmaster is the better option to go for.
