The Shelly Plug E is one of the original plugs sold by Shelly. The big difference with its recent siblings like the Shelly Plug S is that it allows up to 16A (3500W) compared to the 12A of the Plug S. This means it can be used in front of more power hungry devices such as a washing machine, a dryer, ovens, … with less of overheating.

However the device is older and has multiple downsides. The first one is the obvious bulkiness of it and it’s older design.

The software also has some issues as shown in this picture where it suggest to upgrade from a 2023 firmware to a 2021 firmware. Trying to upgrade doesn’t seem to work.

The setup is also more complex due to the lack of Bluetooth on the device. You need to connect to the WIFI access point generated by the device in order to set it up. More recent generations can be configured via Bluetooth.

The power measurement is only updated every 30 seconds according to Home Assistant while the more recent plugs from Shelly are updated every 5 seconds. Overall the device feels noticeably less reactive than most recent Shelly devices.

In conclusion, unless you really need a smart plug that can handle 16A, I wouldn’t bother with the Shelly Plug E. If you care only about power measurement, go for a Shelly Mini PM that can measure 16A, has a more recent software for less than half the price. If you need the capability to switch but don’t really need 16A, the Shelly Plug S are cheaper, smaller and easier to setup and to operate.