The short answer
Best for searing and smoking
Weber SearwoodSee itPrice tier 3 of 4:$500–$1,500Cooks who want one grill for smoked brisket on Sunday and seared steaks on Tuesday.Best for app convenience
Traeger IronwoodSee itPrice tier 4 of 4:Over $1,500People who value convenience, an app and brand support over raw value.The value alternative
recteq RT-700See itPrice tier 3 of 4:$500–$1,500Value-focused buyers who want serious performance without paying for the biggest brand name.The budget alternative
Z Grills 700-series pellet grillSee itPrice tier 2 of 4:$150–$500First-time smokers and tight budgets.
Pellet grills promise easy smoking, and the two most-compared premium models are the Weber Searwood and the Traeger Ironwood. Both are app-connected, but they are built around different priorities: the Searwood is about searing as well as smoking, and the Ironwood is about convenience.
The short answer
- You want one grill for smoked brisket and seared steaks: Weber Searwood.
- You value the easiest, most polished app-connected experience: Traeger Ironwood.
- You want serious performance for less: recteq RT-700 or, on a tight budget, Z Grills 700-series.
At a glance
| Weber Searwood | Traeger Ironwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Price tier | $500–$1,500 | Over $1,500 |
| Known for | Direct-flame searing plus smoking | Polished app, pellet-level sensing |
| Searing | Direct-flame access for high sear temperatures | Limited compared with grills that have direct-flame access |
| App and Wi-Fi | Fine, but not the main reason to buy | A polished app and Wi-Fi connection |
| Best for | Cooks who want smoked brisket on Sunday and seared steaks on Tuesday | People who value convenience, an app and brand support over raw value |
| Skip it if | Your budget is firmly under $500 | You are price-sensitive, since rivals deliver similar smoking for less |
Searing
This is the biggest practical difference. Most pellet grills cannot reach the high heat that gives steak a hard sear. The Searwood's direct-flame access is what changes that, so it works as a smoker and a proper weeknight grill. The Ironwood is excellent at steady smoking but limited at searing.
App, Wi-Fi and ease of use
The Ironwood is the more polished connected experience, with a polished app and pellet-level sensing, and it is easy for beginners to get consistent temperatures with minimal attention. The Searwood has Wi-Fi and app features too, but they are not the reason to buy it. If you plan to pair either with a wireless probe, see our best wireless meat thermometers.
Price and value
The Ironwood sits in a higher price tier than the Searwood, and its own skip-it note is blunt: if you are price-sensitive, rivals deliver similar smoking for less. That is where the recteq RT-700 comes in, a Wi-Fi-equipped, stainless-built grill with a long warranty and strong owner loyalty, sold mainly direct. At the bottom of the range, the Z Grills 700-series is one of the lowest-priced ways to get a real pellet grill, with the usual budget compromises.
Brand support
Weber's long record of build quality and parts support is part of the Searwood's appeal, and Traeger has the brand support and polish that many buyers pay for. If you like to see a grill in a store, note that recteq is sold mainly direct.
Which should you buy?
- Searing matters to you: Weber Searwood.
- You want the least effort and the best app: Traeger Ironwood.
- You want value and don't need a big brand: recteq RT-700.
- First smoker, tight budget: Z Grills 700-series.
- You'd rather not use pellets at all: see the best kamado and charcoal grills or best gas grills.
The contenders
Best for searing and smoking
Weber Searwood
A pellet smoker that can actually sear.
A pellet smoker that can actually sear. Direct-flame access lets it reach steakhouse-style sear temperatures that most pellet grills can't, and it is excellent for both low-and-slow smoking and weeknight grilling. It is priced above entry-level pellet grills, and its Wi-Fi and app features are fine but not the main reason to buy.
What we like
- Direct-flame access lets it reach steakhouse-style sear temperatures that most pellet grills can't
- Excellent for both low-and-slow smoking and weeknight grilling
- Backed by Weber's long record of build quality and parts support
Trade-offs
- Priced above entry-level pellet grills
- Wi-Fi and app features are fine but not the main reason to buy
- Best for
- Cooks who want one grill for smoked brisket on Sunday and seared steaks on Tuesday.
- Skip it if
- Your budget is firmly under $500.
Best for app convenience
Traeger Ironwood
The polished, app-connected set-it-and-forget-it smoker.
The polished, app-connected set-it-and-forget-it smoker, with Wi-Fi, a polished app and pellet-level sensing, and a large cooking area for big cooks. It is easy for beginners, but it carries a premium price and searing is limited compared with grills that have direct-flame access.
What we like
- Wi-Fi connected with a polished app and pellet-level sensing
- Easy to run for beginners — consistent temperatures with minimal attention
- Large cooking area suits big cooks and gatherings
Trade-offs
- Premium price compared with similarly capable pellet grills
- Searing is limited compared with grills that have direct-flame access
- Best for
- People who value convenience, an app and brand support over raw value.
- Skip it if
- You're price-sensitive — rivals deliver similar smoking for less.
The value alternative
recteq RT-700
A wide-range, great-value pellet grill with strong owner loyalty.
A wide-range, great-value pellet grill with strong owner loyalty, Wi-Fi control, sturdy stainless-steel construction and a long warranty. It is sold mainly direct, so you can't see one in a store, and model naming changes year to year, so confirm the current model.
What we like
- Wi-Fi control and a wide temperature range from low smoke to high-heat grilling
- Sturdy stainless-steel construction for the price
- Well-liked customer support and a long warranty
Trade-offs
- Sold mainly direct, so you can't walk into a store and see it
- Lineup naming changes year to year — confirm the current model
- Best for
- Value-focused buyers who want serious performance without paying for the biggest brand name.
- Skip it if
- You prefer to buy from a local retailer.
The budget alternative
Z Grills 700-series pellet grill
The budget pellet grill that gets you smoking for less.
One of the lowest-priced ways to get a real pellet grill, with straightforward controls and widely available parts. It has thinner metal and larger temperature swings than premium models, so it suits first-time smokers more than people who want to run it hard for a decade.
What we like
- One of the lowest-priced ways to get a real pellet grill
- Straightforward controls with enough cooking area for family cooks
- Widely sold, so reviews, accessories and replacement parts are easy to find
Trade-offs
- Thinner metal and simpler construction than premium grills
- Temperature swings are larger than on PID-controlled models
- Best for
- First-time smokers and tight budgets.
- Skip it if
- You want to run it hard for a decade — spend more on better build quality.
How we compared
This comparison uses the details already in our product catalog: each grill's searing ability, app features, construction, support and price tier. We have not confirmed hard specs for these grills on the makers' own pages, so we avoid numbers we cannot back up and describe them at the product-line level. We did not test them ourselves. Pellet-grill lineups change often, so confirm current models and prices before you buy. See our methodology and the full best pellet grills guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Weber Searwood better than the Traeger Ironwood?
For searing, yes: the Searwood has direct-flame access that most pellet grills lack, while the Ironwood's searing is limited. For convenience, the Ironwood's polished app and pellet-level sensing are the draw. The Ironwood also sits in a higher price tier.
Can a pellet grill sear steaks?
Most struggle to. Pellet grills are built for steady low-and-slow heat, and many top out below steakhouse sear temperatures. Direct-flame access, as on the Weber Searwood, is what lets a pellet grill sear properly.
Are cheaper pellet grills worth it?
They can be, especially for a first smoker. The trade-offs on budget models are thinner metal and larger temperature swings. If you will cook often for years, it can pay to spend more on build quality. Our pellet grill guide covers the range.
Alex Mercer brings 15 years of experience and a practical editorial approach to Backyard Review. Alex compares published product information, installation needs and ownership costs, highlighting trade-offs and distinguishing research from documented hands-on experience.
