Liftmaster 8500 vs 3800

Liftmaster 8500 vs 3800

What are the differences and which is better?

If you’ve researched wall-mounted, direct drive garage door openers, it’s likely that these two models from Liftmaster have come up in your searches.  They are very popular options for reasons you’ll see below, but a common question always comes up.  Which is better in the battle between the Liftmaster 8500 vs 3800?  They look identical, the specs seem to be very similar, is there even a difference?  

To give you the short version of the answer…The Liftmaster 3800 has been discontinued.  The Liftmaster 8500 has replaced it, meaning it’s the only one available that this point in time, so clearly, that’s the one we recommend between these two.  Click the link below to find the latest price for this great direct drive garage door opener at Amazon.

>>  Check LiftMaster 8500 Pricing & Reviews  <<

 If you already knew this, or just still curious, read on for the differences.  While they are minor for most consumers, there are a couple slight differences that may or may not impact you.

LiftMaster 8500 Garage Door Opener

LiftMaster 8500 Garage Door Opener

Type:  Direct Drive

Security Lock:  Yes

Battery Back-up: 

Capable, Sold Separately

Max. Door Weight:  650lbs

Max. Door Height: 14ft

Max. Door Width:  18ft

Max. Door Area:  180sqft total

Speed:  7.6 in/sec

Radio Controls:  Security+ 2.0

Kit Includes*:

MyQ Control Panel

3-button Remote

Remote Light

Power Door Lock

Sensors/Brackets

LiftMaster 8500 Kit

LiftMaster 8500 Resources

Product Guide/Spec Sheet

 Owner’s Manual

Lifetime Warranty (Motor)

5yr Warranty (Parts)

Price: Current Price

*Note: Remotes pictured are not necessarily the same ones that will ship with your garage door opener.  LiftMaster may supply a different remote, subject to change.

LiftMaster 3800 Garage Door Opener

LiftMaster 3800 Garage Door Opener

Type:  Direct Drive

Security Lock:  Yes

Battery Back-up: 

Capable, Sold Separately

Max. Door Weight:  650lbs

Max. Door Height: 14ft

Max. Door Width:  18ft

Max. Door Area:  180sqft total

Speed:  7.6 in/sec

Radio Controls:  Security+

Kit Includes*:

Control Panel

3-button Remote

Remote Light

Power Door Lock

Sensors/Brackets

LiftMaster 3800 Kit

LiftMaster 3800 Resources

Product Guide/Spec Sheet

Owner’s Manual

Lifetime Warranty (Motor)

5yr Warranty (Parts)

Price: Current Price**

**Note: Liftmaster 3800 has been replaced by the 8500 model.  The sell pages that the links above go to have recently changed to offering the Liftmaster 8500.

LiftMaster 8500 vs 3800 Direct Drive Garage Door Opener Review

Direct drive garage door openers inherently have lots of great features.  Most notably, they’re very quite and have an ultra-smooth operation.  No more herky, jerky chains so loud they annoy everyone in the house (or worse yet wake them up in the morning when you leave early!)  Direct drives are the perfect answer when there is no room above the garage to mount a traditional opener.  They take up so little room.  

Both the 8500 and the 3800 models from LiftMaster are no different.  In fact, they are quiet similar to one another and there’s a lot of confusion around what makes them different.  As mentioned above at the outset, several years back, the LiftMaster 8500 replaced the 3800 when it was discontinued.  There were some slight technology upgrades, so we’ll cover them below.

Similarities:   

Both these direct drive openers are very similar.  The specs are nearly identical as you can see above.  Both systems include a security door lock, 3-button remote, control panel, and a remote light.  

Differences:  

There are just a few LiftMaster 3800 vs 8500 differences, but if they affect, could be important to note.  We’ll cover each of these items below in greater detail so you can better understand if they do or not.  The rest of the stuff is minor things like color of the housing, different remotes, etc.

MyQ Wall Controls

The control panel on the LiftMaster 3800 used security+ radio controls with Rolling Code Technology, assuring a new code is sent every time the remote is used.  This technology started started in 1993, vastly improving the security of your garage door being hacked.  Since 2013, and used on the 8500, LiftMaster now offers the MyQ technology, “security+ 2.0” which does the same thing, but adds the capability of opening and closing of your garage door with a smartphone.

The compatibility is built-in, but you will need to buy the 828LM Internet Gateway by LiftMaster in order to use the smartphone connectivity.  This allows you to open or close your garage door from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. These capabilities were NOT with the LiftMaster 3800 GDO.

MyQ WiFi Garage Hub

HomeLink Compatibility

There’s not a lot of information still out there about the LiftMaster 3800, but it appears both models being discussed have HomeLink compatibility.  The older 3800 worked well with older versions of course, whereas the Liftmaster 8500 is only compatible with version 4.0 or higher.  It may require an external adapter, depending on the year and model of your vehicle.  

YouTube video

Conclusion:  

When comparing the LiftMaster 8500 vs 3800, it should be said that the 3800 has been discontinued and is no longer available for purchase any longer.  In 99% of cases, that’s okay because the 8500 model has replaced it and is the same, or better.  Above and beyond the older LiftMaster 3800, it has MyQ Radio smart connectivity and increased security (security+ 2.0).  

This direct drive (also sometimes called jackshaft) garage door opener is awesome!  It’s super-quiet and has a very smooth motion as the door goes up and down.  Adding the features that allow for remote opening and closing via your smartphone just makes it that much cooler!   If you need 2 garage door openers, check out the LiftMaster 8500 2 pack to save a few bucks.