Digital Door Lock

The Digital/Electronic lock 

We wouldn't claim to have scrutinized all research on the distinction between the digital and electronic lock. But from the layperson's perspective, these 2 pretty much mean the same thing. They refer to locking devices that are operated by means of an electric current. This is a pretty broad definition, and covers many types of locks including those that are unlocked via PIN codes, RFID cards, biometrics (eg. fingerprints), and many more.

Keyless entry & elimination of key duplication worries

The digital/electronic lock has numerous advantages over the conventional door lock and key, such as keyless entry (okay RFID cards don't really count). With a digital/electronic lock, you no longer need to worry about replacing missing keys or remembering to bring them out with you. Also, it eliminates the worry of key duplication.

Time-sensitive entry

While a few digital locks may be capable of executing time-sensitive entry, such as PIN codes which are only valid for a certain period of time, this is usually a rather tedious process. Home or property owners need to physically set the PIN codes or make any access changes by going into the administrative mode at the lock itself. Not to mention struggle with many steps because the lock is constrained by the number of digits/symbols on the keypad.

The Smart Lock 

The smart lock is definitely much newer in the market. As it is challenging to find a universally agreed definition of a smart lock that is easy to understand, we use part of Wikipedia's:

A smart lock is an electromechanical lock which is designed to perform locking and unlocking operations when it receives such instructions from a device using wireless protocol and a cryptographic key to execute the authorization process

In other words, your smart lock is a digital lock that can now be controlled by a separate device (usually your smartphone). And yes, we are saying that a smart lock is a digital lock as well, but a digital lock may not necessarily be a smart lock. In more other words, a smart lock is a sub-set under the umbrella term digital locks. Smart locks have the benefits of digital locks, but with more features.

Connectivity

Since your smart lock can be controlled by your smartphone, your lock is now in some sense connected to you. This opens up a whole new range of possibilities, because geographical distance is no longer an issue and you can tell your lock to unlock when you want it to even from the other side of the world.

Convenience and ease of use

Beyond being able to remotely control your lock, a huge advantage that a smart lock has over the rest is convenience. While digital locks are easy to use (ie. for entry), they usually require some effort when it comes to setting admin changes (eg. creating a new PIN code etc), because you need to make the changes physically at the lock. Since a smart lock can be controlled by your device, normally with a mobile app, all you need is a few taps of the phone screen. Your smartphone is already with you most of the time anyway, so minimal effort is needed. The perks of keyless entry are still there, and in most cases, you only need your smartphone with you to let yourself into your home.

Monitoring of visitor access

The smart lock is able to track who enters your home and the exact time and date when they did. For those who would like to know when their family members or visitors enter their homes, this would be useful for you.