By Karlis Elmanis · 26 April 2026
If you're picking a motor for a new gate or replacing a dying one, three brands will keep coming up: CAME (Italian), BFT (Italian) and Nice (Italian). They dominate UK installations between them — together they're on probably 80% of the domestic gates we service across Sussex, Surrey and Kent.
This is the honest, no-affiliate-link comparison. We work on all three brands every week. Here's how they actually compare on the things that matter: reliability, parts availability, ease of programming, and price.
Quick verdict
| Brand | Best for | Avoid if |
|---|---|---|
| CAME | Most domestic installations — robust, parts everywhere, decent price | You want budget |
| BFT | Heavy gates, harsh environments, long driveways | You want easy DIY programming |
| Nice | Budget installations, light residential, smart-home integration | You have a heavy commercial gate |
If you don't have specific reasons to choose otherwise, CAME is the safest pick for a typical domestic swing or sliding gate. It's the brand we'd most often recommend to a homeowner asking, and it's what's on the most installations we maintain.
CAME
Origin: Italy, founded 1972. Sold globally, very widely fitted in the UK.
Strengths:
- Excellent parts availability — every wholesaler stocks them, and we can usually source obsolete parts within 48 hours
- Robust mechanical engineering — we see CAME motors that are 15+ years old still running on annual servicing
- Wide range covering swing (Krono, Stylo, Ferni), sliding (BK, BX series, BKV) and barriers
- Sensible programming — clear LED feedback, well-documented learn cycles
- Decent remote ranges and reliable receivers
Weaknesses:
- Mid-range pricing — not the cheapest option upfront
- Some older boards (ZA3, ZA5) need an oscilloscope-trained eye to diagnose intermittent issues
- Out-of-the-box smart home integration is limited (better with third-party gateways)
Most common models we see in 2026: Krono swing motor (single), BX-243 / BX-78 sliding (single sliding gate up to 800kg), Ferni F1024 (heavy underground), BKV (commercial sliding).
Typical replacement cost (motor only, single gate): £450-650+VAT.
BFT
Origin: Italy, founded 1981. Common in commercial and high-end residential.
Strengths:
- Built like a tank — BFT motors handle heavy gates and continuous duty without breaking a sweat
- Excellent for harsh environments (coastal, exposed, frost-prone)
- Some of the best long-driveway range on receivers
- Phobos / Phebe / Sub series cover most domestic needs
- Dependable on commercial sliding (Deimos, Ares)
Weaknesses:
- Programming is more complex than CAME — we see DIY installers struggle with BFT control boards more often
- Slightly fewer wholesalers stock parts vs. CAME, so obsolete-part sourcing can be slower
- Older Phobos motors can be heavy on power consumption
Most common models we see: Phobos (swing), Sub (underground), Deimos (sliding), Ares (commercial sliding).
Typical replacement cost (motor only, single gate): £500-750+VAT.
Nice
Origin: Italy, founded 1993. Younger brand than the other two, big on smart-home positioning.
Strengths:
- Often the cheapest of the three for similar specs — popular on developer-fitted new-build gates
- Best smart-home integration — Nice MyNice app is genuinely usable, properly supports Alexa/Google Home/Apple Home with a wifi gateway
- Easier programming than BFT, similar to CAME on the Robo / TooMax / Wingo lines
- Light, compact form factor on smaller motors
Weaknesses:
- Plastic housings on some budget models age poorly — UV exposure, brittle clips
- Some receivers (older Inti / FloR) have weaker range than CAME / BFT
- Heavier commercial-grade Nice motors (Run, Hyppo) are competent but less common in the UK supply chain
Most common models we see: ROBO (sliding), TooMax (swing arm), Wingo (compact swing), Hyppo (underground), MOON (sliding budget).
Typical replacement cost (motor only, single gate): £350-550+VAT.
What about FAAC, DEA, and Beninca?
We see them too, just less often.
- FAAC — premium, Italian, lots of conservation-area period-property installations. Excellent build quality, premium price (£600-900+VAT motor only). Parts harder to source, often direct from FAAC distributors only.
- DEA — older installations, still serviceable. Parts via specialist suppliers. Reliable but less common new spec.
- Beninca — mid-range, lighter market presence in the UK. Good motors, slightly more niche parts.
If you're choosing for a new install, the three big brands above will cover 95% of needs.
How to choose for your gate type
Single swing gate (most domestic driveways)
- First choice: CAME Krono or Stylo
- Budget: Nice TooMax
- Heavy duty: BFT Phobos
Double swing gate
- First choice: CAME Stylo (matched pair)
- Budget: Nice TooMax pair
- Heavy duty: BFT Phobos pair
Sliding gate (rural / industrial style)
- First choice: CAME BX-243 (up to 400kg) or BX-78 (up to 800kg)
- Budget: Nice ROBO
- Heavy commercial: BFT Deimos
Underground motor (period properties, conservation areas)
- First choice: CAME Ferni
- Heavy duty: BFT Sub or Nice Hyppo
Long driveway (>40m from the receiver)
- First choice: BFT (best receiver range out of the box)
- Budget alternative: Add a long-range receiver to any brand
Don't pick on brand alone
The most important factors when choosing a motor are:
- Gate weight and length — match the motor's spec, never undersize
- Daily duty cycle — domestic motors handle ~30 cycles/day, commercial spec for higher
- Power supply — does your gate position have a mains feed, or do you need solar / battery?
- Fitter's experience — a brilliant motor badly fitted is worse than a budget motor properly installed
A Nice ROBO fitted properly will outlast a CAME BX-243 fitted by someone winging it.