2026-03-01

WS2811 VS WS2812 VS WS2813 VS WS2815 Magic LED light strip

In recent years, LED light belts have become more and more popular. They are useful, especially when illuminating areas or places that require intense lighting. For magic LED strips, WS2811, WS2812B, WS2813 and WS2815 LED strips are the most popular products. However, many people do not know the difference between them.
Here, we will explain the main differences between WS2811, WS2812B, WS2813 and WS2815 LED light bars step by step, hoping to help you.

Table 1 Difference and comparison of WS2811, WS2812, WS2813 and WS2815

item	WS2811 LED light strip	WS2812 LED light strip	WS2813 LED light strip	WS2815 LED light strip
Bead size	5050/2835/3535	5050/3535/2020	5050	5050
IC	External IC	Built-in IC	Built-in IC	Built-in IC
voltage	DC5V/DC12V/DC24V	DC5V	DC5V	DC12V
colour	RGB/ White/two-color	RGB	RGB/RGBW	RGB
Breakpoint continuation	no	no	is	is
Pressure drop	low	high	high	low
Reset time	250us	280us	250us	280us
frequency	800Hz/s	400Hz/s	2000Hz/s	4000Hz/s
LED/ m	30/60/72/96/102/204	30/60/72/96/144	30/60/96/144	30/60/72/96/144
Output route	3	3	4	4
Outgoing line	Positive + negative + Signal line	Positive + negative + Signal line	Positive + negative +2 signal lines	Positive + negative +2 signal lines
Price	Low (+)	Medium (++)	High (++++)	High (+++)

WS2811 Light belt introduction

The WS2811 LED strip is an economical addressable LED strip controlled by the external IC WS2811. Each IC controls 3 leds, so every 3 leds can be cut into one pixel. Each pixel can be addressed individually, which makes it very flexible in many applications.

WS2812 light belt introduction

The WS2812b LED light bar is a 5V individually addressable light bar with an IC embedded in the 5050 LED to give it better lighting performance.

WS2813 Light belt introduction

The WS2813 light strip is an upgraded version of WS2812B, similar to WS2812B is an improved version of WS2811, but with intermittent function, when an IC is broken, the signal can still go through.

WS2815 light belt introduction

WS2815 LED light bar is an intelligent control LED light source that integrates the control circuit and RGB chip in a package of 5050 components. It includes an intelligent digital port data latch and a signal shaping amplifier driver circuit. Dual signal line version, signal break continuation. The failure of any pixel will not affect the signal transmission and the overall luminous effect.

Is it single point single hole?
ws2811 led light strip vs ws2812 ws2813 ws2815 led light strip

ws2811 led light bar is an external IC. Typically, it is an IC that controls 3 leds for 12V or 6 leds for 24V. Therefore, the ws2811 led strip cannot be controlled separately.
At the same time, ws2812 light belt, ws2813 light belt, ws2815 light belt are built-in IC. They are individually controlled.

Whether the pressure drop is significant
ws2812 ws2813 led light strip vs ws2811 ws2815 led light strip

ws2812 led strip and ws2813 led strip, they only DC5V, under normal circumstances, we can only do 5 meters/roll. Even in this case, if we turn on the white LED light strip, we can see that the LED light has a significant voltage drop.
The ws2811 light bar and ws2815 light bar are DC12V, so only a small voltage drop can be seen when the 5 meter long light bar is lit white. Especially the ws2811 light bar, we can even design it as DC24V, so we can do longer lengths, or more power to achieve higher brightness.

Dual-line transmission, breakpoint continuation function:
ws2813 ws2815 led light strip vs ws2811 ws2812 led light strip

Both ws2813 and ws2815 light belts are dual signal circuits with intermittent function. This means that if one IC has a defect, it does not affect the rest of the LED strip.
ws2811 led strips and ws2812 led strips, they are just single signal ics. If one IC is broken, the rest of the LED strip will be effective or even not work.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is the difference between WS2812 and WS2812B?

WS2812B is a new generation of products developed on the basis of WS2812. It not only inherits all the good qualities of the WS2812, but also improves the IC from the external mechanical arrangement to the internal structure, further improving stability and efficiency.

2. What is the difference between WS2811 and WS2812?

The WS2811 LED strip runs at 12V, while the WS2812 LED strip uses 5V. As you can see, the WS2811 contains more leds than the other. Therefore, it usually causes some voltage drop in the LED strip. Some leds with striped edges will have a lower voltage

3. Can you cut the WS2812B LED light strip?

In fact, all WS2812b LED strips can be cut into multiple smaller strips. Each brazing pad can be cut in half and used to join the parts together. The wire can be welded to each end.

4. Can ws2811, ws2812, ws2813 and ws2815 light bars use the same controller?
Yes, usually no problem. Here we recommend that you choose the K1000 and K8000 LED controllers.
If you are using a simple pixel controller with a specific connector, double check whether it is 3-pin or 4-pin. ws2811 and ws2812 light bar please select 3pin connector; For ws2813 and ws2815 light strips, select a 4-pin connector.

5. Is the power supply of WS2813 light belt different from that of WS2815 light belt?
Yes, WS2813 is DC5V and needs DC5V power supply. WS2815 is DC12V and needs to be powered by DC12V drive.

6. How does the reset time of WS2813 compare with that of WS2815?

The ws2813 has a reset time of 250us and the ws2815 has a reset time of 250us, allowing the WS2813 LED to work better on lower frequencies and cheaper microcontrollers