If you plan to turn on/off switches, look for Belkin Wemo.
It's simple, straight forward and you can setup rules and make IFTT integration. I have several at home running for about 2 years and so far, it's stable and working great.
I actually have my lights and power heads on Wemo, so I can ask Alexa (Amazon Echo) to turn on / off "Tank Light" or "Power Head 1" for example.
I'd say that's absolutely not comparable with neptune's apex, but for basic stuff it's doable, with minimum tech knowledge.
- BarIzoN -