Smart home hubs

Twenty-nine hubs and controllers grouped by category, each profiled on protocol coverage, local control and privacy. See Reviews for the full scored table, or Compare for head-to-head matchups.

Updated November 2026

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Smart home hubs

For Beginners

Low-commitment entry points for a first smart home. A few hubs genuinely belong in more than one category — Home Assistant is both a tinkerer platform and an open-source one, and the four big consumer ecosystems are also reasonable beginner picks — so they are listed in every section they fit.

πŸ‡³πŸ‡± Netherlands · launched 2025

Homey Pro Mini

Athom's entry-level hub: Thread, Zigbee, and Matter with a lower app-count ceiling than Homey Pro, for newcomers who want local processing without the flagship price.

πŸ‡³πŸ‡± Netherlands · free to start

Homey Cloud

Free, hardware-free way to try Homey — connects 1,000+ cloud-connected brands (Hue, Sonos, Spotify) directly through the app. Optional Homey Bridge (~€69) adds Zigbee, Z-Wave, 433 MHz, infrared, and Bluetooth.

πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ͺ Sweden · Dirigera launched 2022

IKEA Dirigera

Widely cited as one of the simplest companion apps among dedicated hubs, with Zigbee and Matter support at a budget-friendly price.

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States · Home app since 2016

Google Home

Google's ecosystem app plus Nest hub hardware. Strong voice recognition, broad Wi-Fi and Matter support, minimal setup.

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States · Alexa launched 2014

Amazon Alexa

Built around Echo hardware and the largest third-party device/skill catalog of any ecosystem.

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States · HomeKit since 2014

Apple Home

Apple's ecosystem, built with privacy and on-device processing as a core design goal.

πŸ‡°πŸ‡· South Korea (Samsung) · founded 2012, acquired 2014

Samsung SmartThings

Wide Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and Matter support with a hybrid cloud/local processing model, and one of the cheapest hubs here.

For Tinkerers

Self-hosted platforms for people who want to run their smart home on their own hardware.

πŸ‡³πŸ‡± Netherlands (Athom) · launched Dec 2025

Homey Self-Hosted Server

Athom's software-only Homey Pro OS, running on your own Raspberry Pi, NAS, or Docker host. Full Flows, dashboards, and energy monitoring for $4.99/mo or $149 lifetime — Athom moving squarely into Home Assistant's territory.

Open-source project · commercial cloud arm Nabu Casa Inc. is US-based

Home Assistant

Free and fully open-source, with the largest integration catalog of any platform here. The choice for tinkerers who want absolute control and zero required accounts.

Consumer ecosystems

Built around a phone app and voice assistant, usually free with device purchase.

πŸ‡³πŸ‡± Netherlands · founded 2014

Homey

Athom's all-in-one hub. Natively speaks Zigbee, Z-Wave, 433/868 MHz RF, infrared, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Matter (Homey Pro), with local "Flow" automations and a large community app store.

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States · Home app since 2016

Google Home

Google's ecosystem app plus Nest hub hardware. Strong voice recognition, broad Wi-Fi and Matter support, and newer speakers/displays double as Thread border routers.

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States · Alexa launched 2014

Amazon Alexa

Built around Echo hardware and the largest third-party device/skill catalog of any ecosystem. Echo Hub and 4th-gen+ Echo devices act as Matter controllers and Thread border routers.

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States · HomeKit since 2014

Apple Home

Apple's ecosystem, built with privacy and on-device processing as a core design goal. Needs an Apple TV, HomePod, or iPad at home to act as a hub for remote access and automations.

πŸ‡°πŸ‡· South Korea (Samsung) · founded 2012, acquired 2014

Samsung SmartThings

Originally an independent US startup (Physical Graph Corp.), acquired by Samsung in 2014. Wide Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and Matter support with a hybrid cloud/local processing model.

Dedicated all-in-one hubs

Standalone hardware hubs, usually sold separately from any single ecosystem.

πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ Founded 2006 in California · now HQ Hamburg, Germany

Aeotec

Best known as a prolific Z-Wave device manufacturer, and maker of the Aeotec Smart Home Hub (Zigbee + Z-Wave + Matter).

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States (Scottsdale, AZ) · founded 2016

Hubitat

Zigbee and Z-Wave hub built around local-only processing with no mandatory cloud account, popular with privacy-focused users migrating off SmartThings.

πŸ‡΅πŸ‡± Poland (PoznaΕ„) · founded 2010, now part of Nice S.p.A (Italy)

Fibaro

Z-Wave-focused hub and sensor line known for compact hardware design; acquired by Italian security/automation group Nice in 2018.

πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ Germany (Bosch) · Controller II released 2022

Bosch Smart Home Controller II

Zigbee-based controller storing data locally and prepared for Matter. Strong German-market retail and service, but a comparatively closed ecosystem centred on Bosch's own devices.

πŸ‡³πŸ‡± Netherlands (Signify) · Bridge Pro 2025

Philips Hue Bridge Pro

Lighting-focused Zigbee hub for 150+ lights and 50+ accessories, with MotionAware turning existing Hue bulbs into motion sensors. Best-in-class for lighting, not a whole-home hub.

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Vera / Ezlo

Long-running Z-Wave/Zigbee hub line; the Vera brand was absorbed into Ezlo Innovation, which continues hybrid cloud/local hub hardware.

Open-source platforms

Free, community-driven software you run on your own hardware.

Open-source project · commercial cloud arm Nabu Casa Inc. is US-based

Home Assistant

The largest open-source home automation platform by integration count, with a strong local-first philosophy. Optional Nabu Casa subscription adds remote access and voice.

πŸ‡«πŸ‡· France (Rillieux-la-Pape) · founded 2014

Jeedom

Open-source controller popular in France and the wider Francophone market, extendable via a plugin marketplace covering Zigbee, Z-Wave, RF 433, Enocean, and more.

Open-source project, strong DACH-region community

ioBroker

Node.js-based automation platform with a large "adapter" catalog, widely used in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

πŸ‡³πŸ‡± Netherlands-origin open-source project

Domoticz

Lightweight, long-running open-source home automation server, popular for running on low-power hardware.

Germany-based non-profit foundation

openHAB

Java-based, vendor-neutral automation platform maintained by the openHAB Foundation, with a design philosophy similar to Home Assistant but a different architecture and rule engine.

Professional & building automation

Standards and systems more common in new builds and professional installs.

πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ή Austria (Kollerschlag) · founded 2009

Loxone

Premium whole-home automation using a proprietary "Tree" wiring system alongside wireless, aimed at new-build installations with a professional installer.

πŸ‡§πŸ‡ͺ Association HQ Diegem/Brussels, Belgium

KNX

A wired (and wireless) building-automation standard dominant in European commercial and high-end residential installs, maintained by the KNX Association. Robust, but typically requires professional installation.

πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ Germany (Leer) · eQ-3 traces to 1978

Homematic IP

eQ-3's smart home line, strong in the DACH market, combining a proprietary sub-GHz mesh with an IP-based backend and integrations into KNX and other systems.

Budget & legacy RF

Simple 433 MHz devices, often the first smart home purchase in many European homes.

πŸ‡³πŸ‡± Netherlands (Benelux brand)

KlikAanKlikUit (KaKu / CoCo)

Widely sold 433 MHz plugs, switches, and remotes across the Netherlands and Belgium. Not a hub itself, but a device brand many hubs (including Homey and Home Assistant) integrate with directly.

πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ China (Wonderlabs) · SwitchBot since 2016

SwitchBot Hub Mini

Cheap Wi-Fi-to-infrared bridge that learns existing remotes in about five seconds, bringing air conditioners and TVs into app and voice control. An accessory rather than a hub — no Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, or Matter.

πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ China (TP-Link) · Tapo line since 2019

TP-Link Tapo H100

Very cheap sub-GHz hub for TP-Link's Tapo sensors and switches, up to 64 devices with a built-in chime. Closed single-brand ecosystem, cloud-dependent.

πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ China (Xiaomi) · Hub 2 released 2023

Xiaomi Smart Home Hub 2

Zigbee 3.0, Thread, Bluetooth mesh and Matter bridging for often under €30, paired with Xiaomi's very cheap sensor range. Leans heavily on Xiaomi's cloud, with basic automation depth.

πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ China (Tuya Inc.) · founded 2014

Tuya Zigbee Gateway

The white-label gateway behind a large share of budget smart home hardware, sold under dozens of brand names on the Smart Life platform. Cheap and ubiquitous, but fully cloud-dependent by design.

Single-brand & niche hubs

These ship inside a specific product ecosystem rather than as general-purpose controllers. Several are walled gardens — they only work with their own manufacturer's devices, so they can't become the centre of a mixed smart home. Worth knowing about, because you may end up owning one alongside a real hub.

πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ China (Anker) · eufy Security

eufy HomeBase 3

Local storage and on-device AI recognition for eufy cameras, doorbells, and locks, with expandable storage and no subscription. Excellent at its actual job, but it is not a smart home hub — it manages eufy hardware and nothing else.

Walled garden
πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ China · Reolink

Reolink Home Hub

Central local recording for Reolink cameras, encrypting footage on a microSD card and removing any need for a cloud plan. Pairs only with Reolink devices; the cameras themselves often expose RTSP/ONVIF, which is the route into a real hub.

Walled garden
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States (Amazon) · Ring

Ring Alarm Base Station

The controller for Ring's alarm system, coordinating Ring sensors, keypads, and sirens with optional professional monitoring. Uses Z-Wave internally but does not expose it for general use, so third-party Z-Wave devices are effectively off-limits.

Walled garden
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States · Arlo

Arlo SmartHub / Base Station

Extends battery life and range for Arlo cameras and enables local recording to USB or microSD. Arlo-only, and most of Arlo's more interesting features still sit behind a subscription.

Walled garden
πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ Germany · tado°

tado° Bridge

Connects tado° thermostats and radiator valves to the internet over their own sub-GHz radio. Heating only, and tado° only — though it does expose devices to Matter, Alexa, Google, and Apple Home, which softens the walls considerably.

Walled garden
πŸ‡«πŸ‡· France (Legrand) · Netatmo

Netatmo

Weather stations, thermostats, cameras, and alarms, mostly connecting over Wi-Fi with a relay for heating products. Netatmo-only in practice, but with solid Apple Home and Matter exposure for the mainstream products.

Walled garden
πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ China · SONOFF / eWeLink

SONOFF iHost / ZBBridge Pro

Unusually open for a budget brand: iHost runs locally, exposes a Zigbee coordinator, and works with third-party Zigbee devices as well as SONOFF's own. A genuine option for cheap local automation, though the software is rougher than the mainstream hubs.

Fairly open
πŸ‡§πŸ‡¬ Bulgaria · Shelly (Allterco)

Shelly devices & gateways

Wi-Fi and Zigbee relays with a documented local HTTP/MQTT API and no cloud requirement, which makes them a favourite for Home Assistant and Homey users. Not really a hub — individual devices that behave well inside somebody else's hub.

Fairly open
πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ China (Wonderlabs) · SwitchBot

SwitchBot Hub 2

A step up from the Hub Mini, adding a temperature and humidity sensor, a Matter bridge for a handful of device types, and an IR blaster. Mostly there to bring SwitchBot's own curtain motors and bots online.

Mostly walled

The pattern to notice: hubs bundled with a camera or heating brand exist to serve that brand's hardware. That's fine, and often the cheapest way to get local recording — but it means they sit alongside a general-purpose hub rather than replacing one. The exceptions are SONOFF and Shelly, which document local APIs and genuinely play well with others.

Interoperability matrix

Which hub speaks which protocol, natively and out of the box. This is the table that decides whether your existing devices will work — and the reason protocol count matters more than feature lists.

HubZigbeeZ-WaveThreadMatter Wi-FiBLE433/868 MHzInfrared EthernetLocal automationWorks with
other brands?
Homey Pro ✓✓✓✓ ✓✓✓✓ AdapterFull Yes
Homey Pro Mini ✓–✓✓ ✓Partial–– –Full Yes
Homey Self-Hosted BridgeBridgeBridge✓ ✓BridgeBridgeBridge ✓Full Yes
Hubitat C-8 Pro ✓✓–✓ ✓✓–– ✓Full Yes
Home Assistant DongleDongleDongle✓ ✓DongleDongleAdd-on ✓Full Yes
Aqara Hub M3 ✓–✓✓ ✓✓–✓ ✓Partial Limited
SmartThings ✓✓Some✓ ✓✓–– SomeHybrid Yes
Aeotec Smart Home Hub ✓✓–✓ ✓✓–– ✓Hybrid Yes
Google Home / Nest ––✓✓ ✓✓–– SomeCloud Yes
Amazon Echo Hub ✓–✓✓ ✓✓–– ✓Cloud Yes
Apple TV / HomePod ––✓✓ ✓✓–– Apple TVFull Yes
Fibaro Home Center Some✓–Some ✓Some–– ✓Hybrid Limited
Bosch Controller II ✓––Prepared ✓––– ✓Full Limited
Philips Hue Bridge Pro ✓––Bridge –Some–– ✓Lighting only Own brand
IKEA Dirigera ✓–Some✓ ✓Some–– –Hybrid Limited
Loxone Miniserver Extension––– ✓SomeAirExtension ✓Full Limited
Homematic IP CCU –––Some ✓–Own sub-GHz– ✓Full Own brand
Tuya / Xiaomi gateways ✓–SomeBridge ✓✓–Some –Cloud Limited
eufy HomeBase 3 –––– ✓Own–– ✓Local rec.Own brand
Reolink Home Hub –––– ✓––– ✓Local rec.Own brand
Ring Alarm Base Station –Internal–– ✓––– ✓CloudOwn brand
Arlo SmartHub –––– ✓––– ✓CloudOwn brand
tado° Bridge –––Bridge ✓–Own sub-GHz– –CloudOwn brand
Netatmo –––Some ✓Some–– –CloudOwn brand
SONOFF iHost / ZBBridge ✓––Some ✓––– ✓FullYes
Shelly (devices + gateway) Some––Some ✓Some–– SomeLocal APIYes
SwitchBot Hub 2 / Mini –––Bridge ✓Own–✓ –CloudOwn brand

✓ native, out of the box amber possible with an add-on, dongle, bridge, or only partially – not supported Own brand walled garden — only that manufacturer's devices work with it

Read the last column together with the protocol columns: a hub can speak many protocols and still route your automations through a vendor cloud. Breadth and local control are separate questions: Homey Pro has the most radios built in, Home Assistant and Hubitat run fully local with fewer built-in radios (or add-on sticks), and several ecosystem hubs cover Matter and Thread well but lean on the cloud. Verify current specs before buying, since firmware updates do add protocols over time.

Smart Home App

The app is the part of a smart home you touch every day, more than the hub itself, and app quality varies a lot between platforms. Most apps make a trade-off between being easy on day one and staying capable once you have dozens of devices and automations.

See Reviews for the sourced app comparison across hubs, and try a free demo or the free tier where one exists before you buy hardware.

Privacy & Security

A hub sees every paired device, every automation and every sensor reading in a home, which makes its privacy posture the ceiling for the whole system. Check it before buying, not after.

Independent tests are still rare. One example: Smart Home Perfected's privacy test of Homey Pro (2026) cut the internet, checked outbound traffic and found automations kept running with no tracking servers detected (source). See Reviews for how other hubs compare.

Where these companies are from

Where each hub maker is based, as stated in the profiles above. Hover or tap a country, a pin or a card to link them.

World map of hub makersCountries where the hub makers on this page are based: United States, China, South Korea and eight European countries, shown in detail in the Europe view.United StatesFranceSouth KoreaSwedenPolandAustriaGermanyBulgariaBelgiumNetherlandsChinaEurope (zoomed right)8US7CN1KR
Swipe the world map sideways to see Asia.
Europe map of hub makersHub makers based in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Poland, Bulgaria and Sweden.SwedenPolandNetherlandsGermanyFranceBulgariaBelgiumAustria1BG2FR5DE4NL1PL1SE1AT1BE
United States8 brands
  • Google Home
  • Amazon Alexa
  • Ring (Amazon)
  • Apple Home
  • Hubitat
  • Vera / Ezlo
  • Arlo
  • Nabu Casa (Home Assistant)
China7 brands
  • SwitchBot
  • TP-Link Tapo
  • Xiaomi
  • Tuya
  • eufy (Anker)
  • Reolink
  • SONOFF
Germany5 brands
  • Aeotec
  • Bosch Smart Home
  • Homematic IP
  • tado°
  • openHAB
Netherlands4 brands
  • Homey (Athom)
  • Philips Hue (Signify)
  • KlikAanKlikUit
  • Domoticz
France2 brands
  • Jeedom
  • Netatmo (Legrand)
Austria1 brand
  • Loxone
Belgium1 brand
  • KNX Association
Bulgaria1 brand
  • Shelly (Allterco)
Poland1 brand
  • Fibaro
South Korea1 brand
  • Samsung SmartThings
Sweden1 brand
  • IKEA Dirigera

Pins show the number of brands per country. Open-source projects without a single home country, such as Home Assistant itself and ioBroker, are not pinned; Home Assistant's commercial arm Nabu Casa is placed in the United States. Fibaro is Polish but now belongs to Nice (Italy). Map outlines: Natural Earth, public domain.

Social channels by brand

Where to follow each hub maker directly — useful for firmware announcements, outage updates, and community troubleshooting.

Links checked November 2026, taken from each brand’s own website where possible. A dash means we found no official channel. Reddit communities are run by users, not by the brands.

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