Best smart home hubs in Australia (2024)

The Aqara Hub M3 offers unrivalled smart home compatibility across Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings. It can even help reduce the clutter of remote controls lying around your home with its built-in IR blaster. This is great for appliances that use simple remote controls like fans, blinds, lights, air conditioners, and TVs.

More importantly, it also functions as a Matter controller, making it essentially future-proof as it already supports this new cross-platform smart protocol.

On the downside, it is a bit pricey, and although it has a speaker for announcements and notification, it doesn't function like an Echo or a Nest Hub. Also, it only supports Aqara-branded Zigbee devices at the moment.

The Apple HomePod mini is the most affordable way to add a HomeKit hub to your home. While the HomePod mini bears an almost uncanny resemblance to the Echo Dot, it offers better audio quality overall.

Plus, it supports HomeKit-certified devices that use Wi-Fi and Thread. At around $150, Apple's "budget option" costs a decent chunk more than similar-sized speakers from the competition.

One of HomeKit's biggest advantages is its rigorous certification program. Apple requires every device to meet strict security and privacy standards before it can connect to other HomeKit devices.

While Apple's goals are admirable, it limits compatibility compared to other platforms. HomePod mini and HomeKit aren't available for Android users since it's the only hub on our list that requires an Apple device to run.

The Google Nest Mini is the most affordable option on our list and functions as both a hub for your compatible smart devices and as a smart speaker, allowing you to use the excellent Google Assistant to do your bidding (whether that's turning on the lights or asking when the nearby cafe closes).

We're big fans of the low-profile design, as it can easily blend in with any decor. The same can't be said for every smart home hub on the list!

We think the Nest Mini is great for smart home beginners, but Google has a few different options if this one isn't up your alley, including the bigger Nest Audio and two smart display options: The Nest Hub and the Nest Hub Max.

The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) takes the Echo family further into smart home integration by adding a Zigbee-enabled smart home hub. It supports Zigbee, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth smart home devices. It can also act as a Thread border router and now works with Matter, making it future-proof. Use it to call people hands-free or ask Alexa to read the news, answer questions, and play music.

This hub can also work like a home intercom system with other Amazon Echo devices in your house. It's also just a damn good speaker with excellent room-filling audio.

It's not the most subtle-looking device in the world, but there are a few other options to choose from including the smaller Echo Dot (5th Gen), Echo Pop or Echo Spot, and the high-fidelity Echo Studio.

If you're after a smart home hub that brings a little extra versatility, a smart display like the Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) is hard to go past.

It offers all the same features as the screenless Echo (except the ability to act as a Thread border router), plus a ton more thanks to its 8-inch interactive display. You can use it to control your smart home, stream a TV show, and there's even a built-in camera for video calls or to check in at home while you're away.

If you've got a compatible security camera or video doorbell, you can also use the display to access a live feed or receive alerts.

When not in use, the Echo Show will simply display the weather, news, or a collection of family photos—it's all fully customisable.