Best Smart Home Hubs of 2023

When you're shopping for a smart hub, one of the most important questions is, "Will it work with my smart home devices?" The Aeotec Smart Home Hub earns our top pick because, more often than not, the answer to that question was "yes" with this hub. It works with Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

In addition to excellent compatibility, Aeotec's hub uses some of our favorite software, Samsung SmartThings, which offers more options for automating your devices than rivals. Find out how it compares to the competition in our full breakdown of the best smart hubs.

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The Aeotec hub works best when paired with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can link these platforms to every smart device on your SmartThings system—even devices they don't normally work with, like Z-Wave smart locks and thermostats.

You can also create powerful automation routines through SmartThings—for all of your devices. The SmartThings app manages all your IoT devices in one place, so you can create routines and scenes for specific times, like when you first wake up in the morning or when you leave the house.

While setting up a smart home routine in the app takes practice to prevent tasks from canceling each other out, it's more customizable than anything Amazon or Google offers. (We use SmartThings to make up for Google's lackluster automation tools.)

SmartThings scans for your devices' signals on its own—unlike other smart home hubs that require you to scan in the QR codes from all your devices. It might even discover smart products you didn't even know you had.

Overall, the Aeotec Smart Home Hub and SmartThings app are a better foundation for expanding your smart home than any other hub; we recommend it for folks with a few smart devices already. Still, the sheer number of customization options can be overwhelming for beginners, especially since Aeotec's pricier than most other hubs.

Read our full Samsung SmartThings review.

It costs half as much as the main Echo, so you can expect lower sound quality and no built-in Zigbee controls. But the Alexa voice assistant still answers your questions, plays your music, and gives you access to thousands of other skills and Alexa-compatible devices.

The best thing about Amazon Alexa is its massive list of compatible devices—including Amazon-owned brands like Ring and Blink. It's more common to see a smart home device support Alexa than Google Assistant (though many support both).

Oddly enough, Alexa doesn't require an Echo to control devices since you can use the Alexa app too. But we like the hands-free voice controls on smart speakers too much to give them up.

We love that the Echo Dot also works like a home intercom system with other Echo devices in your house. And if you don't want your smart home hub to look like an alien spaceship landed in the middle of your home, you'll appreciate the variety of Echo Dot colors.

Overall, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is an affordable way for beginners to try out the smart home lifestyle. It's a great choice for your first smart home device since you can use it for more tasks than controlling other devices.

Learn more in our Ultimate Guide to Amazon Alexa.

We like that there are so many ways to control your smart devices, like the 7-inch touchscreen display and voice commands. This makes it easy to watch videos, listen to music, and search for info on the web. There's even a built-in Soli radar chip that offers sleep-tracking in your bedroom—though Google plans to require a subscription for this soon.

This smart display comes with Google Assistant voice controls, which are a little bit better at recognizing a voice command than Alexa. We like the option for follow-up questions, like asking, "When does it open?" after asking where the nearest bakery is.

The Google Home app is easy to use, and we love that it puts all of your devices on one screen for easy access. Still, Google isn't compatible with nearly as many devices as Alexa. Sadly, it doesn't have an option for creating smart home routines based on device status like motion sensors or leak detectors.

While the Nest Hub comes with a built-in Thread radio, it doesn't work yet. Thread works like an improved version of Zigbee that's faster. Other than the small number of Thread devices for sale, we're not sure why Google doesn't use the radio yet, but it would be nice to have more device options with Google smart homes.

Overall, the Google Nest Hub (Gen 2) is a great option if you want touchscreen controls and an easy way to watch videos. That doesn't mean the Echo Show series of displays isn't worth buying (especially if Alexa's your platform of choice), but we think Google's smart displays provide a better experience overall.

Learn more in our Ultimate Guide to Google Assistant.

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.

We like how the Apple Home app shows all of your devices on tiles with their current status. This makes it easy to control lights and see which doors are open. You can also control devices with Siri voice commands on the HomePod mini or your iPhone.

Overall, we think that the Apple HomePod mini offers a sleek experience and a decent selection of compatible devices. Still, it lacks the choice of smart gadget options compared to rivals.

Learn more in our Ultimate Guide to Apple HomeKit.

Aqara also makes our list as one of the better ways to add sensors to Apple HomeKit. While it's no substitute for Aeotec and SmartThings, Aqara sells affordable accessories like light switches, motion sensors, door sensors, smart plugs, water leak detectors, and home security cameras.

It doesn't support third-party Zigbee devices because Apple HomeKit certification applies to all products connected to a hub. Aqara can't guarantee that all third-party Zigbee products are HomeKit certified, so it requires Aqara-branded accessories. Still, we think Aqara's selection of devices is more than enough for folks looking to add more sensors to their Apple smart home.

Overall, we think Aqara Hub M2 is an affordable add-on for folks already using Alexa, Google Home, and HomeKit. We like that its compatible accessories and IR controls make it easy to add security devices and bring older appliances into your smart home.

The Abode Iota (about $330) combines a security camera, security system, and smart hub in one device. While we love that it works with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, it requires a monthly subscription to use all of its smart home features. Plus, the higher prices mean it's more suitable for home security—with bonus smart home skills.

Learn more in our Abode Cameras Review.

The Broadlink RM4 Pro (about $45) is a slightly cheaper universal remote alternative to Aqara. It even supports the same devices like TVs, stereo systems, air conditioners, and fans—provided they already use a remote control. Still, it doesn't work with Zigbee accessories like Aqara—though Broadlink sells a small selection of standalone accessories like a smart plug, smart light switch, motion sensor, and smart button.

The Hubitat Elevation (about $150) is a powerhouse of a smart hub, easily beating SmartThings in user privacy and customization options. But it's mostly for hardcore smart home technology enthusiasts since it's more difficult to set up. Plus, it's one of the more expensive hubs on the market.

Thanks to its compatibility with an overwhelming number of smart devices, the Aeotec Smart Home Hub is our pick for best smart home hub. We especially like how you can press "discover all my devices" in the app, and the Aeotec hub does the rest for you. Still, there's a bit of a learning curve for new users, and you'll probably want to use it with a smart speaker for the best results.

Always look at the compatibility, mobile app, and setup when choosing a smart home hub:

• Compatibility: Make sure the devices are compatible with each other to avoid buying additional hubs or new devices. If you already have connected devices in your home, choose a hub that connects with them and future devices on your wishlist. The hub's website should have a full list of compatible devices.
• Mobile app: As you shop for a hub, read app reviews from users, and if you can, test-drive different automation hubs. You want a user-friendly app that's easy to navigate while interacting with your smart home device.
• Setup: Most smart home hubs use tutorials and guides to walk you through the setup process. It's nice to have help setting up your hub and other devices in this growing market with many unknowns.

Technically, no, and it's tempting to rely on a Wi-Fi-enabled smart home product and app to avoid a hub setup altogether

While Wi-Fi is okay for wired smart devices like smart light bulbs, smart plugs, a smart thermostat, and video doorbells, it quickly drains the batteries of wireless devices like a security sensor or smart lock. Having too many Wi-Fi devices can also drag down your network speed.

Suppose you want to avoid frequent battery replacement and keep your Wi-Fi network running smoothly. In that case, it's worth looking into wireless home automation devices that use radio frequencies like Z-Wave and Zigbee.

Yes, you may have some hubs that speak one language and some that speak another, and that's okay. As you learn more about how home automation works and get more comfortable with your system, you may discover more gadgets that don't work with your current hub.

In that case, you can use another hub or a bridge to loop them into your smart home system. For example, we use a SmartThings hub and Google smart speakers together. SmartThings handles many automation tasks and links our sensors behind the scenes, while the Google Home app and speakers are our main user interfaces.

Yes, the "brains" of the best smart home security systems also operate as smart home hubs and give you control of your smart home gadget (like a security camera) through the security system app.

If you want voice control, look for a system that's compatible with a voice assistant, and you'll be able to access a connected device like your Ring Video Doorbell with your voice. Security system hubs can also offer you the bonus of cellular and battery backups in case of power outages.

Here are our primary considerations for scoring and ranking smart hubs:

• Compatible device selection
• Ease of creating and using scenes and routines
• Setup and installation
• Price

We have hands-on experience testing most of the hubs on our list that we supplemented with product specs, online customer reviews, and customer support articles. Read our full methodology to learn more about how we rank and review products.

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