If you bailed on SmartThings. What platform did you go to and why? Have you seen if SmartApps are generally able to be migrated to Hubitat?
The Samsung SmartThings hub is still the best at integrating all your smart home devices, but it could still be improved in some areas.
Best Budget Smart Home Hub
Amazon Echo Dot
With a nicer design and vastly improved audio, the third-generation Echo Dot is Amazon's best, cheapest speaker yet.
Best for Power Users
Hubitat Elevation
If you put in the time, you can do a lot with the Hubitat Elevation smart home hub, but it's not for everyone.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of smart lights, digital locks, security cameras, thermostats, and more, but if you want to control them all from a single interface, then you're going to need a smart home hub. Based on our extensive testing, the Samsung SmartThings Hub v3 is the best smart home hub for the majority of consumers. Not only does it cost less than $70 and works with a wide range of devices, but its logic lets you set up fairly robust rules to trigger devices. Still, there areas where it can be improved.
Our favorite budget smart home hub is the third-generation Amazon Echo Dot; while not a hub in the traditional sense—you can only control devices connected to Wi-Fi— you can link lots of smart home devices in the Alexa app, and then trigger them using the Dot. Alexa's Routines also let you control multiple devices with a single command. Plus, the third-generation Dot has much improved audio over the previous model. Similarly, you can use Google Assistant to set up routines with Google Home-compatible smart home devices. Make sure you check out all of our top picks for smart speakers, lights, locks, and more on our best smart home gadgets page.
Latest News & Updates (September 2019)
Ezlo Innovation is releasing the Ezlo Atom, a $29 smart home hub the size of a thumb drive. The Atom can connect Z-Wave smart home devices to the cloud via Wi-Fi, and will let you automate smart home functions via the Vera app for Android and iOS. The Ezlo Atom is available for pre-order.
The Hubitat Elevation now has a mobile app. Available for Android and iOS devices, it should allow users to more easily manage their smart home network; previously, they had to use a web-based interface, which is a bit clunky.
Google is launching a new smart display this fall. The Nest Home Max ($229, available Sept. 9) will have a 10-inch display, 6.5MP camera, and will let users connect to and control smart home devices. The Nest Home Max will also have built-in support for Thread-enabled devices.
Best Smart Home Hub
Samsung SmartThings Hub v3
SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 5 x 5 x 1.2 inches | Works With: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave | Ports: Ethernet, USB | Battery Backup: No
Reasons to Buy
Allows for more automation than other hubs
Reasons to Avoid
Difficult to upgrade from older hub
The third-generation Samsung SmartThings hub can connect to hundreds of devices — more than most other hubs — and lets you create a wide range of different scenarios for all of the gadgets in your home. The newest version of the hub has Wi-Fi, which means you have more flexibility in where you can place it in your house, but it's lost its battery backup, so you won't be able to control connected smart home devices if the power goes out.
Nvidia Shield owners can go a less expensive route with the SmartThings Link for Nvidia Shield ($39.99), which plugs into the streaming device and turns it into a SmartThings hub.
Best Budget Smart Home Hub
Amazon Echo Dot
SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 3.9 inches (diameter) x 1.7 inches | Works With: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Ports: 3.5mm audio | Battery Backup: No
Reasons to Buy
Nice design
Reasons to Avoid
At just $49, the Echo Dot is half the price of most other hubs, making it an inexpensive investment for those just getting into smart home automation. However, it can control a wide variety of devices. The third-generation Dot has a larger and more powerful speaker than the previous model, and it has an updated design with a more attractive cloth cover. In addition to turning your lights and other devices on and off, the Dot can also read news headlines, weather reports, sports scores, and a host of other things.
Best for Power Users
Hubitat Elevation
SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches | Works With: Zigbee, Z-Wave, IFTTT, Wi-Fi | Ports: Power, Ethernet | Battery Backup: No
Reasons to Buy
Allows for complex interactions between smart home devices
Reasons to Avoid
Hub has to be plugged into router
The Hubitat Elevation hub is not for smart home novices, but advanced users will appreciate the depth and complexity with which they can connect all of their smart home devices. The hub itself is small, but can connect to both Zigbee and Z-Wave devices. There's a learning curve to Hubitat's web interface, and there's no mobile app yet, but you can do far more with Hubitat than SmartThings.
Alexa-Enabled
Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen)
SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 5.9 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches | Works With: Zigbee | Ports: 3.5mm audio | Battery Backup: No
Reasons to Buy
Friendly design
Temperature sensor
Reasons to Avoid
The second-generation Echo Plus is larger, and delivers a much larger sound, than other Echo smart speakers. The plus also has a built-in Zigbee radio, which lets so-equipped smart home devices (such as Philips Hue lights) connect directly to your network—no bridge needed. The Plus sounds great, and connecting smart devices was a cinch, but it lacks the more complex interactions you can get with other hubs, and it doesn't support Z-Wave devices.
Best Google Home Hub
Google Home
SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 5.62 x 3.79 inches | Works With: Chromecast, Nest, Philips Hue, SmartThings, IFTTT, WeMo, Honeywell | Ports: None | Battery Backup: No
Reasons to Buy
Controls Google Cast-enabled devices
Reasons to Avoid
Lacks balanced sound, especially on vocals
This Amazon Echo competitor also has a built-in speaker, can respond to voice commands, and can both control smart home devices and stream music. But where the Google Home separates itself is its integration with Google Assistant, which lets you search for everything and anything. Plus, if you also have a Chromecast, you can control it via voice through Google Home.
MORE: Amazon Alexa Guide: Tips, Tricks, and How-Tos
Best HomeKit Hub
Apple TV 4K
SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.9 inches | Works With: HomeKit | Ports: Ethernet, HDMI, microUSB | Battery Backup: No
Reasons to Buy
Intuitive home screen
Reasons to Avoid
Fiddly remote
Hub + Mesh Router
Samsung Connect Home
SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 4.7 x 4.7 x 1.6 inches | Works With: Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, SmartThings | Ports: Ethernet | Battery Backup: No
Reasons to Buy
Home automation hub
Reasons to Avoid
Can't use an iPad for set up
If you're looking for a Wi-Fi router and smart home hub in one, Samsung's Connect Home Hub mesh router has its SmartThings hub built in. We liked its ease of setup, its fairly speedy throughput, and the ability to expand its reach with extenders. Samsung offers the Connect Home (which offers speeds up up to 866 Mbps/5GHz and 400 Mbps/2.4GHz), or the Connect Home Pro (1733 Mbps/5GHz and 800 Mbps/2.4GHz).
HomeKit Speaker
Apple HomePod
SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 6.8 inches x 5.8 inches (diameter) | Works With: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Ports: None | Battery Backup: No
Reasons to Buy
Attractive design
Reasons to Avoid
Can stream only from Apple Music (other services require AirPlay)
Siri is very limited compared with Alexa and Google Assistant
Apple's smart speaker sounds fantastic, thanks to its multitude of speakers and microphones, which automatically tune the HomePod to whatever room it's in. However, Siri can't do nearly as much as Alexa and Google Assistant, and HomeKit lags when it comes to smart home device integration.
Good For Beginners
Wink Hub 2
SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 7.25 x 7.25 x 1.5 inches | Works With: Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Lutron Clear Connect, Kidde, Thread, Alexa, Google Home | Ports: Ethernet | Battery Backup: No
Reasons to Buy
Works with many devices
Free to use
Reasons to Avoid
Wink app doesn't always let you access other devices' full features
Slim and sleek, Wink's second-generation smart home hub connects to a large number of smart home gadgets: Alexa, Google Home, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Lutron Clear Connect, and Kidde devices. It will also connect to Bluetooth LE, and has built-in support for Google's Thread interface. Plus, Wink added a more powerful processor, eight times the amount of memory, as well as 5GHz Wi-Fi and an Ethernet port. As with the original Wink Hub, the Hub 2's intuitive interface is good for those dipping their toes into smart homes, but power users may be put off by its lack of advanced features.
Posted by1 year ago
Archived
So I've been a ST user since it first dropped. I've been generally happy with it for years. I use CoRE, WebCoRE, the works. I've got it integrated with Google Home, Alexa, Logitech Harmony, Philips Hue, etc. I have SmartTiles running on tablets on various floors of the house ...
It's not perfect ... but for years it has given me the automation I was looking for. Since I don't try to use it as an alarm system (I have a professional security panel and monitoring company for that) the occasional blips with their cloud service haven't bothered me much.
But things IMO just seem to be getting worse. The 'classic' app is being replaced with something new in the AppStore, and the reviews all seem to be saying how horrible it is. And lately, things have been really buggy ... I'm having difficulty getting new sensors paired into the system, sensors that I already have others of the same manufacturer/model# running in the system.
In short, I just have a feeling Samsung is going to slowly ruin it. Not intentionally, but more from sheer incompetence ... plus a likely overriding corporate 'drive' to make sure they focus on integrating it with their refrigerators, TVs, washer/dryers, etc. Those are things that have no value for me, but you can already see that of what $$$ Samsung is spending to maintain/improve the platform ... they are starting to go this way.
So ... if you bailed on SmartThings ... what platform did you go to and why? Fortunately, most of my sensors should be re-usable, so that's no problem. And I'm still reasonably adept enough (I used to be a SW developer a decade or so ago) that I could put together a RaspberryPI if needed, build some scripts or whatever ...
So what platform are people moving to? OpenHAB? Homeseer? Something else?