The best smart home hub in 2026
A hub is the brain of your smart home. Here's how the main options compare on price, protocols, local control and lock-in, with no affiliate rankings.
"Smart home hub" covers very different things: a cloud-first box tied to one ecosystem, a dedicated local hub, a streaming device that doubles as a Matter controller, or open-source software running on a small computer you own.
We make Gladys Assistant, one of the options below, so we've kept this comparison factual: prices and features come from each vendor's own pages, checked in October 2026.
Quick picks
If you only read one section:
Free, open-source software on hardware you choose. Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter and many brands, a modern interface, no mandatory subscription. Our own product, so judge with that in mind.
Zigbee and Z-Wave Long Range built in, automations that run on the hub. Proprietary, with a dated interface.
Every radio in one beautiful box, easy Flows. The most expensive option here.
The easiest way into Home Assistant. Add Connect dongles for Zigbee, Thread or Z-Wave.
Smart home hubs compared
The main options at a glance:
| Hub | Price | Zigbee / Z-Wave | Matter / Thread | Runs locally | Subscription | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladys on a mini-PC | Free software + mini-PC (about $190–270) + Zigbee dongle | Yes, with USB dongles | Matter controller; Thread devices shared from an Apple, Google or Amazon hub | Yes | Optional (Gladys Plus from $7.99/mo) | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
| Home Assistant Green | $199 (+ $49 ZBT-2, $69 ZWA-2) | With the Connect ZBT-2 / ZWA-2 dongles | Matter; Thread with the ZBT-2 | Yes | Optional (Home Assistant Cloud $6.50/mo) | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
| Hubitat Elevation C-8 Pro | $184.95 | Both built in, Z-Wave Long Range | Matter; Thread only on a special edition without Zigbee | Yes | Optional (Remote Admin, Hub Protect: $45/yr each) | No |
| Homey Pro | $449 (Pro mini $249) | Both built in (mini: Zigbee only) | Matter and Thread border router | Yes | Optional (cloud backup $10/yr) | No |
| SmartThings (Aeotec Smart Home Hub 2) | $119.99 | Zigbee only, no Z-Wave | Matter and Thread border router | Partly: local drivers and automations, app through the cloud | No for the app; API access $4.99/mo since Oct 2026 | No |
| Aqara Hub M3 | $159.99 | Zigbee only | Matter controller and bridge, Thread border router | Yes, local automations | None for hub features | No |
| Amazon Echo (Dot Max, Show 8) | From $99.99 | Zigbee only | Matter and Thread | Mostly cloud (Alexa) | No | No |
| Apple TV 4K / HomePod mini | $249 (Ethernet, Thread) / $129 | No | Matter and Thread border router | Yes for Matter and HomeKit devices | No | No |
Prices are list prices in USD, before tax, as of October 2026.
How to choose
Five questions matter more than the spec sheet:
- Which radios do your devices use? Zigbee and Z-Wave need a hub with those radios (or a USB dongle); Matter over Thread needs a Thread border router.
- Does it keep working without the internet? Local automations survive outages and vendor shutdowns; cloud ones don't.
- Is there a subscription, and what does it unlock? Remote access, backups and AI are often the paid parts.
- Who controls the roadmap? A proprietary hub can lose features or support; open-source software can be forked and kept alive.
- How much do you want to tinker? Some platforms reward hours of configuration; others aim to work out of the box.
Our option: Gladys on a mini-PC
Gladys Assistant is free, open-source home automation that runs on your own mini-PC, Raspberry Pi or NAS. Add a Zigbee dongle and you get local control of Zigbee, Z-Wave (through Z-Wave JS UI), Matter, MQTT and many brands, with a modern interface and visual scenes.
Gladys Plus is optional: encrypted remote access, backups, Alexa and Google Home, and an AI assistant, from $7.99/month in the US and Canada with a one-month free trial.
Go further
Detailed comparisons:
Frequently asked questions
What is the best smart home hub in 2026?
It depends on what you value. For local control without lock-in, open-source software like Gladys Assistant or Home Assistant on a small computer. For a plug-and-play local box with Z-Wave, Hubitat. For an all-in-one polished experience, Homey Pro. For the cheapest entry into an ecosystem, SmartThings or an Echo, at the cost of more cloud dependence.
Do I need a hub for Matter?
You need a Matter controller, and for Matter over Thread devices, a Thread border router. Many devices you may already own act as both, such as an Apple TV 4K (Ethernet model), a HomePod mini, a Google TV Streamer, recent Echo devices, the Aqara M3 or the SmartThings Hub 2. Gladys is a Matter controller and uses an existing Thread border router.
Which smart home hubs support Z-Wave?
Hubitat and Homey Pro have Z-Wave built in, and Home Assistant Green and Gladys support it with a USB stick. The current SmartThings hub (Aeotec Smart Home Hub 2) and Amazon Echo devices don't have Z-Wave.
Is there a smart home hub without a subscription?
Yes, most hubs work without one; subscriptions usually add remote access, backups or extras. Gladys, Home Assistant, Hubitat, Homey and Aqara all work locally for free, with optional paid services. SmartThings' app and hub stay free; since October 2026, only API access for third-party integrations requires a $4.99/month personal plan.
Can a mini-PC replace a smart home hub?
Yes. A small Intel mini-PC running Gladys Assistant or Home Assistant, plus a Zigbee or Z-Wave USB dongle, does everything a dedicated hub does, usually with more power and storage, and you choose the hardware.
Build your hub on hardware you own
Gladys is free, open source and installs with a single Docker command on a mini-PC or a Raspberry Pi.