Which Matter hub do you actually need?
Controller, Thread border router, bridge: three different jobs hide behind the word hub. Here is how to tell them apart, and how to be your own Matter hub with Gladys.
Matter promised the end of the smart home hub. In practice, shops still sell boxes labelled Matter hub, and every ecosystem wants you to buy its own. The confusion is understandable, because the word covers three jobs that have almost nothing to do with each other.
Once you know which job you need, the answer is usually simpler and cheaper than a new box. And for the one job that really matters, controlling your devices, you can run it yourself, at home, on hardware you already own.
The three things people call a Matter hub
Before buying anything, work out which of these three you are missing:
The software that pairs your Matter devices, holds their credentials and sends them commands. Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa and SmartThings are controllers, and so is Gladys, running on your own machine. You need exactly one to get started, and a device can be shared with several.
A bridge between the low-power Thread radio network and your home IP network. Only Thread devices need one, and Gladys is not one. Many homes already have one without knowing it, inside an Apple TV, a HomePod, a Nest Hub or an Echo. With Gladys today, that box also has to be a full Matter controller, because the first pairing of a Matter over Thread device happens over Bluetooth, which Gladys does not handle yet.
A box or a piece of software that makes non-Matter devices look like Matter ones: a Philips Hue Bridge exposing its Zigbee bulbs, an IKEA DIRIGERA exposing its own range, or the open-source Matterbridge project exposing almost anything else.
Most people asking for a Matter hub are looking for the first one, a controller. If their devices are on Wi-Fi or Ethernet, they can skip buying hardware entirely. Thread is the one case where a box is still required.
Do you need to buy a hub at all?
Look at what your devices use to communicate:
- Matter over Wi-Fi or Ethernet: no hub to buy. The device is already on your network, and Gladys pairs with it directly using its 11-digit code. This covers most Matter plugs, bulbs, and every manufacturer bridge.
- Matter over Thread: you need a Thread border router on your network, and with Gladys today it has to be a full Matter controller such as an Apple TV, a Matter compatible Echo or a Google Nest device. The first pairing of a Thread device goes over Bluetooth, which Gladys does not handle yet: you pair the device there, then share it with Gladys with a new pairing code. Check the Apple, Google and Amazon devices you already own before buying anything.
- Zigbee or Z-Wave devices: Matter is not involved at all. These need their own coordinator, which with Gladys means a USB Zigbee dongle and Zigbee2MQTT, not a Matter hub.
- Cloud-only devices, such as Somfy io or many older brands: no hub will make them speak Matter. A bridge such as Matterbridge, or a direct integration, is the way in.
If you own a Matter device today and it is on Wi-Fi or Ethernet, you can add it to Gladys in the next ten minutes without buying anything.
Matter hubs compared
What each of the usual options actually gives you, and what it costs you in return:
| Hub | Controller | Thread router | Runs locally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gladys on your own machine | Yes | No, Thread needs another controller | Yes, entirely |
| Apple TV 4K / HomePod | Yes | Yes | Mostly, Apple account |
| Google Nest Hub / TV Streamer | Yes | Yes | Partly, Google account |
| Amazon Echo (4th gen and later) | Yes | Yes | Partly, Amazon account |
| SmartThings hub | Yes | Yes | Partly, Samsung account |
| Philips Hue Bridge / IKEA DIRIGERA | No, bridge only | Varies | Yes for the bridge |
The commercial hubs are good Thread border routers, and today they are also how a Thread device gets paired in the first place, since Gladys is not a border router and does not yet do the Bluetooth pairing that Matter over Thread requires. What they are not is a neutral place to build your automations: each one keeps your devices inside its own ecosystem and its own account. That is the job Gladys takes over, and thanks to multi-admin you can leave a Thread device paired to the box and still drive it entirely from Gladys.
Gladys as your Matter hub
Gladys Assistant is a Matter controller that runs on your own hardware: a Raspberry Pi, a mini-PC or a NAS. You enable Matter in the integration settings, enter the 11-digit pairing code of your device, and it appears in Gladys, ready to be placed on a dashboard or used in a scene.
From there, control is local. Commands go from your Gladys to your device on your own network, with no ecosystem account in between and no cloud round trip. Your Matter lights, plugs, shutters, thermostats and sensors sit next to your Zigbee devices and your cameras, in one interface.
Two practical points. Matter runs on IPv6, so IPv6 must be enabled on your machine and your router. And if a device is already paired with another controller, Apple Home for instance, you pair Gladys with a new code generated by that controller rather than the code printed on the box.
One limit worth stating plainly: Gladys is not a Thread border router, and it does not yet handle the Bluetooth pairing a Matter over Thread device needs. Those devices are still added through a full Matter controller, an Apple TV, a Matter compatible Echo or a Google Nest device, and then shared with Gladys. Everything else, Matter over Wi-Fi, Matter over Ethernet and manufacturer bridges, works with Gladys alone.
Go further
Matter is one piece of a local smart home:
Enable Matter in Gladys, pair a device and use it in your scenes.
Expose devices that are not Matter compatible as Matter devices.
Which wireless standard to choose for the devices you buy next.
For your Zigbee devices, the coordinator to plug into your server.
Use IKEA devices locally, over Zigbee2MQTT or through Matter.
Why local-first matters, and how to build a home that runs without the cloud.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Matter hub?
You need a Matter controller, which is software, not necessarily a box. Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa and SmartThings are controllers, and so is Gladys running on your own Raspberry Pi, mini-PC or NAS. For a Matter device on Wi-Fi or Ethernet, that is all you need and there is no hardware to buy. You only need a box if your devices use Thread: Matter over Thread requires a Thread border router, and with Gladys today that box also has to be a full Matter controller such as an Apple TV, a Matter compatible Echo or a Google Nest device, because the first pairing goes over Bluetooth and Gladys does not handle that yet.
What is the difference between a Matter hub and a Thread border router?
A Matter controller pairs and controls your devices. A Thread border router connects the low-power Thread radio network to your home IP network. Commercial hubs usually do both, which is why the two get confused, but they are separate jobs: Matter devices on Wi-Fi or Ethernet need a controller and no border router at all. Gladys is a controller, not a border router.
Which devices are Thread border routers?
Common ones include the Apple TV 4K (Ethernet model) and HomePod, the Google Nest Hub second generation, Nest Hub Max, Nest Wifi Pro and TV Streamer 4K, and the Amazon Echo fourth generation, Echo Hub, Echo Studio and Echo Show. You can also build one yourself with a USB Thread dongle and OpenThread, but be aware that a border router only routes traffic: it does not do the Bluetooth pairing a new Matter over Thread device needs, so with Gladys today you still go through one of the full controllers above.
Can I use Matter without Apple, Google or Amazon?
For Matter over Wi-Fi and Ethernet, yes: Gladys Assistant is a Matter controller you host yourself, so you can pair and control those devices with no ecosystem account, and Gladys alone is enough. For Matter over Thread, not yet: Gladys is not a Thread border router and does not handle the Bluetooth pairing those devices require, so one of those boxes is still needed to bring the device onto your Thread network. Once it is paired there, you share it with Gladys and control it locally from Gladys.
Do I need a Matter dongle?
No. Matter travels over your existing Wi-Fi and Ethernet network, so no USB dongle is involved. Dongles marketed as Matter or Thread coordinators contain a Thread radio, which only lets you build a Thread border router: it does not replace a Matter controller, since the Bluetooth pairing step for Matter over Thread is not something Gladys does yet. For Zigbee devices, you need a Zigbee dongle, which is a different thing entirely.
Is the IKEA DIRIGERA a Matter hub?
The DIRIGERA acts as a Matter bridge: it exposes the IKEA devices paired to it as Matter devices, so a controller such as Gladys can see and control them over your network. It is not a general purpose controller for other brands, and IKEA devices can also be used directly over Zigbee2MQTT if you prefer to skip the hub.
Can Gladys be my Matter hub?
Yes for Matter over Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Gladys is a Matter controller: enable Matter in the integration settings, enter the 11-digit pairing code of your device, and control it from your dashboard and your scenes. Matter runs on IPv6, so make sure IPv6 is enabled on your machine and your router. Gladys is not a Thread border router, and it does not yet do the Bluetooth pairing that Matter over Thread requires, so those devices are paired with a full Matter controller, an Apple TV, a Matter compatible Echo or a Google Nest device, and then shared with Gladys.
Can a device be connected to two Matter hubs at once?
Yes, that is what Matter calls multi-admin. A device can be shared with several controllers at the same time. To add it to a second one, you ask the controller that already owns it to generate a new pairing code, and use that code rather than the one printed on the device.
Be your own Matter hub
Gladys is free, open-source and self-hosted. Install it on a Raspberry Pi or a mini-PC, enable Matter, and control your devices locally, without an ecosystem account.