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Best smart home hubs in 2024

We studied user reviews and compared products in hands-on tests to bring you the best smart home hubs.

Amazon Echo
(4th Gen)

Alexa skills
Good sound quality

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Read review

Amazon Echo Dot
(5th Gen)

Broad compatibility
Small size

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Read review

Google Nest Mini

Broad compatibility
Better voice recognition

View on Kogan

Read review

By Kasey Tross

Jun 06, 2023

4 min read

SafeWise experts have years of firsthand experience testing the products we recommend. Learn how we test and review.

One of the most important questions when you’re shopping for a smart home hub is “Will it work with my devices?” The 4th generation Amazon Echo earned our top pick because, more often than not, the answer to that question was “yes” with this hub.

The Amazon Echo is also very compatible with smart home automation devices and security systems. It works with Alexa, Arlo, August, Ecobee, GE, Honeywell, Kwikset, LIFX, Lutron, Nest, Philips Hue, Schlage, SmartThings, Sylvania, TP-Link, Wemo, and Yale.

Find out how it compares to the competition in our full breakdown of the best smart hubs.

The best smart hubs for home automation

Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
: Best overall
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
: Budget Alexa hub
Google Nest Mini
: Budget Google hub

Compare the best smart home hubs

	Product	Best price	Connection type	Smart home compatibility	Learn more
Best voice controls	Amazon Echo (4th Gen)	$169	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee	Alexa, Arlo, August, Ecobee, GE, Honeywell, Kwikset, LIFX, Lutron, Nest, Philips Hue, Schlage, SmartThings, Sylvania, TP-Link, Wemo, Yale	View on Amazon	Read Review
Budget Alexa hub	Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)	$99	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi	Alexa, Arlo, August, Ecobee, GE, Honeywell, Kwikset, LIFX, Lutron, Nest, Philips Hue, Schlage, SmartThings, Sylvania, TP-Link, Wemo, Yale	View on Amazon	Read Review
Budget Google hub	Google Nest Mini	$69.99	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi	Arlo, August, Cree, Ecobee, GE, Google Home, Honeywell, Leviton, LG, LIFX, Nest, Philips Hue, SmartThings, Sylvania, TP-Link, Wemo	View on Kogan	Read review

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Best smart hubs reviews

1. Amazon Echo (4th Gen): Best overall

Best overall

Amazon Echo
(4th Gen)

$169

View on Amazon

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

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. Use it to call people hands-free or ask Alexa to read the news, answer questions, and play music.

It can also work like a home intercom system with other Amazon Echo devices in your house. If you’re like me and you don’t want your smart home hub to look like an alien spaceship that landed in the middle of your home, you’ll appreciate the variety of Echo finishes to choose from.

The fourth-generation Echo is touted as having better sound quality than its predecessor, with front-firing speakers and a mini woofer for better bass performance. Many users who have upgraded say that the sound quality is better when compared to the previous Echo, but not by much.

Pros

Voice control

Alexa skills

Different finishes

IFTTT compatibility

Cons

Incompatible with some devices

Disappointing sound quality

2. Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen): Budget Alexa hub

Budget Alexa hub

Amazon Echo Dot
(5th Gen)

$99

View on Amazon

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is a lot less expensive than traditional hubs and still performs many of the same functions, like giving you Alexa integration and voice control for your smart home devices.

It costs half as much as the 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.

Pros

Voice control

Thousands of skills

Three colour choices

Cons

Incompatible with some devices

Lower sound quality

No built-in Zigbee controls

3. Google Nest Mini: Budget Google hub

Budget Google hub

Google Nest Mini

$69.99

View on Kogan

Price is accurate as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Like the Echo Dot, the Google Nest Mini isn’t much of a hub, but the smart speaker offers hub-like features like controlling your smart home devices using your voice. It’s compatible with a wide variety of smart lights, plugs, appliances, and home security products.

We found that Google Assistant is a little bit better at recognising a voice command than Alexa, and we like the option for using less specific follow-up questions, like asking, “When does it open?” after asking where the nearest bakery is.

Pros

Voice control

Four different finishes

Cons

Incompatible with some devices

Less than stellar sound

Final word

The Amazon Echo is our top smart hub pick thanks to its compatibility with an overwhelming number of smart devices. We especially like how you can just press Discover Devices in the Alexa app, and Alexa hub does the rest for you.

Smart home hub FAQ

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 as well as 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 walk you through setup using tutorials and guides. It’s nice to have help setting up your hub and other devices in this growing market with lots of unknowns.

Technically, no, and it can be tempting to rely on Wi-Fi-enabled smart gadgets and apps to avoid a hub setup altogether. Wi-Fi is fine for wired smart devices like smart light bulbs, smart plugs, a smart thermostat, and video doorbells, but it quickly drains the batteries of your wireless devices like a security sensor or smart lock.

Having too many can also drag down your network speed. If you want to avoid frequent battery replacement and keep your Wi-Fi network running smoothly, it’s worth it to look 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.

Yes, the “brains” of some of the best smart home security systems also operate as smart home hubs and give you control of your smart home gadgets (like a security camera) through your 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 devices like your Ring Video Doorbell with your voice. Security system hubs can also offer you the added bonus of cellular and battery backups in case of power outages.

How we reviewed the best smart home automation systems

To select the best smart home hubs, we dug for hubs that were compatible with the most brands and easy to use. We studied real user reviews and compared product features side by side in hands-on tests. Read our full methodology to find out more.

Contributing writer: John Carlsen

Disclaimer

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time of publish and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on the retailer’s website at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. SafeWise Australia utilises paid affiliate links.