Smart Home Hubs & Automation

The best smart home hub for a beginner, from a $38 starter to a full automation platform. Compare five picks and check prices on Amazon.

Matter and thread explained for buyers: five top books on thread, fabric, and sewing that help shoppers choose the right guide fast. See the picks.

Home Assistant Green is the official local-control smart home hub for buyers who want advanced automation without monthly fees. See the full review.

The best hub for Zigbee devices depends on the ecosystem. Compare five top picks for Tuya, SONOFF, Matter, Apple Home and Home Assistant setups.

The AEOTEC Smart Home Hub2 – V4 runs SmartThings, Zigbee and Matter without Z-Wave. See who it suits and check the price before buying.

Find the best Zigbee coordinator stick for a server. Five USB dongles compared for Home Assistant, Zigbee2MQTT and ZHA, plus a buyer’s guide.

The best Z-Wave hub for a house depends on whether the system needs a standalone brain or a Home Assistant brain. Five picks compared by use case.

A hands-on-style look at the Amazon Echo Hub, the 8-inch wall panel that puts Alexa and thousands of smart devices on one screen. Check price.

Get reliable Z-Wave coverage with the right repeater placement. Compare 5 top plug-in repeaters for range, outlets, and energy monitoring.

A buyer’s look at the Amazon Echo Show 15, the 15.6-inch kitchen hub with built-in Fire TV and Alexa+ — who it suits, what it costs in practice, and where it falls short.