As smart home technology evolves, traditional home automation hubs are becoming less and less necessary to build an interconnected home. In place of these third-party hubs, companies like Amazon, Google, and Apple are pushing a new wave of smart speakers and intelligent assistants that work just as well as—if not better than—traditional hubs.
The Best Smart Home Hubs in 2020
Amazon Echo
$99.99
Voice control over the most smart home products
Easy setup and device discovery 
No multiuser support 
Google Home
$99.00
Multiuser support and voice recognition
Cloud uploading for music
Quietest speaker 
Apple HomePod
$299.00
Automate scenes with smart home products
High-quality speaker
Limited to iOS users * Amazon.com price as of 01/16/2020 at 1:30 p.m. (MST). Full disclaimer.
January 16, 2019
Last Updated: 1 month ago
We update products prices and links.
Smart home overview
We spent a good amount of time testing these hubs. We interrogated the smart assistants, dialed the speakers up to 11, and played with their ability to connect to other smart devices. At the end we came away liking the Amazon Echo best for its ability to connect to so many different smart devices. But if you're looking for another option, we break down these speakers below to help you decide which is the best for you and your home.
Our 3 favorite smart hubs for the best home automationin 2019
- Amazon Echo: Best for interconnectivity
- Google Home: Best smart assistant
- Apple HomePod: Best for Apple users
>>Want to compare the two frontrunners? Check out our post on Amazon Echo vs. Google Home.
Compare smart home hubs
| Product name | Amazon Echo | Google Home | Apple HomePod |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it looks like | |  | |
| Best for | Best for interconnectivity | Best smart assistant | Best for Apple users |
| Price | $99.99 | $99.00 | $299.00 |
| Voice control | Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant | Apple Siri |
| Speaker quality | Good | Good | Excellent |
| Shop now | |||
| Learn more | Read our overview | Read our overview | Read our overview |
*Prices listed based on listed retailer prices as of this writing. Data effective 12/17/2019. Prices and availability subject to change.
Amazon Echo pros and cons
Pros
- Widest range of compatible smart home products
- Easy setup and device discovery
- Alexa Skills feature that gives Alexa more abilities
Cons
- No multiuser support
Why we recommend Amazon Echo
The Echo is likely the best of the bunch if you’re strictly using it as a hub to build a smart home system. It’s easy to set up and sync to any compatible smart home equipment you have throughout the house.
What do we mean by compatibility?
Not all hubs work with all smart home devices. To create a full smart home ecosystem, you need to connect your devices through a hub that can communicate with all of them.
It’s not the prettiest smart hub, but Amazon’s ecosystem offers the largest selection of compatible smart home equipment, like the Nest Thermostat, August door lock, Philips Hue smart lights, and more. Even if a smart product isn’t directly compatible with Alexa, Amazon lets you download custom skills—like its skill that lets you order an Uber—to give your Echo extra abilities.
Alexa also lets you interconnect your Echo to Amazon’s mini devices like the Dot, Fire TV, and its smart plug to connect your entire home to the hub. If you have more than one Echo device, you can sync them together to play music in other rooms. Or you can drop in on other rooms to chat with someone in another room.
As a voice assistant, Alexa is hard to beat. Google Assistant might be superior at handling voice queries, but Amazon’s Alexa is still the most comprehensive voice assistant of the three.
>>Ready to get chatting with Alexa? View on Amazon
>>Need more? Read our full Echo review.
Google Home pros and cons
Pros
- Our favorite smart assistant for web-based queries
- Cloud uploading for music
- Multiroom audio systems with Chromecast
- Multiuser support and voice recognition
Cons
- Quietest speaker
- Less smart home control
Why we recommend Google Home
As a latecomer to the industry, Google had to come from behind in order to catch up to the Echo and Amazon Alexa, but it’s safe to say the Google Home is on the right track. We actually prefer Google’s smart assistant over Alexa because it seems to have a more fluid understanding of language and queries. For example, I didn’t have to rephrase or simplify as many questions as I did with Siri or Alexa, which can be frustrating as you’re learning the limits and capabilities of these smart assistants.
We actually prefer Google’s smart assistant over Alexa because it seems to have a more fluid understanding of language and queries.
Google Assistant recognizes up to six unique users by voice and tailors its responses to different people’s accounts and preferences. We really like that Voice Match makes more personalized music and video recommendations so you don’t get stuck listening to Enya when you’re trying to listen to Van Halen.
The Google Home does everything right as far as simplifying your life at home. You can ask it to turn on lights, change the temperature on your thermostat, or set an important calendar reminder. Google Home is currently compatible with some of the best smart home products like Philips Hue smart lights, Nest thermostats, the Nest Hello video doorbell, and a whole lot more. You’ll have no shortage of options when building out your intelligent home.
If you have a Google account and regularly use tools like Google Calendar and Google Maps, Google Home will fit right in. Combine Google Home with Chromecast and you can control your TVs by voice, which can stream media from Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify on command. But the Google Home is still catching up to the Echo’s robust smart home equipment compatibility and control.
>>Ready for smart? Get the Google Home.
>>Need more info? Read our full Google Home review.
Apple HomePod pros and cons
Pros
- High-quality speaker
- Home app allows you to automate scenes with smart home products
Cons
- Apple HomeKit limited to iOS users
- Siri isn’t the strongest smart assistant
Why we recommend the Apple HomePod
The HomePod is far and away the best-sounding speaker of the bunch, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone given it’s more than twice the cost (and triple the size) of the other smart speakers. Siri is limited as a smart assistant—both in its compatibility with smart equipment and its usefulness as a smart assistant. But you can still use it to control a wide range of home automation equipment with voice commands.
The HomePod isn’t quite as compatible with home automation equipment as Alexa or Google Assistant, but it offers enough options for most smart homes. The HomePod is compatible with the Ecobee3 thermostat, Lutron Caseta smart switches, Kwikset smart locks, and Logitech security cameras, to name a few.
What we like most about the Apple HomePod is the control it gives you within the Apple HomeKit app. With location tracking on your iPhone, your home automation system can detect when you enter the house and automate a scene for your entrance. So if you want the lights to come on and music to start playing every time you come home, you’ll have that power. While the other hubs make this possible, we found Apple’s scene setting to be the most intuitive.
Since Apple likes to keep its ecosystem exclusive, home automation systems with HomeKit are limited to Apple users.
>>Fan of the pod? Get the Apple HomePod.
Other brands we considered
In addition to the three smart speakers above, we considered a handful of more traditional hubs to see how they stack up in terms of smart home interconnectivity. We tested the Samsung SmartThings hub, the Logitech Harmony Hub, and the Wink Hub.
Samsung SmartThings
SmartThings integrates all your smart devices in your house so you can automate your entire home from one app. The hub is Zigbee and Z-Wave compatible so it works with the majority of your smart home gadgets. We really like the SmartThings and its compatibility with lots of different smart devices, but without a smart assistant we felt it was somewhat limited. That said, you can connect SmartThings with a Google Home to get the best of both worlds.
Logitech Harmony Hub
The Harmony Hub is another solid option if you want to centralize all your home automation equipment. It offers decent compatibility, but you have to buy the Harmony Home Extender (which costs more than the Harmony Hub itself) to gain Z-Wave and Zigbee compatibility.
The Wink Hub is compatible with Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth, which gives you compatibility with most smart devices. The Wink offers a unique touchscreen control panel called the Wink Relay so you can control your smart home without a mobile phone. But the Wink Relay isn’t compatible with Z-Wave or Bluetooth, so you might not be able to control a lot of your smart devices. That’s part of why Wink didn’t make our shortlist of favorite hubs.
Home security hubs
We also considered a handful of hubs from home security systems, including Vivint and Frontpoint, which make an effort to include smart home interconnectivity. But unless home security is your main priority, you’re better off paying less for one of these smart speakers that offer similar, if not more, compatibility with smart home equipment.
Why we recommend smart assistants
It’s no coincidence that our favorite smart home hubs feature built-in smart assistants. We found that these hubs are the best way to centralize all the smart technology and gadgets throughout your home. Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are widely compatible with leading smart home brands (like Philips Hue lights, August and Kwikset smart locks, and Lutron smart switches, to name a few). And they’re so much more useful than traditional hubs like Wink and Samsung SmartThings.
They go beyond just centralizing all your smart home gadgets with their built-in smart assistants, which give you the power of voice commands to control the technology throughout your home, ask questions to take advantage of their robust search engines, and listen to music. If you’re going to go all-in on smart home, why not invest in the hubs that will bring the most value to your day-to-day life?
Does Google Assistant beat Amazon Alexa? Barely.
Does your loyalty lie with Amazon’s all-too Prime connections? Or would you prefer getting a good, direct Google search? It’s a heated contest between evenly matched rivals, so we broke down Google Trends data state by state to see which of the smart assistants gets more search love.
Which does your state prefer: Google or Alexa?
More people are searching for Google
Here’s what we learned: Google is the nation’s most popular smart assistant—barely. Google Assistant wins in 24 states for search volume with a national average of 51% of the total search results between the two.
Alexa isn’t far behind at all, though. Amazon Alexa won 20 states for most search volume and takes 49% of the nation’s total search volume between the two terms.
But it’s a close contest
In seven states, there’s an essentially equal amount of search volume for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Why is it such a near-even split?
According to a Pollfish survey we ran, all 300 respondents said they used smart hubs for playing music, setting the thermostat, turning on or off lights, setting timers, and asking questions.
Both Amazon Alexa and Google Home take care of those things and integrate with plenty of other devices. To an extent, they both take care of everything you need them to.
Why choose one smart hub over another?
According to our survey, almost a third of our respondents chalked up their smart assistant choice to its compatibility with other devices. And while Alexa has more integrations with more third parties, what’s important is if your smart assistant connects to your devices.
Another question: Would you rather say “OK Google” or “Hey Alexa”? It might seem like a silly question until you have to repeat it daily. The majority of our respondents use a smart device daily (85%). The rest use a smart device at least weekly (15%).
Can a syllable or two make enough of a difference over time for you to choose the shorter “Hey Alexa”?
In general terms, Amazon has more in the way of integrations and actions, while Google is trying to catch up. However, Google is known for having a more intuitive search function that better understands multiple users across multiple questions.
At the end of the day, both smart hubs accomplish a user’s main goals. From there, it’s up to a user to decide which assistant is more compatible with the devices they want to use. Do you align with your state’s favorite smart hub?
Methodology
We looked at Google Trends to see each state’s search volume for Google Home and Amazon Alexa and compared the two. We omitted Apple HomePod/Siri because there wasn’t nearly as much search volume surrounding it. We also included results from our recent Pollfish survey of 300 Americans regarding smart home devices and their uses.
Our recommendation
The gap is certainly shrinking in terms of these hubs’ abilities, but no company has quite been able to catch up to Amazon’s smart home ecosystem. Amazon offers the widest range of compatible smart devices and appliances, and it gives you the most flexibility in setting up your smart home.
Google Assistant is a better choice if you proactively use Google Calendar, Google Maps, and Gmail. But you won’t get the same flexibility or compatibility that you get with Amazon’s ecosystem.
If you're still on the fence between Google and Amazon, we've got you covered. Check out our post on Google Home vs. Amazon Echo.
For Apple users, the Apple HomePod and Apple HomeKit can help you create a serviceable home automation system, but you’ll be limited in compatible smart home devices.
A recap of the best home automation systems
- If you care about smart home interconnectivity, go with the Amazon Echo.
- If you care about your smart assistant, go with Google Home.
- If you’re all-in on the Apple ecosystem, go with the Apple HomePod.
* Amazon.com price as of 12/17/2019 at 11:00 a.m. (MST). Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. ASecureLife.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
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What about leviton or Vera. I would take either of these over IRIS. Vera has no monthly cost like smart things. Supports zwave, ZigBee, and wifi. Depending on which controller you buy, cost 100-300 dollars, and with the top controller you can get home monitoring. Also, unlike smart things, ever command is processed in the controller and not in the cloud so if you are home and lose internet connectivity, you have 100% operation of all of you devices. Many controllers do not provide that.
Hey Mobi, thanks for sharing your feedback! We haven’t done a lot of research on Leviton or Vera, but will definitely look into them for our next page edit.
Thanks,
Amy
Hi Rahul, thanks for sharing your feedback. While we highly recommend professional monitoring to our readers, we feel that sharing a comprehensive list that includes a HUB and other IOT devices allows readers to find the system that is the best fit for them.
Thanks,
– Amy
If your primary concern is home automation and security, I’d recommend Scout Alarm. This company does not require monthly contracts and does not have hardwiring (read: super easy to install). Their system has motion monitors and the ability to pair with home automation devices – including to Nest (which has both indoor and outdoor self-monitored home security cameras) and Amazon Echo. You can read our full review on Scout, here: https://revert-asl-redrock.pantheonsite.io/scout-reviews/
Can I get a recommendation, I live in a townhouse. I want to pay all upfront with optional monthly services. I have 2 doors, one being a sliding patio glass door. I want two way radio and motion sensors for these doors. I want a camera in two other rooms. I want full energy control, not just HVAC. I want to be able to control every plug outlet in the house, every light switch, etc. I will need someone to provide installation, because there will be wiring required.
When it comes to home automation it often does depend on your view point. The systems you’ve mentioned may be better suited for mega mansions and higher budgets. However, people looking for a lower budget system would probably fare better with one of the products our team has reviewed. Thanks for your feedback & input.
Oh contraire. Granted the Crestron can get awfully expensive. But the products that were listed you pay far more over time. And the products that are truly SMART home and don’t simply do some cool functions related to ‘smart’ are bought at all economic levels. And continue to be both forward and backwards migratable. If you want value the upfront cost may be a bit higher initially, but the investment pays for itself very quickly.
Now this is hilarious. All of the top 3 do not even make it near the top ten on any real home automation system. They are known for taking you to the cleaners on monthly billing with very sub-par equipment. They are poised as the ‘pay-nothing now’ and we will stick it to you the rest of your life and give you mediocre service, support and a very limited network capability. There are other systems listed here that have eminently more capability, have true ‘professional’ installation, and won’t leave you like your cable company in trying to bump your monthly bill every 6-12 months. Also with your security package you will have your choice of monitoring services that can run from $15-25 a month or use push notifications to your phone, neighbors or family members if you chose not to use a conventional monitoring service. Most of these companies will not to try and lock you into a mandatory 2-3 year service contract like the top 3. That is the world they live in.
If you want quality Control4, Crestron, and possibly even Savant. If you want real functionality to do a lot of cool things and last a long time and are super user friendly and almost always locally supported that is the direction you will want to head. But is you want that creeping monthly bill that locks you in with that “free” costly offer that drains you over time chose their top three. They do it every time.
I am looking for security system are door sensors, motion detectors and outdoor security cameras for the front door and back door with motion activated alerts/notifications.
Hi Bill,
Thanks for reaching out!
We would recommend Frontpoint for what you’ve described. It has all the equipment you’ve mentioned, and more. Check out our home security rankings and comparisons in the link below!
https://revert-asl-redrock.pantheonsite.io/best-home-security-system/
Please let us know if you need anything else!
Thanks,
Josh
Hi, can somebody recommend an all in one package with no monthly fees and security cameras? What I am looking for in a security system are door sensors, motion detectors and outdoor security cameras for the front door and back door with motion activated alerts/notifications. It would be awesome if all this is managed by an app (i.e. once intruder walks in towards home it should alarm him and notify me). Also, I’d like all wireless. Thanks a lot for already presenting so much researched work. I really appreciate it.
I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what you are looking for Rafi. You’d benefit from reading this article https://revert-asl-redrock.pantheonsite.io/int/piper-vs-canary-vs-ismartalarm-vs-simplisafe/. It discusses all of the wireless home security systems. Unfortunately, these systems do not perform as well as the monitored systems with monthly fees, but they are still better than no security system. The downside is that these do not have outdoor security cameras. What I suggest instead is pointing one of your cameras out through a window to your front door if possible. I know of some people who have had success with this.
In the article I pasted above, we recommend SimpliSafe as the only comprehensive option. However, I don’t think that is the solution for you. I have personally tried iSmartAlarm and Skylink and was overall fairly pleased with iSmartAlarm (not so much with Skylink). Check out our iSmartAlarm article here https://revert-asl-redrock.pantheonsite.io/int/ismartalarm-review/.
Please read these two articles and let me know any questions you still have. We want to get your home protected!
Thank you for the information. We will review it and consider it for future updates.
Thank you for the information. We will review it and consider it for future updates.
I work for ADT Corporate and I can tell you that this information is inaccurate. We use wireless equipment on all 4 levels of monitoring…even the lowest. And as far as the system having to rely on the Internet…again not true. There is NO system that we have that causes you to lose your monitoring if the Internet goes down. That is all.
What about Leviton home automation system (before was HAI)?
Savant still doesn’t have Android support as of Sep 2014 which is absolutely crazy. They’ve been promising Android support from their reps all year long but have failed to update customers of their status.
Nest seems so cool but it’s more expensive than I thought it would be.
I am always that person who forgets to turn the lights off but my husband is the one who keeps the air turned up when we're gone and it drives me nuts. Now I can change the settings remotely and love how much technology has advanced so this is possible. Not only to save money but to help keep your house secure. I never thought about that but now the saying "leave a light on" is not always the best option or most affordable one. I just ordered my home automation system package through FrontPoint and can't wait to try it out. Something about being able to control things remotely (like I do with my home alarm system) makes me feel good and secure. I appreciate the in depth review as I've been considering adding on this package for a while now but just went with my current home alarm company since that was easiest.