The best Smart home hubs, compared.
Top pick: Tapo H200 Best value: Tapo H200 – Same score of 74 at about £25.49, the lower shelf price, for a Sub-1G chime hub with local microSD. Updated 22 October 2026.
A smart home hub is the box, speaker or wall panel that lets the devices you already own answer a phone or a routine. In a UK home that usually means bulbs, sensors, a doorbell, cameras, curtains, or an air-conditioner remote whose radio the handset cannot reach on its own. Match the radio the devices use: Zigbee, Matter, Thread, ordinary Wi-Fi, a low-power brand link, or infrared. Then choose a screen, a camera on the hub, a chime, or only a speaker, and check the Wi-Fi band. Some infrared bridges join 2.4 GHz only and refuse a mesh name. See whether a USB adaptor, a memory card or a wall stand is in the box. If a camera or doorbell will film a neighbour or the street, home-CCTV rules still apply. Connectable hubs sold in the UK need a unique password and a published update period. The order of those checks is in the [smart home hub buying guide](/hub/electronic-surveillance/smart-home-hub/sub/smart-home-hub-buying-guide).
A smart home hub is the box, speaker or wall panel that lets the devices you already own answer a phone or a routine.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What should the hub do first?
The Tapo H200 is a table-top Sub-1G hub at about £25.49, 7.1 cm square and 73 g, and the amazon.co.uk line is 4.5 from 921 reviews. Reviewers in the first 50 UK notes often finish first pairing in the Tapo app and then use it as a chime for a doorbell or a sensor, with 19 ringtones listed up to 90 dB. Local microSD is why several of them bought it instead of another subscription, though the card itself is not stated as included. The cap on the listing is 64 sensors, buttons or Sub-1G switches plus 4 cameras or doorbells, and the listing notes exclude generations such as C100, C200 and C310, so a camera you already own can sit outside that list. One review could not add a D235 doorbell, and backup is not available on every paired camera. Alexa and Google Home come only after Tapo devices are on the hub, which is a narrow job done clearly, and a poor match if your bulbs are Zigbee or your television remote is infrared.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own Tapo sensors or listed Tapo cameras and you want a chime plus local storage at about £25.49.
Less suitable: You need Zigbee, Matter, Thread, or an infrared remote for a TV or air conditioner.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the Tapo H200 connect smart cameras?
Yes, with a versioned list. The listing notes exclude several C100, C200, C310 and other generations and tell you to check firmware. A review could not add a D235 doorbell.
Does it work with Alexa?
Yes, after the hub is connected to Tapo IPC devices, smart sensors, or Sub-1G switches.
How many devices can it take?
Up to 64 sensors, buttons or Sub-1G switches plus 4 cameras or video doorbells.
The SwitchBot Hub Mini, model W0202200, is a 6.5 cm infrared and Bluetooth-to-Wi-Fi gateway at about £31.49, with 4.3 from 53,542 amazon.co.uk reviews. Reviewers use it so a Curtain Rod 2 closes without the phone app, and so an air conditioner still answers when they are out. The listing says it learns a remote in about 5 seconds. The table lists a maximum of 10 devices and a range of 124 feet, and the box does not include the 5 V 1 A USB adaptor the listing requires. It is 2.4 GHz only, and reviewers describe fiddling with the router before it joins. One review only got Alexa to discover devices after cloud service was switched on in the SwitchBot app, and others say the hub does not see every SwitchBot device in the house. This ASIN does not claim Matter in the listing. It is the deepest review file in this set for an infrared and SwitchBot job, and a miss if you needed Zigbee, Thread, or a screen.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a phone to fire an infrared TV or air conditioner, or you already own SwitchBot curtains or sensors.
Less suitable: You need Matter, Zigbee, a screen, or a hub that joins 5 GHz or a mesh SSID.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it control more than one appliance?
Yes. The listing covers a TV, an air conditioner and other infrared kit plus SwitchBot devices. The table lists a maximum of 10 supported devices.
Does it work with Alexa or Google Home?
Yes, plus Siri and IFTTT. One review says cloud service must be on in the SwitchBot app before Alexa can discover devices.
Is it portable?
It is USB-powered and small. The listing does not claim a battery. The 5 V 1 A adaptor is not in the box.
The Broadlink RM5plus is a 100 g infrared blaster at about £36.99, listed at 3.6 from 144 amazon.co.uk reviews, and the stored reviews include two from the United Kingdom. It sends 38 kHz infrared only, in the same room and in line of sight, and the table claims up to 5,000 devices while the box is the hub plus a USB cable. The listing bars 5 GHz and mesh, and it requires the Wi-Fi name and password to be under 32 characters. The UK review that got it working used a separate 2.4 GHz network and then had no reply from the contact form. Alexa and Google Home can fire preset functions in the BroadLink app, not buttons you teach under UserDefine. A Virgin V6 remote that is part Bluetooth will not clone fully, and a Home Assistant user returned the unit after a lock option left the app. Treat the 5,000-device line as a table figure, and skip this hub when the remote is not plain 38 kHz infrared.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have plain 38 kHz remotes in one room and you can give the hub its own 2.4 GHz network.
Less suitable: You need RF or Bluetooth buttons, a mesh SSID, or a larger set of UK reviews before you buy.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it control several devices?
Yes, if they use 38 kHz infrared. The listing excludes RF, Bluetooth and other infrared frequencies. The table says up to 5,000 devices.
Does it work with Alexa or Google Home?
Yes for preset functions in the BroadLink app. Buttons you learn under UserDefine are not recognised directly by those assistants.
Why will it not join my Wi-Fi?
The listing allows 2.4 GHz only, not 5 GHz or mesh, and the network name and password must be under 32 characters.
The Echo Dot Max in Graphite is about £59.99 and shares one review block with the Glacier White ASIN. The listing does not print an average star line, so there is no figure to quote. Reviewers in that shared block praise bass and clarity against older Dots, and the listing claims three times the bass of the Echo Dot (2022 release), while several also say it is not as loud as a 4th-generation Echo if that was the sound they wanted. The chassis is only slightly larger than a standard Dot, which surprised people who read Max as a much bigger speaker. The listing says you can pair lights, locks and thousands of Alexa devices without a separate hub, though it does not name Zigbee, Matter or Thread the way Echo Hub and the 3rd-generation Show 8 do. Alexa+ still misses some speech in those reviews. It is a compact speaker-hub with no screen and no camera, and a weak pick if you needed a dashboard or a stated multi-protocol radio.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a small Alexa speaker that can pair lights and locks, and you do not need a screen.
Less suitable: You need a named Zigbee, Matter or Thread radio, a camera, or a dashboard.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it play Spotify?
Yes. The listing names Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music.
Does it have a built-in hub?
Yes. The listing says you can pair lights, locks and thousands of Alexa devices without a separate hub.
Is it the same as the Glacier White Dot Max?
Same listing points and the same review block. This ASIN is Graphite. B0DKLC3S9G is Glacier White.
The Glacier White Echo Dot Max is the same about £59.99 speaker-hub as the Graphite listing, and the stored file uses the same UK review texts for both colours. There is still no listing-line star average. The listing points match: an AZ3 chip, a microphone mute, Omnisense routines from temperature or presence, and a built-in hub for Alexa lights and locks, without a screen. Reviewers like the bass against older Dots and the compact body, then note that Alexa+ misses phrases and that the speaker is not as boomy as a 4th-generation Echo. Nothing in this colour file adds a separate fault or a separate piece of praise. Buy the white cloth when that is the finish you want and you already accept a speaker with no camera. Do not treat the two ASINs as two different tests.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the white Echo Dot Max and you already know it is the same speaker-hub as Graphite.
Less suitable: You wanted a second, independent set of reviews, or a screen and a camera.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it play Spotify?
Yes. The listing names Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music.
Does it have a built-in hub?
Yes. Pair lights, locks and thousands of Alexa devices without a separate hub.
Is it portable?
The listing describes a mains smart speaker. A battery pack is not stated.
The Echo Hub is an 8 inch touch dashboard at about £89.99 that lists Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, Sidewalk and Thread, and the listing does not print an average star line. UK reviews praise it as a wall panel for lights, heating, a robot vacuum and up to four camera tiles, and as a quieter replacement for a bright Ring Alarm keypad. The same notes repeat freezes, a blank or stuck home screen, and touch that does not register, with power-pull restarts described as a habit on early units. Tapo and Kasa camera widgets go unresponsive in those reviews, and the Alexa app can put removed devices back. There is no camera on the hub. A review says Show entertainment apps are missing by design, and the table-top stand, in-wall pass-throughs and PoE adaptor are sold separately. Ring event summaries need Alexa+ and a compatible Ring subscription. It is the control panel in this set if you want that dashboard and can live with the freeze reports. Amazon UK limits the offline claim to some lights, switches and plugs.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an Alexa wall dashboard for lights and sensors, and you do not need a camera or Netflix on that panel.
Less suitable: You need a kitchen screen that keeps playing video, or you cannot tolerate a panel that reviewers restart by pulling the power.
Specifications
Common questions
Does Echo Hub have a camera?
No camera is listed. Echo Show models in this set do have a camera.
Can it control smart thermostats?
The listing says thousands of Alexa-compatible devices and a customisable dashboard. A specific thermostat brand list is not stated.
Can I wall-mount it?
Yes, at a socket. Cable pass-throughs, a PoE adaptor and a table-top stand are sold separately.
The Echo Show 8 (3rd generation, 2023) is an 8 inch HD Charcoal display at about £149.99, the highest shelf price in this set, and the listing does not print an average star line. The listing does name the radios: Zigbee, Matter and Thread without a separate hub, plus a 13 MP camera, a cover, and a microphone and camera off button. UK reviews like the screen for a clock, photos and recipes, a Ring doorbell view once it is linked, and sound that is louder than Dots for someone hard of hearing. The angle is fixed, a stand is not in the listing, and reviewers who sit it high say they need one. Home-screen adverts, slower Alexa+ answers, and playback that does not always stop on the first command are the complaints that repeat, along with the odd reboot. In this snapshot it costs more than the newer Show 8 at about £119.99, so you are paying for the named radios and the 13 MP camera, not for the newest panel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an Alexa kitchen screen that prints Zigbee, Matter and Thread, and you will pay more than the newer Show 8 for those names.
Less suitable: You want the cheaper 8.7 inch panel, a wall dashboard with no camera, or a screen with no home-screen adverts.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it play music?
Yes. Spatial audio is listed, with subscriptions required for some services.
Does it have a camera?
Yes. 13 MP with auto-framing, a mic and camera off button, and a built-in cover.
Do I still need a separate hub?
The listing says you can pair Zigbee, Matter and Thread devices without a separate smart home hub.
The newest Echo Show 11 is an 11 inch Full HD display at about £134.99 with spatial audio, a centred camera, 3.3x zoom and a camera cover in the listing, and there is no listing-line star average. The hub line matches the newest Show 8: thousands of Alexa devices, camera feeds, lights and thermostats, without Zigbee, Matter or Thread named on the page. Several texts in the stored notes describe a Show 8, so the written sample is mixed. Reviewers who wanted the larger panel call it faster than older Shows and a kitchen centrepiece for recipes and music. Software is the repeated limit. One review lost video sound on two units while Alexa voice still played, YouTube in a browser pauses or distorts, and a bright night home screen with a small clock prompted returns. Voice View left a touchscreen dead until a factory reset in one note. It earns a place when you want the 11 inch panel and will tolerate unfinished software.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the largest Alexa screen in this set on a kitchen counter and you can live with software bugs.
Less suitable: You need named Zigbee or Matter radios, or a panel reviewers describe as finished software.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it play music?
Yes. Spatial audio is in the title and the listing.
Does it have a camera?
Yes, with auto-framing, 3.3x zoom and a camera cover in the listing.
Can it control smart home devices?
Yes. Pair thousands of Alexa devices without a separate hub and view camera feeds.
The newest Echo Show 8 is an 8.7 inch HD display at about £119.99, with a centred camera, 3.3x zoom and a mute for the microphone and camera, and the listing does not print an average star line. The listing claims 15 percent more viewing area and up to twice the bass of the Echo Show 8 (2023), on an AZ3 Pro chip, and it says you can pair thousands of Alexa devices without a separate hub. It does not name Zigbee, Matter or Thread, which the 3rd-generation Show 8 in this set does name. The stored reviews mix Show 8 and Show 11 texts, so treat that sample as muddy. Reviewers who stay on the hardware like the kitchen screen and the faster feel, and they run blinds, a vacuum and lights by voice. The stand is not in the box, YouTube has no native app in the criticism, and one review lost video sound. Use it when the 8.7 inch kitchen panel is the point, and read the 3rd-generation listing if the radio names matter more than the newer screen.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a newer 8.7 inch Alexa screen in the kitchen for recipes, music and camera feeds.
Less suitable: You need Zigbee, Matter and Thread printed on the listing, or a clean set of reviews that only describe this model.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it play music?
Yes. The listing describes spatial audio and streaming. Some services need a subscription.
Does it have a camera?
Yes. A centred auto-framing camera with 3.3x zoom and a microphone and camera mute.
Can it control smart home devices?
Yes. The listing says you can pair thousands of Alexa devices without a separate hub and view camera feeds on the screen.
Scores use the amazon.co.uk listings and review notes stored for these nine products. This is not a lab test. Where a listing prints a star average, that average and the review count are the largest parts of the score. The six Echo listings have no star average, so that part is not invented. The highest score after the review-file tie-break is the top pick. The same score at the lower specialist price is best value. Homey, Aqara and a Hue Bridge are not in this set.
Amazon evidence
35%Star average when the listing prints one, then the size of the review file. Six Echo listings have no average. A thin UK sample, or one review block printed on two colours, scores lower. No star line is invented.
Hub role
20%The job the listing names: infrared bridge, Sub-1G chime, speaker-hub, wall panel or smart display. A hub title does not add a role that is not printed.
Radios and Wi-Fi
20%Zigbee, Matter, Thread, Sub-1G or infrared, as named on the listing. A 2.4 GHz-only limit, or a mesh name the listing rejects, reduces the score.
Screen, storage and extras
15%A screen or a camera on the hub, local microSD where it is stated, and whether the USB adaptor, memory card, stand or PoE adaptor is in the box.
Shelf price
10%A lower specialist price adds to the score. The same score at the lower price is how best value is chosen. A monthly plan is not added into the hardware score.
You are matching a hub to radios you already own: bulbs, sensors, cameras, curtains or an air-conditioner remote. These nine amazon.co.uk listings are the rows on this page. Shelf prices in the stored set run from about £25.49 to about £149.99. The score uses the star line where one exists, the review notes, the role the listing names, and the shelf price. It is not a lab test. Six Echo listings have no star average.
A smart home hub on amazon.co.uk is a box that talks to other devices. In this nine-listing set the job splits. Some are speakers or displays with a built-in hub. One is an 8 inch wall dashboard with no camera. One is a Sub-1G chime that can store clips from listed cameras on a microSD card. Two are infrared bridges that join 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only. Shoppers in the stored UK reviews already own bulbs, cameras, curtains or a split air conditioner, and they buy the radio that matches that kit.
The Echo Show 8 (3rd generation) names Zigbee, Matter and Thread. The Echo Hub is the wall dashboard without a camera. The newer Show 8 and Show 11 say built-in hub and do not print those radio names.
This SwitchBot ASIN does not claim Matter. It is an infrared bridge and a Bluetooth-to-Wi-Fi gateway on 2.4 GHz, and the 5 V adaptor is not in the box.
Alexa and Google Home can use preset functions in the BroadLink app. Buttons you teach under UserDefine are not recognised directly. The hub also rejects 5 GHz, mesh names, and a Wi-Fi name or password of 32 characters or more.
List every device you already own and the radio it uses before you compare boxes. In this set the named radios are Zigbee, Matter, Thread, Wi-Fi, Tapo Sub-1G and infrared. Z-Wave is not here. A Matter controller and a Thread border router are different jobs, and one plastic box can hold more than one of them. A title that says hub does not prove the radio. The Echo Hub names Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, Sidewalk and Thread on an 8 inch panel with no camera.
Decide whether the room needs a screen, a camera on the hub, a chime, or only a speaker. Echo Show models include a camera. Echo Hub does not. Echo Dot Max has neither a screen nor a camera. The Tapo H200 is the chime, with 19 ringtones listed up to 90 dB, and local microSD. The card is not in the box. Then check the network and the extras. SwitchBot Hub Mini and Broadlink RM5plus are 2.4 GHz only. Broadlink also rejects mesh SSIDs and wants the Wi-Fi name and password under 32 characters.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a phone to fire a TV or air-conditioner remote, or you already own SwitchBot curtains or sensors, and you can offer 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. The Hub Mini is about £31.49. The 5 V adaptor is not in the box, and this listing does not claim Matter.
You already own Tapo sensors or listed Tapo cameras and you want a chime plus local storage. The H200 is about £25.49, with up to 64 sensors plus 4 cameras or doorbells. The card is not in the box, and camera support is versioned.
You want an Alexa panel for lights and sensors, often beside a Ring kit you already use, and you do not need a camera on that panel. The Echo Hub is about £89.99 and names Zigbee, Matter, Thread and Sidewalk. UK reviews repeat freezes, and the stand is sold separately.
The top pick is the SwitchBot Hub Mini at about £31.49. It scores 74, tied with the Tapo H200, and the larger review file is why it is the top pick: 4.3 from 53,542 amazon.co.uk reviews for an infrared and SwitchBot gateway. It is 2.4 GHz only, the 5 V adaptor is not in the box, and this listing does not claim Matter. Best value is the Tapo H200 at about £25.49, the same score of 74 at the lower shelf price, with 4.5 from 921 reviews, a chime and local microSD. Camera support is versioned and the card is not in the box. The six Echo listings have no star average. This is not a lab test, and it does not cover Homey, Aqara or a Hue Bridge.
Tapo H200
Same score of 74 at about £25.49, the lower shelf price, for a Sub-1G chime hub with local microSD.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the digest first, then the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Prices and stars are the figures already stored for this set. The digest does not date that shelf check.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures already stored for this set. This is not a laboratory test.
