Best Overall
Amazon Echo Hub
$180A dedicated smart home control panel with an 8-inch touchscreen, local hub radios (Zigbee, Thread, Matter), and zero ads—making it the fastest, most intuitive way to manage multiple devices from one place.
what experts say
- >“The Hub is a well thought out, intuitive smart home control panel that, thanks to local radios, makes controlling devices in your home as fast as flipping a light switch.”— The Verge
- >“With the Echo Hub, the smart home is no longer locked inside one person's phone.”— The Verge (Jennifer Pattison Tuohy)
- >“Best overall smart home hub for Alexa users seeking dedicated control panel functionality”— Tom's Guide
pros & cons
[+] what's great
- +Interactive widgets and fast local control via Zigbee, Thread, and Matter radios
- +Proximity sensor auto-displays dashboard when you approach
- +No ads or bloatware—just a clean clock face and customizable smart home interface
- +Works as Ring Alarm panel and can be powered over Ethernet
- +Frictionless control compared to phone apps or voice commands
[-] what's not
- -Touchscreen can be laggy at times
- -Advanced control still requires the Alexa app
- -Some features require a subscription
- -Needs separate stand for tabletop use (wall-mounting requires USB-C power)
- -Limited to Alexa ecosystem—won't work if you don't use Alexa
