Which devices need a hub

What "hub" means

"Hub" covers at least four different jobs, and one box can do several of them. Two boxes sold as hubs can do completely different ones. Each job has a plain yes or no answer.[1][2]

• Matter controller: commissions and controls Matter devices. Google calls this a Matter-enabled hub. SmartThings requires a compatible hub for Matter devices. Home Assistant is a controller in its own right.[1][5][6]
• Thread border router: connects a Thread mesh to the Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. Only Thread devices need one.[2]
• Zigbee coordinator or Z-Wave controller: the radio a Zigbee or Z-Wave network forms around. Home Assistant describes the Zigbee coordinator as a hardware radio adapter, typically a USB dongle. It lists a supported Z-Wave adapter as a prerequisite for Z-Wave.[3][4]
• Vendor bridge: a brand's own hub that connects its devices and can expose them to Matter. Philips Hue says its Bridge has been updated to support Matter, so Hue lights and accessories automatically support it too.[7]

HomeKit adds a fifth meaning. A HomePod or Apple TV is the home hub that lets the owner control accessories away from home, share control with others and run automations. That is true whether or not an accessory uses Matter.[8]

What each connection type needs

Every device in the index lists the integration paths it supports, and each path has a sourced definition of what it needs. The table gives those definitions. The last column counts how many of the 3243 devices in the index list each path. Local control reads Varies where it depends on the vendor, for example on whether a gateway offers a local API.[1][3]

Which platforms count as a hub

The platform decides what counts as a hub, even for Matter over Wi-Fi, and the rules differ between platforms.[5][6][18]

• HomeKit: on iOS 18, Matter accessories can be added and controlled in the Home app without a home hub, though Apple recommends one for the best experience. Thread accessories need a Thread-enabled home hub such as an Apple TV 4K or HomePod. A Thread-enabled iPhone can pair them locally, and an iPhone 15 Pro or later can control them without a hub.[18]
• Google Home: a Matter-enabled hub is required on the home network, added through the Google Home app, and IPv6 must be enabled. Most Nest speakers and displays handle Matter over Wi-Fi. Thread devices need a model with a border router built in.[5]
• SmartThings: Matter devices must connect to a compatible hub. That means a stand-alone SmartThings hub, or the one built into recent Samsung TVs, Smart Monitors and Family Hub refrigerators.[6]
• Home Assistant: the software is the controller, so the variable is which radios are added. Thread and Zigbee each need a radio such as the Connect ZBT-2, which runs one protocol at a time. Z-Wave needs its own adapter. Bluetooth uses local adapters or proxies.[1][4][13][19]
• Homey: one Homey Pro covers all of these jobs. It lists Matter, a Thread border router, Zigbee 3.0, Z-Wave 700 series, Bluetooth Low Energy and Wi-Fi radios in one box.[20]

Hubs that are Matter controllers

44 devices are Matter controllers. The table groups them by maker. A device's Thread border router and Zigbee coordinator roles sit beside it, so one row shows how many jobs the box covers.[1]

Zigbee, Z-Wave and Bluetooth

Zigbee and Z-Wave always need a hub of some kind, because the network forms around a coordinator or controller radio. In Home Assistant that means a coordinator adapter for ZHA and a supported adapter for Z-Wave. Z-Wave frequency also depends on the region, and end devices cannot change it, so devices must match the region where they are used.[3][4]

A vendor bridge can turn a Zigbee system into a Matter one, and then the bridge is the hub. The Hue Bridge makes Hue lights and accessories available to Matter. Aqara does the same with Advanced Matter Bridging, first introduced with the Hub M3. It carries Aqara features to third-party Matter platforms from hubs including the Hub M3, Hub M100 and Hub M2. A Matter controller is still needed on top.[7][82]

Bluetooth devices can work with just a phone, but only while the phone is nearby. Home Assistant stretches that range with local adapters and ESPHome Bluetooth proxies. A proxy is an ESP32 placed elsewhere in the home. It picks up Bluetooth signals from nearby devices and relays them over Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Several proxies can cover rooms and floors.[13][83]

Requirements by device type

• Matter over Wi-Fi devices: a Matter controller. On HomeKit with iOS 18 that can be an iPhone. On Google Home and SmartThings it is a speaker, display, TV or hub.[5][6][18]
• Matter over Thread devices: a Thread border router from the platform in use. A second one improves coverage.[2][84]
• Zigbee or Z-Wave devices: a coordinator or controller, which is either the brand's own hub or a radio for Home Assistant or Homey.[3][4][20]
• Remote access and automations in HomeKit: a home hub, whatever network the devices use.[8]