As for the biggest difference between a home bridge and a home hub, we’ll refer to the hub as the device that connects your smart gadgets to your automation system, while the bridge is the software that bridges the gap between incompatible devices and hubs. If you’re looking to learn about the best hubs, read: The 4 best smart home hubs. An example of how a bridge can be used is when a home runs on Apple HomeKit and the homeowner buys a smart light bulb that only works with Alexa or Google Home. The homeowner could use a smart home bridge to connect that bulb to HomeKit. The drawback? It takes extra work and extra steps to connect something and sometimes a Raspberry Pi or other computer. The advantage is, though, you can cast your compatibility net a lot wider and add your preferred devices to your home regardless of brand. Must read:
The best home automation systemsThe best smart home hubsThe best smart speakersThe best smart lightsThe best smart blinds and shades
The best part of getting the HOOBS box is that it works as a plug-and-play starter kit; it has everything you need to truly harmonize all your incompatible smart devices. Once you get it installed and connected to a network, you can start adding your smart devices and searching for plugins. HOOBS actually stands for Homebridge out of the box. It’s a more user-friendly option for users that prefer a turnkey solution to a smart home bridge. Users can use plugins available for HOOBS and can install, update, or remove plugins from their library. Developers can create plugins that work with HOOBS to connect different devices, which means there are thousands of plugins to search among. HOOBS also runs locally on your network, keeping your information more secure. You also can buy a HOOBS microSD to use with your Raspberry Pi, or simply download the image for a donation. Pros
Plug-and-play solutionNo tinkering (unless you want to)
Cons
Higher start-up cost
The Apple HomeKit ecosystem is a great option for smart home enthusiasts with a concern for data privacy or simply for Apple fans. It is the one with the least amount of support due to how stringent Apple is with its customers’ data security and privacy. Homebridge is a NodeJS server that emulates the iOS HomeKit API to natively connect any unsupported smart devices to HomeKit. To get Homebridge, you can set up a Raspberry Pi and simply download its image. It’s a free, low-energy consumption option is running in many smart homes right now. Think of Homebridge like HOOBS’ free but more complicated cousin. Plugins are created by the community and, though the platform has [evolved instead of navigated?] navigated to be more user-friendly over time, it still may require some tinkering and basic programming knowledge to get it set up just right. Pros
FreeThousands of available plugins
Cons
Needs to run on a computerRequires some tinkering
So, if you have been trying to set up a smart home and have fallen victim to compatibility woes, IFTTT may just fix those for you. With it, you can combine brands like MyQ to Alexa and control your Philips Hue lights along with your Wyze ones. The drawback of IFTTT is that a subscription is required if you use more than five applets, which are their automations. This is what IFTTT’s plans look like:
Free: Up to five appletsPro ($2.50/month): Up to 20 applets, faster speeds, multi-action appletsPro+ ($5/month): Unlimited applets, faster speeds, multiple accounts, developer tools
One of the best features of IFTTT is that it’s not limited to smart home devices. If you search through its applets and end up choosing to use IFTTT for your smart home, you may find yourself automating your Twitter or how your Instagram photos are shared or your Google Drive. The extreme automation power that IFTTT offers can have you applying automations so quickly you may run out of things to automate. Pros:
No hub requiredUser-created appletsNo code solution
Cons:
Subscription required for more than 5 applets
If you just want a simple, turnkey solution, HOOBS can help with HomeKit, Google Home, and Alexa. And if you don’t have many incompatible devices to add and are in search of a simple, potentially free solution, IFTTT is where it’s at. We focused on best smart hubs here, and you can find best home automation systems here. But to discuss bridges, I felt it was important to showcase the best options in software for consumers that can help them add almost any device to their smart home, regardless of the system they’re using. To determine what the best smart home bridges are right now, we combined personal experience, knowledge, and research, while keeping in mind that the right smart home bridge can change how you enjoy your home. Matter will let you add a Blink camera natively into your Apple HomeKit ecosystem, with vast support between technologies and manufacturers. So instead of a device having a list of all the supported home assistants it can work with, most will simply fall under the Matter umbrella. Originally set to launch in late 2021, Matter 1.0 is currently undergoing testing and is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2022, then opening the formal certification program to all companies that want to certify Matter devices. If you do find it inconvenient to not be able to control all your smart devices from one place , then it’s probably a good time to look into getting a bridge to close that gap.
