Hubitat
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you're a tinkerer with Zigbee/Z-Wave devices who wants fast local automations and accepts a learning curve.
New check
Comparison
Hubitat vs SmartThings
Hubitat and SmartThings both land on Depends.
SmartThings
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you are a Samsung-device household wanting one easy app and hub for Matter/Zigbee/Z-Wave gear.
| Compare | Hubitat | SmartThings |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Tech enthusiasts and tinkerers | Samsung appliance and TV households |
| Who it's not for | Casual users wanting plug-and-play smart home | Privacy-first users wanting local control |
| Privacy | One known CVE: authorization bypass (CVE-2026-1201) in Hubitat Elevation, disclosed Jan 2026 and fixed in Aug 2025 platform update; community debate over hub security continues.⁴ | Recurring CVEs from 2016-2026 including a 2025 auth bypass; Samsung patches disclosed flaws, but cloud exposure remains a consideration. |
| Support quality | Active forums; Hub Protect billing disputes reported | No direct support evidence reviewed |
| Public sentiment | Enthusiasts praise local speed, broad device support, and painless migrations from older hubs, while casual users and security-minded buyers are more divided. | Sentiment is split: the ecosystem still works well for many, but a visible wave of users is leaving over cloud dependence and new API fees. |
| Biggest gotcha | Used hubs reportedly can't be re-registered; buy new or verify transfer policy first | New ~$5/month API fee (from October 2026) hits Home Assistant and third-party integrations |
Pick Hubitat when
- Tech enthusiasts and tinkerers
- Privacy-focused, local-first automations
- Homes with many Zigbee/Z-Wave devices
- Migrants from Wink, SmartThings, or ISY
When Hubitat is not a fit
- Casual users wanting plug-and-play smart home
- Anyone relying on it as a burglar alarm
- Buyers of used hubs (registration restrictions reported)
- People unwilling to pay for remote access
Pick SmartThings when
- Samsung appliance and TV households
- Mixed-brand Matter/Zigbee/Z-Wave homes
- DIY home security starters
- Users wanting one app for everything
When SmartThings is not a fit
- Privacy-first users wanting local control
- Home Assistant/API power users facing new fees
- Buyers wary of platform deprecations
- Set-and-forget owners who won't tinker
Sources
- Hubitat Elevation official sitehubitat.comofficial
- Buy Hubitat Productshubitat.comofficial
- How to use Matter on Hubitat Elevationdocs2.hubitat.comofficial
- CVE-2026-1201 Detail . NVDnvd.nist.govsecurity
- CVE-2026-1201 . SentinelOne vulnerability databasesentinelone.comsecurity
- Hub Security Risks . Hubitat Communitycommunity.hubitat.comsecurity
- Hub Protect + Remote Admin price change threadcommunity.hubitat.comnews
- Why did the Hubitat Hub jump to $129.95community.hubitat.comnews
review
- Hubitat migration review from ISY . Aqara forumforum.aqara.comreview
- SmartThings vs Hubitat vs Home Assistantblog.sharptools.ioreview
- Hubitat company profile . Owlerowler.comnews
- How is Hubitat planning to stay relevant long term?community.hubitat.comnews
review
- Samsung SmartThings Station review . PCWorldpcworld.comreview
- Samsung SmartThings Review . SafeWisesafewise.comreview