Samsung's SmartThings Station is the new kid on the block. A chimera of a device, first designed as a wireless charger for Samsung Galaxy phones it's been expanded to include SmartThings functionality and operate as a SmartThings and Matter hub. Matter, for the uninitiated, is a new, wireless automation standard developed from Zigbee and Thread. A competitor to Z-Wave, Matter's major promise is that it'll be easier to set up.
With the release of the SmartThings Station, we've received plenty of queries asking us to compare Station to existing SmartThings gateways such as Aeotec Smart Home Hub (aka aka. SmartThings v3). So how do they stack up against each other?
Smart Home Hub | SmartThings Station | |
---|---|---|
Released | 2021 | 2023 |
Z-Wave support | Yes | No |
Z-Wave Plus support | Yes | No |
Z-Wave chip | 500 series | None |
Matter support | Yes | Yes |
Zigbee support | Yes | Yes |
Wi-Fi support | Yes | Yes |
Thread support | Yes | Yes |
Local processing | Yes | Yes Excluding houses with multiple Matter bridges |
iOS app | Yes | Yes |
Android app | Yes | Yes |
Device compatability Local and cloud | 2,000+ devices List of tracked compatible devices listed here | 28% fewer devices Previous list excluding all Z-Wave devices |
Device compatability Local processing only | 1,450+ devices | 37% fewer devices |
Amazon Alexa compatible | Yes | Yes |
Google Home compatible | Yes | Yes |
Ethernet | Yes | No |
Fast wireless device charging | No | Yes Samsung Galaxy products only excluding smart watches |
Cost | ~$129.00 Including PSU | ~$79.99 Including PSU |
Additional Z-Wave cost | $0 | ~$60.00 Z-Wave stick + Raspberry Zero |