If you’re currently shopping for a hub but don’t know where to begin, we’ve got you covered. Here are the best smart home hubs in the market based on price and capabilities. 

The Echo Show is the Alexa version of a smart display that can access control smart devices throughout your home. The second generation of the Show greatly improves on screen quality and sound, making it a useful entertainment device. However, it also adds Zigbee compatibility for connecting to smart devices, an excellent option that makes it easier to control more unique or older smart devices that may not work on other channels.

Alexa also is compatible with modern smart devices, including lights, cameras, thermostats, smart outlets, and much more. You can search for and link these devices using the Alexa app on your mobile device.

While the bulk of hubs often have the general aesthetic appeal of a low-profile brick, the Securifi Almond 3 Smart Home Wi-Fi System is one of the most handsome hubs we’ve seen. But this unit is more than a pretty face — the Almond 3 flat-out performs.

The unique, resistive 3-inch color touchscreen allows folks to easily access virtually all of the settings. This also helps to streamline the already straightforward setup process. (There’s also a built-in stylus for those with, we’ll say, “less agile” digits. The Almond 3 utilizes multiple access points around a space, extending the Wi-Fi signal so devices can switch to stronger signals automatically as we move about the home or office. On the 5GHz band, the mesh network system worked seamlessly with our gadgets, however, the 2.4GHz channel, on the other hand was a different story altogether.

Seeing as the Almond can use any Wi-Fi connected device to establish triggers via the IFTTT applet, the unit is a solid bet even if you currently don’t have a home brimming with smart home products. The Almond 3 has Alexa support and once this has been connected the digital assistant can relay set the parameters for that “date night” — dimming the lights and setting the thermostat on command.

That’s the good news — here’s the bad (if not all-out ugly) with the Almond 3. During our testing, we found that in larger homes, or multifloor homes, a lone Almond 3 offers spotty Wi-Fi. Simply adding a second hub on the main floor shored up the erratic connections, though. Similarly, with just two Ethernet ports for connected devices, some individuals will be left literally wanting and needing more.

This third-generation SmartThings Hub is packed with more features than earlier models as Samsung tries to compete by offering people a little bit of everything. In this case, “everything” includes compatibility with devices from over 40 different brands, the ability to route alerts from security devices to your phone, and the option to set up routines that can automatically control a variety of smart devices in certain situations (morning prep, etc.).

It’s also compatible with all earlier versions of SmartThings tech, so if you’ve been buying Samsung devices for a while there’s no need to worry about full support. The hub also includes compatibility with older protocols including Zigbee, Z-Wave, and cloud-to-cloud options, so even particularly niche or old smart devices have a better chance of working.

And there’s still more: The Hub is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands as well. Plus, Samsung has created a new setup process to make onboarding easier, and released a newer, sleeker version of the SmartThings app to control it all with. This hub option has never looked better — and it’s still one of our most affordable picks!