The 7 Best Smart Home Hubs Under $100 for Starter Setups, Ranked & Reviewed

Our verdict: A dependable bridge that works with Alexa, Apple and Google Home, ideal for a lighting start.

The Lutron Caseta Smart Hub is the bridge for Lutron's Caseta lighting range, and the listing says it is compatible with Alexa, Apple, Google Home and more. It falls in the $50 to $100 price tier.

It tops this ranking because it works with all three big voice platforms and keeps lighting control responsive. Caseta dimmers talk to the hub over Lutron's own radio instead of crowding your Wi-Fi, which is a big reason owners report that lights respond quickly. The caveat is scope: it is built around Lutron devices, so it is not the hub for a mixed collection of sensors and plugs.

Buy it if lighting is the first thing you want to automate. Skip it if you want one box for every brand.

Ecosystems

Alexa, Apple, Google Home

Focus

Lutron Caseta lighting

Role

Bridge for Lutron devices

Price bucket

$50 to $100

Our verdict: A compact Alexa+ smart display that doubles as a control panel for compatible devices.

The Echo Show 5 is a small smart display designed for Alexa+, with improved bass and clearer sound than the previous generation. It falls in the $50 to $100 tier.

It ranks second because a screen makes a starter smart home far easier for the whole household. Dimming a light, viewing a camera or checking a timer is a tap instead of a spoken command, and it sits happily on a bedside table or desk. Be clear about what it is: the listing describes a display and speaker, so it controls devices through Wi-Fi and Alexa rather than adding Zigbee radios.

Buy it if you use Alexa and want visible control in a bedroom or office. Skip it if your gadgets need a Zigbee bridge.

Type

Smart display

Assistant

Alexa+

Audio

2x the bass, clearer sound

Price bucket

$50 to $100

Our verdict: A small Tapo hub with a built-in chime, available for under $25.

The Tapo H100 is a small smart hub with a built-in chime that requires a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network. It is in the under $25 price tier, the cheapest hub in this ranking.

It lands third because it solves a specific problem at a tiny cost. For anyone already buying Tapo sensors, buttons or switches, one H100 connects them and the chime adds an audible alert. Against the Lutron it is far cheaper but much narrower, since it is built for Tapo accessories. The 2.4GHz requirement is easy to miss, and some routers that merge bands make pairing awkward.

Choose it if you plan a Tapo-based setup. Skip it if you want a hub that works with every brand.

Type

Tapo smart hub

Extra

Built-in chime

Network

2.4GHz Wi-Fi required

Price bucket

Under $25

Our verdict: A Zigbee and Bluetooth gateway powered over Type-C, compatible with Alexa and Google Home.

This MOES gateway bridges ZigBee and Bluetooth devices, is powered through a Type-C port and is listed as compatible with Alexa and Google Home. The listing gives no price tier.

It ranks fourth because it opens up the cheap Zigbee sensor market that a Wi-Fi hub cannot. Zigbee sensors run on small batteries for a long time, and a gateway like this lets them feed your voice assistant. The compromise is brand ecosystem, as MOES gear usually works through the Tuya-style app, so device support varies by sensor.

It is a good value for a tinkerer building out sensors. Skip it if you want a polished, single-brand experience.

Radios

ZigBee and Bluetooth

Power

Type-C

Assistants

Alexa and Google Home

Price bucket

Not listed

Our verdict: A small Alexa+ speaker that serves as the voice side of a starter smart home.

The Echo Dot is a compact Alexa+ speaker, described as great for bedrooms, dining rooms and offices. It falls in the $25 to $50 tier.

It ranks fifth because it is a voice front end, not a radio hub. It lets you speak commands to compatible Wi-Fi lights and plugs, and for many first-time buyers that is all they want. Against the Echo Show 5, you lose the screen, but you also pay less and take up less space on a shelf.

Buy it as the voice layer in a Wi-Fi smart home. Skip it if you expect it to bridge Zigbee or Z-Wave devices.

Type

Alexa+ smart speaker

Best rooms

Bedrooms, dining rooms, offices

Colour

Glacier White

Price bucket

$25 to $50

Our verdict: A ZigBee bridge that offers both wireless and wired connections.

The ZHUB W is a MOES ZigBee gateway that supports both wireless and wired connections. The listing provides no price tier and gives few other details.

It ranks sixth because the listing says little beyond the connection options. The wired option is the interesting part, since an Ethernet link is often more stable than Wi-Fi, which matters for a gateway that sits in a cupboard or behind a TV. Compared with the Type-C MOES gateway above, it trades the stated Alexa and Google compatibility for a wired option.

Choose it if you want a wired, stable bridge for Zigbee gear. Skip it if you want confirmed voice-assistant support.

Radio

ZigBee gateway

Connection

Wireless and wired

Brand

MOES

Price bucket

Not listed

Our verdict: A ZigBee 3.0, Bluetooth and Mesh gateway that supports only Tuya smart devices.

This multi-mode gateway combines ZigBee 3.0, Bluetooth and Mesh in one hub with app remote control. The listing is blunt that it only supports Tuya smart devices, and it falls in the $25 to $50 tier.

It ranks last because of that limitation. If your sensors and switches use the Tuya platform it is a neat and low-cost bridge, but anything outside that family will not connect. The honesty of the listing helps, because it warns buyers before they pay.

Buy it if your devices are already Tuya or Smart Life compatible. Skip it if you own anything from another platform.

Radios

ZigBee 3.0, Bluetooth, Mesh

Compatibility

Tuya devices only

Control

App remote control

Price bucket

$25 to $50