Head-to-head comparison
Homey Pro vs Hubitat
Both the Homey Pro and Hubitat Elevation C-8 Pro run fully locally, support all major smart home protocols, and charge no monthly fee. But at $399 vs $149.95, the gap between them is $249. We put them side by side to help you decide whether that premium is worth it.
Quick verdict
Two Premium Local Hubs, One Big Price Gap
Homey Pro wins on app quality, protocol breadth, and polish. Hubitat wins on value and native HomeKit depth. Here's the detailed breakdown.
Homey Pro
The most polished local hub available. Six built-in radios — including IR and 433 MHz for legacy device control — a 4.6-star app, and an intuitive Flows automation builder. Works with Alexa, Google, and HomeKit simultaneously. Best for users who value app quality and maximum protocol coverage.
Hubitat Elevation C-8 Pro
Delivers 80% of Homey Pro's capability at less than half the price. Five built-in radios (no IR/433 MHz), a steeper learning curve, and a less polished app — but native HomeKit support, rock-solid reliability, and exceptional value for money make it the go-to for budget-conscious power users.
Spec comparison
Head-to-Head
Detailed breakdown
What Each Hub Does Best
Homey Pro — Strengths
Best-in-class app and automation UI
A 4.6-star app with a visual home overview and the Flows drag-and-drop automation builder. Creating multi-condition automations feels effortless compared to any competing hub.
IR blaster for TV and AC control
Built-in infrared lets you control legacy TVs, air conditioners, and AV equipment directly — no additional hardware required.
433 MHz radio for legacy RF devices
Older RF-based sensors, gate openers, and weather stations running on 433 MHz connect natively — a protocol almost no other hub supports out of the box.
Supports 1,000+ devices simultaneously
Twice Hubitat's device ceiling, making Homey Pro the right choice for large homes or sprawling smart home installations.
Runs Alexa, Google, and HomeKit together
All three major voice platforms work simultaneously — rare for a non-ecosystem hub.
Cons
- $399 price point — the most expensive dedicated hub on the market
- Native HomeKit integration is less deep than Hubitat's Thread border router implementation
Hubitat C-8 Pro — Strengths
Exceptional value at $149.95
Delivers the core Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, and Matter stack for less than half of Homey Pro's price. Hard to beat for protocol coverage per dollar.
Native HomeKit as a Thread border router
The C-8 Pro bridges all paired Zigbee and Z-Wave devices into HomeKit automatically via Thread — a depth of integration Homey Pro cannot match.
Rock-solid reliability
The Hubitat community consistently reports years of stable operation with minimal maintenance. Automations fire reliably, even on large mesh networks.
All five radios, no dongles
Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, Matter, and Wi-Fi are all built-in. For users without IR or 433 MHz needs, there is no hardware gap vs Homey Pro.
Rule Machine for power users
Despite the steeper learning curve, Rule Machine is one of the most capable GUI-based automation engines available — if you invest the time to learn it.
Cons
- App rating 3.8 — noticeably less polished than Homey Pro
- No IR blaster — legacy TV and AC control requires additional hardware
- No 433 MHz radio — older RF devices are unsupported without a workaround
Our recommendation
Who Should Buy Each Hub?
Choose Homey Pro if…
You value the best app experience
Homey's visual interface and Flows automation builder are the most intuitive of any hub. If you want to enjoy using your hub daily, Homey Pro is the clear winner.
You have IR or 433 MHz devices
If you want to control your TV, air conditioner, or legacy RF devices from the same platform, Homey Pro is the only hub in this class that handles them natively.
Your home has more than 500 devices
Homey Pro supports 1,000+ devices — twice Hubitat's ceiling. For large installations or multi-property deployments, this matters.
You want maximum polish out of the box
Homey Pro requires less configuration to get a good result. The onboarding is guided, the app is beautiful, and fewer things need manual setup.
Choose Hubitat if…
Budget is your primary constraint
At $149.95 you get every major protocol built-in and a genuinely powerful automation engine. The $249 you save could go toward more smart devices.
You're deep in the Apple ecosystem
Hubitat's native HomeKit integration via Thread border router exposes every Zigbee and Z-Wave device to HomeKit automatically. Homey Pro's HomeKit support is more limited by comparison.
You don't need IR or 433 MHz
If all your devices speak Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, Matter, or Wi-Fi — the vast majority of modern smart home products — Hubitat covers everything Homey Pro covers at its core.
You want maximum automation power
Rule Machine, while complex, gives advanced users extremely granular control. If you want to learn it, Hubitat rewards the investment.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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