The Wink Hub 2 lets you have it all without any of the hard work. It’s easy to install and incredibly versatile, supporting Bluetooth LE, Z-Wave, ZigBee, IFTTT, Kidde, and Lutron Clear Connect protocols to name a few (check out the full list of devices). It also works with Alexa, so you can use voice commands to do just about anything.

The Wink Hub 2 app, which is free for Android and iOS, boasts a simple interface with well-organized information, easy-to-follow instructions, and big icons for user-friendly navigation. It also comes with powerful dual-band Wi-Fi and Ethernet connection. Although some users have reported latency and connectivity issues, we still believe you get a lot with the Wink Hub 2 at a generous price point. The only downside with the Wink Hub 2 is the lack of a USB port, limiting the number of devices you can connect.

Remotes have always signified control. And with the Logitech Harmony Elite, you’ll be able to control everything from small appliances to your entire entertainment system with a tap of your finger. The remote’s color touchscreen interface and simple navigation make it incredibly sleek and easy to use.

What really sets the Logitech Harmony Elite apart is how easy it makes using your entertainment system. You can watch a movie, turn off the lights, and adjust the temperature all from your seat. Toggling between smart home devices and your entertainment system has never been this simple. And for functions that don’t work on the remote, you can use the app, available for Android and iOS.

About the only thing you can’t do with this remote is give voice commands, unless you connect it to Alexa. It also comes with wide device compatibility so you can customize your home for function and fun.

The Amazon Echo has one very powerful tool: Alexa. This voice recognition system is not only excellent at picking up your voice, but it can also learn twenty-five phrases and thousands of skills—and it’s only getting smarter.

Like other automation hubs, the Amazon Echo can help you manage all your smart features and devices, but Alexa’s technology is what really makes it stand out. The Echo is equipped with seven microphones that use noise cancellation and far-field voice recognition, so Alexa can hear you from just about anywhere.

The Echo doesn’t just make your home smarter—you can also use it to play music, order food, read the news, and much more. To see all the tasks the Echo can help you accomplish, check out the full list of capabilities.

Siblings tend to imitate each other. So it’s no surprise that the Amazon Echo Dot—the smaller and less powerful sibling of the Amazon Echo—has a lot of the same functionality as its larger sibling.

Like the Amazon Echo, the Echo Dot gives you access to all of Alexa’s skills and features, and it’s compatible with similar devices. That means Alexa can order products online, play music, and answer your questions, among other functions. But the Echo Dot has one thing that other Amazon speakers lack: it connects to existing speakers in your house. So your speakers become an extension of Alexa.

The one thing that the Echo Dot lacks is a strong microphone. Users report that the Echo Dot can’t always hear them over TV or music playing in the background. But even with this limitation, at less than half the price of the Amazon Echo, it’s a great budget-friendly option.

Googling is part of day-to-day life. And with the Google Home, you’ll have the intelligence of Google’s algorithm at your beck and call. Google’s voice assistant is smart, quick, and surprisingly funny. The Home combines home automation functionality with a personal assistant, so you can give voice commands to control everything, including your lights, locks, small appliances, and TV.

The one shortcoming of the Google Home is that it doesn’t work with as many devices and protocols as other home automation hubs, but it’s growing fast and has many more good things to come.

The Home has recently added new integration capabilities and multiple user accounts, giving other, more established, home automation hubs on this list some serious competition. Another cool thing about Google Home is that it gets to know you on a very personal level through your Google searches, Google calendar, and Gmail. This personalization makes it easier for it to understand what you mean when you ask a question.

Like its frenemy the Amazon Echo Dot, the Google Home lets you group speakers to play the same song throughout your entire house. Perhaps the most surprising part of all is how affordable the Google Home is compared to similar products on the market.

What it lacks in looks, the Samsung SmartThings Hub makes up in brains. It’s impressively one of the most versatile home automation hubs on the market, and it integrates with just about everything, including ZigBee, Z-Wave, IFTTT technologies, Alexa, and many more devices. It’s also equipped with USB ports and Bluetooth capabilities.

But what really makes the integration between devices stand out is being able to link them together. For example, you can have your lights turn on and your thermostat adjust based on your location. And that’s just the beginning. If you have a programming background, you can take a stab at integrating devices that aren’t official partners of Samsung. In fact, there’s a whole community of people sharing their projects and experiences with integrating devices in different and innovative ways. All that is pretty cool—if you know what you’re doing. But if you’re going to go the third-party configuration route, it won’t necessarily be easy. You might end up needing to play around with the code and purchase additional equipment.

If you love Apple products, you’ll probably want to add the Apple HomeKit to your collection. This home automation hub lets you control your lights, thermostat, locks, and much more through a variety of devices.

To keep things simple, you can create scenes, enabling multiple devices to work in combination from a single command. For example, if you’re going to bed, you can set a scene that will turn off the lights, lock the doors, and adjust your thermostat accordingly. And, of course, the HomeKit wouldn’t be complete without Siri. Like Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant, Siri will answer your questions, follow commands, set reminders, and more.

The one drawback of the Apple HomeKit is an all-familiar one with Apple products—it doesn’t play well with others. Apple has strict rules such as requiring developers to purchase a license and hardware to have an encryption coprocessor. But for most Apple users, the company’s security measures are something they’re familiar with and have even come to appreciate.