Hubitat Elevation C-8 Smart Home Hub - Works with Alexa, Google Home & Apple HomeKit | Zigbee & Z-Wave Compatible | Aqara Integration | Perfect for Home Automation & Smart Device Control

As someone who has been using Samsung Smartthings for 6 years, I must say that transitioning to Hubitat has been a game-changer for me. It feels like I have entered into the future of home automation! The ability to execute everything locally is simply astounding.The hub is an impressive tiny device offering advanced automation capabilities without the need for Webcore. The built-in "Rule Machine" allows for a smooth and effortless user experience once you get familiar with it. A huge setback would be that there can be a huge learning curve if you are new to home automation. You can however use the community forum to learn or go on YouTube.Another big concern is the user interface as it may not be the most intuitive or user-friendly, but it's not a significant issue once you've set everything up. I'm confident that the developers are actively working on improving the UI, but for now, it's a minor concern that doesn't detract from the overall functionality of the platform. To me, Hubitat's local execution alone is worth the upgrade as it ensures an instant and smooth experience. I'm truly impressed by how much faster my lights, garage, and other smart devices operate now.In my opinion, one of the most notable advantages of Hubitat is its ability to seamlessly integrate with Siri shortcuts. By utilizing the "Cloud endpoint" feature of Hubitat Rule Machine, my family and friends can now open the garage simply by issuing a voice command through Siri. This was previously impossible with SmartThings, as Webcore was removed, and even when it was available, the process was slow and unreliable on their platform. By leveraging Shortcuts, I can share garage door access without granting full access to all my devices on HomeKit.Furthermore, apart from using the Shortcut app on my iPhone, I have also set up a Virtual Shade device in Hubitat and integrated it with the HomeKit app. Since HomeKit doesn't support native Garage Door functionality, I created a virtual device that mirrors the actual garage door. (For this you will need the “Hubitat Package Manager” App and then install “Switch Bindings” by @joelwetzel) This enables me to open the garage using my voice and send commands through Apple TV, Macbook, and the iPhone Home app. If anyone is interested, I have included pictures of my settings for reference. They have proven to be quite impressive!2024 quick Update & thoughts - I originally posted the above review on April 4, 2023. Since then, here’s what changed, HomeKit now supports native garage functionality so my review is a bit dated. Hubitat continuously puts out updates making the hub better and better. I still love and recommend everyone to get this device. It just works, seriously never fails, no reboots nothing.. it just works, I struggled so much with smart things.I have since then gotten better at using this system so maybe I will update my review when I get the chance with more information.