Alexa without a hub: which smart home devices connect
Updated
Plenty of smart devices work with Alexa with no extra hub: Wi-Fi gadgets, Matter devices and, on some Echo models, Zigbee gear. Here is what each needs and where a hub still helps.
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What “hub” means with Alexa
A hub is a box that speaks a device’s wireless language and relays it to the internet or to your voice assistant. With Alexa, some Echo devices (and some eero routers) already contain that hardware. Amazon’s developer documentation says that Echo and eero devices with a built-in smart home hub connect to and control Zigbee devices “so you don’t need a separate hub”, and that “the Echo device is the Matter administrator” that discovers and connects Matter devices locally. In practice, the question is not “do I need a hub?” but “does my Echo contain the right radio for this device?”
The four ways a device reaches Alexa
| Connection | What the device needs | Extra hardware? |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi device with a maker add-on | 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and the maker’s app; you link the account in the Alexa app | No |
| Matter over Wi-Fi | A Matter-enabled Echo or eero; a QR or numeric setup code | No |
| Zigbee (lights, plugs, switches, locks) | An Echo or eero with a built-in Zigbee hub | No, if your model has one |
| Matter over Thread | A Thread border router, which some Echo and eero models include | Only if your Echo is not a border router |
| Z-Wave | A Z-Wave hub with an Alexa integration | Yes |
Wi-Fi devices and maker add-ons
This is the oldest and widest route. You install the device with its own app, then enable the maker’s integration in the Alexa app and link your account. Amazon now calls these integrations “smart home add-ons” (they used to be called skills), and existing ones keep working. Control usually runs through the maker’s cloud, so commands travel to the internet and back. That is fine for a lamp and less fine for a lock if your internet is flaky. See our guide to what still works when the internet is down.
Matter: the no-hub route for new devices
Matter devices connect to Alexa locally. Amazon says most recent Echo models and a range of eero routers support Matter over Wi-Fi and Matter over Thread, with setup done over Bluetooth Low Energy from the Alexa app. Alexa’s Matter categories include lights, plugs, buttons, sensors, locks, window coverings, thermostats, fans, air purifiers and some appliances. Amazon updates its category list, so treat any list on a store page as a snapshot. For the basics of the standard, read what Matter is; for model details see Alexa and Matter: which Echo devices support it.
Zigbee without a separate hub
Some Echo and eero models include a Zigbee radio. Amazon’s page lists the supported device types as in-wall switches, plugs and outlets, light bulbs and locks, on Zigbee 1.2 and 3.0 at 2.4 GHz, with a stated range of 50 to 100 feet. If you want to add something else, such as a contact sensor or a leak sensor, confirm in the Alexa app that your Echo offers it before you buy. Zigbee shares the 2.4 GHz band with Wi-Fi, so if devices drop out, read about Zigbee and Wi-Fi interference.
Check what your own Echo can do
- Find the model name. It is printed on the base label and shown in the Alexa app’s device settings.
- Compare it with Amazon’s lists for Matter, Thread border router and Zigbee. The lists name product lines and generations, and they change as Amazon adds models.
- Run a trial. In the Alexa app, start adding a device. If Zigbee or Matter is not offered as an option, the Echo you are using does not support it.
- Count your Echo devices. A single Echo with a Zigbee radio may be far from a bulb in a back bedroom. Mains-powered Zigbee bulbs and plugs extend the mesh for each other, but placement still matters.
When you still want a hub
- Z-Wave devices. The radios Amazon lists for Echo are Wi-Fi, Thread and Zigbee. Z-Wave needs its own hub (see Z-Wave explained).
- Dozens of battery sensors. A dedicated hub gives you more control over the network than an Echo that is also your kitchen speaker.
- Local automations that must survive outages. A hub that runs the rules itself keeps working when the cloud does not.
- Device types an Echo does not expose. If the Alexa app does not offer the type, a hub that bridges it to Matter may help.
If you are still deciding whether you need one at all, start with Do I need a smart home hub?
Shop by need
Wi-Fi plugs and bulbs only
What to look for: 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi support, a maker app with an Alexa integration, and a Matter logo if you want local control later
Typical price: $10–$25
See options on AmazonAdding new devices with local control
What to look for: Matter logo on the box, support for Matter over Wi-Fi or Thread, a QR setup code
Typical price: $12–$40
See options on AmazonZigbee bulbs on an Echo with a built-in hub
What to look for: Zigbee 3.0, a Works with Alexa listing, an Echo model that lists a Zigbee hub
Typical price: $10–$25
See options on AmazonZ-Wave devices at home
What to look for: a Z-Wave hub with an Alexa integration, local automations, a backup power option
Typical price: $40–$150
See options on AmazonFrequently asked questions
Do I need a hub for Alexa smart plugs?
Not for Wi-Fi plugs: they connect through the maker’s app and an add-on you enable in the Alexa app. Matter plugs need a Matter-enabled Echo or eero rather than a separate hub.
Which Echo devices have a Zigbee hub built in?
Only some models do. Amazon publishes a list of Echo and eero devices with a built-in Zigbee hub; compare the list with your model name before buying Zigbee devices.
Does Alexa work with Z-Wave devices without a hub?
No. The radios Amazon lists for Echo are Wi-Fi, Thread and Zigbee, so Z-Wave devices need a Z-Wave hub that integrates with Alexa.
Will my devices keep working if the internet goes down?
Matter devices controlled locally by an Echo can keep responding. Devices that depend on a maker’s cloud add-on stop responding to Alexa until the internet returns, though many still work from their own app or buttons on the local network.