Updated November 2026
Data from the official Arlo and Nabu Casa sites.
2026 verdict
Home Assistant Green wins this comparison as a smart home hub in every meaningful sense, unifying devices from hundreds of brands under one local dashboard and working with Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings and, of course, Home Assistant itself, with power-user extras like ONVIF, RTSP, Node-RED and Tailscale. Owners rate it highly, and its automations run locally with no mandatory cloud. The Arlo Pro SmartHub is cheaper and wins on connectivity, since it offers 2.4GHz Wi-Fi as well as Ethernet where Home Assistant Green is Ethernet only, but its job is narrow: it is the base station for Arlo cameras, adding faster response, better range, 2K live streaming on Essential and Ultra models and USB recording. Neither has radios on board out of the box, Home Assistant Green needs the Connect ZBT-1 dongle for Zigbee, Thread and Matter-over-Thread, and the Arlo hub has no smart home protocols at all. Choose Home Assistant Green to run your whole home locally, and the Arlo Pro SmartHub purely as Arlo camera hardware.
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| Feature | Arlo Pro SmartHub | Home Assistant Green | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 | $219.00 | Arlo Pro SmartHub |
| Rating | 4.0 | 4.4 | Home Assistant Green |
| Connectivity | 2.4 GHz WiFi, Ethernet | Ethernet | Arlo Pro SmartHub |
| Protocols | None | Zigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Third-Party Devices | Home Assistant Green |
| No Subscription Required | NO | YES | Home Assistant Green |
| Integrations | Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant | Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant | Tie |
$99.99
- + Price: $99.99
- + Connectivity: 2.4 GHz WiFi, Ethernet
- - Rating: 4.0 vs 4.4
- - Protocols: None vs Zigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Third-Party Devices
Winner
$219.00
- + Rating: 4.4
- + Protocols: Zigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Third-Party Devices
- + No Subscription Required: YES
- - Price: $219.00 vs $99.99
- - Connectivity: Ethernet vs 2.4 GHz WiFi, Ethernet
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better overall: Arlo Pro SmartHub or Home Assistant Green?
Home Assistant Green wins overall. It is a real smart home hub that unifies hundreds of brands locally, integrates with HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa and SmartThings, and offers ONVIF, RTSP, Node-RED and Tailscale. The Arlo Pro SmartHub is cheaper and has Wi-Fi, but it only supports Arlo cameras.
What is the biggest difference between the Arlo Pro SmartHub and Home Assistant Green?
Openness. Home Assistant Green runs the Home Assistant platform, so it talks to devices from hundreds of manufacturers and keeps automations local and private. The Arlo Pro SmartHub is a closed camera base station with no smart home protocols and no third-party device support.
Does Home Assistant Green support Zigbee, Thread and Matter out of the box?
Not out of the box. Home Assistant Green needs a separate USB radio, such as the Connect ZBT-2, to act as a Zigbee coordinator or a Thread border router. It is also Ethernet only, with no built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so plan for a network cable and a USB radio.
Can Home Assistant Green manage cameras?
Yes, and more openly than the Arlo hub. Home Assistant Green supports ONVIF and RTSP, so it can pull in standards-based cameras from many brands and record or automate on them locally. The Arlo Pro SmartHub only works with Arlo cameras, and Arlo's own event recording still requires a subscription.
Who should buy Home Assistant Green?
Buy Home Assistant Green if you want local control, privacy and one dashboard across brands, and you are willing to climb the Home Assistant learning curve. It is silent, tiny and ready to run, and it opens up Node-RED, Tailscale and a huge add-on community, though remote access usually wants a Home Assistant Cloud subscription.
Who should buy the Arlo Pro SmartHub?
Buy the Arlo Pro SmartHub only if you own Arlo cameras and want the faster response, longer range, 2K live streaming and local USB recording it enables. It offers Wi-Fi as well as Ethernet, which Home Assistant Green does not, but it cannot control any other kind of smart home device.
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Compare all 32 Hubs side by side
You are looking at two of them. The full table lines up all Hubs in the catalog with the same specs, so you can filter by what you need and sort by price or rating.
- 32 Hubs
- 40 specs compared
- 37 filters
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Home Security System (3-Sensor Kit)
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- Cameras
Essential 2K (3rd Gen)
- Cameras
Essential 2K Wired (2025)
- Cameras
Essential 2K (2nd Gen)
- Cameras
Essential HD (2nd Gen)
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Essential Indoor 2K (3rd Gen)
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Essential Indoor 2K (2nd Gen)
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Essential Indoor HD (2nd Gen)
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Essential Pan Tilt (Outdoor)
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Essential Pan Tilt
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Essential Solar Security Camera
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Essential XL 2K (3rd Gen)
- Cameras
Essential XL 2K (2nd Gen)
- Cameras
Essential XL HD (2nd Gen)
- Cameras
Go 2
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Pro 3 Floodlight
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Pro 5S 2K
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Pro 6 XL
