Updated October 2026
Data from the official Nabu Casa and YoLink sites.
2026 verdict
Two niche hubs, one clear winner for long-range coverage on a budget: the YoLink Hub.
The YoLink Hub generates its own 923.3 MHz LoRa network, so its sensors hold a link hundreds of feet away, through walls and outbuildings, and it is by far the cheaper of the two, better rated, and backed by a two year warranty, with an ethernet or 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection. The Home Assistant Green is the more capable platform: an open, local system that unifies many brands, acts as a Matter controller, adds Zigbee and Thread by dongle, and reaches Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa and SmartThings. Pick the YoLink Hub if your real problem is sensors that must talk across distance and you want the lowest cost, and the Home Assistant Green if you want one private system to run a mixed-brand home.
News by email
Still comparing? Get what's new by email
New releases and the smart home news worth knowing, in your inbox.
No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.
| Feature | Home Assistant Green | YoLink Hub | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $219.00 | $23.59 | YoLink Hub |
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.5 | YoLink Hub |
| Connectivity | Ethernet | 2.4 GHz WiFi, Ethernet | YoLink Hub |
| Protocols | Zigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Third-Party Devices | None | Home Assistant Green |
| Integrations | Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant | Google Home, Alexa, Home Assistant | Home Assistant Green |
What the differences mean
What it controls
The YoLink Hub runs YoLink's own LoRa network and hosts only YoLink sensors and devices. The Home Assistant Green is an open platform that unifies devices from hundreds of brands under one local dashboard.
Range
The YoLink Hub is built for distance, with owners reporting links across hundreds of feet and through metal freezers and outbuildings. The Home Assistant Green has no radio of its own and depends on whatever dongle you add, so its range is a matter of the radio and repeaters you supply.
Protocols
The Home Assistant Green acts as a Matter controller and gains Zigbee and Thread with a USB radio. The YoLink Hub has no Matter, Zigbee, Thread, Z-Wave or Bluetooth at all, only its 923.3 MHz LoRa network.
Platform reach
The Home Assistant Green integrates with Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings and Home Assistant. The YoLink Hub works with Alexa, Google Home and Home Assistant, with no Apple Home or SmartThings path.
Connection and power
The Home Assistant Green is Ethernet-only with no built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The YoLink Hub accepts Ethernet or 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, though it has no 5 GHz and no Power over Ethernet and needs its own USB supply.
Which one to buy if
- your sensors are far from the house
The YoLink Hub's LoRa network reaches hundreds of feet through walls and outbuildings where Wi-Fi and Zigbee give up.
- you want one open, local system for many brands
The Home Assistant Green unifies devices from dozens of brands locally and adds Zigbee, Thread and Matter by radio or dongle.
- you run Apple Home or SmartThings
The Home Assistant Green integrates with both, while the YoLink Hub supports only Alexa, Google Home and Home Assistant.
- you want the lowest-cost hub for a large sensor network
The YoLink Hub is the far cheaper of the two, its own testing put a single unit at 180 devices, and it carries a two year warranty.
$219.00
- + Protocols: Zigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Third-Party Devices
- + Integrations: Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant
- - Price: $219.00 vs $23.59
- - Rating: 4.4 vs 4.5
Winner
21% OFF
$23.59
$29.99
- + Price: $23.59
- + Rating: 4.5
- + Connectivity: 2.4 GHz WiFi, Ethernet
- - Protocols: None vs Zigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Third-Party Devices
- - Integrations: Google Home, Alexa, Home Assistant vs Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant
What owners say
Owners of these two devices rarely overlap, but each group praises its own kind of reach. YoLink Hub owners lead with distance, describing sensor links that hold hundreds of feet away, through metal freezers and detached buildings, and they call the QR-code setup a few minutes of work, with a hub cheap enough that some keep a spare. Home Assistant Green owners lead with openness, describing finally getting Lutron, Hue, Shelly, cameras and voice assistants into one dashboard, and they value the local, private automations that Alexa and Google alone cannot do, plus a hardware setup that is genuinely plug-and-play. The criticisms differ too. YoLink owners dislike that control and alerts stop without the internet and report some units that will not reconnect. Home Assistant Green owners warn about the software learning curve, the Ethernet-only placement, and needing a dongle plus likely a cloud subscription for easy remote access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better overall: Home Assistant Green or YoLink Hub?
They solve different problems. The Home Assistant Green is the more capable platform, unifying many brands locally with Matter, Zigbee and Thread support. The YoLink Hub is the long-range, low-cost specialist, reaching sensors across hundreds of feet but limited to YoLink's own devices and the cloud.
What is the biggest difference between the Home Assistant Green and the YoLink Hub?
Openness versus range. The Home Assistant Green is an open system for many brands with local control, while the YoLink Hub runs one proprietary LoRa network built purely for distance through walls and outbuildings.
Do both work with Apple Home?
Only the Home Assistant Green does, and it also reaches Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings and Home Assistant. The YoLink Hub supports Alexa, Google Home and Home Assistant but not Apple Home or SmartThings.
Which one needs a dongle?
The Home Assistant Green. It has no built-in Zigbee, Thread or Bluetooth, so those need a USB radio such as the Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2. The YoLink Hub needs no dongle, but only talks to YoLink devices.
Who should buy the Home Assistant Green?
A privacy-minded owner of a mixed-brand smart home who wants one local system with cameras, Node-RED and remote access options, and is ready to learn the software.
Who should buy the YoLink Hub?
A large property or outbuilding where sensors must reach far through walls, on a tight budget, in an Alexa, Google Home or Home Assistant setup, with cloud dependence accepted.
Our store on AmazonShop our ideas on AmazonLists of the smart home setups we would put together ourselves, ready to add to your Amazon cart.Shop on AmazonFull comparison table
Compare all 31 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.
- 31 Hubs
- 38 specs compared
- 35 filters
- Hubs
Caseta Smart Hub
- Hubs
Bridge Max
- Hubs
Hue Bridge
- Hubs
Hub
- Hubs
Hue Bridge Pro
- Hubs
Tapo H500
- Hubs
Smart Home controller II
- Hubs
Home Assistant Green
- Hubs
Tapo H100
- Hubs
Zigbee Bridge Ultra
- Hubs
SBS50 Base Station
- Hubs
Smart Wi-Fi Hub MSH400HK
- Hubs
SwitchBot Hub 2
- Hubs
Hub Mini
- Hubs
Tapo H200
- Hubs
Hub M2
- Hubs
Hub M3
- Hubs
Smart Wi-Fi Hub MSH450
- Hubs
Pro SmartHub
- Hubs
Zigbee Bridge Pro
- Cameras
Uno
- Door & Window Sensors
LoRa Smart Outdoor Contact Sensor
- Door & Window Sensors
Solar Outdoor Door Sensor
- Hubs
Hub
- Motion Sensors
Indoor Motion Sensor RT
- Motion Sensors
LoRa 1/4 Mile Motion Sensor
- Plugs
Mini Plug
- Plugs
Smart Outdoor Energy Plug
- Smoke & CO Detectors
Photoelectric Smoke Alarm
- Temperature & Humidity Sensors
Smart Wireless Thermometer Hygrometer
- Water Leak Sensors
Water Leak Sensor 1
- Water Leak Sensors
Water Leak Sensor 4
- Water Shutoff Valves
FlowSmart All-in-One Water Meter & Shutoff
- Water Shutoff Valves
Valve Controller 2 with EVO Valve Operator
- Water Timers
Smart Sprinkler Timer