Wink Alternative Replacements 2020
Wink users who have long enjoyed free service, have been given an ultimatum to either start paying a monthly fee as of May 13th or lose access to their smart home system. Understandably this has left many users feeling angry, frustrated or worse. The company stated that this change is necessary to keep the Wink service running. Some users may choose to pay this monthly fee but based on posts being made to Twitter and Reddit, many users are looking for a Wink Alternative. For those looking for a Wink replacement we offer a comparison of some of the most popular hubs in 2020.
Vera
There are currently three different versions of the Vera smart hub: VeraEdge which supports ZWave devices. VeraPlus which supports ZWave Plus and Zigbee Devices, and VeraSecure which supports ZWave Plus, Zigbee and 2Gig sensors as well. These reasonably priced hubs are known for an extensive list of supported devices, free cloud service and free smart phone apps. Vera hubs also work with Amazon Alexa and Google Home voice assistants and offer powerful scheduling, programming and integrations. The VeraSecure takes it a step further by adding alarm functionality so it can be armed and disarmed. It’s the only smart hub that supports true alarm sensors from 2Gig.
Ezlo Atom or Plug Hub
The Ezlo Atom is a low cost device from Ezlo, the parent company of Vera – plugs in to any powered USB port and supports ZWave devices. It’s aimed at condo and apartment users and smaller installations.
SmartThings
The Samsung SmartThings Hub supports both ZWave and Zigbee devices and is well known for its ease of set-up and use. A wide range of SmartThings branded sensors, buttons and plugs are available for automation that just works. SmartThings supports Google Home and Amazon Alexa and includes a free cloud service and free apps.
Hometroller
Homeseer’s Hometroller smart home hub supports ZWave natively and supports a number of other integrations through free and paid plug-ins that make for a powerful smart home. Homeseer stores all programming and device information on the hub so it can run completely cloud free. But it also offers a cloud service and apps.
More Information
The Wink Hub has been well loved but has had a rocky history with a near bankruptcy and a new monthly service fee. For more information on these Wink hub alternatives, check out our Smart Hub comparison and Home Automation guides.
Feel free to reach out to us if we can help with some advice.
