The Aeotec SmartThings Smart Home Hub integrates a variety of smart devices through the SmartThings ecosystem, supporting Z-Wave, Zigbee 3.0, Wi-Fi, Matter and Thread. It serves as the central hub for managing your smart home, enabling automations, voice assistant integration, and remote control of devices. With full Z-Wave compatibility, it’s ideal for users with Z-Wave devices like locks, sensors, and switches. The Hub supports local automation for many tasks and utilizes cloud-based for more advanced automation. The Hub can be integrated with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home. 

The Aeotec SmartThings Smart Home Hub 2 is a next-gen smart home hub that supports Matter, Zigbee 3.0, Wi-Fi, and Thread devices, all integrated into the SmartThings ecosystem. It specializes in local-first automation, meaning many automations can run offline, even without an internet connection. The Hub 2 features upgraded performance with more CPU and RAM and offers easy integration with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Bixby. Unlike the Smart Home Hub 1, the Hub 2 does not support Z-Wave compatibility.

The primary difference between the two hubs is the removal of Z-Wave support in Hub 2. Hub 2 also boasts upgraded hardware for better performance and more advanced local automation capabilities, which means it can operate more efficiently even when offline. If you're already invested in Z-Wave devices, Hub 2 may not be the best choice, as you would need to migrate to alternative solutions. However, for those building a future-focused smart home, Hub 2 offers a more robust and future-proof setup.