SmartThings is Samsung’s smart home platform, tying together lights, locks, sensors and appliances from hundreds of brands in one app with powerful automations.
SmartThings works as both an app and a hub platform: many Samsung TVs, appliances and the Aeotec Smart Home Hub act as hubs that speak Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread and Matter, controlling devices from brands like Philips Hue, Yale, ecobee, Arlo and Ring alongside Samsung’s own Bespoke appliances. Its routines engine automates the home based on presence, time, sensors and device states, and SmartThings Find helps track Galaxy devices and tags. For most users the app alone — with a TV or hub they already own — is the control center.
SmartThings also has a capable enthusiast side: Edge drivers let automations run locally on the hub, so lights and sensors respond in milliseconds and keep working when the internet drops. The platform integrates with Home Assistant for users who eventually outgrow it, and SmartThings Energy can warn you when an appliance is drawing abnormal power.
The SmartThings app and platform are free to use, including automations. If you need a hub, the Aeotec Smart Home Hub costs about $149.99, and many Samsung TVs and Family Hub refrigerators include hub functionality at no extra cost. There is no subscription for core features.
Samsung households and anyone who wants one mainstream platform to unify mixed-brand devices — without the tinkering that enthusiast systems require. If you already own a recent Samsung TV, you may be able to start without buying any hub hardware at all.