Resources & Recommended Tools

A curated list of the smart home devices, software tools, and productivity apps we actually use and recommend.

Our Recommendations

This is a curated list of tools, devices, and resources we actually use and recommend. We only include things we've tested in our own home and workflows. Nothing makes this list unless we'd recommend it to a friend.

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means we earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. This helps support the site while keeping our recommendations honest.

Smart Home Essentials

Hubs & Platforms

  • Home Assistant (Free, self-hosted) — The most powerful smart home platform. Best for users who want maximum control and local processing. Steeper learning curve but incredibly capable.
  • Amazon Echo / Alexa ($30–$100) — Widest device compatibility and best voice assistant for smart home control. Great starting point.
  • Apple HomePod Mini ($99) — Best for all-Apple households. Seamless integration with HomeKit devices and Siri.
  • Google Nest Hub ($80–$100) — Excellent display-based hub with Google Assistant. Great for kitchen or nightstand use.

Lighting

  • Philips Hue Starter Kit ($70–$130) — The gold standard for smart lighting. Reliable, huge ecosystem, works with everything.
  • Lutron Caseta ($60–$80 per switch) — Best smart switches for replacing existing light switches. Ultra-reliable.
  • Govee LED Strips ($15–$40) — Affordable accent lighting with great app control and Alexa/Google support.

Climate

  • Ecobee Smart Thermostat ($170–$250) — Our top pick. Built-in Alexa, room sensors, and excellent energy-saving automations.
  • Google Nest Thermostat ($130) — More affordable with a clean design and solid energy features.

Security

  • Ring Video Doorbell ($100–$250) — Easy setup, reliable notifications, and good Alexa integration.
  • Arlo Pro Cameras ($130–$200 per camera) — Wire-free, excellent video quality, works across ecosystems.
  • Wyze Cam ($20–$35) — Incredible value for indoor cameras. Great picture quality at a fraction of the price.

Other Essentials

  • Aqara Door/Window Sensors ($15 each) — Affordable Zigbee sensors that work with Home Assistant, Alexa, and HomeKit.
  • Smart Plugs (TP-Link Kasa) ($10–$15 each) — The easiest entry point to smart home automation.

Read our full Smart Home guide →

Software Automation Tools

Workflow Builders

  • Zapier (Free tier available, paid from $20/mo) — Easiest to learn, largest app library. Best for beginners who need multi-step automations.
  • Make (formerly Integromat) (Free tier available, paid from $9/mo) — More flexible than Zapier with a visual workflow builder. Better value for complex automations.
  • n8n (Free, self-hosted) — Open-source alternative with no limits on workflows. Requires some technical setup.
  • IFTTT (Free tier available) — Simplest automation tool. Great for single-step "if this, then that" rules.

Mobile Automation

  • Apple Shortcuts (Free, built into iOS/macOS) — Powerful automation for Apple devices. Can trigger based on time, location, and more.
  • Tasker ($3.49, Android) — The most powerful Android automation app. Steeper learning curve but incredibly capable.

Productivity Automation

  • Google Apps Script (Free) — Automate Google Sheets, Gmail, Calendar, and Drive with simple scripts.
  • Hazel ($42, Mac) — Automatic file organization on Mac. Set rules and watch your Downloads folder organize itself.

Read our full Software Automation guide →

Productivity & Family Apps

Calendars & Scheduling

  • Google Calendar (Free) — Best shared calendar for families. Works across all devices and integrates with automation tools.
  • Cozi (Free) — Purpose-built family organizer with shared calendar, to-do lists, and meal planning.

Meal Planning

  • Mealime (Free/Premium) — Generates meal plans with automatic grocery lists. Simple and effective.
  • Paprika ($5, one-time) — Recipe manager that scales ingredients and creates shopping lists.

Tasks & Chores

  • Todoist (Free/Premium) — Clean, powerful task manager with natural language input and automation integrations.
  • OurHome (Free) — Chore management app designed for families, with point rewards for kids.

Budgeting

  • YNAB (You Need A Budget) ($99/year) — The gold standard for proactive budgeting. Teaches you to assign every dollar a job.
  • Mint (Free) — Automatic transaction tracking and categorization. Great for passive budget monitoring.

All-in-One

  • Notion (Free for personal use) — Infinitely customizable workspace for notes, databases, wikis, and project management. We use it as our family command center.

Read our full Productivity guide →

Learning Resources

  • Home Assistant Documentation — home-assistant.io/docs — Official docs for the most powerful smart home platform.
  • Zapier Learn — zapier.com/learn — Free courses and tutorials on workflow automation.
  • Smart Home Solver (YouTube) — Excellent video guides for smart home beginners.
  • r/homeautomation (Reddit) — Active community for smart home tips and troubleshooting.
  • r/smarthome (Reddit) — Product recommendations and buyer advice.

Ready to Get Started?

If you're new here, head over to our Start Here page for a guided introduction based on your interests. And don't forget to join our newsletter — one actionable automation tip every Tuesday.