Joe TriesScene controllers and smart buttons compatible with Alexa
A smart button is only useful in Alexa if a press can start a routine, and not every button that connects to Alexa can do that. Zigbee buttons usually go through their maker's hub, which passes the press along to Alexa, so the hub is part of the price. Wi-Fi and Matter buttons skip the maker's hub, and the Thread ones need a Thread border router, which some Echo models include.
- Compatible, in our catalog
- 15 of 27 scene controllers
- Work without any hub
- 4 of 15
- Need a hub first
- 7 of 15
- Price range
- $6 to $75
Check these before you buy
- Before you buy, check that the button appears as a routine trigger in the Alexa app, and which presses (single, double, long) it passes through.
- Buttons that go through a maker's hub and its cloud add a delay. For a light by the bed, the direct paths feel faster.
- Some in-wall controllers need a neutral wire and an electrician-level install. Battery buttons stick anywhere.
Connects directly 3
The maker built this connection to Alexa. Some of these still need the maker's own hub, and the line under each product says so.
Connects through Matter 5
These join Alexa through Matter, a shared standard, so no maker's cloud sits in the middle. The ones that use Thread also need a Thread border router, a radio built into some smart speakers and hubs.
Matter over Thread; needs a Thread border router (IKEA DIRIGERA, Apple/Google/SmartThings hub).
Matter over Thread; needs a Thread border router (IKEA DIRIGERA, Apple/Google/SmartThings hub).
Needs a Zigbee hub/coordinator
No hub needed.
Needs a Thread border router
Needs a hub first 7
These reach Alexa only through a hub, usually the maker's own. If you do not own that hub yet, add its price to the device's.
Requires an Aqara Zigbee hub.
Requires an Aqara Zigbee 3.0 hub
Works over Bluetooth standalone; a Shelly BLU Gateway adds network/cloud and ecosystem access.
Needs a Zigbee hub/coordinator
Needs a Zigbee hub/coordinator
Works over Bluetooth with the SwitchBot app; a SwitchBot Hub adds remote access plus Matter/Alexa/Google/HomeKit.
Needs a Zigbee hub/coordinator
Not on this list?
That does not mean it will not work with Alexa. It means we have not confirmed a path for it yet, and we add connections as we confirm them against the maker's documentation. How we check
Already own some gear? Check what works together