What is Matter? The Matter smart home standard explained

Updated October 12, 2026 · Sources are linked in each section · Editorial policy

Matter is an open smart home connectivity standard published by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the industry group formerly called the Zigbee Alliance (CSA). A device certified for Matter can be added to any platform that supports its device type, including Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant, without a separate hub for each brand.

Short answer

What is Matter, in short?

Matter is an open smart home standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). One certified device can be added to Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings, when the platform supports its device type, by scanning its Matter QR code (or typing its setup code) in the platform's app. Devices connect over Wi-Fi, Thread or Ethernet; you need your platform's Matter controller, plus a Thread border router for Thread devices. We list 690 Matter certified products with a verified US store link: 490 use Wi-Fi, 145 use Thread, 9 list both Thread and Wi-Fi, 22 list a wired Ethernet connection and 24 do not state a network.

What is a Matter smart home?

A Matter smart home is one whose devices use Matter, the open standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA). Each certified device can be added to Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa or Samsung SmartThings, when the platform supports its device type, and runs over Wi-Fi, Thread or Ethernet in your home. You need your platform's Matter controller; Thread devices also need a Thread border router. The CSA's ledger lists 12,615 certified product models (read October 19, 2026); we list 690 certified products you can buy in the US. By category, the most Matter products with a US store link are lighting (350), switches (117) and plugs (84).

Next: the Matter devices list (every certified device sold in the US, by category, platform and brand), Matter device categories, or the best Matter devices guide.

How we count: A certified model is a vendor ID and product ID pair with a certified compliance record on the CSA Distributed Compliance Ledger; we read the whole ledger on October 19, 2026, and listed MatterCatalog records carry the certificates of 1,866 of its models. A product is counted as certified here only when its product page shows a CSA certificate matched to its exact model, and as sold in the US when it has at least one verified US store link. A product that names no network on its own is counted in the totals only. Every number on this page is recomputed from our records each time the site is built. Source: CSA Distributed Compliance Ledger, read October 19, 2026. More numbers: Matter certification statistics.

The problem Matter solves

Before Matter, every smart home platform had its own way to connect devices. A bulb or lock might work with Alexa and Google Home but not Apple Home, or need its maker's own hub and app, so shoppers had to check compatibility charts for each purchase. Matter gives devices one common language, so the maker certifies once and the device can work with every platform that supports that kind of device.

The standard began in 2019 as Project CHIP (“Connected Home over IP”), backed by Amazon, Apple, Google and the CSA, and was renamed Matter in May 2021 (CSA announcement). Matter 1.0 was released on October 4, 2022 (CSA). The CSA's Matter Working Group plans two releases a year (CSA: Matter 1.2), plus smaller point releases; the newest release the CSA has announced is Matter 1.6, from June 2026 (CSA: Matter 1.6), and as of October 21, 2026, the CSA's specifications page also lists a Matter 1.6.1, which the CSA has not announced or described (CSA: Specification Downloads). Our Matter versions explainer lists what each release added.

How Matter works

Matter is an application standard: it defines how devices describe what they are and how they accept commands. It runs over networks that are already common in homes:

Wi-Fi

Plugged-in devices such as plugs, switches, bulbs and appliances, and devices that move more data, such as cameras. They join your router; no border router is needed.

Thread

A low-power mesh network for sensors, locks, buttons and some bulbs and plugs. Thread devices need a Thread border router in the home.

Ethernet

A wired connection, used mostly by hubs and bridges.

Bluetooth LE

Used by most devices only while you set them up, not for everyday control. Newer releases add setup over NFC or Wi-Fi alone.

Setup works the same way everywhere: you scan the device's Matter QR code, or type its numeric setup code, in your platform's app, and the app adds the device securely. Commands then travel over your home network rather than through each maker's cloud. Three different jobs are involved, and one box can do one, two or all three:

Matter controller: Adds and runs devices in your platform. Often a smart speaker, display, streaming box or hub you already own.
Thread border router: Connects Thread devices to your home network. Many controllers include one, but not all.
Bridge: Brings supported non-Matter devices, such as some Zigbee or Bluetooth accessories, into Matter.

Our hubs and bridges guide explains these roles, and Thread border routers explained lists which Apple, Google, Amazon and Samsung devices include a border router, according to their makers.

Thread or Wi-Fi: which Matter devices use which?

Both carry the same Matter commands. Wi-Fi devices join your router and need no extra box. Thread devices form a low-power mesh and need a Thread border router; that suits battery devices. In our catalog, fans (36 of 56), locks (35 of 47), sensors (22 of 31), blinds (6 of 9) and remotes & buttons (3 of 5) mostly use Thread, while lighting (243 of 289), switches (61 of 71), plugs (47 of 54), robot vacuums (49 of 52) and thermostats (14 of 14) mostly use Wi-Fi (certified products with a US store link). Matter Thread devices · Thread vs Wi-Fi, compared

Matter certified products with a verified US store link, by the network each record lists
Category	Certified	Thread	Wi-Fi	Other or not stated
Lighting	289	26	243	20
Switches	71	9	61	1
Fans	56	36	17	3
Plugs	54	7	47	0
Robot Vacuums	52	0	49	3
Locks	47	35	6	6
Hubs	32	0	12	20
Sensors	31	22	9	0
Thermostats	14	0	14	0
Air Purifiers	11	0	11	0
Other	10	0	10	0
Blinds	9	6	2	1
Climate	9	1	7	1
Remotes & Buttons	5	3	2	0
All categories	690	145	490	55

Other or not stated: 9 list both Thread and Wi-Fi, 22 list a wired Ethernet connection and 24 do not state a network.

One device, several platforms

Matter's multi-admin feature lets you add one device to more than one platform, for example a lock in both Apple Home and Google Home. You set the device up in one app, use that app's option to share it or turn on pairing mode, then add it in the second app with the new code. The specification requires certified devices to support at least five of these connections, called fabrics (explainer). Matter 1.4 made sharing to several platforms simpler, and Matter 1.6 added Joint Fabric, in which controllers you authorize share one Matter network (CSA: Matter 1.6).

What works with what

A certified Matter device can be added to any platform whose Matter controller supports its device type, without a separate hub from its maker. Of the 690 certified products we list with a US store link, 375 list Amazon Alexa, 359 Apple Home, 349 Google Home and 263 Samsung SmartThings. Each platform adds and runs devices through its own Matter controller, such as a HomePod or Apple TV, a Nest hub or an Echo (with iOS 18 or later, an iPhone can add Matter accessories without a home hub), and Thread devices also need a Thread border router.

Platform	What you need, from the platform's own pages	Certified products we list that list it
Apple Home	The Home app on iPhone. Apple: “If you have an iPhone using iOS 18 or later, you can add Matter accessories to and control Matter accessories from the Home app without a home hub.” It still recommends a home hub (HomePod or Apple TV), and “Thread-based accessories require a Thread-enabled home hub such as Apple TV 4K, HomePod (2nd generation), HomePod mini, or a compatible third-party Thread border router.” Source: Apple: Pair and manage your Matter accessories (read October 11, 2026).	359 of 690; the maker's own page names it for 98
Google Home	A Google hub. Google: “Before you can add Matter-enabled devices to Google Home, you need a Matter-enabled hub device set up on your home wireless network.” For Thread devices, a hub that also supports Thread: Google Home Speaker (2026), Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max, Nest Wifi Pro (Wi-Fi 6E) and Google TV Streamer (4K). Source: Google: Prepare your smart home for Matter (read October 11, 2026).	349 of 690; the maker's own page names it for 99
Amazon Alexa	A Matter-compatible Echo. Amazon says Echo devices support “a subset of Matter 1.5 and lower device types”. For Thread devices, an Echo or eero with a built-in Thread border router, such as the Echo (4th Gen) or Echo Hub. Source: Amazon: Matter support on Echo devices; Amazon: Thread border routers (checked October 1, 2026).	375 of 690; the maker's own page names it for 130
Samsung SmartThings	The SmartThings app. SmartThings says the latest SmartThings Hub, the SmartThings Station, Samsung TVs and Samsung Family Hub refrigerators have Thread border routers built in; check your exact model in the app. Source: SmartThings: everything you need to know about Matter (April 2023).	263 of 690; the maker's own page names it for 70

Counts: Matter certified products sold in the US with a verified store link. “Lists” means the product's record names the platform; we call it confirmed only when the maker's own page names it. Check that your platform supports the device type before you buy.

What Matter does not do

It does not put every feature in every app. A maker's own app often exposes settings that the Matter integration does not.
Platforms support different device types. Amazon, for example, says its Echo devices support “a subset of Matter 1.5 and lower device types” (Amazon developer documentation). Check that your platform lists the kind of device you want.
It does not make older devices Matter devices. Some get firmware updates; others can join only through a bridge that supports them.
A Matter logo on a listing is not proof for the exact model. Certification covers a specific product and software version. See how to verify Matter certification and certified vs compatible.

Which devices support Matter?

Matter 1.0 covered lights, plugs and switches, door locks, thermostats, blinds and shades, sensors, TVs and bridges. Later releases added robot vacuums, appliances, smoke and CO alarms, air purifiers and fans (1.2), EV chargers and water leak sensors (1.3), solar, batteries, heat pumps and water heaters (1.4), and cameras (1.5). The CSA keeps the official certified product database.

MatterCatalog lists 2,748 catalog records from the CSA registry and retailers: 1,115 Matter products sold in the US, plus reference records and products sold outside the US. 1,946 of the records have a CSA certificate matched to the record; each product page says which, so you can tell a certified model from a support claim.

690 Matter products with a verified US store link have a CSA certificate matched to their exact model, in 14 categories: see the list of Matter certified devices.

The whole catalog, with each record's certification answer, network and listed platforms, is free to download as CSV or JSON: MatterCatalog open data.

Matter devices list →Browse the full catalog Locks Lighting Plugs

Matter compared with Zigbee and Z-Wave

Feature	Matter	Zigbee	Z-Wave
Maintained by	The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), whose members develop it. Source: CSA: Matter	The CSA, which calls Zigbee its flagship technology; it announced Zigbee 4.0 on November 18, 2025. Source: CSA: Why Zigbee, CSA: Zigbee 4.0 announcement	The Z-Wave Alliance, which owns the Z-Wave trademark and specification. Source: Z-Wave Alliance
Radio	Runs over Wi-Fi, Thread or Ethernet; uses Bluetooth LE to set devices up. Source: CSA: Matter FAQ	IEEE 802.15.4 radio at 2.4 GHz worldwide, plus 915 MHz (Americas) and 868 MHz (Europe). Source: CSA: Zigbee FAQ	Sub-1 GHz, away from the 2.4 GHz band of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee: 908.42 MHz in the US and Canada. Source: Z-Wave Alliance: technology overview, Z-Wave Alliance: for consumers
Works across smart home platforms	Yes: with multi-admin, one device can join several platforms and apps. Source: CSA: Matter FAQ	Through a bridge: the CSA says Matter and Zigbee devices have no native interoperability. Source: CSA: Matter FAQ	Through a bridge: bridges let Z-Wave devices take part in a Matter platform. Source: CSA: Matter FAQ, Z-Wave Alliance: bridging Z-Wave and Matter
What it needs	A Matter controller in the home, such as one built into a smart speaker or hub (the CSA says it is needed for control away from home); Thread devices also need a Thread border router. Source: CSA: Matter FAQ, Thread Group: FAQ	A smart home bridge to work in a Matter platform; with Zigbee Direct, devices can be set up and controlled over Bluetooth LE without a hub. Source: CSA: Matter FAQ, CSA: Zigbee 4.0 announcement	A Z-Wave hub, gateway or controller, which routes your app’s commands to each device. Source: Z-Wave Alliance: for consumers

Working Zigbee and Z-Wave setups do not need replacing: the CSA says Matter supports bridges that let those devices take part in a Matter platform. Our Matter vs Zigbee vs Z-Wave guide compares them in detail, with the source of each fact (we read the standard owners’ pages on October 11, 2026); for Thread, see Matter vs Thread.

How to buy a Matter device

Pick your platform first. Check that Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or SmartThings supports the kind of device you want, and that you have its Matter controller. How to set up Matter
Check Thread or Wi-Fi. A Thread device needs a Thread border router at home; a Wi-Fi device does not. Each product page says which network its record lists. Which devices are Thread border routers
Check the certificate for the exact model. A Matter logo on a store listing is not proof. Each product page shows whether a CSA certificate is matched to that model. How to verify Matter certification
Compare the US stores. Product pages link the US store listings we matched to the exact model. Check the pack size, region and setup notes before you buy. Browse the catalog

How to set up a Matter device

Check that your platform has a Matter controller, and a Thread border router if the device uses Thread.
Find the setup code: a QR code or numeric code on the device, its packaging or its manual. Keep it; you need it to reset or re-add the device.
In your platform's app, choose to add a device, then scan or type the code. Keep Bluetooth on; most devices use it during setup.
Name the device and choose its room. To use it in a second platform, share it from the first app.

Our setup guide has the steps for Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa and SmartThings, and the Matter FAQ answers common questions.

Frequently asked questions

Is Matter free to use?

We found no Matter fee or subscription for buyers: none of the official pages we read (the CSA's, Apple's, Google's and Samsung's) mentions one. Matter is an open standard, which the CSA says its members develop with an open-source approach. What you pay for is the device and, if you do not have one, a Matter controller such as a smart speaker or hub.

Do my existing smart home devices support Matter?

Some do after a firmware update, and some can join through a bridge, such as a hub that exposes its own accessories to Matter. Others never will. Check the manufacturer’s documentation for your exact model.

Does Matter work without internet?

Matter devices are controlled over your home network rather than through each maker’s cloud, so control inside the home does not depend on the maker’s servers. Remote access from outside the home, and many voice assistant features, still depend on your platform’s cloud service.

What's the difference between Matter and Thread?

Thread is a network, like Wi-Fi. Matter is the application standard that runs on top of Thread, Wi-Fi or Ethernet and defines how devices describe themselves and accept commands. A Matter device can use Thread, but not every Thread device uses Matter.

Which Matter devices work with Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa?

Do I need a hub for Matter devices?

You need your platform's Matter controller, which is often a smart speaker, display, streaming box or hub you already own; Apple says an iPhone with iOS 18 or later can add Matter accessories to the Home app without a home hub. Wi-Fi devices need nothing else. Thread devices also need a Thread border router; we list 14 products whose maker or platform owner says they are one.

What is a Matter smart home?

How many Matter smart home devices are there?

The CSA's ledger lists 12,615 certified Matter product models from 483 companies (read October 19, 2026). MatterCatalog lists 914 Matter products with a verified US store link; 690 of them have a CSA certificate matched to their exact model.

Sources

MatterCatalog does not test devices; this page summarizes the documentation above. See our editorial policy.