I’ve recently been getting into home automation and Home Assistant in particular (expect more posts on that as I get my head around it).
Words that frequently come up when dealing with home automation devices are Zigbee, Thread and Matter. I was familiar with Zigbee but was confused about Thread and Matter and how they worked together so I asked my friend ChatGPT to explain. I found it useful so decided to tidy it up and post it here.
What are Thread and Matter?
Thread and Matter are two of the latest smart home standards, often mentioned together, but they are not the same thing. Here’s a simple breakdown:
🧵 Thread = A wireless mesh network
- What it is:
Thread is a low-power wireless protocol, like Zigbee or Bluetooth. - What it does:
It connects smart home devices (like sensors, switches, lights) in a mesh network — devices talk directly to each other, not just to the hub. - Why it matters:
It’s fast, reliable, and doesn’t need a central hub like Wi-Fi or Zigbee often do. - Requires a border router (like a HomePod mini, Nest Hub, or some Zigbee/Matter dongles) to bridge Thread devices to your home network.
🧩 Matter = A smart home standard for interoperability
- What it is:
Matter is a unified application-level standard that lets smart home devices from different brands work together reliably — whether they use Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or Thread underneath. - What it does:
It provides a common language for devices to communicate (regardless of brand), securely and locally (no cloud required). - Why it matters:
You can mix and match devices from Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, etc. and they should “just work” with each other and your smart home platform (like Home Assistant).
How They Work Together
- Matter is like the language.
- Thread is like one of the roads that Matter messages can travel on.
➡️ Thread is the network protocol.
➡️ Matter is the communication standard that runs over Thread (or Wi-Fi).
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Thread | Matter |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Wireless network protocol | Application-level standard |
| Purpose | Connect smart devices in mesh | Make devices from any brand work well |
| Needs a hub? | Needs a Thread Border Router | Can be local, no cloud needed |
| Works over | Thread radio (mesh) | Thread, Wi-Fi, Ethernet |
| Examples | Eve sensors, Nanoleaf lights | Philips Hue (Matter update), Nest, etc |
| Home Assistant use | With Thread dongle/router | Supported via Matter integration |
Summary
Thread = how devices connect (mesh network)
Matter = how devices talk (standard protocol for smart home compatibility)
You can think of it like:
Thread = the road
Matter = the rules of the road that all drivers follow