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Hubitat Elevation vs Hydrow

Hubitat Elevation logo

Hubitat Elevation

Software

Local home automation hub for advanced users

From
$189.95/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
H

Hydrow

Software

The live outdoor reality rower

From
$44/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hubitat Elevation limited app ecosystem compared to Amazon Alexa or Google Home platforms; Hydrow the vendor's own homepage as captured by the Internet Archive on 31 December 2021 priced the Hydrow rowing machine starting at $56 per month via 0% APR Klarna financing with $0 down, alongside a 30 day risk-free trial and a 1 year hardware warranty
  • They diverge on capability: Hubitat Elevation covers Local Processing, Hydrow covers Live outdoor reality rowing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hubitat Elevation and Hydrow actually diverge.

Attributes where Hubitat Elevation and Hydrow differ
AttributeHubitat ElevationHydrow
Starting price$189.95/one-time$44/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsLocal hub (Model C-8), Local hub (Model C-7), Mobile app (iOS and Android)Ios, Android, Hardware
Founded20162017

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Hubitat Elevation

  • Local Processing
  • Rule Machine
  • Z-Wave Plus
  • Zigbee 3.0
  • Dashboard
  • Voice assistants
  • Custom apps
  • MQTT

Only in Hydrow

  • Live outdoor reality rowing
  • On-water filming
  • Athlete-led workouts
  • Performance metrics
  • Community racing
  • Apple Watch
  • Bluetooth heart rate
  • Ios support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Hubitat Elevation

  • Advanced automationnot Hydrow
  • Local controlnot Hydrow
  • Complex rulesnot Hydrow
  • Multi-protocol integrationnot Hydrow

Hydrow

  • Workout trackingnot Hubitat Elevation
  • Nutrition managementnot Hubitat Elevation
  • Health monitoringnot Hubitat Elevation
  • Fitness coachingnot Hubitat Elevation
  • Wellness improvementnot Hubitat Elevation

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Hubitat Elevation

  • Limited app ecosystem compared to Amazon Alexa or Google Home platforms
  • Requires purchase of hub hardware; no free tier

Hydrow

  • The vendor's own homepage as captured by the Internet Archive on 31 December 2021 priced the Hydrow rowing machine starting at $56 per month via 0% APR Klarna financing with $0 down, alongside a 30 day risk-free trial and a 1 year hardware warranty

Pricing, plan by plan

Hubitat Elevation

$189.95/one-time
  • Hub Hardware$189.95/one-time
    • Z-Wave Plus 800 and Zigbee 3.0
    • Matter 1.5 support
    • Local automation engine
  • Cloud Backup (optional)$30/year
    • Cloud backup of automations
    • Automatic backups
  • Remote Admin (optional)$36/year
    • Remote access via cloud
    • Mobile app remote control

Hydrow

$44/month
  • All-Access$44/month
    • Live workouts
    • On-demand library
    • Family profiles

Which should you pick?

Choose Hubitat Elevation if

  • You need local processing.
  • You work on Local hub (Model C-8), Local hub (Model C-7), Mobile app (iOS and Android).
  • You also want rule machine.
Hubitat Elevation review

Choose Hydrow if

  • You need live outdoor reality rowing.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Hardware.
  • You also want on-water filming.
Hydrow review

Questions people ask

Is Hubitat Elevation or Hydrow better?
Neither clearly leads. Hubitat Elevation starts at $189.95/one-time and Hydrow at $44/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hubitat Elevation or Hydrow?
Hubitat Elevation starts at $189.95/one-time and Hydrow at $44/month.
Does Hubitat Elevation or Hydrow run on more platforms?
Hubitat Elevation runs on Local hub (Model C-8), Local hub (Model C-7), Mobile app (iOS and Android). Hydrow runs on Ios, Android, Hardware.
What is Hubitat Elevation best used for?
Hubitat Elevation is most often used for advanced automation, local control, complex rules, multi-protocol integration. Of those, advanced automation and local control are not what Hydrow is typically brought in for.
What can Hubitat Elevation do that Hydrow cannot?
Hubitat Elevation covers Local Processing, Rule Machine, Z-Wave Plus, Zigbee 3.0. Hydrow covers Live outdoor reality rowing, On-water filming, Athlete-led workouts, Performance metrics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hubitat Elevation: Does Hubitat require a cloud connection or subscription?

No. All automations and device control run locally without cloud dependency. Hubitat does not require subscriptions for core features; optional cloud backup ($30/year) and remote admin ($36/year) are available.

Source
Hubitat Elevation: How many devices can Hubitat control?

The Hubitat Elevation Model C-8 supports 1,000+ devices across 100+ brands through Zigbee, Z-Wave 800 Long Range, Matter 1.5, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi protocols.

Source
Hubitat Elevation: Does Hubitat work with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit?

Yes. Hubitat integrates with Alexa and Google Home for voice control, and also supports Apple HomeKit via direct integration for HomeKit devices.

Source
Hubitat Elevation: What is the difference between the C-7 and C-8 models?

The C-8 ($189.95) features Z-Wave Plus 800, Zigbee 3.0, and expanded memory for handling complex automation. The C-7 is an older model with fewer protocol options and lower performance.

Source
Hubitat Elevation: Can I access my hub remotely?

Yes. Local area network (LAN) access is always available. Remote access via the Hubitat mobile app and cloud services requires an optional subscription ($36/year for remote admin).

Source
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