Every year that passes, more smart home devices get released. And it’s incredibly important to have a great hub that lets you easily control them all. So, when it comes to choosing between Insteon vs. Wink, for us the choice is obvious. And to make it easier for you, let’s guide you through the differences between these two smart home hubs.
To begin with, let us clarify that as of now Insteon offers 3 types of hubs: original Insteon 2242, Insteon Pro hub 2243, and the new Insteon hub 2245. The original one and the new one are very similar, and even though the original Insteon hub is officially discontinued, you can still buy it from Amazon. To learn more about the differences between the old and new Insteon hub, please refer to this article: Insteon 2245 vs. 2242 — What’s the Difference?
And then there’s a Pro version 2243. The Pro hub is very different from the original and the new one. The Insteon Pro hub is designed to be used specifically for Homekit devices. You can still control a few Insteon devices, but you’ll need to sacrifice Insteon cameras, motion and leak sensors in favor of Homekit. For a comparison with the Wink hub, we’ll take the most complete and absolute version of the Insteon hubs — the new Insteon hub 2245.
Wink hub also has two versions which are the Wink hub and Wink hub 2. As it usually happens, the newer version has better features and aspects, plus it’s been around for a while already. So, for our comparison with Insteon, we’ll take Wink hub 2. And if you’re interested in reading the differences between the two Wink hubs in detail, feel free to check out our Wink Hub comparison article: Wink Hub vs. Wink Hub 2: What’s the difference?.
Insteon vs. Wink — Differences
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Difference #1: Technology – The new Insteon hub uses Insteon technology to communicate with other smart home devices. Whereas, the Wink hub 2 supports WiFi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Lutron ClearConnect, an improved Bluetooth LE radio, and a Thread-capable radio. The last two technologies are designed for future support of new smart appliances.
The technology support leads straight to compatibility features. With Insteon you can control over 200 Insteon devices, plus Nest learning thermostat. Yet, with Wink you have even more compatibility options. Basically, any device that uses WiFi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Lutron ClearConnect, and Bluetooth LE can be controlled via the Wink hub 2. Even controlling Nest is not limited to thermostat only. With the Wink hub 2 you can also control Nest Cam and Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detector.
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Difference #2: EVE Connect for Tesla Model S & X – Wink has recently partnered with Tesla to bring smart home automation to a new level of comfort. Thanks to that partnership, drivers and passengers of Tesla Model S & X are able to communicate directly with their smart home products. You can now control your home lighting, door locks, security monitoring, thermostat, cameras, and a seemingly endless list of smart home devices right from your Tesla car.
The new Insteon hub doesn’t support this feature.
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Difference #3: IFTTT – The Wink hub 2 supports IFTTT, whereas the new Insteon hub doesn’t support it at all. In case you’re not familiar with IFTTT, its abbreviation stands for “If This Then That”. The IFTTT is a free service that allows people create chains of simple conditional statements, called recipes. For example, if you have smart CO sensor (like Nest Protect) and Philips Hue Color lights, you can use this recipe: if there’s a CO emergency detected, then set all lights to red. With the Wink hub 2, you’re free to create and customize your own IFTTT recipes.
Unfortunately, Insteon doesn’t support IFTTT yet. -
Difference #4: Adjustable ramp rates for dimmers – With the new Insteon hub, you can control the level of your Insteon dimmer light, and you can choose the speed you want the lights to fade on/off. The Wink hub 2 allows you to control dimmers, yet no control over the speed of fading. It’s not really one of the most valuable features, but nevertheless it’s nice to have this option. So, this is the first difference that really goes in favor of Insteon.
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Difference #5: Dimensions – The Wink hub 2 dimensions are: 7.25″ x 7.25″ x 1.25″. It’s a little bit bigger when compared to other hubs like Lutron Smart Bridge or Insteon. The new Insteon hub is just 3.75″ x 3.75″ x 1.5″. Both Insteon and Wink hubs won’t be a problem to hide near the router, yet, it’s easier to do with Insteon than with Wink.
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Difference #6: Windows app – If you’re not a Windows phone user, you might as well skip this difference. However, for those of you who have Windows phones, we have good news and bad news. The good news is that Insteon has a Windows phone app. The bad news is that Wink doesn’t support Windows phone. So, Windows phone users: you’ll have to skip on Wink, or maybe switch to an Android or iOS device.
Insteon vs. Wink — Comparison Chart
| New Insteon (2245) | Wink Hub 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Climate Control | Yes | Yes |
| Drapery Control | Yes | Yes |
| Energy Monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| On/Off Wall Switch | Yes | Yes |
| Dimming Wall Switch | Yes | Yes |
| LED Bulbs | Yes | Yes |
| On/Off Plug-In Module | Yes | Yes |
| Dimming Plug-In Module | Yes | Yes |
| Motion Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Water Leak Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Smoke And CO Detection | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi Cameras | Yes | Yes |
| Adjustable Ramp Rates For Dimmers | Yes | No |
| Multi-Device Scenes | Yes | Yes |
| IOS App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Phone App | Yes | No |
| Communication | Radio Frequency + Powerline | Radio Frequency + Powerline |
| Technology | Insteon | WiFi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth LE, Lutron ClearConnect |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Cars | No | EVE Connect for Tesla Model S & X |
| IFTTT | No | Yes |
Insteon vs. Wink — Our Thoughts
When choosing between the new Insteon vs. Wink hub 2, we’d say go with the Wink hub 2. The new Insteon hub is great when you plan on, or already have, other Insteon devices in your home like Insteon cameras, sensors, dimmers, outlets, etc. In this case, it would make sense getting the Insteon hub over the Wink hub.
But, if you’re looking to use smart home appliances from other brands, like Lutron, Philips, Wemo, Ecobee, Nest — then you should definitely consider the Wink hub 2. The Wink hub 2 is a universal hub that’ll help your smart appliances communicate well with each other. Plus, it looks like more devices with Bluetooth LE technology are coming this year, and Wink is already ready to work with them.
Last update on 2024-04-26 at 20:11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Visitor Rating: 5 Stars
Insteon is supported by Stringify which in my opinion is a more advanced version of IFTTT.