Which Aqara Hub Do You Need? M3, M200 or M100, Zigbee or Thread

• Aqara Zigbee devices, the older sensors, buttons and many switches, are built to run through an Aqara hub rather than any Zigbee hub. Aqara's Amazon UK listing for the Power Plug H2 UK says Zigbee2MQTT and comparable third-party USB dongles are 'not officially supported', and the Hub M3's listing says it does not take third-party Zigbee devices
• Thread devices, such as the U200, U200 Lite and U600 locks, join Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or Home Assistant through Matter, which needs a Thread border router and a Matter controller
• Dual-mode devices, such as the Power Plug H2 UK, run on either, and some settings, like the plug's load limit, only appear in Zigbee mode through an Aqara hub
• The current hubs, the M3, M200 and M100, handle both kinds; the older E1, M2 and M1S Gen 2 are Zigbee only

• Hub M3: up to 127 Aqara Zigbee and 127 Thread devices, with repeaters; USB-C at 5 V 2 A, with no adapter in the box, or PoE; Wi-Fi on 2.4 and 5 GHz, and an infrared blaster
• Hub M200: up to 40 Aqara Zigbee and 40 Thread devices; USB-C or PoE; Wi-Fi 6 on 2.4 and 5 GHz; a 90 dB speaker and 360° infrared; a Thread border router, Matter controller and Matter bridge in one
• Hub M100: a USB stick drawing 5 V 0.5 A, for up to 20 Aqara Zigbee and 20 Thread devices, on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 6
• Coming from an older Aqara hub, the M3 can inherit its devices and automations, though Aqara notes the Matter and HomeKit links are redone afterwards

• U200 lock: for remote access and automations it needs a Thread-capable Aqara hub, the M3, M100 or M200, or the Camera Hub G5 Pro; the Zigbee-only E1, M2 and M1S will not do
• U600 lock: Aqara's Amazon UK listing names the M3, M200, M100, G5 Pro and G410 for remote unlocking
• Power Plug H2 UK: in Zigbee mode only the M3, M100 and M200, on firmware 4.5.45_0017 or later; Aqara lists the M1S Gen 2, G5 Pro, G410, G350, G3 and G2H Pro as not currently supported
• Hub M1S Gen 2: it has an EU plug, which the Aqara UK Shop supplies with an EU-to-UK adapter

• Hub M3: within 6 m of your Wi-Fi router, Aqara's Amazon UK listing says
• Hub M100: within 10 m of the devices it serves
• Aqara's UK shop says mains-powered Zigbee devices with a live and a neutral act as routers that pass the signal on, each supporting up to 16 end devices, while battery and live-only devices do not, so no-neutral switches and battery sensors add nothing to the Zigbee network's reach
• In a solid-brick terrace, a pro may suggest a PoE-powered hub towards the middle of the house, with a mains-powered Aqara device near the front door for a lock or doorbell

• Adds it to the Aqara Home app first, then to Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa or Home Assistant through Matter
• Brings Aqara Zigbee devices into those apps through the hub's Matter bridge; Aqara's M100 listing says its bridging works across Home Assistant too
• Moves devices and automations from an older Aqara hub to an M3, where you have one
• Pairs, names and tests each device from the app you will use day to day

• Every Aqara device you have or plan to buy, by model name
• The app you want to use day to day
• Where your router is, with a photo or sketch of each floor
• Any older Aqara hub that is being replaced

A vetted pro prices your Aqara job from the models and your photos, and the JACK app shows that fixed price before you book.

What the job touches moves the price more than the device does. Pairing a hub, fixing sensors, clipping a Curtain Driver E1 onto a rail or fitting radiator thermostat heads is set-up work. A smart lock is locksmith work on the door. An H1 or H2 switch, a Dual Relay Module T2 or a 230 V blind motor is mains work on an existing circuit, priced for isolating, connecting and testing.

The home comes next: a multipoint door that needs adjusting before a lock goes on, a bell transformer too weak for the doorbell, a PoE cable through solid brick. Where a job needs a second pair of hands, your pro can ask another pro on JACK to help through the Pro2Pro feature. Several devices, Aqara or other brands, go on one booking for one fixed price.

You buy the Aqara products; JACK does not sell them. Accessories the job needs, such as a replacement cylinder, a deeper back box, a 12 V plug-in supply or a PoE injector, are agreed and added at cost before you book, and so is parking where it has to be paid for. Prefer to pay for time? As a guide, hourly hire is typically £45–£95 per hour for smart home work, £55–£110 for electrical work and £60–£130 for locksmith work, and a full-day handyman booking is a flat £350–£400 for up to 8 hours on site.