Matter
Matter is the smart home interoperability standard run by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) and backed by Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung. A Matter-certified device works with any Matter controller — Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings — over Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or Thread, with local control and no vendor-specific app required for basic functions.
Matter is an application-layer protocol: it defines what a light, lock, or thermostat is and how to talk to it, and rides on top of ordinary IP networking. Mains-powered devices typically use Wi-Fi or Ethernet; battery devices use Thread, a low-power mesh that needs a Thread border router to reach your network. Certification is recorded in the CSA’s public Distributed Compliance Ledger, which is where our count of 1,824 Matter-certified device records comes from.
The standard ships point releases roughly twice a year, and the 1.x line now covers lights, plugs, locks, thermostats, sensors, blinds, appliances, robot vacuums, and energy devices such as EV chargers and water heaters. The practical caveat as of mid-2026: controllers lag the spec, so a device type being in Matter 1.x does not guarantee your particular ecosystem exposes it, and advanced features often still need the maker’s own app.