What Is Zigbee? Is Matter Better?

Smart homes cannot work if the smart devices cannot communicate. Having Wi-Fi or Bluetooth support isn’t enough – devices need a way to message each other, a shared language, or protocol.

Two prominent protocols are Zigbee and Matter. Current smart home devices and hubs support both protocols, but eventually one of them will be dropped. So, which one will it be? Which is best, Zigbee or Matter?

What is Zigbee?

If you’re looking at smart home devices, one word generally pops up more than others - Zigbee. A wireless protocol for smart lights, plugs, sensors, switches, Zigbee creates a personal area network (PAN) for remotes and physical triggers.

The PAN typically comprises low power smart home and Internet of Things devices within close proximity. Any devices beyond this range are linked via intermediate devices, in a mesh network. This ensures communication remains reliable, and commands sent from a voice controlled system (e.g. Amazon Alexa) are received and actioned.

At the time of writing, most available smart home gear – from hubs and controllers to sensors, switches, and other endpoints – supports Zigbee. This includes Matter hubs and controllers, too.

However, Zigbee is not a monolithic technical standard. Various networks and interconnection compatibility has been established over the years, often without oversight. While this initially improved device compatibility, it has also resulted in a lack of feature support. For example, a device connected to one network may not run in the intended way on another network. Additionally, older Zigbee devices appear to struggle with recent firmware updates.

What is Matter?

Developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), Matter is a freely available and open source connectivity standard. The CSA comprises Amazon, Apple, Google, IKEA, Huawei, various other companies, and was previously known as the Zigbee Alliance. The aim of this standard is to improve connectivity and interoperability between smart home and IoT devices. 

Every six months a new version is released, which adds support for more devices and functions. For example, the recent Matter 1.3 release enables integration with smart chargers for electric vehicles.

Whereas Zigbee can be considered a network type (or transport layer) like Thread or Bluetooth, Matter is an application layer. This enhances the possibilities for interoperability, making the protocol more compatible and flexible.

It is also more secure, combining Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) with a Distributed Compliance Ledger. This DCL is blockchain, which has various roles including ensuring only authorized devices can connect to a Matter network. As Matter has massive support, it is likely to be the smart home standard of the future. 

Zigbee vs. Matter: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Use this table to get a better idea of the similarities and differences between Zigbee and Matter.

While the two technologies seem similar, and were both built specifically for smart home automation, there is a key difference. Matter is an evolution, an amalgamation of previous smart home and IoT developments. 

Choosing Between Zigbee and Matter

Making a choice of smart home protocol should not be too difficult. All roads point to Matter, and all hubs worth using support both protocols. If you already have a smart home setup, you’re in no rush. You’re already able to enjoy the interoperability and integrations that Zigbee offers. While Matter promises a more advanced smart home experience, you can upgrade at your own pace.

But if you’re new to smart homes, it makes sense to choose Matter-compatible devices. The CSA sees Matter as the prime smart home standard going forward. While some device types don’t have full Matter compatibility, select a device with Zigbee and Matter to future-proof your setup. As there is no direct compatibility between Zigbee and Matter, Zigbee devices will need a Matter bridge.

While budget will also be a factor, Matter-compatible smart home hardware is no more expensive than other smart home gear.

The Future of Smart Homes

While Zigbee is currently widely used, it suffers from compatibility issues, particularly with older devices. It is also essentially a type of network, whereas Matter is an application layer, an interface. Both smart home technologies are backed by the CSA, but Matter is intended as the protocol of the future connected home.

Matter is more secure than Zigbee, thanks to its use of a blockchain ledger and Public Key Infrastructure. And relying on Thread networking – along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – ensures that device communication on a Matter system is more efficient than Zigbee.

If you’re new to building a smart home set up, choose devices with the Matter badge. It hasn’t replaced Zigbee yet, but it will.