After years of using SmartThings, I decided it was time for a fresh start with Hubitat C8. The transition was a bit daunting at first, especially with over 100 zigbee/zwave devices to manage, but the process turned out to be much smoother than I anticipated. Here’s my journey and some tips for anyone considering the switch! Starting with the basics, I focused on resetting and pairing devices one by one. The ability to exclude devices directly from Hubitat was a huge relief, as opposed to the cumbersome process with SmartThings. I found that resetting zigbee devices and starting with powered outlets made the pairing process nearly seamless. For battery-powered devices, I learned that it takes a bit of patience—changes only reflect once the device communicates back to the hub. One of the highlights was how effortlessly my Zooz outdoor motion sensors integrated. They performed flawlessly right out of the box. However, the Monoprice 4-in-1 sensor gave me a bit of a puzzle at first, but a simple driver change and a motion trigger later, it was up and running! Hubitat’s Rule Machine and dedicated apps like the button controller have been fantastic. They offer a level of customization that I never fully utilized with SmartThings. While I avoided coding with WebCore before, Hubitat’s interface feels more approachable, even for someone like me who prefers simplicity. A few things I’m still tweaking include optimizing the performance of my Zooz Zen72 dimmers with Homekit and searching for a reliable event logger. But overall, the local processing speed and the ability to manage everything without constant cloud dependency have been life-changing. If you’re on the fence about switching, my advice is to take the plunge! The initial setup might seem overwhelming, but the flexibility and power Hubitat offers make it well worth the effort. I’m so glad I made the switch and can’t wait to explore even more possibilities!