This post was written in Portuguese but translated into English with the help of AI. Don’t worry, it’s still original content 😉.
The Aqara M3, released in 2024, marked the brand’s entry into the Matter and Thread ecosystem, becoming its main hub to unify the latest product launches within the Aqara app. However, the high price of the M3 remains a barrier for many users.
With that in mind, the company introduced the Aqara M100—an evolution of the older Aqara E1—which, while more affordable, still brings most of the core features found in the M3.
DESIGN
The M100 shares the same design as the E1, with a form factor resembling a USB stick or a 4G modem. Lightweight and compact, the hub measures just over 10cm and features a single flexible USB-A port used solely for power.
On the front, the Aqara M100 also includes a reset button and a multicolor LED: yellow during startup, blue when it’s powered on and configured, and pink while searching for Zigbee devices.
On the back of the hub, you’ll find just a few device details and the setup QR code for Apple Home, used for pairing with iPhones. For Android users, this QR code isn’t required. The Matter QR code is printed in the device manual, but it can also be accessed through the Aqara app—which, yes, is mandatory to use this hub.
The idea is for the device to be plugged into a phone charger or directly into a power outlet with USB ports that supply at least 5V and 1A. Even so, its average power consumption is around 0.80W, making it highly efficient and compatible with virtually any available USB-A charger.
Internally, the M100 features 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (used only for pairing and with no practical use yet), Thread, and Zigbee radios—all of which will be detailed later on.
ONLY Wi-Fi… BUT Wi-Fi 6!
As a smart home hub, having a wired connection would ideally offer greater stability. However, the M100 doesn’t include an Ethernet port and relies solely on Wi-Fi to connect to your network.
That said, Aqara made up for this limitation by including a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi 6 radio. In fact, this is my first IoT device with native support for Wi-Fi 6.
One of the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 is OFDMA, which helps reduce latency and improves spectral efficiency. This is especially useful for low-data devices like IoT equipment, allowing them to operate without significantly impacting your home Wi-Fi network.
EASY MIGRATION
One of Aqara’s standout features is its focus on software, with frequent updates and helpful tools—like easy hub migration. This process transfers data from your old hub, such as local automations in the Aqara app and Zigbee devices, to the new M100 without the need to manually reconfigure each item.
However, there are limitations. Currently, the M100 only supports migration from the Aqara E1. Other models, such as the older M2 hub, are not compatible with migration to the M100.
Additionally, the migration process does not include integrations with HomeKit or Matter. This means you’ll need to re-pair the M100 with those platforms, and your Zigbee devices will be recognized as new—requiring you to redo automations and reorganize devices in each room within the Home app, for example.
Even so, the feature still saves a lot of time and effort by avoiding the need to manually reset each sensor or actuator, making it a very useful addition.
THREAD SUPPORT
The standout feature of the M100 is its role as a Thread Border Router, making it an incredibly affordable option for those looking to dive into this new standard.
During setup on an iPhone, the Aqara app accesses the Apple Keychain to automatically import existing Thread credentials, seamlessly integrating with your already configured networks—something that’s rare among competing hubs, like those from Tuya, which always create a new Thread network when added.
The advantage of a unified Thread network that the M100 provides is better scalability and greater stability. If the M100 fails, another Border Router—even from a different brand—can take over the network, keeping your devices connected.
If the user prefers, it’s also possible to create a new, dedicated Thread network just for the Aqara app. However, in the tests conducted, the app didn’t save the new credentials to the Apple Keychain, preventing the use of this network with Apple devices like HomePods or Apple TVs.
On Android, at least with SmartThings, there’s no way to integrate the Aqara M100 into an existing Thread network, always forcing the creation of a separate network. Since I don’t have any Google Nest Hub, I couldn’t test compatibility with Google’s Thread ecosystem.
LIMITED ZIGBEE
The biggest drawback of the Aqara platform is the limitation of its Zigbee hubs to Aqara products. To make matters worse, most of these devices are priced high and are not very accessible, even on platforms like AliExpress.
Building an entirely Aqara-integrated smart home becomes a difficult task for us Brazilians. For this reason, I use the Aqara app mainly as a bridge to export devices to Apple Home or other platforms compatible with Matter—something I’ll address next.
MATTER CONTROLLER AND MATTER BRIDGE
Several Aqara hubs support the Matter standard, but not all of them function as a Matter Controller, like the M3 and M100. Here’s the difference:
- Matter Bridge allows specific Zigbee devices connected to the hub to be exposed as Matter devices, even if they’re not actually Matter-compatible.
- Matter Controller allows third-party Matter devices to be added to the Aqara app.
While most of the brand’s hubs act as Matter Bridges, only the M3 and M100 are Matter Controllers and allow the addition of external Matter devices to the Aqara ecosystem.ra.
This makes sense if you intend to use the alarm function or use the Aqara app as the user’s primary platform—which, considering more robust alternatives like Apple Home, SmartThings, or HomeAssistant, may not be the case for most users.
Additionally, the M100’s performance as a Controller is not great. In my tests, devices like the Zemismart switches or the Magic Cube Thread relay were incompatible, making the experience of using the Aqara app as a platform even more limited.
The M100, like the M2 and M3 models, is also compatible with Signals—a feature that allows you to sync functions not yet available in Matter, such as the FP2 presence sensor, with buttons and sensors directly in the smart home app.
The Aqara M100’s performance as a Bridge is satisfactory, and there are no disconnections, similar to many other hubs from the brand. The number of Zigbee devices that can be exposed as Matter is considerable, but there are still limitations. Examples of this are my Aqara L1-350 bulb and the Xiaomi door and window sensor, which are not exported as Matter devices.
APPLE HOME
Like the Aqara E1, the M100 is also compatible with HomeKit, making it the most suitable protocol for connecting to Apple Home if you’re using an iPhone.
HomeKit offers a broader list of compatible Aqara Zigbee devices compared to Matter, and it also supports the Adaptive Lighting feature, which adjusts the color of the lights based on the time of day—useful if you have a lamp from the manufacturer itself.
CHINESE HUB AND GLOBAL HUB
If you decide to start with the Aqara ecosystem, it’s likely that you’ll find the devices mainly on AliExpress. The issue with Chinese retail platforms is that, in many cases, the products sold are Chinese versions that only work with the China server in the Aqara app..
Don’t worry about the language: the app still works. On iOS, the Aqara app remains in English, while on Android, it can be used in Portuguese.
The main limitation of the Chinese server lies in the integration with virtual assistants. Since Amazon and Google don’t operate officially in China, devices added to this server won’t be able to be linked to the Aqara skills in the Alexa or Google Home apps.
However, since we’re dealing with Matter-compatible platforms—whose operation is entirely local and doesn’t depend on the internet—it’s still possible to pair the M100 hub directly with Google Home or Alexa via Matter, bypassing the need for official integrations.
LIMITATIONS WITH THE MORE EXPENSIVE HUBS
The first difference is the absence of an infrared (IR) emitter, which is present in the M3, allowing the hub to function as a universal remote control. This feature, in addition to expanding local control of IR devices, also enables the export of some categories of these devices to Apple Home (HomeKit) and Matter platforms.
Another limitation is the use of the M100 as a central alarm system. Although it’s possible to configure Zigbee or Matter sensors (including third-party ones) as triggers, the M100 doesn’t have a built-in speaker, which limits alerts to notifications on the phone. One way to work around this limitation is by using older hubs from the brand, such as the Aqara M2, which have a built-in speaker and can act as a siren.
Finally, there is a significant difference in terms of the number of connected devices. While the Aqara M3 supports up to 64 Zigbee devices directly and up to 127 with the aid of repeaters, the M100 allows a total of only 40 devices to be connected—of which a maximum of 20 Zigbee devices can be directly linked to the hub. This represents a considerable reduction in capacity and could be a decisive factor depending on the size of your setup.
IS IT WORTH IT?
Despite the limitations of the Aqara platform, the manufacturer’s devices are well-built and of good quality. Even for those not planning to invest exclusively in the brand’s products, acquiring the M100 can be an excellent choice, as it is currently the most affordable Thread Border Router available.
Even if you already own other Thread Border Routers, such as a HomePod, the M100 remains a valuable addition. It can be used to expand your existing Thread network and, thanks to its compact design, can be easily installed in any outlet, especially in areas where Thread coverage is lacking.
At an average price on AliExpress, the feature set offered—including support for Matter, Thread, and Zigbee—makes the M100 an excellent cost-effective option. It delivers many of the functionalities of the M3, but at a much more competitive price.
