Been looking around for an alternative for a while, been an avid SmartThings user since early 2016 and currently own the v2 hub. Don't have a very extensive setup so hopefully this won't be too complex but I need some advice.
My main automatons are around lighting with 50 Hue lights which look like it'll integrate without an issue. I'm in South Africa but have imported the SmartThings v2 hub, a handful of gen 1, 2 and 3 motion, multi and water sensors from SmartThings and 3 Fibaro motion/lux sensors. The latter being ZWave. Do I continue getting US based ZWave devices and the US Hubitat hub or the EU/UK Hubitat hub and grab some new Fibaro sensors?
The South African ZWave frequency seems to differ from the US one.
Will my SmartThings Zigbee sensors work?
Some motivation to move away from SmartThings:
Recently bought a SmartThings "compatible" TV which just doesn't integrate properly unless I get the new hub.
Support has gotten really poor
Automation still run in the cloud and I'm starting to get failed triggers when running larger scene changes
I really don't like their v3 hub and their newer app
This community, the Dev chats and how things are run are reminiscent of the earlier SmartThings days, great to be around. Thanks for hearing out the long rambling post.
All generations of every SmartThings sensor will work on Hubitat (as long as it's Zigbee, so not most of the ADT-branded ones, with the exception of the ST ADT water sensor that is and still does work). I have a lot and I don't know of any generation that isn't supported. You can check the compatible device list to be sure about anything else, but as with ST, there are community drivers (Hubitat equivalent of DTHs) for lots of other devices.
For Z-Wave, I'd say that's up to you. Officially, I'd assume you're "supposed" to get the EU version with EU-frequency Z-Wave devices, as South Africa shares that frequency, but there are some people outside North America who use the North American hub for various reasons, such as some devices being more easily found on that frequency. Check the laws and your personal comfort level, I guess. You are correct that that Z-Wave uses a different frequency in various regions, and the North American and EU ones are different.
I want to add one thing to everything that @bertabcd1234 said - you don't have to migrate your z-wave devices from SmartThings to Hubitat. An app developed by @srwhite, HubConnect, permits a Hubitat Elevation to act as a coordinator for other HEs and SmartThings hubs. Here's the link to HubConnect:
So you can leave your US z-wave freq devices on SmartThings and get the EU frequency Hubitat. This gives you the flexibility of using either z-wave frequency (subject off course to local laws regarding permitted frequencies - but that point is moot as you're using US freq devices in SA already ...)
The question is if you want to use any MAINS outlets and/or plugs.
No matter the strategy re one hub talking to another, sharing devices or moving them from one hub to another, your limitation is mains voltage.
Any battery device will work on both hubs (assuming a matching Z-Wave frequency), however, with your current ST hub only 110V devices will work (again, subject to the understanding that all US mains frequency hardware only come in the one flavor). If you get an EU frequency Hubitat for SA devices you will at least be able to use mains devices directly with that hub.
Perhaps this is not an issue for you as you do not plan on using mains devices.
Your zigbee devices should be fine re any frequency spec, limited only by plug shape and size and again voltage.
A side story...
I happen to also have a US hub in an Eastern country, so officially the voltage/frequency doesn't match. For this location I have invested in Chinese devices that support dual voltage (sometimes even with the actual correct country plug shape); they work fine. I have also hacked power bars that accepts US devices to be supplied by down-converted power; 220->110. It is not only voltage that is a problem, but also the mains frequency of the device you want to plug in. Most electronic devices support 50/60 Hz (listed). Many times, and you have to open the device up for this, you will also find that the actual input voltage (unlisted on the outside) is anywhere from 95-240V !! {YES!!} Any device with a motor is normally a no-go. But mains is dangerous, and most don't like to frack with it, even myself really.
Edit: I have had stellar success at this location with Sonoff WI-FI devices on both ST & Hubitat.
Thanks for everyone's input, hugely appreciated!
I've decided to go with, and take advantage of the super low price of the hub, the US version. I won't be installing plugs/outlets as I already run mostly off-grid with a solar and battery array.
I'm also eyeing a Zooz outdoor sensor, seems like there are more Z-Wave devices available in with the USA frequency. Can't wait to start migrating things over.
You are correct that that Z-Wave uses a different frequency in various regions, and the North American and EU ones are different.
