Starting From Scratch: Which Rule Apps to Use?

Lounge
1

I'm starting from scratch (don't ask).

I had an approx 50/50 mix of Rule Machine and Simple Automation last time, and I'm pretty familiar with both.

I'm thinking maybe I should ditch SA totally and go with Room Lighting and Basic Rules, and use RM for what they can't do.

I have no experience with RM or BR.

What say you?

Thanks

2

Basic Rules is essentially the successor to Simple Automation. It covers the same simple “if this, then that” cases, but it’s built on the Rule Machine 5.1 engine, so it gets the better trigger and action handling. I don’t see a reason to start a new setup on SA.

Room Lighting: This is the one I’d lean on most. It handles motion/contact-triggered lighting, per-mode or time-based levels, and turn-off timers in one app, and it replaces a lot of rules you’d otherwise write by hand in RM. The learning curve is mostly in how it handles activation vs. “off when” conditions and what happens when you manually override a light. Expect a bit of tinkering on your first few rooms.

Basic Rules: Easy to learn, and fine for one trigger and a few actions. Once you need multiple conditions, private booleans, wait/repeat logic, or variables, you’re in RM territory anyway.

RM for the rest: Keep it for anything with real logic: multi-condition triggers, delays with cancel, state tracking, global variables.

3

My take - use whatever works to get the job done.

I use Rule Machine, Simple Automation Rules, Notifications and Basic Button Controller.

4

Thanks much.

5

I've never used Basic Button Controller, either, lol.

6

That's the beauty of Hubitat. You have choice. As said above - use what works for you.

7

I use Button Controller for all my Lutron Picos. I have many scattered throughout the house. They work great and are very reliable.

I also use Room Lighting, Basic Rules for simple automations, and Rule Machine for most everything else. One Rule Machine tip I have is to keep it simple. I may break a task down into two or more automations, rather than try to combine it into one large and complicated automation.

8

I assume you mean RL there, not RM.

9

My 2 cents. I use Rule Machine. My logic is it can do anything the other apps can do and more. Why have multiple apps when 1 will do. I do use button controller because I have a rule in there created way back on version 1.3

10

For me it's webCoRE.

I started using it back in it's inception on Smatthings.
I just find it logical and it suuits my eye. I suppose it's what you get used to. :person_shrugging:

11

Please remember to disclose the use of AI in responses: