5 Best USB Hubs That Work Great on Linux (2024 Edition)
Is your Linux desktop or laptop running out of USB ports? Need to pick up a USB hub but aren’t sure what ones are compatible with Linux? We can help! Follow along with this list as we talk about 5 USB Hubs that work well on Linux!
Something to keep in mind when buying an USB hub
USB hubs are a lot like an electrical power strip. They allow users to plug in a lot of USB devices into a port that would otherwise only be able to handle one device at a time. With that in mind, it’s important to understand that just because a USB hub has a lot of ports, doesn’t mean you should fill them all up at one time, as it may degrade your data transfer speeds.
For best results, when buying a USB hub, try to purchase a device that matches your needs, rather than going for something that has tons of ports if you don’t think you’ll need them.
Best Linux USB hubs
Our research revealed these five USB hubs to work the best with Linux.
1. ORICO Powered USB Hub
If you need a good USB hub for your Linux desktop, the ORICO Powered USB hub is an excellent choice. For starters, it has a clamp built into the device, which allows you to affix it to your desk, computer monitor, or anywhere else, ensuring it stays sturdy and accessible while out of the way. Secondly, the device is a powered hub, meaning that data transfer rates are slightly faster, and high-powered USB devices will have support.
The ORICO Powered USB Hub is an excellent little device, and it comes with both a traditional USB cable and a USB to USB-C cable so that no matter what type of Linux PC or USB port you have to work with, it’ll get the job done!
While using the ORICO Powered USB Hub on Linux, it worked out of the box. We did not need to install any third-party drivers to use the device. Data transfer rates were excellent and comparable to a single USB 3.0 port as it is powered, however, be warned that transfer speeds may degrade if you attempt to transfer files from multiple sources at the same time.
Pros
- Clamp design makes it possible to put the hub on a desk or monitor securely.
- The device is powered which enables higher data transfer rates.
Cons
- The device is powered by micro USB, rather than USB C, which is older technology.
2. Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub
If you love the idea of having a USB 3.0 Hub on your Linux PC but would like to shut off individual ports on the hub when not in use, the Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub is for you. Why? It comes with 4 lightning-fast USB 3.0 ports, each with its own power switch.
Thanks to the power switches on the Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub, you can leave devices plugged into your Linux PC all day and simply click the power button when you want to connect it to the system! No more unplugging and re-plugging!
In our experience with the Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub, we found that it worked on every mainstream Linux operating system with no trouble at all. It is plug-n-play and didn’t need any tinkering to get the device to work. Data transfer rates were impressive, but since the device is not powered, transfer rates tend to slow down when more devices are added.
Pros
- Power switches on each USB port mean users can deactivate devices without unplugging them.
- No power cord makes it incredibly portable.
Cons
- The device is not powered so high-powered USB items may slow down.
3. Atolla Powered USB Hub 3.0
Are you using a Linux PC with a severe lack of USB ports? Want to add a whole lot more to them in the form of a USB Hub? If so, check out the Atolla Powered USB Hub 3.0. It comes with seven powerful USB 3.0 ports. Best of all, each of these seven ports have their own on/off switch, so you’ll be able to keep devices plugged in and simply click the on/off switch when you want to access them!
The Atolla Powered USB Hub 3.0 might be a little inconvenient when traveling, but they’re worth it because the powered aspect of the hub allows you to get a faster data transfer rate out of the device than you would with a simple, non-powered USB hub.
Atolla Powered USB Hub 3.0 works exceptionally on Linux. Because the device has its own source of electricity, data transfer rates were pretty close to identical as they are on USB 3.0 ports directly attached to the motherboard of a computer. Using multiple devices doesn’t degrade transfer performance, but your experience may differ.
Pros
- Each USB port has it’s own dedicated power on/off switch so users can keep devices connected but shut them off when unneeded.
- It is a powered USB hub, so it can handle high-powered USB devices.
Cons
- The bulky design makes it not very portable.
4. VAVA USB C Hub
Those that use a Linux PC that has USB C and need a good USB Hub listen up! The VAVA USB C Hub is a seriously impressive device. For starters, you can connect it to USB C, meaning that data transfer rates are 10X faster than they are over USB 3.0. But that’s not all the VAVA USB C Hub can do. It also offers up Micro SD and SD card reading support, HDMI output, and even an ethernet port for LAN network access!
With the advent of USB C, lots of Linux users have been buying up USB C hubs to get the most out of their devices. That said, when it comes to Linux, there’s not any other USB C hub with as many features as this out there that supports the Linux platform so excellently.
The VAVA USB C Hub works great on Linux. All of the incredible features that it has to offer work wonderfully, and data transfer rates were top notch. However, keep in mind that more obscure Linux operating systems may have issues delivering features such as HDMI output. For best results, try Ubuntu or Pop_OS!
Pros
- Ultra-fast data transfer via USB C.
- Support for Micro SD, HDMI out, and Ethernet over USB C.
Cons
- It only works with USB C.
- The HDMI output may not function on obscure Linux distros.
5. AmazonBasics Slim High-Speed 7 Port USB 3.0 Hub
AmazonBasics Slim High-Speed 7 Port USB 3.0 Hub is an impressive hub that works quite well on Linux out of the box. Like many other hubs on this list, it is powered. Because the device is powered, it can deliver transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps over USB 3.0 and 480 Mbps over 2.0. However, unlike a lot of other hubs on this list, the AmazonBasics Slim High-Speed 7 Port USB 3.0 Hub only sports 2 3.0 ports and 5 2.0 ports.
Although the device only has 2 3.0 ports, it’s still worth checking out, especially if you need to expand USB access to your Linux desktop or laptop but are on a budget.
The AmazonBasics Slim High-Speed 7 Port USB 3.0 Hub is a plug-n-play device, and Linux supports it with zero issues. While using this device, we found that it delivered breakneck speeds over USB 3.0 and satisfactory speeds over USB 2.0. That said, performance does seriously degrade when a lot of other devices are connected, especially if transferring data over USB 2.0.
Pros
- It is powered which allows for it to handle high-powered devices.
- Support for USB 2.0 and 3.0.
Cons
- Only 2 USB 3.0 ports available.
- The plug makes it hard to be portable at times.
Conclusion
In this list, we talked about 5 great USB hubs that work well on Linux. But thanks to the work of Linux kernel developers, thousands of excellent USB hubs also work on the platform too.
What’s your favorite USB hub to use on your Linux computer? Tell us in the comments below!