Options for making Neostat "smart"

I have a rebadged Neostat thermostat for my underfloor heating and I’m trying to find a way to make it smart without having to spend £120+ on the Neo hub! Has anyone had any luck using other cheaper options for controlling the Neo environment? I was wondering if I could do something along the lines of having the Neostat permanently on an use a Shelly relay on the wiring to control the signal? I could then use something like the Aqara thermostat to say when the heating should be on or off? I don’t know anything about heating systems so I’m not sure if that would work?