Jul 30, 2025 6:32 AM
What’s the Best Amazon Echo for You?
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Amazon’s family of Alexa-enabled devices is vast, making it hard to choose the best Amazon Echo for you. From the spherical Echo to the swiveling Echo Show 10, to even a 21-inch Alexa you’ll need to mount on your wall, you can get Alexa into your home in many ways. These devices can answer your questions, help you order essentials, set timers, play all sorts of audio content, and even function as the control hub for your growing smart home.
Overall, the best one to buy is the fourth generation of Amazon’s flagship speaker, the Amazon Echo ($100), which delivers everything you might hope for: great sound! Quick responses! A smart-home hub! If you’re on a budget, the compact fifth-generation Echo Dot ($50) is a great choice for any small spot you can think of that still packs impressive sound. If you want a screen component, which I find handy, snag the Echo Show 8 ($150) for the best screen size to fit in your home and still enjoy what’s on screen. Looking for something else? Read on to see all of our favorite Amazon Echo- and Alexa-compatible speakers for every home and budget.
Amazon did make a serious change to its privacy features back in March to prepare for its new Alexa+ assistant that’s currently in early access. Amazon removed the ability for users to have voice commands processed locally, meaning everything you say to your Echo is automatically sent to Amazon, whether you’re using original Alexa or the new Alexa+.
If you’re trying to decide which smart devices might be best for you, be sure to check out WIRED’s picks in our roundups, including the Best Smart Speakers, Best Smart Displays, and Best Bluetooth Speakers. We also have guides on setting up your Echo speaker, creating Alexa routines, the best tricks an Echo Show can do, and a hands-on with Alexa+ early access.
Updated July 2025: We’ve added information about our experience with Alexa+ Early Access, plus a new FAQs section.
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Best Overall
Amazon’s fourth-generation Echo notably changed the shape of the cylindrical speaker into a speaker ball. Unless you have a personal vendetta against Amazon (you might), this is the best smart speaker you can get for around $100. Amazon has dialed in its digital signal processing and sound quality over the previous three Echos, and the rounded edges here help fidelity. The current Echo comes with Amazon’s AZI Neural Edge processor too, which helps it recognize speech better than ever.
It works in any room in the house. Use it in the kitchen for recipes and timers, in the bedroom for news and weather, or in the bathroom for shower sing-alongs. It’s compact, sounds decent, and is well-suited to everything you’d want a smart speaker to do. If music quality is your priority, scroll to the Echo Studio and Sonos speakers below, which are our favorite Alexa speakers for listening to music.
Speaker array 3-inch woofer, two 0.8-inch tweeters Audio options Compatible with Bluetooth and services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and SiriusXM. Capable of lossless HD and Dolby Audio. Extra features Zigbee smart home hub, 3.5 mm line in/out WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Great sound quality and smart speaker features for a good price
- Responsive microphone and Amazon’s AZI Neural Edge processor to recognize speech
- Capable of lossless HD and Dolby Audio
- Built-in smart home hub
TIRED- No screen, so you lose out on smart display features
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Best Display
The Echo Show 8 has been our favorite smart display for Alexa for three generations in a row, with the 2023 third-gen model as our latest pick. We like this size more than the 5- and 10-inch versions, the smaller of which felt like a weird smartphone, the larger like a weird tablet that spins around everywhere. This one’s like Goldilocks’ perfect porridge: It’s big enough that weather updates, video chats, and recipes show up clearly, but compact enough that it doesn’t take up too much countertop space. Amazon has also added Widgets to the Echo Show 8, so you can choose up to three informative little squares to pop up on the screen.
The third-gen model is a little pricier than the previous one because it adds a smart home hub and spatial audio. If you don’t think you’ll use those abilities, the cheaper second-gen Echo Show 8 ($130) is still a great choice.
Speaker array Two 2-inch speakers Audio options Compatible with Bluetooth and services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and SiriusXM Extra features 8-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution, 13MP camera with auto-framing WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Smart display adds extra features you won’t get on a regular smart speaker, and the eight-inch size is ideal for most things
- Has a built-in smart home hub
- Physical cover for included camera
TIRED- Has a camera, which not everyone might want in their home
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Best Budget Option
The fifth-generation Echo Dot is a great little speaker. It’s got powerful, robust sound for its small size, and works great if you want Alexa handy on a bookshelf or on a small side table. It’s one I always find myself setting up somewhere in my house, whether it’s in my hallway so I can ask quick questions as I move through the house, or in my bedroom as an alarm clock. It’s some of the best sound you can get for this price, especially when it’s on sale.
I also like the Echo Dot (5th Gen) With Clock ($60) version that adds an LED clock to the front of the speaker, but that model is starting to go out of stock, and Amazon says they don’t plan to restock this version. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a new Echo Dot soon.
Speaker array One 1.73-inch speaker Audio options Compatible with Bluetooth and services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and SiriusXM. Capable of lossless high definition. Extra features n/a WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Impressive sound for such a small size, with solid bass compared to previous generations
- Good size for bedside tables and smaller rooms
TIRED- Won’t fill a large room with sound like other picks in this guide
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Best for Kids
This special edition of the Echo Dot is nearly identical to the fifth-gen Dot above, but it has easy-to-use parental controls that allow you to set time limits, filter explicit content, and review activity. The owl- or dragon-colored sphere comes with a year of Amazon Kids+, which includes thousands of Audible books and other special games and features. After that, you’ll be charged $3 per month. Alexa can help your kids spell, play their favorite music, or—via another speaker in your house—remind them of dinner time.
Echo also has the Show 5 Kids ($100), a smart display with parental controls, and Echo Pop Kids ($50), which has two Disney covers to choose from. We haven’t tested either yet, but will update this guide when we do.
Speaker array One 1.73-inch speaker Audio options Compatible with Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Pandora. Capable of lossless high definition Extra features Two cover options, 1 year of Amazon Kids+ included WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Everything the Echo Dot can do, with a cute kid-friendly cover
- Adds parental controls to set time limits and review activity
- Comes with a free year of Amazon Kids+, Amazon’s kid content subscription service
TIRED- Only two cover designs to choose from (though other Kids speakers from Amazon have different designs)
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Best for the Bedroom
The second-generation Echo Spot is back after a few years of being discontinued. It’s a great little bedside companion thanks to its half-circle screen that displays the time, plus any alarms you have set are also visible under the main time. You can customize the clock with a couple different color and face options, and the screen dims nicely when the lights are out to a gentle red that’s easy to red without lighting up the room. I like asking for alarms set to my latest playlist or some lo-fi jams, and it’s easy to set that up with a voice request.
The Spot also does a nice job displaying music, weather, and calendar on the screen when you make voice requests. Unlike the Echo Shows, it doesn’t have a distracting, constantly moving slideshow that would be annoying for the bedroom, nor does it display ads or have a built-in camera. (Nobody wants a rogue camera in their bedroom.) It does not have fantastic sound but is plenty loud for an alarm or casual listening while you get dressed in the morning.
Speaker array One 1.73-inch speaker Audio options Compatible with Bluetooth and services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and SiriusXM. Capable of lossless high definition. Extra features Small screen (2.83-inch) that can show things like the time, weather, and your calendar. WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Fun in-between of a regular speaker and an smart display
- Small screen works great as a fun bedside alarm
- Does a nice job showing the weather, calendar, and current song playing without any visual clutter or ads
TIRED- Not as good of sound as you’ll get on the Echo Dot
- Only a handful of clock design options
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The Best Non-Amazon Speaker
If your budget can stretch and you want something that does a bit more than Amazon’s own offerings, Sonos’ mainstay smart speaker is the best you’ll find. Our favorite smart speaker now comes with dual tweeters for stereo, has better mics than some of Amazon’s leading speakers, and can be used with virtually any streaming service.
You should also consider the Sonos Era 300 ($449), which can function as an Alexa speaker. It supports spatial audio, but it’s much larger and more expensive.
Speaker array Two tweeters, one midwoofer, and three amplifiers Audio options Compatible with Bluetooth, Airplay, and services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and many more Extra features Room tuning
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A Simpler, No-Speaker Display
The Amazon Echo Hub is similar to an Echo Show, but without the speaker. Instead it’s a thin device that feels a bit like a tablet, designed to be mounted on the wall (or placed on a separately purchased stand, which is how I used it) and used to control your smart home devices. It’s a great choice for anyone who wants something focused on smart home control only. You can still ask Alexa questions and even play music, but the thin speakers aren’t worth playing music from. But you can tell your Echo Hub to play music on a different set of speakers, and even set up default speakers to work with it. It’s a great companion device if you already have a smart home setup.
Speaker size Two 1.3-inch speakers Audio options Compatible with Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Pandora. Extra features Zigbee and Matter smart home hub. Designed to be used with another Echo speaker for music WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Great for smart home control
- No ads or spam like Echo Show devices have
- Ideal companion device for homes with several smart devices and a few smart speakers already
TIRED- No streaming or other entertainment apps
- Mediocre sound (but it’s designed to pair with another speaker that has better sound quality)
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Best Compact Soundbar
The Sonos Beam is also another great Alexa soundbar because of how compact and easy it is to use. The small, pill-shaped bar will seamlessly work with any other Sonos speakers you have, and you can play music on it when you aren’t bingeing Netflix. It sounds amazing no matter what audio is coming out of it, and it goes head to head with soundbars that are much larger. As it’s made by Sonos, you can switch over to Google Assistant, should you ever decide Amazon’s ecosystem isn’t right for you.
Speaker array One tweeter, three passive radiators, four custom-designed full-range woofers Audio options Compatible with Bluetooth, Airplay, and services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and many more Extra features Works with other smart assistants if you aren’t devoted to Alexa
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Other Alexa (or Alexa Compatible) Speakers
Amazon Echo Pop for $40: The Echo Pop is a perfectly fine little speaker, and the cutest one in Amazon’s lineup. Does it have great sound? No. It’s fine enough for background tunes or if you’re limited to a dorm room, but you’ll get much better sound for a similar size from the Echo Dot (but you’ll pay a little more, and you won’t get as cute of colors!)
Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) for $90: This smart display is another just-fine option, but it’s too small to be a great display, and the included camera makes it a no for a bedside table; better to go with the above Echo Spot or an Echo Dot.
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) for $250: This smart display has big sound, but its wonky shape makes it hard to seamlessly fit into your home. It’s cool that it can follow you around while you speak to it, but also kinda weird. It’s great if you have a big kitchen island you’re always moving around, but not much else. Note: It’s currently out of stock but expected to be back in soon.
Amazon Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) for $300: This smart display is a good display, but it clearly wants to double as a TV and isn’t very good at it yet. I’m hoping we see better TV-related performance in the future to make it worth adding to a kitchen or office. It does a great job with widgets, though, thanks to the massive 15.6-inch screen. There’s also the larger Echo Show 21 ($400), which is essentially the same thing but larger.
Amazon Echo Studio for $200: The Echo Studio is our favorite Echo speaker for sound quality, but availability has been limited—it was only in stock for a few days of July. Amazon did not confirm how steady its availability will be when asked.
Amazon Echo Sub for $130: This was our top pick for bass, which can be paired with other Echo speakers to add some bass to your jam sessions. It’s currently unavailable on Amazon but still around for third-party retailers like Best Buy, and we’re keeping a eye out to see if it comes back in stock or not. Amazon did not confirm whether or not it would when asked.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) for $250: The Beosound A1 is a durable, beautiful, and great-sounding listening companion, and this second-generation version has an Alexa integration to make it an Alexa speaker anywhere you go. It’s a great speaker, but it’s more expensive than the Sonos Roam.
Other Devices With Alexa Inside
Why only ask Alexa for help while you’re at home? These accessories let you take your favorite voice assistant with you everywhere.
Echo Frames (3rd Gen) for $330: WIRED reviews editor Adrienne So was fully prepared to hate these combo eyeglasses and headphones, but she actually liked them a lot. They look good, they’re surprisingly comfortable, and the sound is OK—although a little tinny, since the speakers are placed just next to your ears. You can answer calls while running and going for walks, and the microphone is good enough that she sounded like she was still on her phone. But the charging base is annoying. The glasses’ arms don’t quite fit into the stand, and you have to be careful to balance the frames at two points.
Echo Buds (2023 Release) for $50: We preferred the 2021 release of these earbuds, but they’re no longer available. The 2023 edition is cheaper, much uglier, and does not have ANC.
Meet Alexa+
Amazon has started rolling out the new and improved Alexa, named Alexa+. It’s available right now for free in early access, though you’ll have to join a waiting list and wait to get selected. I got to check out Alexa+ on my Echo Show devices (which are the only devices you can use Alexa+ on during early access), and it’s been a pretty positive experience. I like the updated, more conversational voice, and Alexa+ did a good job answering all kinds of questions quickly and thoughtfully. Check out our early access hands-on for everything I thought while testing.
Alexa+ has caused some changes, even for those not using it. It requires that all voice recordings be sent to Amazon to be processed. Amazon’s changed its features wholesale—now all recordings with regular Alexa go to Amazon, too. There used to be a “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” privacy feature that you could select to have voice requests processed locally, but that feature was killed on March 28, 2025, per an email Amazon sent out to current users of that feature.
There isn’t a timeline yet for when early access will be done and the final version will roll out. Once out of early access, Alexa+ will be available for $20 a month, or free if you have an Amazon Prime membership. While you likely have a membership if you added an Alexa device to your home, it’s a big jump from the previously free assistant. Still, it’s a nice upgrade and much more on par with the AI assistants of the world, which isn’t a surprise since it’s built on generative AI.
FAQs
What’s the Difference Between an Echo and an Echo Show?
A regular Echo is a smart speaker, or a speaker with microphones in it so it can hear you speak to it and respond. An Echo Show is a smart display, which has a screen and a camera to let you make video calls, stream content, and see your questions answered on a screen. Both have similar capabilities when it comes to smart home control, answering questions, and playing music, but Echo Shows have extra abilities thanks to the screen. All Echo Shows have a camera and come with a physical camera cover for privacy.
When’s the Best Time to Buy an Echo?
The best time to buy any Amazon speaker is during a major sale event like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, as there are often steep discounts. You’ll often see the cheaper speakers discounted for around 50 percent off, and the larger speakers see some nice sale prices too.
How Do You Remove Ads and Spam From an Echo Show?
If you’re using an Echo Show device, you’ve likely noticed there’s tons of default content the device will show you. Sports scores! Local news! A recipe you might be interested in! It makes the device exhausting and annoying to be near.
Here’s how you can control what you see:
- Swipe down from the top of your Echo Show to pull up the menu, and select Settings.
- In the Settings menu, choose Home Content.
- There are upwards of 40 options you can toggle on and off on this menu, and you should remove as many as you can that you don’t use. I usually remove all but weather forecasts and recently played audio.
While you’re able to turn off interest-based ads from third-party skills (this is under Alexa Privacy in the Settings menu), it won’t stop all ads. The only setting that is ad-free is choosing Photo Display mode, which can use either Amazon’s included library of photos or your own. The downside is that that turns it into a digital photo frame, so you won’t even see a clock or features like widgets.
Can I Have My Alexa Requests Locally Processed, or Do They Have to Go to the Cloud?
There used to be a privacy feature called Do Not Send Voice Recordings that let you have all your voice requests processed locally on your Alexa device, instead of baeing sent to Amazon’s cloud storage. That feature was killed in March 2025 to support Alexa+, and even if you continue to use the old Alexa, you still don’t have access to that feature any longer.
When Will I Get Alexa+?
Alexa+ is still only in early access, and you can only get it by joining the waitlist and waiting to be selected. It’s random, and so far Amazon doesn’t have a timeline for when everyone on the list will get it, or when early access will be over. You’ll just have to join the waitlist and wait to see when you’re chosen. Once you do, check out our hands-on for what we liked about Alexa+ so far.
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