Amazon's Echo Devices Compared: Which One Is Best for Your Smart Home? (2024)

The baseline of the Alexa hardware experience is the Echo, the fourth-generation of which takes the power and smart home hub of the Echo Plus and puts it in a round package. The sub-$100 Alexa-equipped Echo orb features three audio drivers, Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Amazon Sidewalk, and Amazon's AZ1 processor.

Amazon Echo (4th Gen) Review

Put a slant on things with the angled Echo Pop. Effectively a cheaper version of the orb-shaped Echo Dot, the Pop boasts a larger front-firing speaker and slightly different look, without sacrificing its Alexa-powered voice assistance functions. Designed to fit into small spaces like a dorm room or bathroom, the Echo Pop also features Amazon's AZ2 Neural Edge processor and can serve as a network extender for Eero mesh networks.

Amazon Echo Pop Review

This kids version of the Echo Pop smart speaker features Marvel or Disney Princess characters and comes with six months of Amazon Kids+.

Amazon Echo Pop Kids Review

The original orb-shaped Echo Spot came out seven years ago as a more compact, clock-radio-like alternative to the Echo Show devices. But it was largely ignored until recently when Amazon released an updated Echo Spot that sits between a smart speaker and a full smart display. In our review, we found that new Echo Spot's display isn't too impressive, but it performs quite well as a smart speaker, provides useful bits of information, and offers basic smart home controls.

Amazon Echo Spot (2024) Review

With surprisingly robust Dolby Atmos-compatible directional audio, Amazon's Echo Studio delivers just as much power as smart speakers that cost twice as much. It's truly impressive for its size and price, enough to earn our Editors' Choice award.

Amazon Echo Studio Review

The Echo Show 15 is Amazon's largest Echo Show yet, and is designed to be easily mounted on a wall. It features a 15.6-inch, 1080p LCD surrounded by a large, picture-frame-like bezel that can look like a painting or smart frame when not in use. A visual ID feature lets the Echo Show 15 identify anyone in a household who stands in front of it and load their own calendars and lists. It's unique, but unless you specifically need a smart display to hang on your wall, Amazon's other Echo Shows might serve you better.A 2022 update also added Fire TV support.

Amazon Echo Show 15 Review

This scaled-down Echo Show 15 looks like a thermostat or home security system, but it’s an 8-inch touch-enabled display where you can manage smart cameras, organize widgets, or just check the time. In our review, we found it to be an excellent value compared with the similar Brilliant Control ($399), a dedicated smart home control panel that retails for more than twice as much. The Echo Hub stands out for its smart home prowess, especially if you prefer to control your devices from a screen rather than with your voice.

Amazon Echo Hub Review

The third-generation Amazon Echo Show 10 smart display features a motorized base that lets it follow you around the room. There's a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera with digital pan and zoom, so it automatically keeps you centered in the picture during video calls, which now support up to seven other people thanks to Alexa Group Calling. Echo Show devices also support Zoom (as well as Amazon's own Chime video conferencing service).

Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) Review

The Echo Show 8 features a rounded edge and a bump-out on the back, which makes it slightly bigger than its predecessor. The 13MP front-facing camera is also centered versus off to the side. The main internal upgrade here is the built-in Zigbee smart home hub and Amazon's AZ2 Neural Edge processor. There are also some audio upgrades and a feature that will sense where you are in the room to display fewer things when you’re far away and more detail as you walk closer.

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen, 2023) Review

For something even smaller, the third-gen Echo Show 5 improves on the previous model with a speaker designed for deeper bass and 20% faster request response time, so you can set that alarm, add that grocery list item, or hear that joke marginally quicker. Available in black, blue, white, the 5.5-inch smart display fits virtually anywhere in your home, and comes with a 2MP HD camera and built-in shutter, as well the option to turn off the microphone and camera.

Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen, 2023 Release) Review

The kid-centric Echo Show 5 makes it easy for little ones to ask Alexa for homework help, make video calls to pre-approved contacts, and set wake-up alarms in the voice of their favorite characters. Now with an additional mic for improved voice-assist responsiveness and a faster AZ2 Neural Edge processor, the device comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ (starting at $5.99 per month for Prime members after the first year) for access to thousands of books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, games, and skills. There's also a two-year "worry-free guarantee," which offers a free replacement for broken displays.

The Echo Dot has long been a space-conscious, affordable way to bring Alexa into your home. And Amazon's formerly puck-shaped smart speaker now has a more orb-like form and a glowing blue LED. In late 2022, Amazon announced an update witha new audio system, a custom full-range driver that Amazon says doubles the bass the previous models can put out. Ultrasound motion detectors are also built into the new smart speakers, letting them respond to tap gestures and movement. Plus, it includes Eero mesh Wi-Fisupport, letting Amazon Dots serve as network nodes that can add up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to an Eero Wi-Fi network (the 4th-gen Dots also got an update adding Eero support).

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 Release) Review

The Echo Dot with Clockfeatures the same spherical look as the latest Echo Dot, with the addition of a digital clockface that makes a big difference in usability. It too got all the updates added to the base Dot, plus new visible information like song titles and weather conditions, making it an ever smarter speaker than the previous model for the same price, earning it our Editors’ Choice award.

Amazon Echo Dot With Clock (5th Gen) Review

The Echo Dot Kids Edition is shaped like the Echo Dot, but comes in owl and dragon prints. It packs some kid-friendly features, like one free year of Amazon Kids+ for thousands of hours of kid-friendly Audible books, interactive games, and educational skills. (After a year, Amazon Kids+ is $4.99/month.) This Echo Dot also comes with a two-year, worry-free guarantee, so if it breaks, Amazon will replace it for free.

This colorful smart light orb is intended for kids. Ask Alexa to change the Glow's colors; tap to make it flicker like a campfire or flash while an Echo Dot plays music for a dance party. TheEcho Glowdoesn't work with any Alexa skills and can't be set to flash or give any indication of you getting a message or alert. But for the price, it seems like a fine smart light for your kids' rooms. (Not to be confused with the now-defunct Amazon Glow, a $300 smart speaker plus projector that let kids connect with faraway loved ones and play games.)

Amazon Echo Glow Review

Amazon's Echo Buds true wireless earphones—not to be confused with the 2021 Echo Buds with ANC model—promise up to five hours of music playback per charge, and a sub-$50 price tag. The in-ear accessory, which sports an easy-hold stem, connect to two devices at the same time, so you can take that video call from computer to phone without missing a beat. Echo Buds are compatible with iOS and Android, with hands-free access to Alexa, Siri, and the Google Assistant.

Amazon Echo Buds (2023 Release) Review

The second-generation Echo Buds with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which offer hands-free Alexa voice control, improve upon Amazon's original true wireless earphones with a smaller, lighter design and active noise cancellation. While there's not much reason to upgrade if you already own a pair of the originals, the second-generation Echo Buds are smaller, lighter, and offer genuineactive noise cancellation. (A version with a wireless charging case is $20 more.)

Amazon Echo Buds With Active Noise Cancellation (2021 Release, 2nd Gen) Review

The Smart Plug is part of a line of products called Alexa Gadgets, which need to be connected to other Echo smart speakers. It connects to Echo devices like the Dot to turncompatible deviceswith mechanical on and off switches into smart ones. You can then say things like "Alexa, turn on the coffee pot."

Amazon Smart Plug Review

The $269.99 Echo Frames ($389.99 for the Carrera-branded version) offer hands-free access to Alexa to make calls, request podcasts or Audible books, set reminders, and other tasks. The third-gens promise extended battery life (up to six hours of continuous media playback), better Alexa performance, and a more stylish look. In our review, we found them to be better looking and more comfortable than ever, while falling short on audio quality.

Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen) Review

The AmazonEcho Subprovides much-needed sub-bass to your Echo smart speaker as long as you're willing to overlook some frustrating limitations. Inour review, we found that it can't shake the walls like home theater subwoofers, and it's held back by a bizarre incompatibility with Bluetooth streaming.

Amazon Echo Sub Review

Google hasAndroid Autoand Apple hasCarPlay, so it was inevitable that Amazon would also get into the automotive space. TheEcho Auto debuted in 2018 as a small device that attaches to the dashboard and responds to questions just like it would at home. A slimmed-down (and more expensive) version arrived in 2022 for $54.99. As we found in our review, the latest Echo Auto is ultimately just a good microphone that lets you use Alexa voice controls in your car. It's not any more unique than the Alexa mobile app, but it might be able to hear you better.

Amazon Echo Auto (2nd Gen, 2022 Release) Review