I’ve tried all the smart speakers from Amazon, Google and Apple: these are the ones worth buying

There are three big players when it comes to finding the best smart speaker: devices powered by Amazon, Google, and Apple. But each system has its own advantages and limitations, and finding the smart speaker that’s right for you requires considering several factors.

You probably already have a favorite ecosystem. Maybe it’s the one that works with your phone, as an Apple or Android user, or maybe it’s Amazon’s Alexa, in case you already own one of the dozens of speakers the company has released in the 12 years since the first Amazon Echo speaker arrived in 2014. Amazon’s ecosystem, in particular, is vast, often seeing several new models each year, while the options are becoming much narrower between Google and Apple. Google’s new smart speaker is expected to be released soon, but there is still no specific date.

Below are the best smart speakers for each ecosystem, which I found after trying almost every smart speaker released in the last decade. You can also check out my guides on Best Alexa Speakers, Best Google SpeakersAnd Best smart displays if you want more information on each category.

Updated June 2026: I’ve revamped this entire guide, rearranging the choices and updating the details of Google’s speaker offerings. I have also ensured up to date links and prices.

Best Smart Speaker for Alexa Users (and Overall)

Most of the smart speakers I spot at friends’ houses are from the Amazon Echo line. The options are plentiful, and many I see are older models, like the puck-shaped Echo Dot. These outdated speakers are still pretty well supported, although not all of them can access Alexa+, Amazon’s new AI-powered voice assistant. Even if your smart speaker can use Alexa+, the upgrade is only worth it if you have Amazon Prime. Without a Prime subscription, you’ll have to pay $20 per month for Alexa+ alone. It’s literally cheaper to get Amazon Prime ($15 per month for most plans), which offers a wider range of benefits, which is probably intentional.

The Echo Dot Max is one of Amazon’s newest models. It launched in late 2025, taking the small form factor of the older Dot models and improving it with impressive sound, a built-in smart home hub, and a slightly different look. Its sound quality is fantastic and incredibly loud without being confusing, especially considering its small size. I tested it with the latest Echo Studio last year and I found the speakers to be more similar in quality than I expected. It’s not as cheap as the older Dot models, but you can still find the price affordable Echo Dot (5th generation) available at half price if you don’t need super awesome sound.

If I had to only choose one smart speaker to buy right now, it would be this one. Of all the offerings between Amazon and its competitors, Alexa’s great compatibility and voice commands stand out above the rest. Ultimately, this speaker is compact without reducing sound quality or losing a smart home hub.

Best Smart Speaker for Google Users (So Far)

The Nest Audio is the best Google speaker available right now, but that’s about to change. Google has already stopped selling both the Nest Audio and the smaller Nest Mini smart speakers as the company prepares for the arrival of its new speaker (any day now, as expected in spring 2026). We will call it the Google Home Speaker (yes, it’s the same name as Google’s original smart speaker from 2016), and it will cost the same as the Nest Audio, $100. However, in shape, the Google Home speaker will have more similarities to the Mini speaker, looking very much like a cross between a HomePod Mini (below) and an Echo Dot (above), with a taller, rounded shape that older Google speaker models lacked.

For now, though, you can still purchase the very solid Nest Audio from several retailers. It offers good sound quality, the ability to pair with another Nest Audio as a stereo (but doesn’t connect to larger stereos), and is compatible with tons of music platforms. Nest Audio is also compatible with Google’s new voice assistant, Gemini for the house. With a subscription, you can also access the more powerful Gemini Live assistant, which allows back-and-forth conversations with an AI chatbot through the smart speaker. This subscription comes with other benefits, like camera storage, which is useful for people who use Nest security cameras in their homes.

If you really can’t wait for the new Google Home speaker to launch, the Nest Audio is a good option. But I would recommend waiting.

Best for Apple users

Smart speaker options are the most limited for Apple users. Neither my colleagues nor I were impressed with the sound quality of the larger HomePod when it relaunched in 2023. But the smaller HomePod Mini is a good investment for the price, and you’ll find it’s the most convenient option if you already use the Apple Home app and Siri.

It’s a third of the price and smaller than the full-size speaker; otherwise, it can do just about everything the larger model can do. It also serves as a smart home hub to connect your Apple-compatible devices, so you don’t need the bigger speaker or Apple TV if what you’re primarily looking for is smart home control. It’s still not my favorite smart speaker overall, and Apple HomeKit isn’t my favorite ecosystem due to its limitations and the fact that I have more problems adding my devices to the Home app than any other platform. But if you’re committed to your Apple ecosystem, this is the speaker to buy.

Best Smart Display for Google Users (and Overall)

It’s easily my favorite smart display, that is, a smart speaker with a screen attached to it, and that’s the case even if you’re not typically a Google user. For what? The Nest Hub Max also doubles as a digital photo frame for free. You’ll need to upload images to Google Photos, but as long as you stay under 15GB (across the entire Google account, including Gmail and Drive), it’s also free. I pay $10 a month for storage so I never have to delete a video of my son, but that’s my problem, not yours.

The Nest Hub Max delivers solid sound for its slim frame with two 10-watt tweeters and a 30-watt woofer. The 10-inch touchscreen is an ideal size for everything from controlling the smart home to streaming videos to finding recipes and viewing your own photos. Many of these features rely on the smart display, which means you can’t access them with a smart speaker without a screen. It’s not the only smart display option on the market, but it has a prettier interface than Amazon’s Echo Show 11 (below), and you won’t see any ads sliding across this Nest’s screen. There’s also a camera for video calls and gesture-based controls, but you can turn the camera off if you prefer.

Like the Nest Audio above, the Nest Hub Max is compatible with Google’s new voice assistant, Gemini for the houseand Gemini Live, if you have a subscription and want to have more complex conversations and requests.

Best smart display for Alexa

If you want a smart display but don’t want a Google-powered device, your only other option is the Amazon Echo Show. The Echo Show range is large and powerful with a range of features, from the usual suspects, like voice commands and smart home control, to streaming capabilities, video calling and even a security camera (via the device’s built-in camera). Amazon’s Echo Show 8 line was my favorite for years, but after comparing the new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 launched last year, the Echo Show 11 took the lead for me.

The Echo Show 11 offers better sound quality, which is a must if you’re going to spend this much on a speaker. It’s still more expensive than I’d like, selling in the $200 range instead of $100 like previous Echo Show 8 models, but it comes with a larger screen (11-inch, depending on the name). The new Show 8 actually had worse sound quality and response time than the old model, so if you only want an 8-inch screen, get the old one. Echo Show 8 3rd generation ($150) instead.

Although this Echo’s 11-inch screen is larger than Google’s Nest, it doesn’t feel too big; I enjoyed using it both on my desk and downstairs in my kitchen. It’s a b It’s the right size for reading recipes and even having long conversations with Alexa+, which it can pair with right out of the box. Conversations appear as text bubbles to me and Alexa+, reminding me of a chatbot conversation, but on a larger screen. Again, Alexa+ didn’t blow me away, so I recommend only using it if you get it for free as an Amazon Prime member. It’s not worth buying it alone. If you’re not a Prime member and don’t want to become one, you can still use the old Alexa assistant completely free.

Like Google’s smart display above, the Echo Show 11 has a camera for video calls. It also has a physical camera cover where you can change lenses so you can confidently know you’re turning it off. To use the digital photo frame, you can upload your own images, but the process is painful and the crops are terrible. I usually use Amazon’s own image collections as a screensaver for a prettier result.

The Echo also has ads, which is a big drawback compared to the Google Nest Hubs, and it also plays boring content on its ever-changing slideshow that feels disruptive rather than informative. You’ll get tons of news and sports slides, recipe suggestions, suggestions on how to use Alexa, and ads interspersed throughout. The only way to disable them is to turn them off individually or enable Photo Frame mode. But even that only lasts a few hours, so I have to activate it repeatedly. I usually enable Amazon’s preset photo collections and my favorite setting is using seasonal photos.

Comparison of our favorite smart speakers

Honorable mentions

There are tons of smart speakers available for purchase. Here are a few others I like:

Amazon’s Echo Spot for $80 is a great partial smart display. Even if the quality of the music does not offer the same depth, you will upgrade to the Echo Dot, the fun little half-screen of this second generation Echo point comes in handy, showing the time, weather, your calendar, and the name of the song currently playing. It’s a nice set of features that make it a great speaker for the bedroom, especially since the lack of a camera eliminates visual privacy concerns.

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd generation) for $150 is the best Alexa smart display for the money. It’s smaller than my top pick Echo Show 11, but if the size suits you, know that the sound here is better than on the new Echo Show 8. Although it’s older, this edition is still enabled to use Alexa+ and has a built-in smart home hub.

The Amazon Echo Studio (2nd generation) for $220 is the Alexa speaker that offers the best sound. I I love this smart speaker for its fantastic sound quality and power, built-in smart home hub and spatial audio capabilities. Although it’s smaller than the Apple HomePod, it easily filled my entire large second-floor room with music.

The Google Nest Hub for $100 is a great bedside speaker for Google Assistant users. The 7-inch screen looks like a smartphone laying on its side rather than a massive smart display. It also has motion-sensing technology to track your sleep, which is a handy feature for people who don’t find wearable sleep tracking devices comfortable while sleeping. Plus, no camera.

What is Alexa+?

Amazon has deployed the new improved Alexa, called Alexa+after announcing it in February 2025. This second generation of the Alexa voice assistant is more conversational, similar to an experience with AI assistants like ChatGPT, which is not a surprising innovation given that Alexa+ was built on generative AI. It answers a variety of questions better than first-generation Alexa and responds quickly to all kinds of requests. You can learn more my direct experience with Alexa+ here.

You can get a Alexa+ free trial for 30 daysbut after that you have to subscribe, which has a monthly fee of $20or buy Amazon Prime, which includes Alexa+ access. It’s cheaper to become a Prime subscriber than to just subscribe to the new Assistant, probably by design, to connect you to Amazon’s larger ecosystem. The subscription fee is a big step up from free, but I think it’s likely that most people who choose to get an Amazon Alexa are also Prime subscribers. If not, this assistant is not worth the subscription cost.

Alexa+ will also require that all voice recordings are sent to Amazon to process, and Amazon has also changed its policy regarding recordings with standard Alexa: these now also go to Amazon. There used to be a “Don’t send voice recordings” privacy feature you could select, which would handle voice requests locally, but that feature was removed last year. The privacy change will affect all users, whether or not you sign up for Alexa+, whether or not you use an Alexa+-enabled device.

What is Gemini for Google Home?

Google announced late last year that Gemini for the housethe new version of its voice assistant, is being rolled out to existing Google Home users. It will completely replace the current Google Assistant and is currently expected to roll out to almost all Google devices. One notable exception is the Pixel tablet; otherwise, Google’s existing hardware correctly reflects what Gemini for Home will achieve.

Contrary to Alexa+this new assistant will always be free. However, Google is changing its camera subscription, Nest Aware, to a Gemini for Home subscription which will have two tiers, Standard ($10 per month) and Advanced ($20 per month). This new subscription model will extend beyond cameras and include some advanced smart assistant features, including Gemini Live, which is a more conversational chat mode that you can enable on a smart speaker, and automation features that you won’t get on the basic assistant. Advanced mode will also allow you to ask Gemini for video history, receive AI notifications and descriptions, and receive a personalized summary at the end of the day called Home Brief. The Standard plan will have 30 days of video event history as well as smart alerts for its cameras, while the Advanced plan will have 60 days and 24/7 video history.

Google is also offering a new speaker for the first time in years: the Google Home Speaker, which shares its name with the original Google smart speaker from 2016. It looks like a larger Nest Mini (it’s actually more like a HomePod Mini than a speaker from Google’s own lineup), and while it’s small, it will become the new flagship speaker in Google’s lineup. It is expected to be released in spring 2026 and will cost $99. I’m curious if Google’s other speakers will remain available after the product launch, but that seems unlikely since Google’s Nest Audio and Nest Mini are already out of stock on its site, and the new speaker hasn’t arrived yet. I’ll update this guide with more details on the new speaker as soon as it becomes available.

More smart speakers we tested

Amazon Echo Hub for $180: THE Echo Center is designed from the ground up to control your smart devices and acts more like a home security device than a true smart speaker. It also has the worst built-in speaker in the Alexa ecosystem, since it’s designed to be used in tandem with a more powerful Alexa speaker like the ones above.

Amazon Echo Pop for $28: THE Echo Pop is a cute little speaker that’s affordable and comes in fun colors. It’s a good choice for students or teens who want something with a bit of personality, but everyone else should just upgrade to the Echo Dot for much better sound and the same features.

Amazon Echo Show 5 for $90: The Show 5 can do everything the Show 8 can do, but on a smaller, less convenient screen. It’s a good size for a bedroom, but there is a camera, which many don’t want in this space. I prefer to add the Echo Spot or Google Nest Hub for a similar mini-display (hold the camera) to my nightstand.

Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th generation) for $180: It’s a solid smart speaker with Amazon’s latest physical design and Alexa+ right out of the box, but it’s not a sonic improvement over the older model, so I’d personally go with the third-generation option (see above) while it’s still available or upgrade to Echo Show 11 ($220).

Amazon Echo Show 15 for $300: The Show 15 exists somewhere on the continuum of a smart display and a smart TV, but it doesn’t fully describe being either. Widgets are fun to use since you can add so many to the Show’s 15-inch screen, but I’ve tried this device several times and have always come away disappointed. The Show 15 has grown on me using it with Alexa+, especially with a stand ($125) sit on my desk. But it’s still larger than I need for everyday tasks, but smaller than I’d expect from a TV.

Apple HomePod for $299: Apple’s flagship smart speaker has a muddy midrange and high end, which is disappointing for the price. THE HomePod there’s plenty of bass, though, if that’s your jam. If you want an Apple-powered smart speaker in your home, the Mini costs a third of the price and has almost identical capabilities to the full-size model.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound Tier for $2,250: This is a beautiful, albeit very expensive, speaker that is built to last. The company designed the high-end model to be repairable and upgradeable over time. Made from natural fabric and wood, this is a premium flat speaker with Google Assistant built-in. You can also buy it without a smart assistant for the same price.

JBL Authentics 200 for $200: It was my previous choice for a third-party smart speaker, but I’m not sure about its access to Amazon and Google’s new assistants. I will test it again once I confirm if he will have access to one (if not both) assistants.

Sonos Era 100 for $189: Another third-party option, but it won’t provide access to Google Support. However, you can connect it to Amazon A lexa. Additionally, Sonos is a great investment if you’re really looking for a great speaker with smarts, but its smart assistant isn’t the main feature.

Sonos Beam Gen 2 for $369: This is an older version of the Sonos Beam that still has Google support, but I don’t know if it will have access to Gemini for Home.

WiiM A10 for $229: This speaker does not have a voice assistant, but it is compatible with AirPlay 2, Google Cast and Siri to be used as a Bluetooth speaker. WIRED Review Parker Room says it reminds him of a Sonos speaker, but can instantly connect to Spotify Connect, faster than any other speaker he’s tried.

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