Amazon’s Alexa is one of the world’s leading virtual assistants and smart home automation system. The voice assistant is an integral part of millions of households, tackling tasks like locking doors, dimming lights, playing music, and even calling for help. The tech is poised to get even better with the rollout of Alexa+, an AI-upgraded version of the assistant.
Also: I used Amazon’s Echo Show 21 as my smart home hub – and it’s almost perfect
Alexa is integrated into smart home devices like smart hubs, Amazon Echo speakers, smart thermostats, smart lightbulbs, and home security cameras. If you’re in the market for a new Alexa device, we’ve tested the best products to help you make the best purchase.
What is the best Alexa device right now?
Our choice for the best Alexa device is the third-generation Amazon Echo Show 8. The third-generation Amazon Echo Show 8 is a smart display with a spatial audio speaker that delivers rich sound quality and a full Alexa experience. Read on for a full breakdown of the best Echo and Alexa-compatible devices for your smart home.
The best Alexa devices of 2025
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The Echo Show 8 has a spatial audio speaker on the back that delivers rich, crisp, room-filling sound. The Adaptive Content feature shows simplified content when you glance at the screen from a distance. When you get closer, it switches to more detailed content.
After using it daily for months, the Echo Show 8 has become my go-to shopping list maker, entertainment center while cooking, and assistant to control smart devices around my home. I use it to ask Alexa for the weather while I’m setting up the kids’ backpacks on school nights and to run my smart home routines to turn on the backyard lights.
Review: The Echo Show 8
Other buyers agree, making the Echo Show 8 one of the highest-rated Alexa devices available. One reviewer said, “What I appreciate most is its seamless integration with Alexa. From controlling smart home devices to providing weather updates or simply cracking jokes, Alexa brightens my day with her responsiveness and wit. And navigating through everything is a breeze, thanks to the intuitive interface and responsive touchscreen.”
Echo Show 8 features: 8-inch touchscreen display | 1080p resolution | 13MP camera | Spatial audio | Zigbee, Matter, Thread | Price: $150
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You don’t have to spend a fortune on a smart speaker with Alexa built in, and the $50 Amazon Echo Dot is the perfect example. In addition to controlling your smart home, this Alexa speaker has excellent sound quality when playing your favorite music, podcasts, or audiobooks.
Though it doesn’t have a smart display, the Echo Dot is the perfect bedside companion. With Alexa, it’s easy to set alarms with a voice command or in the app. You can also control Alexa-compatible devices triggered by the temperature or built-in motion sensors.
Also: Echo Pop vs Echo Dot: Which Alexa smart speaker should you choose?
“For the price of this, it’s such a great value. Loud sound and clear, voice recognition is good, easy to set up and sleek appearance. Quality-built product, and it will definitely last! Overall great performance and easy to move,” one reviewer commented.
The Echo Dot can be paired with another for a stereo pair and can simultaneously play music or other audio on all Echo devices in your home for a multi-room experience.
Echo Dot features: Smart speaker | Voice control | Smart home hub | Motion & temperature sensors | Price: $35 (currently on sale)
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You can’t go wrong with the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus to monitor your front door.
An Echo Show paired with a Ring doorbell can quickly display who’s outside as soon as someone rings the doorbell. All Ring devices offer seamless Alexa integration, letting users choose between voice and touch to control them and stream video feeds.
Review: Ring Battery Doorbell Plus
A Ring Battery Doorbell Plus has all the features most users need, and buyers agree. One of them said, “Picture is clear and battery great. No issues with connectivity, and it’s picking up motion, person, and bell perfectly. Extremely easy to set up in the app and navigate settings etc. For mounting, as a renter, I purchased the door mount and it looks and works great! Super secure!”
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus features: Head-to-toe video | 1536p resolution | Two-way talk | Person & package detection | Quick-release battery pack | Price: $150
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The Amazon Echo Studio is the tech giant’s best smart speaker overall. The high-end option combines premium Dolby Atmos spatial audio benefits with smart home capabilities.
The Echo Studio is a staple in our TV room, serving as a speaker and my home theater audio output. I also use it for voice control with Alexa, its smart home capabilities, and, most of all, its outstanding sound quality.
Review: Echo Studio
Echo Studio buyers tend to agree with this assessment. One review reads, “The Echo Studio is a quantum leap from any other speaker that Amazon has produced to date. Everything else sounds like a transistor radio in comparison. The sound separation is fantastic; you can feel the bass at higher volume levels.”
An Echo Studio is also an intelligent hub for Zigbee and Matter-compatible devices.
Echo Studio features: Smart speaker | Dolby Atmos | Spatial audio | Voice-controlled | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee | Price: $200
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The Amazon Echo Hub is a new smart home controller that offers a new experience for fans of the Alexa ecosystem. Unlike an Echo Show, the Echo Hub lets you customize your widgets, and everything displayed on your device. This lets you easily control your smart lights, Ring security system, smart plugs, and more.
Review: Echo Hub
In addition, the Echo Hub doesn’t have a spatial audio speaker, but Alexa still responds when you ask questions. During setup, the Echo Hub plays music and audio over a preferred speaker in the Alexa app.
Testing the Echo Hub for the past few weeks has proven an excellent start for a smart home panel in the Alexa ecosystem. It still has some navigation lag and bugs that can be worked out with software updates.
Echo Hub features: Smart home control panel | 8-inch touchscreen | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, Thread | Wall-mounted | Price: $180
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What are the tariffs in the U.S.?
The recent U.S. tariffs on imports from countries like China, Vietnam, and India aim to boost domestic manufacturing but are likely to drive up prices on consumer electronics. Products like smartphones, laptops, and TVs may become more expensive as companies rethink global supply chains and weigh the cost of shifting production.
CNET: Tariff Pricing Tracker: We’re Watching 11 Products You Might Need to Buy
Consumers may also experience notable price increases on robot vacuums and smart home products. Manufacturers are exploring options such as relocating production to countries with lower tariffs, but such transitions are complex and may not provide immediate relief. In the short term, shoppers should anticipate higher costs for robot vacuums due to these trade policies.
Right now, it looks like some tech may be exempt from the issued tariffs, but since it’s always changing and developing, we are keeping an eye on it and will update you on the latest.
Also: Tariff exemptions for electronics offer a break for tech – but not for long
The Amazon Echo Show 8 is the best Alexa device due to its far-reaching capabilities and features. However, there are many other great choices available for Alexa smart devices.
Here is a look at how you can outfit your home with some of the best Alexa devices and speakers.
Alexa deviceZDNET’s takePriceFeaturesEcho Show 8Best overall$1508-in smart display | Spatial audioEcho DotBest for a budget$35Vibrant sound | Temp & motion sensorRing Battery Doorbell PlusBest video doorbell$1501536p head-to-toe videoEcho StudioBest smart speaker$200Dolby Atmos | Fire TV supportEcho HubBest smart home panel$180Zigbee, Matter & Thread | No ads
*MSRP at the time of writing. Please note that actual prices may vary depending on available sales, deals, discounts, and coupons.
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Not sure which Alexa device is best for you? These suggestions can help you find the best Alexa device for your needs.
Get this Alexa device…If you want…Echo Show 8A smart display with a spatial audio speaker with built-in AlexaEcho DotA small smart speaker with great sound, especially for its affordable priceRing Battery Doorbell PlusA video doorbell that integrates seamlessly with Alexa and Echo devicesEcho StudioSpatial audio in a smart speaker with booming sound and Alexa built-inEcho HubA smart home panel to control your smart devices without distractions
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As a smart home reviewer, I’ve thoroughly tested every Alexa device on this list, as well as the recommended alternatives, and many more that didn’t make it on the list.
Here are some factors to consider when choosing an Alexa device for your home:
- Device type: The device type will depend significantly on what you’ll be using your Alexa device and its location. If you want a speaker to access Alexa with your voice that can also play music or audiobooks, you’d do well with a smart speaker, like the Echo Dot and Echo Pop. Amazon also makes an Echo Spot, which works as a smart alarm clock, and the Echo Show, which is more of a smart display than a speaker.
- Sound quality: If you’re using your Alexa device as a speaker to listen to music, you’ll likely value its good sound quality. There are several price tiers for smart speakers with Alexa built-in, from an Echo Pop starting at $40 up to a $449 Sonos Era 300 speaker. The Echo Dot is good enough for voice commands, timers, alarms, and casual listening, but a larger Echo device, like the Echo or Echo Studio, features better audio output.
- Smart home integration: My Echo device users like having Alexa as an assistant for answering questions, telling jokes, creating shopping lists, and setting alarms. If you’d like Alexa to also control smart home devices, you may wonder which device is best. Alexa-enabled devices double as smart home hubs, like Zigbee, making connecting with other smart home devices easier.
- Price: Consider how much you’re willing to spend, keeping in mind that while the Echo Pop is the cheapest option for an Echo speaker, it’s also more prone to sound distortion at high volumes and doesn’t have a wake button. Also, look for sales and big discounts on Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.
- Extra features: An extra feature can decide when choosing between Alexa devices, so consider which are important to you. The Echo Show 15’s built-in Fire TV or Echo Show 10’s ability to track moving subjects during video calls.
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Amazon Alexa is an AI-powered virtual assistant that can help you complete tasks with voice control. Alexa is built into various smart home devices, including speakers and displays. It also integrates seamlessly with other smart home devices, like Ring, Blink, Sengled, Cync, and Amazon smart devices.
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Millions of devices are compatible with Amazon Alexa, but we focused on the best Alexa devices that would either offer the voice assistant built-in or would work as an easy integration with it.
If you’re looking for home security with Alexa, a Ring Alarm system is the way to go. If you’re looking for a way to watch Netflix while you’re cooking, an Echo Show is also a great pick.
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Many retailers sell Amazon devices, but not all of them offer the best price or shipping terms. ZDNET conveniently includes links that will offer some of the best and most competitive pricing available via trusted retailers. These best Alexa device retailers are generally Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
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Are there alternative Alexa devices worth considering?
The Alexa devices we’ve chosen above are great recommendations, but they’re not the only options you have when looking for the best Alexa devices. Here are other devices to consider:
