Smart speakers are like having a personal assistant at home—ready to answer questions, play music, set reminders, and even control smart home devices. They can tell you the weather, update you on the news, and let you know when your next meeting is. Some models even have built-in voice recognition, so they can give personalized responses based on who’s speaking.
These devices come in two main types: smart speakers, which focus on voice commands and audio, and smart displays, which add a touchscreen for video calls, recipes, or watching shows. Most smart speakers are powered by Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri, so choosing the right one depends on which ecosystem you prefer.
Beyond just picking a brand, different smart speakers excel in different areas. Some are great for controlling home automation, others shine in audio quality for music lovers, and some work best in specific rooms of your house. We’ve tested and compared them to find the best options for every space.
How to choose among Alexa, Apple, and Google
A smart speaker differs from a regular Bluetooth or bookshelf speaker because it has a built-in microphone that listens for voice commands and a virtual assistant to process them. This means you can ask it to play music, check the weather, control smart home devices, set reminders, and more—just by speaking. Commands like “Hey Google, play my morning playlist” or “Alexa, what’s the traffic like?” make everyday tasks easier.
Beyond music and weather updates, smart speakers provide access to audiobooks, podcasts, news briefings, shopping lists, timers, and even hands-free calling. If you opt for a smart display, you also get video capabilities for calls, calendars, and streaming content like TV shows and YouTube.
Smart speakers also serve as the control center for a smart home. They allow you to manage compatible devices like lights, locks, thermostats, and cameras—all from one place. Many also function as smart home hubs, linking devices that don’t have direct Wi-Fi connectivity.
Before choosing a smart speaker, it’s important to decide which voice assistant platform works best for you: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri. Each has its own strengths and ecosystem, so your choice may depend on what other smart devices you already use—or simply which assistant you prefer interacting with.
Amazon Alexa
Amazon’s Echo smart speakers and displays run on Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant, and work with the Alexa app, which is available on both iOS and Android devices.
Alexa works with the most smart-home devices
With compatibility for over 140,000 smart-home products, Alexa supports more devices than Google Home (about 50,000) and Apple Home (around 1,200) combined. Many devices connect seamlessly via Alexa Skills, and Amazon’s Frustration-Free Setup (FFS) can automatically detect and link compatible devices.
Echo speakers come in many options
Amazon offers the largest variety of smart speakers and displays, with six Echo speaker models and five smart displays. In contrast, Google has two speakers and two displays, while Apple offers just two smart speakers. This variety makes it easier to find an Echo device that fits your needs and budget.
The Alexa app can be clunky
While Alexa’s capabilities have grown, its app remains less intuitive than Google Home or Apple Home. It sometimes retains old devices even after deletion, which can be frustrating to manage.
Amazon integrates shopping into Alexa
Alexa often suggests purchases based on your activity, whether it’s reordering past items, offering deals, or playing sponsored ads on Echo displays.
Alexa plays music from more services
Alexa supports a wide range of music streaming services, including Amazon Music (free with Prime), Amazon Music Unlimited, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and SiriusXM. You can set any of these as your default service. The Echo Studio even offers spatial audio for a more immersive listening experience.
Apple Home/Siri
Apple’s HomePod and HomePod Mini are designed to work exclusively with the Apple Home app, which is available only on iOS and macOS devices. The platform is often referred to as HomeKit, and its built-in voice assistant is Siri.
Apple prioritizes privacy
Unlike Alexa and Google Assistant, which collect data for personalized ads and recommendations, Apple has the most transparent and user-friendly privacy policy. Siri’s data is used only to improve performance and isn’t sold to third parties.
Apple Home is the easiest to use
The Apple Home app has an intuitive layout, with large, customizable icons and a streamlined setup process that doesn’t require additional accounts. If you have HomeKit-compatible cameras, live video feeds can be displayed on the main screen.
Apple Home supports fewer devices
Apple’s ecosystem is more limited than Alexa or Google Home, with around 1,200 compatible smart-home devices. This is significantly fewer than the tens of thousands supported by its competitors.
Fewer speaker options
Apple offers only two smart speaker models—the HomePod and HomePod Mini—both of which are pricier than many competing options. Apple also doesn’t sell a smart display.
Siri can be slower to respond
Compared to Alexa and Google Assistant, Siri often takes longer to process requests, whether it’s answering a trivia question or controlling smart-home devices.
Best suited for Apple Music users
HomePods are optimized for Apple Music and iCloud-stored audio. While they also support services like Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, TuneIn, and YouTube Music, Spotify and Amazon Music require AirPlay streaming from an iPhone or iPad.
Google Home
Google Nest devices operate with the Google Home app, which works on both iOS and Android. The platform and digital voice assistant are also called Google Assistant, activated by saying, “Hey Google.”
Google Assistant delivers the best answers
Thanks to Google’s vast search capabilities, it consistently provides the most accurate and comprehensive responses to questions. It’s also more conversational than Alexa or Siri, making interactions feel more natural.
Seamless integration with Google services
Google Nest devices sync effortlessly with Google Calendar, allowing you to check daily schedules or add events via voice commands. However, you’ll need to enable Personal Results in the Google Home app to access this feature.
Good smart-home compatibility but limited automation
Google Assistant supports over 50,000 smart-home devices, which is solid but still falls short of Alexa’s compatibility. Additionally, Google has recently removed several automation features, making it less powerful for controlling smart-home setups.
Great music streaming options—except Amazon Music
Google Home devices natively support Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube Music. However, Amazon Music isn’t directly supported, though you can stream it via Bluetooth from your smartphone.
Best smart speaker for beginners
Why it’s a pick:
The Echo Dot (5th Gen) is an affordable and convenient way to add Alexa to your home, with compatibility for more smart-home devices than any other platform. It delivers nearly all the features of the full-size Echo at about half the price. Despite its compact size, the Dot produces impressive sound, making it a great fit for any room.
Another good option:
If you prefer Google’s ecosystem, consider the Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen). It’s similarly priced and slightly smaller than the Echo Dot, offering many of the same functions. However, its sound quality isn’t as rich, and Google Home doesn’t support as many smart-home devices as Alexa.
Best smart speaker for cooking
Who This Is For:
No matter your level of culinary expertise—whether you’re a seasoned chef, an occasional cook, a habitual snacker, or someone still figuring out how to use the toaster—a smart speaker can be a surprisingly useful addition to your kitchen.
A smart display is especially helpful, making it easier to follow recipes hands-free compared to using a phone or cookbook. With voice commands, you can set timers, ask for measurement conversions, or get cooking tips on the fly—all without touching your device with messy hands.
Beyond cooking assistance, a smart display serves as a mini entertainment hub in the kitchen. You can watch movies, stream music, listen to podcasts, or catch up on the latest news while preparing meals. Whether you need step-by-step instructions for a new dish or just want some background entertainment, a smart speaker or display makes time in the kitchen more enjoyable and efficient.
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
The best digital kitchen assistant
This smart display is a perfect kitchen companion, offering step-by-step recipes on a crisp touchscreen. Its compact design fits easily on any counter or shelf.
Why it’s a pick:
The Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is a fantastic kitchen assistant, offering access to a vast library of recipes from sources like Allrecipes, BuzzFeed’s Tasty, and Food Network. Unlike Google Nest displays, which recently lost some of their cooking features, the Echo Show 8 provides step-by-step recipe guidance with both visual and audible directions—so you can follow along hands-free. If you miss a step, simply ask Alexa to repeat or list specific ingredients.
The 8-inch touchscreen is crisp and easy to read, making it perfect for following instructions while keeping your hands free for cooking. And when you’re not prepping meals, the Echo Show 8 doubles as an entertainment hub, letting you stream music, watch shows, or catch up on the latest news as you cook.
Best smart speaker for the bedside
Who this is for:
If you want to control your home with just your voice, a smart speaker can make your nighttime routine much easier. Whether you need to turn off the lights, adjust the thermostat, or check the weather before bed, a smart speaker can handle it all without you having to lift a finger.
You can also set up custom bedtime routines, like dimming the lights, playing soothing sleep sounds, or even having the speaker read you an audiobook as you drift off. And if you wake up in the middle of the night, you won’t need to fumble for a light switch—just ask your voice assistant to turn on a soft nightlight or check the time.
While a smart speaker won’t bring you a glass of water, it can certainly make your nights (and mornings) more convenient and comfortable.
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)
The smartest bedside companion
This smart display doubles as a clock, tracks sleep, and lets you control smart devices—all from the comfort of your bed.
Why it’s a pick: The Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) is an excellent bedside companion, thanks to its Sleep Sensing feature, which tracks your sleep patterns and provides insights to help improve your rest. Each morning, it greets you with a summary of your sleep and can even offer suggestions for better sleep quality. (Currently free, but Google has hinted it may become a paid service in the future.)
The 7-inch display automatically dims into a clock face at night, making it a great alarm clock. Plus, unlike many smart displays, it doesn’t have a built-in camera, offering extra privacy—so no accidental video calls in the middle of the night.
Another good option: The Amazon Echo Spot (2024) is a simpler alternative with a compact 2.8-inch screen that displays the time, date, and weather. It lacks a camera and video streaming but makes up for it with physical buttons and a tap-to-snooze alarm, perfect for those who want a no-fuss bedside smart device.
Best smart speaker for music
Amazon Echo Studio
A bigger investment for fantastic sound
This smart speaker delivers powerful, clear bass with Dolby Atmos support and lossless music streaming for an immersive audio experience.
Why It’s a Pick:
Sonos and Bose both make high-quality smart speakers that support Alexa and Google Home, but we prefer the Amazon Echo Studio because it responds to voice commands more quickly and reliably. It also outperforms most smart speakers in terms of audio quality, thanks to its advanced speaker setup:
- One front-firing 1-inch tweeter for crisp, clear highs.
- Three 2-inch midrange drivers (two side-firing, one up-firing) that create a wider, more immersive soundstage.
- One 5.25-inch down-firing woofer that delivers deep, powerful bass.
Beyond its impressive sound quality, the Echo Studio offers more manual controls than many of its competitors, and it comes at a more affordable price than another top pick, the Apple HomePod.
Another Good Option:
If you’re deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem, the Apple HomePod (2nd generation) is a solid alternative. It features five tweeters and a 4-inch woofer, plus support for Matter and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, making it a great choice for Apple users. However, it has some notable limitations—it doesn’t work with Android or Bluetooth devices, which restricts its versatility.
Overall, the Amazon Echo Studio remains the better value, with stronger bass, better manual controls, broader smart-home compatibility, and a lower price tag.
Best smart speaker for the kids
Who This Is For:
Kids love listening to bedtime stories, music, and fun facts—but they’re not always as enthusiastic about chores or homework. A smart speaker can be a helpful companion, playing audio, answering random questions, and setting alarms to wake them up or remind them to focus on schoolwork.
Beyond entertainment and education, a smart speaker can help parents stay connected with their kids. When paired with another smart speaker or a smartphone, it can act as an intercom, making it easy to call them for dinner or check in without having to shout across the house.
For younger children, kid-friendly smart speakers offer parental controls, filtered content, and fun, interactive features that can make learning and daily routines more engaging. Whether it’s setting timers for study sessions, telling jokes, or playing their favorite songs, a smart speaker can be a great addition to a kid’s room.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) Kids Edition
Fun for the whole family
This kid-friendly speaker has a playful design and built-in filters, giving parents peace of mind.
Why it’s a pick: The Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition is nearly identical to the standard Echo Dot, but it’s designed with kids in mind. It comes in two playful designs—Dragon and Owl—that are sure to delight young users (and maybe even some adults). More than just a fun exterior, this smart speaker is built with kid-friendly features, ensuring age-appropriate responses and content filtering for children ages 3 to 12. One of its standout perks is a complimentary one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, a service that typically costs $5 per month. This subscription unlocks a treasure trove of kid-friendly content, including audiobooks, educational games, interactive Alexa skills, and curated playlists. Parents will appreciate the built-in parental controls, which allow them to set usage limits, review activity, and manage content through the Amazon Parent Dashboard. With all these features, the Echo Dot Kids Edition is a great tool for fostering learning, encouraging creativity, and adding a little fun to a child’s daily routine. Who this is for: You might not think of the bathroom as the ideal place for a smart speaker, but many people—including several of my Wirecutter colleagues—swear by it. It’s a great way to catch up on the news, listen to your favorite podcast, or even set a timer to keep your morning routine on track. Plus, since the bathroom is often where you remember things you need to do, a smart speaker makes it easy to add items to your grocery or to-do list with just a voice command. The key to choosing the right bathroom speaker is considering sound quality and size. A compact model is ideal since it won’t take up too much space on a counter or shelf. Also, since bathrooms tend to be smaller and often have tiled surfaces that can amplify sound, a speaker with moderate bass is usually the best fit. Whether you’re using it for entertainment, productivity, or both, a smart speaker in the bathroom can be a surprisingly useful addition to your daily routine. The Echo Dot offers all standard Alexa features at an affordable price and delivers good sound for small spaces, whether for music or voice commands.Best smart speaker for the bathroom
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
More entertaining than a rubber duck
Why it’s a pick: The Echo Dot (5th Gen), measuring just 3.9 by 3.3 by 3.6 inches, is a great fit for small spaces—even ones with a bit of an echo. It provides all the essentials for a relaxing bath or a quick morning routine, from playing music and podcasts to setting timers and managing shopping lists. You can even check the status of your home security system without reaching for your phone. However, while it’s great for the bathroom, it’s not waterproof, so it’s best to keep it away from direct water sources like the sink or shower.
Another good option: If your smart home runs on Google, the Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen) is a logical choice. It’s even more compact than the Echo Dot, though it doesn’t offer the same fullness of sound or compatibility with as many smart-home devices as Alexa does.
Best smart speaker for the office
Who this is for: Most of us don’t have personal assistants to keep track of our meetings, deadlines, or daily tasks—but a smart speaker can help fill that role. Whether you need reminders for appointments, notifications for upcoming birthdays, or a nudge to get up and stretch, a smart speaker can keep you on top of your schedule. It can also integrate with your calendar, set alarms, and even place video calls (if it has a screen). Plus, it’s a great tool for productivity and relaxation, whether you need background white noise, focus music, or a quick way to reorder your morning coffee supply.
Google Nest Hub Max
The smartest thing on your desk
This sleek smart display offers sharp video calls, calendar reminders, and plenty of entertainment for unwinding after work.
Why it’s a pick: The Google Nest Hub Max is a fantastic addition to any workspace, seamlessly integrating with Google Calendar to keep you on top of your schedule and reminders. Its 10-inch screen delivers crisp, clear video calls via a built-in Nest camera, making virtual meetings feel more natural. One standout feature is its stunning photo display quality—unlike Amazon’s cropped images, the Nest Hub Max presents pictures beautifully through Google Photos, as well as curated sources like Getty Images and NASA. It also serves as a great entertainment hub, offering video content from a variety of sources, including YouTube and news networks. Plus, its speakers provide significantly more powerful audio than the compact Nest Mini, making it a great all-around smart display.
Another good option: If desk space is limited, the Amazon Echo Show 5 is a compact alternative with a 5-inch screen. While its display isn’t as vibrant as Google’s, it still handles essential tasks like managing appointments, setting timers, making phone calls, and controlling thousands of smart-home devices. However, its photo display quality is less impressive, with images often appearing cropped.
