Smart speakers and displays compared for sound quality and assistant features.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is the easiest starting point for an Alexa smart home. It gets you voice control and the Alexa app in a small, affordable package, and you can add devices one room at a time.
The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) is the better pick for most people because it adds a built-in smart home hub and stronger bass, while the Google Nest Audio wins if you prefer clear vocals and the way Google Assistant handles natural questions.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is the better all-around buy thanks to fuller sound, a built-in temperature sensor, and eero Wi-Fi extending, while the Echo Pop is the smarter pick if you mainly want an inexpensive Alexa speaker for a small room and don't mind giving up some audio quality and sensor features.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is the better buy for most households thanks to fuller sound, a built-in Zigbee and Thread hub, and the deepest smart home device support on the market, while the Google Nest Mini is the smarter pick if your home already runs on Google Assistant, Nest cameras, or Chromecast.
The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen) is our top pick for most nightstands, since it pairs a genuinely useful LED display with full Alexa support and a low cost of entry, while the Echo Spot and Echo Show 5 give you a nicer display for the rare shopper who wants to spend more.
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is our top pick for most Alexa households, since it delivers genuinely improved sound over older Dots, full smart home hub features, and an easy entry point into the Echo ecosystem at a low cost.
The Sonos Era 100 is our top pick for most shoppers chasing sound quality, pairing two angled tweeters and Trueplay room tuning with Alexa, Sonos Voice Control and AirPlay 2 support.