6 Best Smart Speakers (2025): Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri

There are many smart speakers connected nan market, and picking nan champion 1 keeps getting tougher. First, you request to determine which sound adjunct you prefer. There are 3 worthy using—Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri—and each has its pros and cons. This guideline is organized by our preferred speaker, sloppy of which adjunct it uses, but we urge a secondary action if you for illustration a different assistant.

Overall, Google- and Amazon-powered smart speakers are nan measurement to go, though we for illustration Google's ecosystem complete Amazon's. Amazon's speaker lineup is much vast, but our favourite models are still Google's, including nan Google Nest Audio ($75) for a smart speaker (especially if you want stereo sound and 2 speakers for a awesome price) and nan Google Nest Hub Max ($230) for a smart display. Amazon makes our favourite smaller speakers, though, peculiarly nan fifth-generation Amazon Echo Dot ($50).

Check retired our Best Alexa Speakers, Best Google Speakers, and Best Smart Displays guides for much recommendations connected nan champion smart location speakers. If you're looking for much speaker advice, don't miss our guides to nan Best Bluetooth Speakers, Best Soundbars, and Best Sonos Speakers.

Updated October 2025: The JBL Authentics 200 is now our third-party smart speaker pick, while nan Sonos Era 100 has been moved to beryllium our favourite for sound quality. We've besides added specifications connected Amazon's caller smart speakers and displays, and specifications connected Google's caller sound assistant, Gemini for Home, and its upcoming smart speaker.

Our Favorite Smart Speaker

Overall, Google Assistant is our go-to smart speaker and helper of choice, truthful it's nary astonishment that nan Nest Audio is our wide pick. It's sewage a compact, pillow-like style and awesome sound that will easy capable mini and medium-size rooms. We really for illustration utilizing 2 Nests arsenic a stereo brace because they harvester to connection immoderate of nan champion audio value you tin execute successful a smart speaker for $200.

As pinch each Google Assistant–powered devices, you tin inquire nan Nest Audio to group timers, play music, aliases show you nan weather, and you tin inquire it thing you'd hunt connected Google. The Google Home app makes it easy to brace up nan speakers pinch immoderate different Google-friendly smart instrumentality you person too. Google's ecosystem is wide easy to usage and easy to merge into tons of different products, some from Google itself and others.

Google has announced that this smart speaker will beryllium compatible pinch its caller assistant, Gemini for Home, which is starting to rotation retired successful early access. This adjunct will switch nan existent Google Assistant and will beryllium free, but immoderate features will require a subscription. There will besides beryllium a caller flagship smart speaker, called nan Google Home Speaker (yes, that's nan aforesaid sanction arsenic nan original smart speaker from Google successful 2016), launching successful outpouring 2025 and retailing for $99. While it's nan aforesaid value arsenic nan Nest Audio, it has a akin size to a Nest Mini, truthful we're funny really nan 2 will comparison down nan line. Learn much successful our section astir Gemini for Home.

Best Smart Display

I emotion a smart display, because I emotion nan action to either usage sound commands to power my smart location aliases a pat of my finger. The Nest Hub Max is my favourite because it doubles arsenic a integer photograph frame. It does a awesome occupation showing maine each kinds of pictures since I'm a Google Photos user, but moreover if you aren't actively backing everything up to Google Photos for illustration I am, it's easy to create and adhd to albums to show connected nan 10-inch screen.

The Hub Max is besides easy to usage to power your smart home, letting you set nan lights pinch a pat aliases get nan doorbell provender consecutive to your device. It has a built-in hub, truthful smart location devices tin link to it for setup, and it supports Matter complete Thread and Wi-Fi. It besides has amazingly coagulated sound for its slim speakers and profile, particularly for casual listening sessions successful nan room aliases to group nan ambiance during Dungeons and Dragons sessions.

Google has announced this smart show will besides beryllium compatible pinch Gemini for Home, Google's caller sound adjunct that's rolling retired successful early access. Learn much beneath successful our section astir Gemini for Home.

★ If you'd for illustration an Alexa display: Amazon has a borderline insane number of smart displays, but my favourite is easy to name: nan Echo Show 8 ($150). The 8-inch surface is conscionable large capable for everything you could usage it for, and it packs a bully speaker and has a built-in hub compatible pinch Zigbee, Matter, and Thread. The larger sizes are excessively large for immoderate regular-sized home, unless you're a smart location addict and are definite you'll put a 21-inch smart show to use.

Best Budget Smart Speaker

This small speaker is my favourite offering from Amazon. The mini small Echo Dot is connected its 5th procreation (you mightiness retrieve nan original, which looked for illustration a lucky puck) and this latest exemplary has awesome sound value for specified a mini small speaker. It does everything nan larger speakers tin do, conscionable successful a smaller form. It's a cleanable prime to sneak into an agency aliases a dorm room, aliases moreover a bath if you cognize you want to jam to euphony successful nan shower. I besides emotion nan Dot With Clock ($54) type that's a small much and includes a elemental integer clock—it's presently successful stock, but its readiness has been uncommon this year.

There's besides a caller type of nan Echo Dot connected nan way: nan Echo Dot Max ($100) that's presently disposable for preorder and will vessel October 29. It promises amended sound and 3 times nan bass pinch a double speaker array alternatively of a azygous one, and will person Alexa+ entree correct retired of nan box. We'll update this guideline pinch our thoughts erstwhile we trial it, but for now nan existent cheaper Echo Dot is still disposable while we hold to spot if this caller exemplary is worthy nan upgrade.

★ If you for illustration Google: Usually we do, too. But nan Nest Mini ($49) is retired of banal successful astir colors and hasn't been updated since 2021. The sound value is good if you conscionable want a sound assistant, but I'm waiting to spot if a caller exemplary yet comes out. Its constricted readiness could beryllium owed to a similar-looking replacement coming this fall.

Best Third-Party Smart Speaker

JBL’s Authentics 200 is simply a smart speaker that speaks to some Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, letting you divided betwixt nan 2 for different tasks without having to move your penchant successful nan app. That makes this speaker peculiarly appealing for folks pinch a sprawling postulation of smart products from both, aliases folks who are worried astir investing successful an ecosystem they mightiness move retired of. However, it's not wished yet if it'll beryllium compatible pinch nan newer Gemini for Home assistant, but that adjunct will only beryllium successful early entree this fall.

The 200’s vintage-inspired foam grille and useful power knobs adhd a saccharine retro vibe, but it’s nan sound value that really makes this speaker a winner. We put it head-to-head against immoderate of nan best, including nan Sonos Era 300 and Era 100, and recovered it sitting pleasantly successful betwixt them, making it among nan best-performing smart speakers for nan money we’ve heard. With bully looks, a large brain, and uncommon versatility, nan Authentics 200 is simply a crisp contender successful a crowded field. —Ryan Waniata

Best for Sound Quality

We've been large fans of Sonos' compact smart speakers for 3 generations now, pinch its erstwhile Sonos One topping this database for years. With nan Era 100, Sonos expands nan champion smart speaker to stereo and ups nan bass, pinch caller tweeters and a 25 percent larger woofer that do an moreover amended occupation of filling your room pinch sound. It's sewage tons of awesome features, from built-in room tuning and multiroom audio support. The Bluetooth connectivity offered by nan Era 100 intends you tin moreover wirelessly link a turntable. If you want to support things wired, nan USB-C larboard connected nan backmost of nan Era 100 lets you link different devices pinch a dongle.

As pinch its predecessor, you're capable to usage a mates of Era 100s arsenic situation speakers pinch Sonos soundbars successful your location theater, and you tin brace 2 Era 100s for usage arsenic stereo speakers. It's worthy noting that Sonos was successful a spot of basking h2o successful 2020 complete nan truth that its older speakers weren't going to get package updates. There is now a fix to support bequest hardware, but unfortunately, this is simply a reality for computer-powered speakers. Unlike their analog predecessors, you can't expect them to past forever. Sonos smart speakers, however, person a way grounds of lasting longer than thing other we've tested, and that will apt proceed successful nan Era era.

My only title is nan deficiency of Google support, and I expect that to stay existent arsenic Google switches from Google Assistant to Gemini for Home. The Sonos One had it, but nan Era 100 does not. It does support Alexa and Apple AirPlay 2, truthful if you usage either of those, you're successful luck.

Best Smart Soundbar

Sonos’ second-generation Beam is nan best smart soundbar you tin bargain correct now. It mightiness look akin to nan first-generation model, but it's sewage awesome sound upgrades. It's easy to usage pinch other Sonos speakers arsenic a multiroom audio system, too. The Beam besides has plentifulness of inputs, has immersive Dolby Atmos, and pairs pinch some Alexa and Google Assistant, dissimilar Sonos' newer speakers. We'll person to spot if nan Beam remains compatible pinch Google arsenic it moves from Google Assistant to Gemini for Home, though.

Comparing Our Favorite Smart Speakers

Honorable Mentions

There are tons of smart speakers. Here are a fewer much we like:

Amazon's Echo Spot for $80: is simply a awesome partial smart display. While nan euphony value isn't nan aforesaid extent that you'll get connected nan Echo Dot, you'll alternatively get a nosy small half-screen pinch nan second-gen Echo Spot that shows you nan time, nan weather, your calendar, and nan sanction of nan opus playing. It's a nosy small group of features that make it a awesome speaker for nan bedroom, particularly since there's nary camera.

Amazon's Echo Hub for $180: is nan champion Alexa smart-home controller. The Echo Hub is designed wholly to power your smart devices, and acts much for illustration a location information instrumentality than a existent smart speaker. It besides has nan worst built-in speaker of Alexa's ecosystem, since it's designed to beryllium utilized successful tandem pinch a much powerful Alexa speaker for illustration nan ones above.

Amazon Echo Studio for $200 is nan best-sounding Alexa speaker. This exemplary has been retired of stock, but Amazon conscionable announced nan adjacent procreation of nan Echo Studio ($220) is disposable for preorder and will vessel connected October 29.

Apple's HomePod Mini for $99: is nan champion for Apple enthusiasts. The HomePod Mini has nan aforesaid issues arsenic nan larger HomePod speaker, including a higher value than overmuch of nan title and a muddy midrange. It doesn't person anyplace adjacent nan level of third-party smart location support you'll find pinch Amazon aliases Google. You tin get a full-size Nest aliases Echo speaker for nan aforesaid money, and you should. But if you're truly, immovably group connected utilizing Siri arsenic your smart home's sound assistant, nan Mini is simply a amended value for nan aforesaid experience.

Bang & Olufsen's Beosound A1 for $300 is a portable Alexa option. It's a beautiful, great-sounding, and durable mono speaker we've had connected our Best Bluetooth Speakers database for a while, and pinch Alexa successful tow, it's a bully portable action for fans of Amazon's sound assistant.

The Google Nest Hub for $100: is simply a awesome bedside speaker for Google Assistant users. The 7-inch surface feels for illustration a smartphone propped up connected its broadside alternatively than a monolithic smart display, and it has slumber search exertion built into it to way your slumber without needing immoderate accessories connected your body. Handy! Plus, nary camera.

What About Alexa+?

Amazon has started rolling retired the caller and improved Alexa, named Alexa+ aft announcing successful it February, though it's still not yet disposable to each users. This 2nd procreation of nan Alexa sound adjunct is much conversational, akin to an acquisition pinch AI assistants for illustration ChatGPT, which isn't a astonishment since Alexa+ was built connected generative AI. It does a amended occupation answering a assortment of different questions, and responds quickly to each kinds of requests. Check retired much successful my hands connected pinch Alexa+.

It's free successful early entree correct now connected Echo Show devices, for illustration nan Echo Show 8. Once it officially rolls retired Alexa+ will beryllium disposable for $20 a month, aliases free if you person an Amazon Prime membership. While you apt person a rank if you added an Alexa instrumentality to your home, it's a large jump from nan antecedently free adjunct (and some versions will person little privacy).

Alexa+ will besides require that all sound recordings beryllium sent to Amazon to beryllium processed, and Amazon's changing its features for recordings pinch regular Alexa to spell to Amazon, too. There was a “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” privateness characteristic that you could prime to person sound requests processed locally, but that characteristic was killed successful March. The privateness alteration will impact each Echo users, whether aliases not you motion up for Alexa+ and nary matter if you're utilizing a compatible Echo Show instrumentality aliases not.

What About Amazon's New Speakers?

Amazon has ever had a wide ecosystem of smart speakers, but nan newest lineup focuses connected improving immoderate of our favourite models. There's 2 caller Echo speakers and 2 caller Echo Shows coming: nan Echo Dot Max ($100), nan Echo Studio (3rd Gen) ($220), nan Echo Show 8 (4th Gen) ($180), and nan Echo Show 11 ($220). All 4 committedness improved sound, and nan creation is much spherical than ever, leaning into akin shapes we saw for nan Echo (4th Gen) and nan Echo Show 10.

The Echo Dot, Echo Studio, and Echo Show 8 person been longtime favorites of ours, truthful I'm excited to spot really nan caller models compare. Both nan Echo Show 8 and Show 11 look for illustration nan Echo Show 10, but look to skip nan moving capacity and alternatively attraction connected media control, location organization, and of people Alexa+, which has been disposable successful early entree connected Show devices.

All 4 Echo devices are presently disposable for preorder, pinch nan Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio disposable connected October 29, and nan Echo Show 8 and 11 disposable connected November 12.

What About Gemini for Google Home?

Google announced that Gemini for Home, nan caller type of its sound assistant, is rolling retired successful early entree to existing Google Home users. It'll yet switch nan existent Google Assistant entirely, and is presently slated to rotation retired to almost each of Google's devices. One of nan notable exceptions is nan Pixel Tablet; otherwise, Google's existing hardware is beautiful good reflected for what Gemini for Home will reach.

Unlike Alexa+, this caller adjunct will ever beryllium free. However, Google is changing its camera subscription, Nest Aware, to go a subscription for Gemini for Home that will person 2 tiers, Standard ($10 a month) and Advanced ($20 a month), to switch nan Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus subscription. This caller subscription exemplary will widen beyond cameras and see immoderate precocious smart adjunct features, including Gemini Live, which is simply a much conversational chat mode you tin activate connected a smart speaker, and automation features you won't get connected nan guidelines assistant. The Advanced mode will besides fto you inquire Gemini for video history, get AI notifications and descriptions, and a customized summary astatine nan extremity of nan time called Home Brief. The Standard Plan will person 30 days of video arena history positive intelligent alerts for its cameras, while nan Advanced scheme will person 60 days and 24/7 video history.

Google besides has a caller speaker coming for nan first clip successful years. The Google Home Speaker has nan aforesaid sanction arsenic nan original Google smart speaker from 2016, but looks for illustration a taller Nest Mini (it really looks nan astir for illustration a HomePod Mini alternatively than Google's ain lineup) and while it's small, it will go nan caller flagship speaker of Google's lineup. It's owed retired successful Spring 2026 and will unit for $99. We're funny to spot if Google's different speakers stay available, and if immoderate different hardware is slated to travel retired arsenic Gemini rolls out, whether from Google aliases from third-party partners.

More Smart Speakers We've Tested

Amazon Echo Pop for $40: The Echo Pop is simply a tiny small speaker that's affordable and comes successful nosy colors. It's a good prime for assemblage students aliases teenagers who want thing pinch a small personality, but everyone other should conscionable upgrade to nan Echo Dot for overmuch amended sound and different nan aforesaid features.

Amazon Echo Show 5 for $90: The Show 5 tin do everything nan Show 8 tin do, but connected a smaller, little convenient screen. It's a bully size for a bedroom, but it has a camera; I'd alternatively adhd nan Echo Spot aliases nan Google Nest Hub for a akin mini surface connected my bedside table.

Amazon's Echo Show 10 for $250: The ample guidelines gives it awesome sound and nan expertise to swivel nan surface and camera astir to travel your voice, making it particularly useful for pursuing a look while moving astir nan room aliases taking a video telephone pinch Grandma while wrangling nan kids. It does require a batch of space, though, and nan expertise to travel you isn't a characteristic everyone will need. It's retired of banal pinch astir retailers correct now, too, and we're keeping an oculus to spot if it returns aliases not.

Amazon Echo Show 15 for $300: The Show 15 is location successful betwixt a smart show and a smart TV, but doesn't rather nail it astatine being either. The widgets are nosy to usage since you tin adhd truthful galore to nan Show's 15-inch screen, but I've tried this instrumentality a fewer times and ever walked distant underwhelmed. There's now nan moreover larger Echo Show 21 ($400), which is nan aforesaid speaker, conscionable 6 inches larger. The instrumentality has grown connected maine while utilizing it pinch Alexa+, though, peculiarly pinch a guidelines ($125) to beryllium connected my desk. But it's still larger than I request for time to time tasks.

Apple HomePod for $299: Apple's flagship smart speaker has a muddy midrange and high-end, which is disappointing for nan value point. The HomePod does person a batch of bass, though, if that's your jam. If you want an Apple-powered smart speaker successful your home, nan Mini is simply a 3rd of nan value and tin do astir everything it tin do.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound Level for $2,250: This is simply a gorgeous—though earnestly expensive—speaker that's built to last. The institution has designed nan high-end exemplary to beryllium repairable and upgradable complete time. It's made of earthy cloth and wood for a genuinely sustainable “cradle to grave" experience. It's a gorgeous level speaker that comes pinch Google Assistant onboard—or you tin bargain it without a smart adjunct for nan aforesaid magnitude of money.

Google Pixel Tablet and Speaker Dock for $399: This is simply a tablet and smart speaker successful one. It's a awesome action if you want some a caller tablet and a smart show successful your life, since you tin acquisition nan Pixel Tablet and get some successful 1 fell swoop. But nan speaker dock seems sold retired everywhere, truthful correct now you tin only get nan tablet. Google cancelled its plans for a 2nd generation, truthful this mightiness awesome nan extremity of nan Pixel Tablet and its smart show abilities entirely.

WiiM A10 for $206: This speaker doesn't person a sound assistant, but it does person compatibility pinch AirPlay 2, Google Cast, and Siri to beryllium utilized arsenic a Bluetooth speaker. WIRED reviewer Parker Hall says it reminds him of a Sonos speaker, but that it tin instantly link pinch Spotify Connect—faster than immoderate different speaker he's tried.

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