Alexa+ also requires that all voice recordings be sent to Amazon for processing, and Amazon has changed its policy for recordings with regular Alexa, too—those now also go to Amazon. There was previously a “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” privacy feature that you could select, which would process voice requests locally, but Amazon killed that functionality last year. The privacy change will affect all users, whether or not you sign up for Alexa+, regardless of whether you’re using an Alexa+-compatible device or not.

What’s Gemini for Google Home?

Google announced late last year that Gemini for Home, the new version of its voice assistant, is rolling out to existing Google Home users. It’s replaced the previous Google Assistant entirely and is currently slated to roll out to almost all of Google’s devices. One of the notable exceptions is the Pixel Tablet; otherwise, Google’s existing hardware properly reflects what Gemini for Home will reach.

Unlike Alexa+, this new assistant will always be free. However, Google is changing its camera subscription, Nest Aware, to become a new subscription named Google Home Premium. As I mentioned above in my pick for the best smart speaker for Google users, this subscription has two tiers, Standard ($10 a month) and Advanced ($20 a month). Beyond cameras, each option includes several advanced smart assistant features.

Also Tested

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

Amazon Echo Pop for $40: The Echo Pop is a cute little speaker that’s affordable and comes in fun colors. It’s a fine choice for college students or teenagers who want something with a little personality, but everyone else should just upgrade to the Echo Dot for much better sound and the same features otherwise. It fluctuates a lot whether it’s in stock, and often doesn’t pop up when I search Amazon’s site, but it’s currently still available.

Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) for $100: The Show 5 has the same capabilities as the Show 8, but on a smaller, less convenient screen. It’s a good size for a bedroom, but it has a camera, which many don’t want in that space. I’d rather add the Echo Spot or the Google Nest Hub for a similar mini screen—hold the camera—on my bedside table. It did go up $10 when Amazon raised its product prices in August.

Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen) for $200: This is a solid smart speaker with Amazon’s latest physical design and Alexa+ right out of the box. But it’s not a sound improvement over the older model, so I’d personally pick the third-gen option (see above) or upgrade to the Echo Show 11 ($250), especially since it’s only a $50 difference after the fourth-gen Show 8 went up in price with other Echo speakers and Amazon devices.