The smart speaker Amazon Echo and Amazon Alexa can perform a lot of tasks. We are all aware of the Amazon Echo’s capabilities. But if you are looking for an Amazon Echo alternative in a smaller form, then check out our article. Here we will be providing the best alternative to Amazon’s smart speakers – Amazon Echo. Many of you may like the Echo but also looking for something more affordable, portable, and has good looks, and better sound quality. So, take a look at the 15 cool Amazon Echo alternatives.
Best 15 Alternatives of Amazon Echo
In this list, we have selected a variety of smart speakers like the Amazon Echo. Some of them are offering top-notch sound quality, whereas others are delivering a wide variety of versatile tasks, including making video calls hands-free and controlling smart home devices. Based on some common requirements, we have selected Amazon Echo Alternatives in the budget range. So, this article will help you to find a perfect speaker if you are planning to buy a more affordable one or are willing to get a premium substitute. Let’s scroll down further to know more about the topic.
1) Google Home – Amazon Echo Alternative
Google Home is one of the best alternative smart speakers compared to Amazon Echo. Powered by the Google Assistant, this smart speaker packs up almost all the considerable abilities of Google. Voice recognition also works extremely well. In fact, Google Home plays the role of an extremely good competitor against the Amazon Echo.
You can also use Google Home for performing a variety of tasks like streaming music from Spotify, Google Play Music, and other music services, setting alarms, and more. In different ways, the speaker delivers a rich list of commands as well. Design-wise, the Google Assistant blends in with the environment, instead of looking like a weird tube. The sound quality is much better depending upon the likes and fancies of a user. Some people like the rich bass sound, whereas others, may like the clear treble output.
Alternatively, you can go with Google Home Mini which provides a smaller form factor along with all the punch as per your interest. It’s a solid-smart speaker with awesome sound quality and all the abilities of the Google Assistant. You can get it by paying only 49 dollars.
Pros:
- Built-quality and looks are impressive.
- Google Assistant is excellent at carrying out a variety of tasks.
- Bass-rich sound along with a rich command list.
Cons:
- Google Home doesn’t support smart home devices as Amazon Echo can do.
Buy:
- Google Home is available on Online shopping sites like Amazon for 129 dollars.
2) Google Nest Hub – Alternative to Amazon Echo
The Google Nest Hub, formerly known as Google Home Hub, is the best Amazon Echo Alternative with the smart display. It looks great in a small size with nice soft colors. It basically fits right in everywhere you place it. Actually, it’s a core part of Google in designing its ‘Home’ series speakers.
The Nest Hub has a 7-inch display, calibrated perfectly by the company. Everyone agrees that the display of the Google Home Hub is so good that the user just can’t complain.
The Home Hub is packed with numerous technologies. Its ambient light sensors adjust the display’s brightness automatically. So the user doesn’t get affected at night. It also comes with a smart Google Assistant that is better than Alexa.
The Google Home Hub doesn’t have a camera for making video calls. Google has made this type of design deliberately so that people would feel comfortable keeping the Google Home Hub even in bedrooms and private spaces at home.
The Home Hub also comes with a cool new Dashboard feature. It shows an overview of the entire smart home, helping you to control all lights, speakers, cameras, door locks, and rooms from a single ‘Hub’. With a pretty awesome smart display, it’s one of the best Amazon Echo Alternatives.
Pros:
- It allows you to control all your lights, speakers, and rooms easily.
- Comes with a cool new Dashboard feature
- 7-inch display
- Ambient light sensors
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a camera
Buy:
To purchase this smart speaker, you have to pay 149 dollars.
3) Google Nest Hub Max – Amazon Echo Alternative
You can go with Google Nest Hub Max for a slightly larger and more efficient smart speaker. It features a 10-inch good-looking display for starters.
With the in-built camera, this can be placed easily at home. You can make video calls and also send video messages to stay in touch with your relatives and friends. It has the ability to share reminders and to-dos, so you can control all of your important to-dos and also finish the tasks on time.
The Nest Hub Max delivers impressive sound quality with the stereo speakers facility. The in-built Chromecast offers a direct way to stream apps and listen to great music from Spotify, YouTube, Pando, and other supported services.
Moreover, it also supports thousands of smart home devices like lights, TVs, and locks that make a solid Amazon Echo alternative.
Pros:
- It has a good-looking 10-inch display.
- It supports thousands of smart home devices like lights, TVs, and locks.
- Chromecast is in-built to offer a direct way toward the online streaming apps.
- Above all, it is able to share reminders and to-dos.
Cons:
- Users cannot cover the camera with a shutter as there is no such option.
- Some smart home devices connected through third-party devices don’t work perfectly.
Buy:
You can purchase it from online shopping. To purchase this smart speaker, you have to pay 229 dollars.
4) Lenovo Smart Display – Alternative to Amazon Echo
Lenovo Smart Display is something where you will get a smart display without Alexa voice. It comes in three variants of displays i.e. 7-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch.
The 7-inch model is a low-end product featuring a single microphone array and 2MP wide-angle front camera. Whereas, the 8-inch and 10-inch models are higher-end products featuring a 2×2 dual-microphone array and 5MP wide-angle front camera.
The smart displays support Chromecast features with Google Assistant. The in-built camera helps you to make video calls from the display integrated with Google Duo.
Although having a camera on a smart display might not be the smartest thing, Lenovo’s smart display has an in-built camera kill-switch to cover the camera physically so that you don’t have to get afraid.
With 2×2 microphone arrays, the higher-end Lenovo Smart Display can hear you from any corner of the room easily. Also, it has 10W speakers to deliver you full enjoyment of your favorite music and videos by playing them.
In the kitchen, it is used for the most popular cause i.e. a smart display can be used to show recipes with visual aids and guide you in cooking a perfect meal.
Pros:
- It is integrated with Google Duo.
- The higher-end product comes with 2×2 microphone arrays whereas the lower-end product has a single microphone array.
- It features 10W speakers.
- It has a built-in camera supporting Chromecast.
Cons:
- The sound quality is not the best.
Buy:
The price starts at 99.99 dollars. Lower-end and higher-end products are available online.
5) Harman-Kardon Allure – Amazon Echo Alternative
The cause of finding an alternative to the Amazon Echo is the design of these smart speakers. Let me tell you about the Harman-Kardon Allure smart speaker. It features the most functional industrial design named ‘Allure.’ It has a very alluring design along with the features of a nice semi-transparent body and lighting effects. The Allure smart speaker has the Alexa voice assistant. It means this smart speaker can perform all the amazing skills through Alexa.
Using 4 far-field microphones this smart speaker recognizes the user’s voice sharply. Also, it can hear the user from any corner of the room easily. Above all, Harman Kardon provides some amazing features to speakers that you’d expect.
Considering everything, Harman-Kardon Allure is a classy and stylish smart speaker.
Pros:
- It is compact and durable in terms of design.
- It has a nice semi-transparent body.
- It provides 4 far-field microphones for voice recognition.
- It comes with Amazing Alexa skills.
Cons:
- Amazon Alexa doesn’t work well.
Buy:
Harman-Kardon Allure is available online at 258 dollars price.
6) Apple HomePod – Alternative to Amazon Echo
As an iOS user, the HomePod is the best smart speaker with deep integration of iOS. The HomePod is a premium smart speaker from Apple. It offers audiophile-grade sound quality that sounds pretty loud.
Although the design of the speaker is like the old Mac Pro or the recently launched Echo Sub, the mesh design of the HomePod looks really nice. The tiny display on top delivers some amazing animations while working with Siri.
The HomePod is powered by Siri – Apple’s smart assistant. It doesn’t work best in terms of use during its need. But it will not disappoint if you’re using the smart speaker for listening to music on it.
Audio-design in the HomePod by Apple is just awesome, and the quality of the audio is excellent. For iPhone users, we will recommend checking out the HomePod.
The HomePod comes with a six-microphone array to listen to voice commands. Although the number of microphone arrays is less than the Amazon Echo, it’s not bad at listening to voice commands. This HomePod also supports a multi-room audio playback feature to sync up multiple HomePods, and you can play music around the entire house easily.
Pros:
- It has a Top-notch built design.
- It has a six-microphone array for voice recognition.
- The device delivers top-of-the-line sound quality.
- It also supports multi-room audio playback for syncing up multiple HomePod.
- It can work seamlessly with iDevices.
Cons:
- Siri is below standard.
Buy:
Apple HomePod is available for 299 dollars on the online and official website of Apple.
7) Bose Home Speaker 500 – Amazon Echo Alternative
In terms of the best-sounding smart speaker, Bose Home Speaker 500 stands at the top comfortably. This smart speaker comes with eight mic arrays to deliver high-quality audio. With the good-looking front display, it feels more functional while taking notes. It can be a seamless match as a home decor along with its modern design.
Besides that, Bose Home Speaker 500 comes with Alexa – a smart assistant. With Alexa, it supports a ton of voice commands. It is also compatible with the Amazon multiroom platform. The multiroom feature helps you to join the speakers with a group of other Alexa speakers. It enhanced the music listening experience.
The most interesting fact about Home Speaker is that it also supports Google Assistant. So that you can enjoy the features of Google Assistant, including Alexa Assistant. You can choose the compatible assistant between these two smart assistants to control smart home devices and carry out other essential works.
At 299 dollars, Home Speaker 500 might seem quite a bit expensive. If built-quality coupled with great sound, then it’s worth taking. You can also check out the Home Speaker 300 in your budget, i.e., 199 dollars.
Pros:
- It can work with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
- It supports the Amazon multiroom platform to sync multiple Alexa speakers.
- It has a good-looking front display.
- It comes with eight mic arrays to deliver high-quality audio.
Cons:
- All the time, Google Assistant doesn’t work perfectly.
- The connection between speakers and apps can be problematic.
Buy:
As a Bose Product, the price is quite higher along with the quality. It is available at 299 online.
8) Libratone Zipp – Alternative to Amazon Echo
Another smart speaker is the Libratone Zipp which builds up with a nice-looking design. It can be the best rival against others based on sound quality.
Libratone Zipp offers an immersive listening experience by delivering the sound in 360-degrees. You would definitely appreciate this ability if you are a kind of music listener. The presence of dual-mic along with a 15W woofer helps to offer a much-improved sound.
Interchangeable jackets of Libratone Zipp put a special league in it. It also has a companion app, just like other counterparts. The companion app allows you to customize perfectly as per your taste.
With Alexa support, it can do several tasks via a wide range of voice commands efficiently. It provides 12 hours of playtime which is more than enough to last.
Pros:
- The product delivers nice-looking sound quality.
- It has an interchangeable jacket.
- It delivers sound at 360-degrees.
- It comes with dual-mic, including a 15W woofer.
Cons:
- Some of the Wi-Fi configurations don’t work well.
Buy:
You can purchase it from online shopping for 170 dollars.
9) Bang and Olufsen Beosound A1 – Amazon Echo Alternative
When you talk about the highly-rated Amazon Echo substitutes, missing out on an able challenger like Bang and Olufsen Beosound A1 would be a huge mistake. Bang and Olufsen are well-known for producing exceptional speakers. And this one has got all the attributes of a great smart speaker.
Design-wise compact and slim design makes Beosound A1 classy. You can carry it easily anywhere. Besides this, it can deliver clear and crisp audio using its 3 microphone array. The far-field technology – Alexa voice assistant works very well.
Bang and Olufsen Beosound A1 provides up to 18 hours of battery life. It’s also IP67 rated, which means you can enjoy it even at a beach party using it. If high-quality sound and portability are the top priorities, you can go with Beosound A1 as a notable alternative to Amazon Echo.
Pros:
- It has a compact design with a slim body.
- The product comes with 3 microphone arrays.
- It can last for 18 hours after a full charge.
- Also, it is IP67 certified.
Cons:
- It is comparatively expensive.
Buy:
It is available online at 231.24 dollars. If you are interested in buying, then go and purchase it.
10) Invoxia Triby Smart Speaker – Alternative to Amazon Echo
Triby is another smart speaker from Amazon’s Alexa. The battery-powered and portable speaker with a small size provides the user with a good-looking package. With an in-built Alexa smart assistant, you can check the news, ask for the weather, and a lot more.
The Triby app on your smartphone helps you to do a lot more with your speaker. Mounted on the refrigerator, Triby can be operated using the mobile app. You can send doodles to the e-paper display, change settings, and more. During setting a new doodle on Triby’s e-paper display, every time, a little yellow flag pops out as a notification of the message.
The Triby can also be used as a Bluetooth Speaker, which you can carry easily for making hands-free calls and listening to music.
Pros:
- It has a lightweight design.
- It has an e-paper display.
- It provides preset Internet radio stations.
- You will get an option to make calls over VoIP.
- The battery lasts for two days.
Cons:
- All good except the sound quality. It is a little below.
Buy:
Currently, Triby is available on Amazon for 110 dollars. It makes a good deal.
11) Mycroft Mark II – Amazon Echo Alternative
Mycroft is artificial intelligence. The Mycroft’s makers built it based on software like Arduino and Raspberry Pi instead of using proprietary hardware. They also added Natural Language Processing to understand and perform actions as per your commands. Hence, it is another smart Amazon Echo alternative.
Mark II features beamforming, array microphones, active noise cancellation, and a decent screen shows the big upgrade. It integrates with SmartThings Hub which allows you to control smart home devices easily with your voice.
Mycroft is an open platform, that’s why the makers chose to use the Arduino board and Raspberry Pi. These hardware devices with the highly active community show that the abilities of Mycroft will grow with time.
Also, the Mycroft Mark 2 is getting ready to be launched soon by the company behind Mycroft.
Pros:
- Active noise cancellation is supported in it.
- It integrates with any smart home device using SmartThing Hub.
- It comes with the Array microphones.
- It is an open platform.
Cons:
- The voice assistant needs plenty of improvements.
Buy:
The Price of a Mycroft Mark II is 299 dollars.
12) JBL Link View Smart Speaker – Alternative to Amazon Echo
Another smart speaker with a display is the JBL Link View. Although it does not have the best-looking smart display like the Google Home Hub, it is surely worth checking out.
The JBL Link View supported the Google Assistant to provide an amazing experience for the assured task. Google Assistant doesn’t have many skills and third-party features like Alexa, but it is better in everyday usage than Alexa.
JBL Link View has an 8-inch HD display, which is great for watching videos. Smart displays under 10 inches with HD displays make it worthy of buying. You can also check out recipes in the kitchen. Also, the in-built 5MP camera allows you to make video calls easily.
Including that, the JBL Link View has a physical shutter button to cover the camera for some privacy times.
Pros:
- It has an 8-inch HD display.
- It comes with an in-built 5MP camera that allows you to make video calls.
- Google Assistant powers it.
- It delivers great sound quality.
Cons:
- The design doesn’t look stylish and applicable.
Buy:
You can purchase JBL Link View for 249.95 dollars online.
13) Sonos One – Amazon Echo Alternative
Sonos also introduced its own Alexa-powered smart speaker. Sonos One is a gorgeous-looking speaker with Alexa’s smarts.
The older speakers from Sonos, such as the Sonos Play 1, came with Alexa support, but they wanted an Echo speaker, capable of using Alexa. On the other hand, the Sonos One comes with an in-built Alexa that allows you to use it as a standalone Alexa smart speaker.
Sonos One has two drivers that produce an excellent sound. It also comes with a touch-sensitive top that allows you to increase or decrease the volume and mute the microphone for privacy by tapping, just like Amazon Echo.
It also supports the multi-room feature that helps you pair two Sonos One speakers together easily to form a stereo pair.
Pros:
- It has two drivers to deliver excellent sound.
- It provides a Touch-sensitive top to increase or decrease volume and mute calls.
- It comes with Alexa support.
- Features with Multi-room support to connect Two Sonos Speakers.
Cons:
- The sound might be distorted at the top volume.
Buy:
You can purchase Sonos One from their official site and online for 199 dollars.
14) Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST – Alternative to Amazon Echo
Although Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST isn’t so popular, it has all the essential features as an alternative to Amazon Echo. Three appreciable features make the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST a worthy competitor.
- First, MEGABLAST provides a good-looking design to win attention easily.
- Second, it offers a 360° rich sound that’s clear and doesn’t distort even at high volume. Also, it supports the multi-room feature to provide the enjoyment of the fullest music.
- Third, the battery lasts up to 12 hours, which is up to the mark. But the IP67 rating makes it a great choice. The waterproof capability provides you the facility to use it at outdoor parties.
Pros:
- It offers 360° rich sound, which is clear and doesn’t distort.
- It offers Multi-room support to sync multiple Alexa speakers.
- It comes with an IP67 rating waterproof mark.
- The battery lasts up to 12 hours.
Cons:
- It doesn’t support many smart home devices.
Buy:
At 240 dollars, MEGABLAST seems to be expensive. Considering it as the Amazon Echo alternative with these solid features, MEGABLAST is a great choice. You will get the Ultimate Ear MEGABLAST for 199.95 dollars.
15) KitSound Voice One – Amazon Echo Alternative
Last but not least, KitSound Voice One is another alternative to Amazon Echo, especially if you are searching for a mid-range smart speaker.
In terms of looks, KitSound Voice One is looking old-fashioned. In terms of sound quality, it delivers better sound, thanks to the 20W power. It supports 60 Hz – 20000 Hz frequency to deliver an enhanced audio experience. With the multi-room connectivity features, it supports up to eight Voice One speakers.
Amazon Alexa helps you to check weather updates, find out daily news, play music, and more using their Voice One. It also delivers a ton of other Alexa skills to perform essential tasks with ease.
KitSound Voice One is compatible with multiple music-streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. It offers to pick your favorite music from any online music streaming site to enjoy the music.
Pros:
- It supports 60 Hz – 20000 Hz frequency response.
- It features Multi-room connectivity to sync multiple Amazon Speakers.
- The product also performs a ton of other Alexa skills to perform the essential task.
- It has a USB charging output for other devices.
Cons:
- Overall the design isn’t so attractive and good-looking.
Buy:
You can purchase it online at 125.43 dollars.
Build Your Own Smart Speaker
You can build your own smart speaker. Although it sounds hard, it isn’t either too difficult or too costly. It will also provide a great way to spend a weekend with a soldering iron, Raspberry Pi, and laptop for the smart assistant configuration. You can install both Alexa and Google Assistant on it and use anyone you want at any time.
Use these Cool Amazon Echo Alternatives
If you don’t want the Amazon Echo – the smart speaker- you can easily choose any smart speaker from the given suggestions. I have tried to cover various speakers in this list, so hopefully, you’ll get a smart speaker as per your needs.
You can also go with Amazon Echo Dot and Tap devices if you need a smaller form factor of Amazon Echo. Otherwise, you can choose anyone from the provided options given above.
As always, I’d like to know your thoughts on the smart speakers I’ve covered in this article. Also, you can suggest any other cool alternatives to Amazon Echo in the comments section below.
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