Overview
- Jump To Details
Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Best for Most Alexa Users - Jump To Details
Amazon Echo Studio
Most Powerful Echo Speaker - Jump To Details
Amazon Echo Pop Kids
Best for Kids - Jump To Details
Apple HomePod (2023)
Best Big Siri Speaker - Jump To Details
Google Nest Audio
Best for Most Google Assistant Users - Jump To Details
Sonos Era 300
Best Sonos Speaker - Jump To Details
Apple HomePod mini
Best Small Siri Speaker - Jump To Details
Sonos Move 2
Best Portable Speaker - Jump To Details
All-new Amazon Echo Spot (2024 release), Smart alarm clock with vibrant sound + Alexa, Black
Best Smart Speaker With a Screen - Jump To Details
Google Nest Mini
Best Affordable Google Assistant Speaker
Smart speakers bring voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri to any room of your home. Just say their name to get an answer to a question, play music, or control your smart home devices. PCMag has been reviewing smart speakers since the first Amazon Echo in 2015, so we can help you find the best one for your home, no matter which voice assistant you prefer. Amazon's smart speakers still lead the pack, with the fourth-generation Echo and the Echo Studio topping our list of Editors' Choice winners in part for their excellent sound. But one of the other entries here might appeal more depending on your needs, so be sure to click through to our in-depth reviews of each. And for everything you need to know about smart speakers, scroll down to the end for our buying guide.
You Can Trust Our Reviews
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Best for Most Alexa UsersWhy We Picked It
The original Amazon Echo started the smart speaker trend and has only improved over time. The current iteration of the Echo is sphere-shaped rather than cylindrical. It features a built-in temperature sensor and a Zigbee smart home hub for compatible devices, and gets surprisingly loud for its size. It's effectively as powerful as the now-discontinued Amazon Echo Plus, which served as the scaled-up Echo speaker until the Echo Studio solidly assumed that role. That means strong bass in a fairly compact package.
We rate the Echo more highly than its Google Assistant counterpart, the Google Nest Audio, because of that stronger bass response and room-filling sound. The temperature sensor is a nice gimmick and the Zigbee hub can be helpful if you have older Zigbee smart home devices, but both Alexa and Google Assistant now have fairly extensive built-in support for home automations. It's the sound that puts the Echo over the top.
Who It's For
The Echo is the Goldilocks of Alexa smart speakers. It's loud enough to comfortably fill a medium-sized room, unlike the tiny Echo Dot, and it's half the price of the larger Echo Studio. It's a good anchor smart speaker, something to put in the living room to control lights and play music without taking up a lot of space or costing a lot of money.
Pros
- As powerful as the Echo Plus
- Strong bass for the size
- Built-in smart home hub
Cons
- High frequencies don't get quite as much finesse as they could
- Alexa can still be awkward to talk to
Learn MoreAmazon Echo (4th Gen) ReviewAmazon Echo Studio
Most Powerful Echo SpeakerWhy We Picked It
This is the most powerful first-party Alexa speaker and the most technically impressive. The Echo Studio gets far louder than the Echo and has better treble response for crisp, clear sound as well as booming bass. That alone makes it a strong pick.
The biggest surprise in the Echo Studio, however, is Dolby Atmos support combined with directional audio. The speaker has five separate drivers that can generate a wide sound field with (if the geometry of the room is suitable for it) accurate imaging from left to right and even above. Amazon promotes the Echo Studio's ability to play 360-degree music via its Amazon Music HD subscription service, which is not included in Amazon Prime. The speaker also supports optical audio if you simply want to connect it to your TV and use it as your main TV speaker. You have to spend a few extra bucks for a 3.5mm-to-optical adapter, though.
Who It's For
If you want the best sound available from an Echo speaker, this is the one to get. It's loud, clear, and can offer precise imaging from its one-piece, mini-keg-shaped body. There are a few other Alexa-compatible speakers that sound even better, and one's on this list, but they're much pricier than the Echo Studio.
Pros
- Excellent value for the size and power
- Loud, clear sound
- Compelling directional audio
Cons
- Requires Amazon Music HD to listen to fully 3D Ultra HD music
Learn MoreAmazon Echo Studio ReviewAmazon Echo Pop Kids
Best for KidsWhy We Picked It
The Echo Pop Kids is, at its heart, an Echo Pop with some kid-friendly extras. It includes a colorful faceplate (with Disney Princesses or Marvel's Avengers), a protective silicone skin, a two-year warranty, and a six-month subscription to the Amazon Kids+ service. That's a lot for just $10 more than the regular Echo Pop, especially when you consider that Amazon Kids+ gives you access to kid-friendly audiobooks, ebooks, games, and video content on Amazon's various Echo and Fire devices, plus all smartphones and tablets.
Who It's For
This is the best smart speaker for little kids thanks to its protective skin. You can get a full year of Amazon Kids+ with the slightly more expensive Echo Dot Kids, but that speaker is less likely to hold up to being tossed around.
Pros
- Plenty of kid-friendly activities and audiobooks available through Alexa
- Comes with six-month Amazon Kids+ subscription
- Silicone skin helps protect it from bumps
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- Only available in Disney-licensed designs
- Alexa skills are difficult to browse
Learn MoreAmazon Echo Pop KidsApple HomePod (2023)
Best Big Siri SpeakerWhy We Picked It
Apple's second-generation HomePod fixes most of what made the original HomePod a bit unappealing: It costs less and Siri is much more useful. Apple's largest smart speaker is three times as pricey as the Amazon Echo and the Google Nest Audio, but its Dolby Atmos sound quality and volume output make it far more enjoyable for movies and music. Excellent mic performance, Matter support, and sensors for temperature and humidity round out the package.
Who It's For
If you want a centerpiece Siri speaker with room-filling sound, this is the HomePod to get. Just know that you can get away with the less powerful HomePod mini if your main goal is to simply add Siri to a room.
Pros
- Rich bass response and clear highs
- Room-sensing audio
- Strong mic clarity
- HomeKit and Matter support
- Temperature and humidity sensors
Cons
- Expensive
- No user-customizable EQ
- Matter setup issues in testing
Learn MoreApple HomePod (2023) ReviewGoogle Nest Audio
Best for Most Google Assistant UsersWhy We Picked It
This is, for all intents and purposes, Google's version of the Amazon Echo. It's $100, big-but-not-too-big, and lets you use Google Assistant hands-free without your phone. It surpasses the Echo in higher-frequency response but puts out weaker bass so it won't sound quite as nice at room-filling volume levels. Its chiclet shape is also a bit more plain and awkward than the friendly Echo sphere. The shape doesn't matter as much as the sound, though.
Who It's For
If you want to use Google Assistant instead of Amazon Alexa, and you want some good music performance as well as a helpful voice assistant, the Nest Audio is the best choice. It's another Goldilocks speaker, not too small or expensive, but versatile enough for wherever you want to put it.
Pros
- Balanced sound with strong, detailed highs
- Supports Bluetooth and Google Cast
- Google Assistant is more useful than ever
Cons
- Bass isn't particularly powerful
Learn MoreGoogle Nest Audio ReviewSonos Era 300
Best Sonos SpeakerWhy We Picked It
Like the Echo Studio, the Sonos Era 300 offers Alexa voice control and supports Dolby Atmos spatial audio. But unlike the Echo Studio, the Era 300 seamlessly integrates into any Sonos multiroom system. It sounds excellent, too, especially if you pair it with a second speaker for more directional audio.
Who It's For
This is a centerpiece speaker for any home with other Sonos speakers. It produces loud, detailed sound even by itself and looks more stylish than most other models on this list.
Pros
- Room-filling sound with strong bass depth and bright highs
- Supports Dolby Atmos
- Works with Alexa and Sonos voice commands
- Terrific companion app with room analysis and adjustable EQ
- Wide support for music streaming services
Cons
- Expensive
- No Google Assistant or Cast support
Learn MoreSonos Era 300 ReviewApple HomePod mini
Best Small Siri SpeakerWhy We Picked It
The HomePod mini is Apple's smaller smart speaker option, costing a third as much as the HomePod. It still offers hands-free Siri voice control and solid, if not nearly as powerful, sound, along with Apple AirPlay 2 support. For our taste the Echo still sounds better among $100 smart speakers, though.
Who It's For
This is the small smart speaker for Apple users, and specifically for Apple users who turn to Siri instead of Alexa or Google Assistant for everything they need. If you have an iPhone and have been careful to make sure all of your smart home devices are HomeKit-compatible, this is ideal. You can also pair it with a second HomePod mini for stereo sound. Of course, if you aren't already on a first-name basis with Siri, you don't need to give it or the larger HomePod much thought.
Pros
- Solid audio performance with rich bass and bright highs
- Multiple speakers can be grouped and used as stereo pairs
- Easy Siri voice control
- Good Apple Home app integration for smart home controls
Cons
- Not the absolute best audio quality for the price
- No aux input
Learn MoreApple HomePod mini ReviewSonos Move 2
Best Portable SpeakerWhy We Picked It
Unlike most smart speakers, the Sonos Move 2 can be freely used anywhere in your home and in the great outdoors, thanks to its internal battery and support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It even has an IP56 rating, meaning you can take it to the beach and leave it out in the rain without worry. On the audio front, it produces powerful stereo sound with a pleasing mix of sculpted lows and highs. The slick, full-featured Sonos companion app is another highlight.
Who It's For
If you're willing to spend a premium on a smart speaker you can take around your home or outside, the Sonos Move 2 is a top choice. It gets loud, lasts up to 24 hours on battery power, and lets you choose between hands-free Alexa and Sonos Voice assistants.
Pros
- Powerful audio output with rich bass and bright highs
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi streaming
- Excellent Sonos app
- Hands-free Alexa and Sonos Voice Control
- Improved battery life
Cons
- Not fully waterproof
- Outdated Bluetooth specs
- Expensive
Learn MoreSonos Move 2 ReviewAll-new Amazon Echo Spot (2024 release), Smart alarm clock with vibrant sound + Alexa, Black
Best Smart Speaker With a ScreenWhy We Picked It
The Amazon Echo Spot might look like a smart display, but it's really more like a smart speaker with a screen. We're fans of its decent audio quality, ability to show the time and weather, and reliable Alexa voice functionality. Wi-Fi and Matter support are both nice to see, as well. Just keep in mind that the Spot can't play videos, doesn't have a camera, and provides visual answers for only some Alexa questions.
Who It's For
Since it's small, simple, and can show you useful day-to-day information, the Echo Spot is an ideal clock radio for your bedside or desk.
Pros
- Good sound quality for its size
- Useful screen shows time, weather, and album art
- Touch controls for audio playback and some smart home devices
Cons
- Small screen has limited functionality and can't play videos
- Screen brightness drops at off-center angles
- No camera for video calls
Google Nest Mini
Best Affordable Google Assistant SpeakerWhy We Picked It
This little puck is the most affordable Google Assistant smart speaker you can get. You can pop it anywhere—even on the wall!—and use Google's voice assistant easily; it fills the same niche for Google Assistant as the Amazon Echo Dot does for Alexa. It has clean treble but, otherwise, its audio is pretty weak. That said, it's suitable if you want to listen to music before you sleep or play podcasts to idly distract you during the day.
Who It's For
The Nest Mini is another speaker for your counter, desk, or nightstand: It's small and doesn't cost too much money. Sadly, there isn't an alternative version with a clock. If you want that functionality, consider the Amazon Echo Dot With Clock (5th Gen).
Pros
- Affordable.
- Small.
- Good high-frequency response.
Cons
- No significant changes over Google Home Mini.
- Weak bass and midrange.
Learn MoreGoogle Nest Mini Review
Buying Guide: The Best Smart Speakers for 2024
How to Talk to Your Smart Speaker
Every smart speaker responds to a wake word, such as "Alexa" for Alexa, "Hey, Google" for Google, and "Siri" for Siri. Once the speaker indicates it is listening, you can ask whatever you want. The question then is how to ask.
All three voice assistants are fairly easy to talk with, but they can trip up if you don't use the proper syntax. You need to speak to Alexa in a certain way to get the best results. This isn't a problem once you get used to the syntax, but the voice assistant too often gets confused if you use a term it doesn't know or phrase a command in an unfamiliar way.
Google Assistant and Siri are both much better at recognizing natural language and are generally less frustrating to use. Amazon continues to develop Alexa, but for now, Google and Apple have the edge.
How to Use a Smart Speaker to Manage Your Smart Home
Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri can control pretty much any smart home device nowadays. In the Alexa and Google apps, and with the Siri Shortcuts feature, you can set up rooms of multiple devices to control, plus configure multistep routines, like "I'm leaving the house." All three smart assistants support most major smart home device brands, with few holes between them.
The Amazon Echo and Echo Studio add support for the Zigbee smart home standard, which means they work with more third-party devices (and other Echo speakers in your home, as a result). Most newer smart home devices are Wi-Fi-based and hubless, or otherwise work with Alexa and Google Assistant, so you shouldn't run into compatibility issues.
If you intend to use Siri to control your smart home, make sure the smart home devices you buy are HomeKit-compatible, and you have a HomePod, iPad, or Apple TV to use as a hub. These devices enable you to create rooms, groups, and multistep routines, as well as control your devices remotely—but only from iOS. Apple's Home app is gorgeous, but you have to be all-in with Apple for it to work well.
Matter is an emerging standard worth keeping an eye on, though it isn't yet widely available for smart home devices.
You can also use Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri to control a TV or home entertainment center, with a compatible TV or appropriate hardware add-on (a media streamer like an Amazon Fire TV device for Alexa, a Chromecast or Android TV for Google Assistant, an Apple TV for Siri, or a Roku device for any of them).
Explore Third-Party Smart Speaker Skills
Amazon's voice assistant ecosystem benefits from tens of thousands of third-party "skills," and Amazon has a directory of them on its site. These skills let you do everything; for example, you can check your local transit status, look up your credit card balance, find trivia about your favorite college football team, play games, and sing along with songs. However, you have to seek out the skills you want and stick to a very specific syntax. It's a stunningly powerful system but involves a bit of a learning curve.
Google Assistant has fewer skills, a result of its ability to understand more casual syntax and conversational commands. Regardless, you can check out Google's skills (which it calls "actions") in its convenient web-based directory.
Can You Use Smart Speakers for Phone Calls?
All of the voice assistants let you make phone calls from your smart speaker. Alexa and Google make free phone calls directly. Google Assistant can call numbers in the US and Canada, but only to phone numbers in your Google Contacts. Alexa can call anyone in the US, Canada, and Mexico, but not toll-free numbers. You can also use Amazon Drop In to make voice calls to any friends or family with Alexa devices or the Alexa app, including different Echo speakers in your own home. The HomePod works as a speakerphone, too, but you have to start the call on your iPhone.
How Do Smart Speakers Sound?
All smart speakers can play music from your phone, but, if you're relying only on voice commands, you are stuck with cloud services. Alexa and Google Assistant both connect to Apple Music and Spotify Premium accounts, as well as to Pandora, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio for free. Alexa speakers also play Amazon Prime Music, while Google Assistant speakers can access YouTube Music. Siri on the HomePod and HomePod mini can play Apple Music and songs from your Apple Music account. For any of these services, you can just ask the smart speaker to start playing music from them.
Most smart speakers also support Bluetooth connections or the Apple AirPlay or Google Cast platforms, so you can stream audio directly from your phone, tablet, or computer. Several feature 3.5mm ports, though some are output-only (for connecting to larger, non-smart speakers).
The Google Nest Mini and Amazon Echo Spot have both made big strides in sound quality, but they aren't quite good enough to be primary music speakers. The Echo, HomePod mini, and Nest Audio sound better, as do most smart speakers in the $100 to $200 price range. The best value on this list is currently the $200 Echo Studio, which sounds just as good as speakers that cost twice as much. Above $300, the Sonos Era 300, Sonos Move 2, and second-gen HomePod deliver top-notch audio.
Ultimately, the best smart speaker for you has the voice assistant you want, along with the right power, size, and price for your needs. And if you want video support as well, there are always smart displays, which are basically smart speakers with touch screens.
