Alexa Plus is better at running my home, but it’s not ready to run my life
A year-long review finds Alexa Plus strong for smart homes but weak as a personal assistant, with intrusive Echo ads.
The Verge reviewed a year of Amazon Alexa Plus, tested since July 2025 after early access and a February 2026 full launch. On Echo Show and Dot devices, conversational smart-home control, routines, cooking assistance, calendar import, and Amazon shopping were more reliable than classic Alexa, with common commands answering in about three to five seconds. The reviewer found personal-assistant features inconsistent and full-screen ads on Echo Show displays intrusive. Alexa Plus is free on the web, app, and Fire TV, but Echo use requires Amazon Prime or $19.99 per month in the US.
- Year-long home test used Echo Show, Dot, and other Alexa devices.
- Voice control, routines, cooking help, calendar, and shopping beat classic Alexa.
- Personal assistant behavior stays inconsistent and Echo Show ads feel excessive.
- Echo access requires Amazon Prime or $19.99 per month in the US.
- Vendors
- Amazon
- Products
- Alexa PlusEcho ShowEcho Dot Max
- Countries
- United States
From the original article
12 min read at theverge.com
I’ve spent a year living with Alexa Plus, and it both delights and frustrates me, which is the smart home in a nutshell. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Of all the things Alexa Plus can do, I never expected it to make me cry.
By Jennifer Pattison Tuohy · theverge.com
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