There are many Alexa Alternatives available in the market, but are they any good?🤔
To answer this question, We reviewed the available 15 options in the market and came with the best 9 ones for our readers.
Without any further delay, Let’s explore this guide.
Who wouldn’t like to have a chatty device which works on your voice commands and can play whatever you like? Smart home speakers can do that exactly for you.
Smart speakers with voice assistant support have become the latest trend among Tech enthusiasts and these devices are now seen almost everywhere. Whether it is a home, office, or studio, you will find a smart speaker placed in a little corner playing the usual stuff.
The market of smart speakers has recently experienced a sudden boom and people have begun to show interest in these devices. Several brands have launched different smart speakers which are packed with several built-in features.
Also, these devices support different voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri, Google voice assistants, and a few other custom assistants.
Companies that manufacture smart speakers provide different features with different models and at variable prices. Thus, choosing the perfect smart speaker becomes a tough choice for a casual user.
Choosing the right smart speaker starts with selecting the voice assistant you are comfortable with. Then one can consider sound quality, functions, battery backup, and other features to make a perfect choice.
What is Alexa?
When it comes to buying a smart speaker for general purposes, the first choice of every casual user is Amazon’s Alexa. Alexa is an AI-based virtual assistant which comes with Echo series smart speakers developed and manufactured exclusively by Amazon Labs.
Alexa packs tons of astonishing features, from basic to advanced, Alexa is a perfect day-to-day assistant for a person with a busy schedule.
Amazon Alexa is supported by iOS, Android, Linux, and Windows platforms which makes it versatile to use. Alexa works with 16 different languages including Hindi and other Indian languages as well. It offers a number of features that are useful to every user, few of these features are-
- Voice interaction
- Music playback
- Setting alarms
- Streaming podcasts
- Playing audiobooks
- Getting news and daily updates
And many more…
Alexa also features a Smart and unique Automation system that connects all your smart devices and synchronizes their working to provide a seamless experience.
The Echo smart speakers which come with Alexa are usually activated by recognizing the voice command of ‘Alexa’ or ‘Amazon’ from the user. These devices use customized speech recognition AI to perform different tasks using voice commands.
Amazon’s Alexa has been a quite popular smart speaker but it does lack some functionality and features which other brands are offering with a similar or lesser price tag.
Several new brands have introduced their own smart speakers which feature different voice assistants. These speakers can work as an Alexa alternative and some of them could be even better. So, here we have enlisted some of the best Alexa alternatives you can buy in 2022.
Best Alexa Alternatives: Our Top Pick 👌👌
1. Google Home – Google Alexa alternative
Built in-house by Google, the Google Home series smart speakers offer a best-in-class immersive audio experience. These smart speakers are supported by Google Voice Assistant.
Google has packed the Home smart speakers with multiple features from its own ecosystem in a compact and lightweight body that weighs about 12 lbs.
The Google Home speakers are designed in such a way that they can control every other smart device in your house, office, or studio. Google Home can almost do everything just using voice commands.
For example, you can use Google Chromecast to mirror your smartphone screen on a Smart TV without connecting any cables or using the remote control just by giving a voice command to Google Home.
The process of setting up Google Home is also convenient. This smart speaker supports plug-and-play features and it is integrated with the Google Home mobile application which provides a seamless user experience.
The Google Home series smart speakers consist of the following models:-
- Google Home
- Home Mini
- Home Max
- Home Hub
- Nest Hub Max
- Nest Mini
- Nest Audio, &
- Nest Hub (2nd Generation)
While Designing the Home Smart speakers, Google has focused more on providing high-quality sound. The speakers pack a perfect balance of the mids, highs, and lows which create a unique ambient sound.
The speakers have slightly boosted low frequencies which provides a spectacular bass experience even in mid to low volumes. On the other hand, Google Home speakers have a satisfying loudness with sharp highs.
Other Technical Specifications of Google Home smart speakers:-
- Connectivity- WiFi (2.4 to 5 GHz), Bluetooth (4.1 to 5.0)
- Speakers- 2-inch passive dual speakers
- Microphone- 2 far-field, Voice recognition supported Microphones.
- Sensors- Light Intensity Sensor and Capacitive Touch Panel
- Processor- ARM Quad-core chip
- Supported OS- iOS and Android.
- Price Range- 49 USD to 399 USD
2. Apple Homepod
Apple’s Homepod smart speakers can be considered as the expensive but a bit enhanced Alexa alternative.
Packed with Apple’s Siri voice assistant, Homepod speakers are popular among iOS device users because the speakers have better software integration with the iOS platform as compared to that of Android. However, the Apple Homepod is still an all-in-one package of entertainment for every kind of user.
The Apple Homepod has a simple yet elegant design with a cylindrical shape. The speaker is neither too heavy nor too big which makes it compact and easy to carry with you.
Similar to its other products, Apple has focused more on the build quality of the Homepod speaker. This smart speaker has a strong and sturdy build quality which makes it less vulnerable to physical damage.
Talking about the audio experience of Apple Homepod, the speaker comes with 7 tweeters smartly integrated with a subwoofer. Apple has made changes in the tweeter and subwoofer arrangement where the tweeters are placed below the subwoofer.
Although this arrangement is unconventional, it creates a better frequency separation between the lows, mids, and highs producing crystal-clear sound.
Apple has powered the homepod smart speakers with its mighty A8 Bionic chip which enables the speaker to process voice commands quickly and with ease.
The processor is embedded in the mother panel placed at the top of the speaker. The processor features an environment recognition system that automatically adjusts the volume as per your surrounding noises.
Although the Apple homepod is packed with Siri voice assistant, it still lacks some functionalities when compared to other alexa alternative names.
Previous homepod speaker users have complained that sometimes the Siri assistant is not helpful and also gets confused with complex commands. Yet if you are a music enthusiast, the Homepod speaker will not disappoint you with its amazing sound quality.
For all the Tech-nerds, Here are some of the technical Specifications of Apple Homepod smart speakers:-
- Connectivity- WiFi (802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.0
- Speakers- 2-inch passive dual speakers
- Microphone- 6 far-field, Low-frequency Internal Microphones.
- Supported Audio sources- Apple Music 3, iTunes, Apple AirPlay
- Processor- Apple A8 Bionic Chip
- Colors available- Space Gray and Black
- Price Range- Starts from 299 USD
3. Harman Kardon Allure
Known to have the most functional design in the market, the Harman Kardon Allure smart speaker is the right choice for users who prioritize looks.
As The Name Suggests, the speaker has an alluring design. The speaker is equipped with Alexa Voice Assistant, Which means you get excess to all functionalities of other Alexa alternative speakers.
Harman Kardon Allure is a strong competitor to the Amazon Echo smart speakers. Both of the speakers support the same voice assistant Program, Alexa but the design of Harman Kardon Allure makes it stand above.
Also, the Battery Backup of the Allure smart speaker is more than that of other Alexa alternative speakers which makes it a better option when you are traveling or using the Harman Kardon Allure for a longer duration.
To Offer a quality voice recognition experience, Harman Kardon has packed its Allure speaker with a configuration of 4 Microphones that are far-field supported.
This Microphone enables the device to recognize your voice commands even from a distance. Along with this, the Allure Speaker is equipped with a 60 Watt speaker that gives quality sound even at peak volume without any distortion.
The mesmerizing sound clarity of the Allure speaker comes from its DSP or Digital processing feature designed in-house by Harman Kardon.
Due to this unique DSP feature, the allure speaker transmits flawless base output with distortion-free high frequencies. The DSP Feature gives the allure speaker an additional advantage over its other competitors which are prevailing in the Smart speaker market.
As mentioned earlier, The Harmon Kardon Allure speaker is popular in the smart speaker market because of its unique look and design.
The Allure has a compact yet eye-catching design. The upper part of the speaker is Transparent & equipped with LED light, Which glows in sync with the music you play or when you give a voice command. And the bottom part of the speaker has a metallic grill to transmit the sound in all directions.
The technical specifications of the Harman Kardon Allure speaker are as follows:-
- Connectivity- Bluetooth 5.0, Wifi-enabled, USB
- Speakers- 60 Watt Subwoofer
- Battery- 6000 MAH, 10 Hours Battery Backup
- Weight- 2.25 lbs
- Supported OS- IOS, Android
- Price- 174.21 USD
4. Bose Home Speaker 500
After marking its dominance in the sound products industry, Bose has also stepped into the competition of the Alexa alternative market with its recently launched Bose Home Speaker 500.
Standing above its other competitors in a similar price range, Bose has built its home speaker with a smart eight speakers configuration which is surround sound enabled.
The placement of 8 speakers within one body sounds like a complex process, however, Bose made this possible by giving a unique mix of cylindrical and rectangular shapes to the Home speaker.
The speakers are fitted in such an arrangement that they create a multidirectional stereo experience even from a corner. The Bose Home speaker is said to have the widest sound profile of all other smart speakers.
The Bose Home speaker also comes with six built-in sound presets to complement your music taste. You can switch between these presets as per the surrounding environment, the genre of the song, or your mood.
You can also create different user profiles and store your custom preset settings, song playlists, and other personal content.
Another notable feature of Bose Home Speaker is its front LED display. This display adds a bit to improve the functionality of this speaker.
Although it is not a capacitive touch display, it still shows some additional information like the cover art of the song currently playing, date, time, weather updates, and much more. The multicolor display also enhances the looks of this speaker.
One feature that Bose has added to its Home speaker is that it supports both Alexa and Google Voice Assistant. Thus, the user can switch between the two supported assistants as per their preference.
Some users find Google Voice assistant more functional while some prefer the casual chats of Alexa. Such users can get the advantage of both assistants in a single smart speaker.
If you are interested to know about the technical specifications of the Bose Home Speaker 500, here you go:-
- Connectivity- Bluetooth 4.2, Wifi, 3.5 mm AUX, Apple AirPlay 2
- Integrated Music Platforms- Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer
- Battery- 6000 MAH, 10 Hours Battery Backup
- Weight- 0.9 kg
- Supported Voice assistant- Amazon Alexa, Google Voice Assistant
- Price Range- Starts from 299 USD
5. JBL Link View
Imagine a smart speaker with a large smart display, the JBL Link View offers you the same. Powered by Google Voice Assistant, the JBL link view smart speaker comes with a large HD 8-inch smart display.
The display supports capacitive touch controls which enable the user to navigate across various features of the smart speakers other than using voice commands.
JBL has offered the support of multiple third-party apps along with the Google Voice assistant in its JBL Link View smart speaker.
Access to these third-app party apps enhances the functionality of this smart speaker and makes the JBL Link View a better option for daily usage. Also, the people who often prefer to multitask will find the JBL speaker more suitable for them.
Another feature that makes the JBL Link View speaker different from its other competitors is that it features a 5 Megapixel front camera.
This camera is placed above the smart display using which you can make video calls or attend online meetings. The Link View’s speakers, microphones, large display, and camera make it a perfect package.
Not only this, but the JBL Link View also has a dedicated physical shutter button for the camera. So whenever you require some privacy or don’t want to use the camera, you can just simply press the shutter button to cover the camera and block its view.
Although the design of these speakers does not seem much appealing, JBL had still tried to create a good-looking device.
As JBL is considered to be the master of sound design and quality in the audio industry, the company has left no stone unturned when it comes to the sound quality of its Link View Smart Speaker.
The speaker configuration designed by JBL gives an immersive sound experience to the user. To complement the crisp high-frequency sounds, JBL has added two subwoofers to the configuration.
Here are some other technical specifications that you must know before buying this Alexa alternative, the JBL Link View Smart Speaker:-
- Connectivity- Bluetooth 4.2, Wifi (2.4 GHz), Chromecast
- Water-resistance- IPX4 splash-proof rating
- Battery- 6000 MAH, 10 Hours Battery Backup
- Net Weight- 1.3 kg
- Speakers- A pair of 2-inch full-range speakers
- Price- 299.95 USD
6. Lenovo Smart Display
After the JBL Link View, here comes another option for the Alexa alternative but with a large touch screen, that is the Lenovo Smart display.
Designed by Lenovo in China, the Smart Display speaker features a flatscreen, 10-inch sleek display which is an IP68 LED panel. The elegant touch-enabled display is fitted above the speaker grill to give it a different look.
The functionalities which Lenovo has offered with its Smart Display speaker make it the most popular smart speaker with a touchscreen in its price range.
The touchscreen also comes with an auto-adjustable brightness feature. This feature enables the device to change its brightness settings automatically and adjust them as per the surrounding ambiance.
The Lenovo Smart display speaker comes in 3 variants which feature three different screen sizes- 7 inch, 8 inch, and 10 inches. There are some differences in the in-built features of these three variants which create a price difference.
The 7-inch variant is the lowest specification model with the least price tag while the 10-inch model is the high-end variant with the costliest price tag.
Since Lenovo is a recognized manufacturer of Laptops and computer systems, the Company has focused more on enhancing the display of its Smart speaker.
However, the higher variant of the Lenovo Smart Display speaker is capable of delivering a decent sound quality. Lenovo has packed the Smart Display speaker with two 10 Watt tweeters so that you can enjoy your favorite music at high volume.
Lenovo has also worked towards offering a good input audio quality by providing 2×2 microphone arrays.
Lenovo has used a Google-based voice recognition system which enables the device to recognize your commands seamlessly and provide you with the best-optimized results. The device can easily hear you across a room, or through a wall.
If the Lenovo Smart Display speaker features excite you, here are some other technical specifications of this speaker;
- Connectivity- Bluetooth 5.0, Wifi (2.4 G or 5 G), Chromecast
- Front Camera- 2 or 5 Megapixels
- Screen Quality- 720p (Maximum)
- Net Weight- 675 gram
- Speakers- Two (10 Watt) speakers with left-right placement
- Price- lowest variant starts from 109.45 USD
7. Sonos One
Sonos, The popular American audio products manufacturer, came up with its first smart speaker in the market named Sonos One.
Sonos One is a music-focused smart speaker which competes quite well with other Alexa alternative speakers. Sonos has packed its first smart speaker with gorgeous looks, smartness, and lots of functions to offer its best to the users.
The company has focused on offering high-grade, industry-standard sound quality. The Sonos One smart speaker has two countertop sound drivers which are capable of producing such good quality sound.
Sonos has tried to not make the speakers too loud but the volume configurations are perfect to match any type of ambiance. This speaker also has an automatic volume adjust feature.
The Sonos One speaker offers you an option to choose between two voice assistant software- Amazon Alexa and Google Voice Assistant.
The user can select any of the two voice assistants as default or can switch between the two as per their preference and ease of use. The Sonos One has a fast processor and high memory which enables the assistants to function efficiently.
Other than by voice commands, the Sonos One speaker can also be controlled using the Sonos Mobile App which provides several functions.
The Mobile app offers better connectivity and integration with the speaker as compared to Bluetooth or Wifi. The Mobile App is available on both iOS and Android platforms and has the same user interface on these platforms.
Although Sonos One does not have any display or physical buttons in its design but comes with a touch-enabled top using which you can control various functions of the speaker.
The touch panel has buttons for volume control, mute, and power on and off. You can operate this touch panel physically by either tapping or swiping your finger on the panel.
Along with some good features, Sonos One also has a unique feature of Multi-room support using which you can pair and operate two Sonos One speakers simultaneously placed in separate rooms or you can create a stereo experience using both of them at the same place.
Other technical specifications of Sonos One smart speaker are as follows:-
- Connectivity- No Bluetooth, Wifi (2.4 G and 5 G), Chromecast, Ethernet, Apple AirPlay 2
- Audio configurations- 1 tweeter, 1 mid-woofer, 2 digital amplifiers, and 1 microphone array.
- Supported Voice Assistants- Amazon Alexa and Google Voice assistant
- Net Weight- 4.7 pounds
- Price- lowest variant starts from 109.45 USD
8. Kitsound Voice One
The KitSound Voice One is a Voice-Activated Smart Speaker, Which has a very elegant style. Kitsound Voice One is the Best option For people who prefer to have more functions.
The Voice One is designed like a tiny tower that is covered with fabric. This fabric protects the speaker from scratches. So, you can use the Speaker close to your workplace or in the kitchen without having the fear of damaging it.
The Voice One speaker is powered by the Alexa AI voice assistant. The most unique feature of the Kitsound Voice One is that it comes with remote control. The remote control is provided inside the box so you do not require to buy one separately.
The remote comes in handy when you are not in a condition to give any voice commands. You can easily use the remote to mute audio, change volume or change the input source.
The kitsound one is equipped with two microphone arrays to offer a clear voice recognition experience.
Apart from its some amazing features, the speaker lacks a few functions from other Alexa alternatives such as you cannot change the wake sound, so you have to use the default one to Give voice commands.
Other than this, the Wifi connection is on the 2.4GHz band which is quite lower than other smart speakers. Due to this Low connection band, You can experience connectivity issues or music drop out when the Network is weak or you are far apart from the device.
To offer the best of its sound experience, Kitsound Voice One under its body packs two mighty dual-driver speakers of 20 Watt each.
This speaker is complemented with a reflex type to provide out-of-the-box bass output. The front face of Voice One speakers has a manual control Knob for increasing or decreasing volume. The knob also has a LED ring-light.
Still, if this information is not enough for you then check out other technical specifications of the Kitsound Voice One smart speaker;
- Connectivity- Bluetooth V2.1 with EDR, Wifi 2.4 GHz, in-line, AUX, and USB port.
- Supported Music Platforms- Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, etc.
- Power- 1 Lithium-ion battery or Direct AC input
- Net Weight- 4.41 pounds
- Speakers- Single 20 Watt speaker
- Price- 199 USD
Conclusion
Smart speakers are considerably quite useful gadgets that enhance your ease of living, thus having them around you could be a plus point to your work or home.
So, you can consider having one and take advantage of their multiple functionalities to have an easy day-to-day life. You may also discover some new and unique features while using them that we might have missed.
Yes, there are endless options for smart speakers in the market but we have listed the best and most popular ones of them.
If you choose any one smart speaker from this list, you will never be disappointed and would never need to buy Alexa or any other Alexa alternative in the market. List out what functions you need, compare the devices, and choose the most ideal one for you.
