Pick Alexa+ if your home already runs on Amazon: Echo speakers, Prime, Ring cameras, Fire TV. It turns Alexa from a command box into a conversational assistant that acts for you, and Amazon says tens of millions joined its Early Access. It is a household assistant, not a work agent for documents or code.
What changed
Alexa+ is Amazon's generative-AI assistant for Echo speakers, Fire TV, the Alexa app and Alexa.com. Amazon says it runs on large language models from Amazon Nova and Anthropic, keeps context across days of conversation, and completes tasks such as restaurant reservations and ride bookings. It became available to every US customer on 4 February 2026.
Maker: Amazon · Autonomy: semi autonomous · Maturity: GA
Underlying models: Amazon Nova, Anthropic Claude
About Alexa+
Alexa+ is Amazon's rebuilt version of Alexa, the assistant that ships on Echo speakers and Fire TV and lives in the Alexa app, now with a chat and research site at Alexa.com. Amazon opened an Early Access program in 2025, says tens of millions of people joined it, and opened Alexa+ to all US customers on 4 February 2026. What separates it from a plain chatbot is that Amazon built it to take actions through connected services: ordering takeout, reserving a table, booking a ride or scheduling a home-repair visit, according to Amazon's US announcement. It is made by Amazon.
Amazon says Alexa+ runs on large language models from both Amazon Nova and Anthropic, the maker of Claude. Amazon has not said which model answers which request, or which Claude version is used. The assistant remembers earlier talks, even from days back, learns what you tell it to remember, and on the UK launch page Amazon says it recognises household members through voice and visual ID. Amazon reports that customers talk to Alexa+ more than twice as much as they did to the old Alexa.
It works best for households already inside Amazon's ecosystem. It pairs with Ring cameras (Ring features need a separate subscription), Amazon Photos, Prime Video and Amazon Music, and on 19 August 2026 Amazon made it part of compatible Fire TV devices at no additional cost. In May 2026 Amazon joined Rufus and Alexa+ into Alexa for Shopping inside the Amazon Shopping app and website. Treat it as a home assistant, not a work agent: for finished documents, spreadsheets and long background projects, look at ChatGPT Work, Gemini Spark or OpenAI dots. Other personal agents on HokAI include Cue, Grok Bot, Muse, OpenClaw, Hermes Agent and Manus.
Availability depends on the country. Alexa+ is generally available in the US (4 February 2026) and Canada (11 June 2026, in English and French). Amazon also lists the UK (Early Access from 19 March 2026), Mexico, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Brazil, France and Australia as launched, and India since 16 September 2026 under Early Access, with more than 10 additional countries planned for 2027. Alexa.com asks you to sign in with an Amazon account before it loads.
Amazon ships changes to Alexa+ roughly monthly. Recent items on its news page include podcast episodes generated on demand (18 May 2026), the India launch, Fire TV search that understands more complex questions (30 September 2026) and a new line of Alexa Tablets with Alexa+ built in (8 October 2026). Compare how it sits against Google's assistant on Gemini and Apple's on Siri AI, or against ChatGPT if you mostly want open-ended chat and research.
Pricing
US: included with Prime; $19.99 per month without Prime; limited free text chat on Alexa.com and in the Alexa app. Canada: CAD 27.99 monthly for non-Prime users (roughly $19.91 USD, an estimate at the 21 Oct 2026 rate), free for Prime. UK: free during Early Access, then £19.99 per month (about $26.71 USD, estimate), free for Prime. India: free during Early Access, then ₹2,000 per month for Prime Lite, Prime Shopping Edition and non-Prime customers (about $21.05 USD, estimate), free for Prime. Ring features need a separate Ring subscription.
Key Features
- Memory across conversations: Keeps the context of conversations that can span days and learns preferences you choose to share, such as a food or music taste, according to Amazon.
- Actions through partner services: Orders takeout, makes restaurant reservations, books a ride and schedules home services through connected services, per Amazon's US announcement.
- Four ways in: Runs on Alexa-enabled devices, Fire TV, the Alexa app and Alexa.com, with a limited free text-chat tier in the app and on the web for non-Prime users in the US.
- Alexa for Shopping: Since 13 May 2026 Amazon has combined Rufus and Alexa+ into Alexa for Shopping in the Amazon Shopping app and website.
- Smart home and Ring: Controls smart-home devices by conversation and pairs with Ring cameras to flag unusual patterns; Ring features need a separate subscription.
- Podcasts on demand: Generates audio episodes on any topic when asked, a feature Amazon announced on 18 May 2026.
Strengths
- Bundled with Prime in every market Amazon has priced (US, Canada, UK, India), so households already paying for Prime add no cost.
- Reaches you wherever the household already is, from a kitchen speaker to a browser tab, so a request begun by voice can continue on Alexa.com.
- Acts through named partners such as OpenTable for tables and Spotify or Apple Music for music (UK launch list), rather than only answering questions.
- Carries context across days of conversation, which Amazon cites as a main difference from the old Alexa.
Weaknesses
- Full launches are still limited to the US and Canada; on Amazon's pages read on 21 October 2026 the UK and India are described as Early Access with invites.
- Amazon names Amazon Nova and Anthropic as model providers but not which model handles which request, and publishes no benchmark scores.
- Built as a home assistant: Amazon's announcement pages describe no workspace, file or code-execution features, so it does not replace a work agent.
- Some features cost extra: Amazon notes that Ring features need a separate subscription.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you pay for Alexa+?
In the US, Alexa+ is included at no extra cost with Amazon Prime, and costs $19.99 per month without Prime. Canada charges $27.99 CAD per month without Prime (about $19.91 USD, an estimate at the 21 October 2026 rate). The UK price after Early Access is £19.99 per month (about $26.71 USD, estimate) and India's is ₹2,000 per month (about $21.05 USD, estimate), with Prime members free in each market per Amazon; in India, Prime Lite and Prime Shopping Edition members pay the fee too.
Is Alexa+ free to use?
Partly. Anyone in the US can try Alexa+ without Prime through typed chat only, on the web or in the phone app, but Amazon caps that access based on use. The full experience on Echo devices needs Prime or the paid subscription. Early Access in the UK and India costs nothing until Amazon ends the program.
What should you use instead of Alexa+?
[Gemini Spark](/hub/agents/gemini-spark) is the closer match if your day runs through Gmail, Calendar and Docs. [ChatGPT Work](/hub/agents/chatgpt-work) suits finishing documents and spreadsheets, and [OpenAI dots](/hub/agents/dots) suits long background projects. On an iPhone, [Siri AI](/hub/tools/siri-ai) is the built-in default.
Is Alexa+ better than Gemini?
It depends on the hardware and accounts you already own. Alexa+ is stronger around Echo speakers, Fire TV, Ring cameras, Prime shopping and Amazon Music, all under one Amazon account. [Gemini](/hub/tools/gemini) is the better fit for Android phones and Google Workspace files. Amazon has not published benchmark scores for Alexa+, so the choice is ecosystem rather than test results.
How long does it take to get going with Alexa+?
Prime members in the US start by saying "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+" to an Echo device or by signing in at Alexa.com with their Amazon account. Non-Prime users can open Alexa.com for the free chat tier with no device. In the UK and India you first request Early Access (amazon.co.uk/newalexa or amazon.in/alexaplus) and wait for an invite, so the wait is Amazon's, not yours.
Top Alternatives
- Gemini Spark: Pick Gemini Spark if the work lives in Gmail, Calendar and Docs; pick Alexa+ if the work is the household: speakers, shopping, Ring cameras and the family calendar.
- ChatGPT Work: Pick ChatGPT Work for documents and spreadsheets finished in a workspace; pick Alexa+ for voice-first help at home on Echo and Fire TV.
- OpenAI dots: Pick OpenAI dots for standing background projects with their own cloud computer; pick Alexa+ for an assistant tied to the devices and Prime account you already have.