THERE ARE MANY smart speakers on the market, and picking the best smart speaker keeps getting tougher. First, you need to decide which voice assistant you prefer. There are three worth using—Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri—and each has its pros and cons. This guide is organized by our preferred speaker, regardless of which assistant it uses, but we recommend a secondary option if you prefer a different assistant.
Overall, Google- and Amazon-powered smart speakers are the way to go, though we prefer Google's ecosystem over Amazon's. Amazon's speaker lineup is more vast, but our favorite models are still Google's, including the Google Nest Audio ($75) for a smart speaker (especially if you want stereo sound and two speakers for a great price) and the Google Nest Hub Max ($230) for a smart display. Amazon makes our favorite smaller speakers, though, particularly the fifth-generation Amazon Echo Dot ($50).
Check out our Best Alexa Speakers, Best Google Speakers, and Best Smart Displays guides for more recommendations. If you're looking for more speaker advice, don't miss our guides to the Best Bluetooth Speakers, Best Soundbars, and Best Sonos Speakers.
Updated June 2025: We've reorganized this guide and its picks.
