Buying a smart speaker? Here's how to choose between Alexa, Google or Siri as your assistant

The best smart speakers are powered by one of three smart assistants: Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri, or Google Home Assistant. Alexa remains the most popular because it works with the widest variety of smart home devices, and its excellent speakers don’t cost much. Amazon’s focus on value is only made better by its ease of use and versatility to fit both Android and Apple homes.

Google Home Assistant is a dream come true for anyone who loves small things. Thanks to the search giant’s wealth of data, it’s more adept at delivering information. Its more human-like speaking rate and ability to understand multipart commands set it apart from the competition. If you use Google’s services, it also offers much more accurate news briefings, offers more personalized music content, and can even read your emails.

HomePods offer the best sound quality and secure local processing of any smart speaker. They’re ideal for those who are part of the Apple ecosystem. However, Siri isn’t as smart when it comes to conversing or giving information. It’s mainly intended for controlling home devices and syncing things like calendar events and messages with your iPhone.

Alexa and Google have always been the most popular platforms due to their wider range of compatible devices. While each platform supports Matter, its arrival has been particularly beneficial for Apple’s HomeKit. Matter gives HomeKit greater parity since it now offers a wider range of smart home devices to choose from and you can transfer Matter devices between platforms.

Amazon

Amazon Echo 4th Generation

(Image credit: Future)

Amazon’s Echo was the first smart speaker to hit the market. These speakers offer the best value by balancing affordability with impressive sound. With the easy-to-use Alexa app, even a smart home novice can create complex routines to automate tasks. With understandable “if” and “when” building blocks, you can tell devices like smart lights to turn on, but only if it’s at certain times on certain days.

Echos are also the most smart home-oriented devices, as they come with sensors and work with the most devices. Even the budget Echo Dot smart speaker can detect motion and temperature changes to trigger automations. Plus, with Alexa, you can even change the wake word, whereas you’re stuck with “Hey Google” or “Hey Siri” with the other two options.

Alexa sits somewhere between Google’s smart assistant and the more minimalist nature of Siri. It can scour the web for information and have basic conversations about the status of your smart home. Google Assistant is fleshing out its answers and providing more context to your questions. For example, ask an actor’s birthday and you’ll get a full bio. However, Alexa’s skills (mostly audio apps) allow it to evolve its capabilities over time.

Alexa is the most universal platform and the most suitable for most users. But let’s say you’re in the Apple or Google ecosystem. In that case, the other assistants have closer ties to your accounts in their services, as well as better integration to transfer content between your iOS phone (Siri) or Android (Google). With Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, that means you have these assistants at home, while you drive, and on your phone for the tightest possible integration.

Google

Google Nest Audio

(Image credit: Future)

Google Assistant is really smart, and I think of it more as a “lifestyle” helper than the smart-home-centric Alexa. Voice Match personalizes your device to give you customized calendars, flights, payments, photos, and more; you can even set your own default media services. On top of that, it’s better at handling everyday tasks like booking a reservation or making recommendations.

Nest’s smart speaker lineup isn’t as cutting-edge as Amazon’s or Apple’s, as it doesn’t have built-in sensors to trigger routines. In our Alexa vs. Google Assistant showdown, Amazon’s smart assistant also controls devices faster. That said, Google Home can still create advanced routines. Plus, it’s not as obnoxious with its recommendations or attempts to upsell a service as Alexa is.

Google knows things. Alexa does them. If you want to get information quickly, like instructions on how to use a gadget or find a nearby takeout restaurant, Google Assistant is the solution for you.

Apple HomeKit

Comparison between the Homepod 2 and the original Homepod

(Image credit: Future)

Apple’s HomeKit prioritizes seamless connectivity between iOS devices and your smart home. It’s a polished experience with enhanced privacy and security, as it encrypts and processes commands locally. Plus, it relies on you always having an iPhone or Apple Watch on hand for a universal physical smart home controller.

As with the rest of Apple’s hardware, you’re paying a premium for a powerful device that “just works.” HomePods deliver unmatched sound with better woofers and tweeters than Alexa or Google speakers, and they automatically adapt to the acoustics of the room they’re placed in. If you’re part of the Apple ecosystem, this is great for transmitting content like calls and music with a single tap (or you can just tap your iPhone against it).

Siri still isn’t as smart as Alexa or Google when you ask it questions, only saying “Here’s what I found on the web” while leading you to links. We hope to see the assistant evolve with the arrival of Apple Intelligence. Sure, it’s quick to remind you of upcoming appointments or set alarms. But for now, it excels at commands like controlling smart home devices or playing content. You’ll still need to use a third-party app to manage devices like robot vacuums until they arrive in the next HomeKit Matter update. Over time, this platform has the potential to become the best, but also the most expensive, option.