Echo vs. Echo Dot: Which to purchase throughout Prime Day

Desk of Contents

Sensible audio system like Amazon’s Echo household of merchandise are an important place to begin in case you’re trying to get a wiser house. They’re reasonably priced and straightforward to make use of, and past simply enjoying music, they might help you discover your subsequent binge-watch, learn the information, and regulate room settings. 

Since debuting a decade in the past, Amazon’s Echo gadgets have multiplied shortly. There are almost a dozen iterations of the sensible house gadgets, however let’s not overcomplicate it. The Echo (Fourth Technology) and Echo Dot (Fifth Technology) fall in the course of the Echo lineup. Whereas they appear like nearly the identical machine, the Dot provides the perks of an Echo in a smaller package deal.

So what’s one to do? That will help you out, we in contrast these sensible audio system facet by facet. Right here’s the whole lot you must know in case you’re deciding between the Echo and the Echo Dot.

When is the very best time to purchase an Echo or Echo Dot?

Earlier than we even get into all of the logistics of each gadgets, you have to be ready for when to buy. Sure, they begin at reasonably priced costs — the Echo begins at $99.99 and the Dot at $49.99. Nevertheless, you needn’t (and should not) purchase them at full worth. One of the best time to purchase is throughout purchasing holidays like Black Friday, while you’ll discover Echos at their lowest costs ever. We have seen the Echo Dot go as little as $22.99.

As a result of Echos are Amazon gadgets, Amazon Prime Day presents large financial savings alternatives. You’ll want to keep looking out when Prime Day 2025 kicks off on July 8.

Privateness considerations on Echo gadgets

One other factor to say earlier than we get into the Echo vs. Echo Dot debate is one thing that impacts all Echo customers, irrespective of the precise machine. Rightfully so, there are privateness considerations round Echos as they have been identified to report whole conversations, listening in while you’re speaking about doubtlessly delicate info.

To restrict a few of this threat, within the Alexa app, you may evaluation your each day voice historical past and delete something you do not vibe with, handle the entry to knowledge sure expertise have, and extra. On the outside of each the 4th Gen Echo and fifth Gen Echo Dot, you too can discover a mic-off button that may forestall any audio enter from reaching Alexa.

Nevertheless, in 2025, Amazon is making even larger adjustments that would have an effect on consumer privateness. Beforehand, customers might select “Do Not Ship Voice Recordings” in settings, which meant that every one requests you made had been processed domestically quite than getting despatched off to Amazon’s servers. As of March 28, 2025, Amazon is taking away this setting, which means all requests will likely be despatched by Amazon servers.

Whereas Amazon guarantees that every one info requests are encrypted and safe, it nonetheless implies that the retailer has entry to all consumer knowledge now. If in case you have considerations, there are different sensible house choices to discover with higher privateness.

Distinction between Echo and Echo Dot

Amazon Echo sensible speaker evaluation (4th Gen)

The Echo weighs 34.2 ounces and its dimensions are 5.7 x 5.7 x 5.2 inches. On its spherical exterior, you will discover an motion button, quantity buttons, a mic-off button, a light-up ring, an influence port, and a 3.5-millimeter audio output. With three distinct shade choices presently accessible at Amazon, this under-$100 machine is bound to suit your house decor seamlessly.

Establishing the Echo can be seamless and you should use it inside minutes. Certainly, the one issues contained in the package deal are the machine itself, an influence adapter, and two guides. The setup information is very visible, which is all the time a perk. To start, it’s a must to obtain the Alexa app and register. No, you needn’t have a Prime account to make use of an Amazon sensible machine (although its vary of prospects absolutely will increase for these of us who’re Prime members). Plug within the included energy adapter into the Echo after which plug the Echo right into a wall outlet. The sunshine ring on the Echo will flip blue when it’s on after which orange when Alexa greets you. Subsequent, join the Echo to your private home WiFi community. The Alexa app will then stroll you thru the remainder of the setup course of, together with customizing your “wake phrase,” mastering the pronunciation of your title, permitting entry to cellphone contacts, and extra.

As soon as all that’s prepared, you are good to go. Give your latest sensible house companion a heat welcome: In spite of everything, will probably be your go-to to any extent further for blasting music, waking you up within the morning, offering information and climate stories, calling family members, and a lot extra.

Amazon Echo Dot sensible speaker evaluation (fifth Gen)

The Echo Dot takes sensible dwelling to a brand new degree. Although this machine is 2 years newer than the aforementioned Echo (4th Gen), it is truly $50 cheaper.

The Echo Dot weighs 10.7 ounces, a 3rd of the scale of the Echo, and its dimensions are 3.9 x 3.9 x 3.5 inches. This child can simply match on counter tops, cabinets, or nightstands. Just like the Echo, it boasts an motion button, a microphone-off button, quantity controls, a light-weight ring, and an influence port. It just about comes with the identical shade choices as the larger Echo, apart from its deep sea blue shade being barely darker than the Echo’s twilight blue shade. Potayto, potahto.

Setup can be a breeze with the Echo Dot. First, plug it right into a wall outlet and open the Alexa app to start out setup. (You’ll have to obtain the Alexa app in your smartphone beforehand.) When you open the app, choose “gadgets” after which choose the “+” icon. Observe the on-screen directions from that time on and personalize the machine to your liking.

Smarter, simpler dwelling options

Echo

The Amazon Echo features as your private butler and finest buddy. Since it is a sensible speaker that connects to the Alexa Voice Service, you employ it to do the whole lot from enjoying the newest hits to buying some kitchen staples to killing your boredom with a spherical of Jeopardy! Superior sound know-how helps the Echo instantly reply to you and acknowledge your voice. The truth is, throughout the setup course of on the Alexa app, Echo learns your voice’s cadences and pitch by making you repeat some pattern prompts. Spectacular.

Immediate response: Beamforming know-how, noise-cancellation, and 7 microphones will allow the Echo to listen to you out of your close by location. Simply converse the wake phrase and say instructions like “Alexa, discover an Amazon Music playlist,” or “Alexa, name Dad” for speedy help. One thing to notice: Your speaker doesn’t by any means must be known as Alexa. Different enjoyable choices embrace Echo, Ziggy, or Santa. Referring to your machine as that final choice unlocks an entire new Ho-Ho-Ho persona for it. One other factor to notice: Amazon is getting higher about accessibility, within the type of Adaptive Listening. This characteristic, when enabled, basically provides you extra time to complete talking — Alexa’s means of accommodating speech patterns like stuttering.

Beats grasp: In fact the Echo can play music, however it’s greater than a primary speaker. It comes with Dolby premium sound that fills an entire room — with deep bass and clear excessive notes alike. If in case you have two Echo gadgets in a single room, you may truly inform one among them to “play music all over the place,” which can amplify sound to even increased ranges and make for an precise at-home clubbing expertise. Phrase of warning, nonetheless — Alexa did not cooperate with me, unusually, once I tried to check out this characteristic. For these of us who’re extremely choosy about music streaming providers, Amazon permits you to set default choices which you’ll be able to change at any time. Would you like Alexa to select music from Apple Music however podcasts from Spotify? No downside, there’s an choice for that.

Fingers-free communication: If you must message or name family members, the Echo has your again. You should utilize Alexa to speak with folks by way of cellphone or textual content on the Echo, with out grabbing your smartphone. Plus, Alexa may make family bulletins throughout Amazon Echo gadgets at house, so your loved ones is aware of if dinner is prepared or visitors are arriving. Use the Drop-In characteristic to connect with different Amazon Echo gadgets or the Announcement characteristic to report cute messages in your personal voice (accompanied by a variety of sound impact choices, together with dinner bell, kiss, trumpet, in addition to, a bit alarmingly, rest room flush and fart).

Management sensible gadgets: If in case you have different sensible gadgets that work with Alexa, you may simply management them with Echo’s Zigbee sensible house hub. Simply ask Alexa to dim the lights, regulate the room temperature, or activate a appropriate smart-plug-connected equipment. One of the best factor about this? You don’t must press any buttons, and you may even engineer routines for your self forward of time to set these processes in movement at a sure time in your house.

Echo Dot

Making the sensible dwelling swap isn’t all the time budget-friendly, however the Echo Dot is reasonably priced and gives nice voice management options. These options aren’t all that completely different from what you get with the Echo. The one true upgrades are new movement sensors that allow you to touch-control the machine, the 1.73-inch front-firing speaker (versus a woofer and tweeters), and “Eero mesh community assist so the Echo Dot can function a node in your Eero community in case you use one,” in line with our sister web site, PCMag. Use the Dot to obtain reminders, save cookie recipes to your app for future reference, bask your room in an evening gentle glow, talk with family and friends, soothe your self with some white noise, and past.

Listening companion: We’ve all tried the traditional speaker setup, which usually includes too many shops and wires. Echo Dot provides the alternative expertise for all of your listening wants. You should utilize your voice to play music by streaming providers, together with Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify. Plus, Audible and different media varieties can be found on the Echo Dot. Ask Alexa to seek out the right playlist or podcast, and also you’ll have one thing to hearken to while you cook dinner within the kitchen, lounge on the sofa, or work out in your front room. One other extra-cool characteristic? The Dot will begin enjoying deep sleep music when it detects sounds of loud night breathing — in case you allow it to take action.

Process assist: There are occasions we want that we had a private assistant for little issues, together with making lists and scheduling calendars. The Echo Dot helps make your on a regular basis routine (and leisure) extra seamless with voice management. Attempt saying: “Alexa, set a timer for 5 minutes,” “Alexa, play the Reuters information briefing,” “Alexa, open my each day horoscope,” or “Alexa, discover my cellphone.” The chances are infinite. You’ll want to reference the “extra” tab on the Alexa app to flick through all the Echo Dot’s choices.

Converse with and examine in on family members: Just like the Echo, the Echo Dot lets you ship messages, make cellphone calls, and use different Echo gadgets as intercoms. Take pleasure in hands-free communication with family members and make bulletins by way of Drop-In to maintain everybody in contact at house. If in case you have aged dad and mom at house, you too can reap the benefits of Alexa Collectively — Amazon’s distant caregiving providing that does price additional however lets you join appropriate fall detection gadgets to the Echo Dot, see snapshots of your family members’ each day interactions with Alexa, get 24/7 entry to educated brokers who can name 911 in case of an emergency, create light reminders similar to “take your tablets,” and extra.

Mashable Offers

Monitor your sensible house atmosphere: The Echo Dot additionally provides the choice to observe sensible gadgets at house. If in case you have gentle bulbs, thermostats, or streaming media gamers which might be appropriate with Alexa, you may management their exercise with the Echo Dot. Simply converse to Alexa in your room of selection, and you may simply monitor lighting, temperature, and extra with verbal instructions. Additionally, in case you allow sound detection routines, you may program a specific sound (canine barking, oven dinging, door opening) to set off a sure Alexa Routine. This characteristic has an accessibility bonus since it may be used as a means to offer visible cues to these with listening to challenges. As an illustration, “if Alexa detects working water for a time period… she will be able to set off the lounge sensible lights to flash on and off, serving as a visible reminder to close off the tap,” as reported in USA Right now.

Worth and competitors

Echo

At $99.99, the Echo is reasonably priced, however it comes with advantages that transcend different sensible audio system. With its high-tech sound options, together with Dolby audio, you’ll be capable to get pleasure from your favourite beats on the proper quantity. Once you’re entertaining visitors, you may have interaction the multi-room music characteristic to show your pad right into a dance flooring (adjusting bass settings accordingly). Along with enjoying music, the Echo lets you management sensible gadgets and talk with family members by way of voice management. It additionally comes with a expertise vary so in depth that it would take you months to attempt all of them out.

The Echo comes with a one-year restricted guarantee that covers defects in supplies and workmanship. If you want further safety, you should buy an prolonged guarantee individually at Amazon.

When it comes to competitors, the $99.99 Apple HomePod mini may be thought-about a fairly shut match (a minimum of price-wise). It is teeny in comparison with the Echo, although, and a bigger/extra superior Apple sensible speaker — the HomePod — will price you $299 (see our full evaluation of the Apple Homepod). Whereas this competitor is likely to be a better option for Apple followers, as a result of its simple iOS compatibility, Siri is not as sensible or loyal of an assistant as Alexa in our opinion.

Echo Dot

For these on a know-how funds, the fifth Gen Echo Dot delivers all of the sensible speaker advantages at a fraction of the worth. At $49.99, it’s extra reasonably priced than different Amazon Echo gadgets (regardless of being the latest Dot) and nonetheless has fascinating options like superior voice recognition, sensible machine management, and help with small duties by way of Alexa.

Not like the Echo, the Echo Dot solely comes with a 90-day restricted guarantee. It’s relevant to defects in supplies and workmanship and you may contact Amazon’s Buyer Service for help. This guarantee, too, may be prolonged to a one-year, two-year, and even three-year plan for an extra price.

If we’re speaking about what’s accessible on the sensible speaker market that may evaluate to the Dot, the Google-Assistant-powered Nest Mini (2nd Technology) instantly involves thoughts, because it additionally prices $49.99. The Nest Mini is cute as a button (and weighs virtually as a lot). It is appropriate with streaming providers like Spotify, Pandora, and iHeart Radio, in addition to Youtube, has sensible house pairing with Arlo, Nest, Ring, and different home equipment, and it lets you voice-purchase necessities from storefronts that are not restricted to Amazon. Nonetheless, with the Dot’s new-and-improved front-firing speaker, there is no query that it wins the competition relating to high quality audio. Additionally, with its upgraded temperature and motion sensors, the Dot appears to be main the sensible house sport. I imply, what different speaker will hear for the sound of damaged glass and instantly provide you with a warning to a possible theft occurring while you’re MIA?

So, to Echo or to Echo Dot?

In order for you a big sensible speaker that delivers high-quality sound, lets you have interaction in hands-free management, and use your voice to speak with family members, the $99.99 4th Gen Echo is an efficient name. One other perk of this machine is that it’s customizable: You may select an ornamental shell to go with your private home decor vibe. Plus, it really works with different Amazon Echo gadgets for the final word sound setup everytime you want it.

If you happen to don’t wish to fork over a number of money for a wise speaker, the Echo Dot is a good choose — particularly contemplating it is newer than the 4th Gen Echo. At solely $49.99, it’s a steal in comparison with different Amazon-connected gadgets and provides the identical sensible speaker advantages… after which some.