Shopping for 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 range of smart home devices, and its excellent speakers don’t break the bank. Amazon’s focus on value becomes even better when you consider its ease of use and versatility, which makes it a good fit for both Android and Apple households.

Google Home Assistant is a curiosity enthusiast’s dream. The search giant’s wealth of data makes it more competent when it comes to delivering information. Its more human-like speaking rhythm and ability to understand multi-part commands set it apart from the competition. If you use Google services, it also offers much more concise news summaries, pulls in 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 the best for those in the Apple ecosystem. However, Siri isn’t as smart when it comes to conversations or relaying information. It’s mainly designed to control your home devices and sync things like calendar events and messages with your iPhone.

Alexa and Google have traditionally been the most popular platforms due to their wider range of compatible devices. While each platform supports Matter, its arrival has been most beneficial to Apple’s HomeKit. Matter gives HomeKit more parity, as it now has more smart home devices to choose from and you can move Matter devices between platforms.

Amazon

Amazon Echo 4th Generation

(Photo source: Future)

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

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

Alexa’s experience falls somewhere between Google’s cerebral assistant and Siri’s more rudimentary nature. It can consult information on the web and have basic conversations about the state of your smart home. Google Assistant expands on its answers and provides more context to your questions. Ask about an actor’s birthday, for example, and you’ll get a full biography. But Alexa’s skills (basically audio apps) allow it to evolve over time.

Alexa is the most universal platform and is the best for most people. But let’s say you’re in the Apple or Google ecosystems. In that case, the other assistants have stronger ties to your accounts on their services, as well as better integration that pushes content between your iOS (Siri) or Android (Google) phone. With Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, that means you have those assistants at home, on the road, and on your phone, for the tightest possible integration.

Google

google nest sound

(Photo source: Future)

Google Assistant is really smart, and I think of it more as a “lifestyle” assistant than the smart-home-focused Alexa. Voice Match customizes your device to offer personalized calendars, flights, payments, photos, and more; you can even set your own default media services. It also handles everyday tasks like booking a reservation or better recommendations.

Nest’s line of smart speakers isn’t as future-proof as Amazon’s or Apple’s, as it lacks built-in smart home 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. It’s also not as annoying with its recommendations or attempts to sell you a service as Alexa is.

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

Apple HomeKit

Apple Homepod 2 vs Original Homepod

(Photo source: Future)

Apple’s HomeKit focuses on seamless connectivity between iOS devices and your smart home. It’s a refined experience with improved privacy and security because it encrypts and processes commands locally. It also relies on having your iPhone or Apple Watch on hand as a physical, universal smart home controller.

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

Siri still isn’t as smart as Alexa or Google when you ask her questions, postponing saying, “Here’s what I found on the web,” when she directs you to links. Hopefully, the assistant will evolve with the arrival of Apple Intelligence. Sure, it’s quick to remind you of upcoming appointments or set alarms. But right now, it’s great 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 most expensive, option.