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.
Our Favorite Smart Speaker
Overall, Google Assistant is our go-to smart speaker and helper of choice, so it's no surprise that the Nest Audio (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is our overall pick. It's got a compact, pillow-like shape and great sound that will easily fill small and medium-size rooms. We really like using two Nests as a stereo pair because they combine to offer some of the best audio quality you can achieve in a smart speaker for $200.
As with all Google Assistant–powered devices, you can ask the Nest Audio to set timers, play music, or tell you the weather, and you can ask it anything you'd search on Google. The Google Home app makes it easy to pair up the speakers with any other Google-friendly smart device you have too. Google's ecosystem is overall easy to use and easy to integrate into tons of other products, both from Google itself and others.
Connects to Google Assistant.
★ If you'd prefer Alexa: The fourth-generation Echo ($100) is the Amazon equivalent of this device. It's a little shorter but wider, going for a round design over the taller Nest Audio. It's got fantastic sound quality and great capabilities, and is a good choice if you'd prefer Alexa in your home. There have been some changes with Alexa, and there's going to be a new version of the assistant available to everyone soon—read more in our section What About Alexa+?
Best Smart Display
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