Amazon launches Alexa+ nationwide, offering AI assistant free to Prime members

Alexa+, Amazon's AI assistant, is now available to everyone in the U.S.

Alexa+, Amazon's upgraded, generative AI-powered version of its Alexa assistant, is available to all U.S. customers as of Wednesday. The company said that the AI feature will be free to Prime members across devices. Meanwhile, anyone can use Alexa+ for free via the Alexa website or mobile app, with some limitations. "We have tens of millions of customers using Alexa+ now, and now we're going to make it available to all Prime members...Prime members enjoy unlimited access -- it's basically a paid tier level of access that we're including in Prime now," notes Daniel Rausch, VP of Alexa and Echo at Amazon, in an interview with TechCrunch. Announced last year, Alexa+ is model agnostic -- meaning it runs on a combination of Amazon's own foundation models and those from other companies, allowing the assistant to do more than the basic tasks of its predecessor using whatever AI technology is best for the job. As an AI assistant, Alexa+ can carry on natural language conversations that include follow-up questions and back-and-forth chat. In addition to performing smart home tasks, scheduling timers, or offering news and weather, as before, the new assistant can do most things that other AI chatbots can do -- like planning an itinerary for a trip, updating a shared calendar, finding and saving recipes to a library, making movie recommendations, helping with homework, exploring a topic, and more. Plus, integrations with services like Ticketmaster, Thumbtack, Uber, Angi, Expedia, Square, Yelp, Fodor's, OpenTable, and Suno will allow Alexa to perform more complex tasks, like scheduling a dinner reservation or requesting an Uber ride. Amazon has not yet shared user adoption numbers on this more "agentic" use case (where the AI acts autonomously to complete tasks) for the AI helper. During its year-long beta testing period, Alexa customers had the option to try the AI feature or roll back to the prior version. The company tells TechCrunch the option to revert to the old Alexa will continue to be available, but couldn't say for how long. Likely, Amazon wants a bit more time to improve the AI experience before making it a requirement for users. The percentage of those opting out is also a key metric to track, but Rausch notes that the figure is in the low single digits, suggesting that most customers are not so unhappy with Alexa+ that they're giving up. Still, Amazon has had to work to resolve bugs and address user feedback ahead of this launch. Some beta testers complained that Alexa+ was too chatty, or interrupted at the wrong times, for instance. Others complained about Alexa's new voice. Amazon has taken in this feedback and made changes over time. For instance, the company revised the onboarding experience to have Alexa explain how to change her voice, as some preferred Alexa's "OG" voice. (That voice is still available as Alexa+ voice No. 2, but it now uses AI to add more inflection.) "Eventually, we had her use her new version of her old voice, and then switch back again, just to show customers," says Rausch, describing the changes the team made to onboarding. In another example, Amazon tried to make Alexa less prone to unwanted interruptions. Now, Alexa will ask, "Is that for me?" when the AI is unsure who is being addressed. Rausch points out that the overall experience is configurable, too. If customers don't want the follow-on mode, for instance -- which allows Alexa to continue listening after responding -- they can turn it off. Asked if users will be able to change the AI assistant's personality, as in other AI chatbots, where the AI can be set to be personal, professional, quirky, nerdy, and more, Rausch says simply, "Stay tuned." During the beta, Amazon reported positive adoption trends in terms of both usage and engagement, with few customers opting for rollbacks. Music streams increased by 25% after customers upgraded to Alexa+, and more customers are engaging deeply with recipes, a feature that has seen 5x growth. Overall, customers are having 2 to 3 times more conversations with Alexa+, compared with the original Alexa. While Alexa+ will be free to U.S. Prime members, non-Prime customers could opt to pay $19.99/month for standalone access -- a price that's comparable to something like ChatGPT Plus. Amazon notes the free experience on web and mobile will have some limits, but these are mainly in place to protect against abuse. "I think we've got some great, generous limits. We're not talking about exactly what they are today, but...there are some [limits]," Rausch says. The Alexa+ experience in the U.S. will be available across Alexa devices, including Echo products, Fire TV, Alexa.com, the Alexa mobile app, and Alexa-enabled devices from partners including Samsung, Bose, and others, with more to come.

Amazon's Alexa Plus Confounds Chris Hemsworth in Super Bowl Ad as the AI Tool Launches

I've been reviewing beta Alexa Plus over the past year and found the AI upgrade to be highly conversational and more capable than the old Alexa, bringing new ties to third-party apps like Uber and Ticketmaster. Starting on Tuesday, Amazon has completed its rollout and made Alexa Plus available to anyone who wants to try it in the US. It's no wonder Hemsworth got worried at just how responsive the voice assistant could be. The rogue AI scenarios in the Super Bowl ad playfully acknowledge people's fears over inviting generative artificial intelligence into their private lives as the Australian actor gets hacked by a garage door, drowned in his pool and mauled by an Alexa-ordered bear. Amazon makes it clear that no damage was ultimately done. "By casting Chris Hemsworth, the last guy on the planet you'd expect to be scared of anything, we were able to lean into the conversation and put people at ease through humor," said Jo Shoesmith, Amazon's global chief creative officer. So, what does this new Alexa Plus expansion -- available now -- include? The most interesting part is several tiers of the AI's service, starting with a free version that anyone can use as long as they have the Alexa app downloaded or visit the web portal Alexa.com (which we've also tried). You won't get any advanced Amazon Echo capabilities that way, but you will be able to test out Alexa's conversational AI and see how similar it is to talking to a human. Alexa Plus errs on the side of chatty, but its ability to summarize answers, stop in mid-conversation and answer follow-up questions is welcome. As I've said before, it feels like what voice assistants were always supposed to be like. "Alexa Plus is built to make customers' lives meaningfully easier -- and that starts with conversation. Because Alexa Plus lives in the middle of everyday life, it has to be natural and trustworthy," Panos Panay, senior vice president at Amazon Devices & Services, tells CNET. "The Super Bowl is the perfect moment to introduce this evolution at scale." Two other Alexa AI tiers exist. The first comes when you subscribe to Amazon Prime for $15 per month. That unlocks not only Prime's own content but also all Alexa Plus capabilities across all compatible devices. This includes Echo smart speakers and AI video summaries for Ring security cameras, among other tricks. You can try telling your Echo device to "Upgrade to Alexa Plus" to get started. The final option is paying $20 per month to unlock all Alexa Plus capabilities across all devices, independent of an Amazon Prime subscription. Alexa won't be able to interact with Prime content like videos or Amazon Music, but it can connect with everything else the AI upgrade offers. Since you need an Amazon account either way, this tier is for specific people who want to avoid Prime content. If you're wondering whether Alexa Plus is worth it compared to alternatives like Gemini for Home or whatever Apple is cooking up with Siri, I found my experience with the voice assistant to be the most positive I've had overall. Sometimes a little too positive -- as we've seen with chatbots, Alexa Plus can be very willing to agree with you and promise to do anything, even if it can't. Also, if you use an Echo, it will send your voice recordings to Amazon for automatic analysis; there's no getting around that privacy concession if you want Alexa on a smart device. Those issues aside, Alexa Plus as part of Amazon Prime for $15 is an excellent deal, especially if you already use Prime for ordering, catching up on Fallout, etc. If you're not sure how talking to the new and vivacious Alexa feels like, all you need is an Amazon account to try it out online.

Amazon rolls out Alexa Plus nationwide and launches a new free tier

Amazon has announced that its generative AI-powered digital assistant Alexa Plus is now available to all Prime members in the US via any Alexa-enabled device, Alexa.com, and the Alexa mobile app. If you don't have Prime, you can access the assistant on a new free tier on the web and app, or pay $20 a month for unlimited access to Alexa Plus, without Prime. Alexa Plus initially launched in March 2025 in an Early Access program and, over the last year, has slowly expanded to tens of millions of users, Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo, told The Verge in an interview. Now, the smarter, more conversational assistant is moving out of Early Access and is officially available to anyone in the US. Early Access recently launched in Canada and Mexico, and according to Rausch, a closed Beta program is being trialed in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, with Early Access expected to follow. In the US, the new tiers for using Alexa Plus are as follows: If you have Prime and use any Echo devices, Alexa Plus will arrive shortly (or may already be there) via a software upgrade. You can also say "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa Plus" or log in to your Amazon account at Alexa.com. Rausch says you can choose to opt out of the upgrade. And if you decide you want to revert to the old Alexa after upgrading, that is still an option. If you don't have Prime but want to try Alexa Plus, you can go to Amazon.com/AlexaPlus. Based on an entirely new architecture and powered by large language models from Amazon Nova and Anthropic, Alexa Plus is a ground-up rebuild of Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. It has moved from being a basic command-and-control voice assistant to a "foundational AI assistant" that can understand and respond to natural language. Now, in addition to setting timers, playing music, and controlling smart home gadgets, the voice assistant can answer more complex queries, respond to more in-depth requests, and make it easier to control your smart home by creating routines with your voice. It can also manage your family's calendars and meal plans, provide step-by-step recipe directions, make restaurant reservations, book an Uber or a home repair person, or buy concert tickets. You can also use Alexa Plus as a text-based chatbot via Alexa.com on the web, where it's designed for deeper research, planning, and generating content. Since its launch, Rausch says people have been using the Alexa Plus voice assistant twice as much. "We continue to see week-over-week customer engagement with Alexa Plus going up." The chatbot version of Alexa Plus is newer; the web interface launched last month, and the Alexa app was recently redesigned to put the chatbot front and center. "A lot of customers aren't sure about subscribing to an additional AI chatbot experience for an additional $20 a month," says Rausch. "I'm excited that Prime customers just have a world-class unlimited tier access to a foundational AI assistant as part of their Prime benefits."

I Tested Alexa+ for Months. These 7 Features Changed How I Use My Echo

If you're sick of robotic AI assistants, Alexa+ promises to provide more human-like interactions. We'll have to see how that pans out, but Amazon just removed the "early access" tags from Alexa+ and launched it for everyone, so there will soon be plenty more testers. I've been testing it for months and found it to be very capable. Here's what it can do for you, and whether it's worth investing in an Amazon smart home device to try it out. How to Get Alexa+ Alexa+ is free to Prime members and $19.99 per month for everyone else. If you buy one of Amazon's latest Echo devices (Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, or Echo Show 11), you get access to Alexa+ right out of the box. On older devices, you might have received a notification that Amazon automatically upgraded you to Alexa+. Otherwise, visit the Alexa+ store page, ask your Echo device to activate Alexa+, or type "set up Alexa+" in the Alexa app. When it's activated, Alexa+ will then take you through an introductory process to learn about your preferences and create a profile. You'll also be able to personalize Alexa+, including choosing one of its four masculine or four feminine voices. Not loving Alexa+? Amazon's Memberships & Subscriptions page still has an End Early Access button, though it's unclear how long that will last. What Alexa+ Can Do For You Alexa's glow-up is more than just marketing. In my testing, I've found that it really has become a more capable service. This is all part of what Amazon is calling its "ambient AI" push. The idea is that Amazon wants its services, devices, and AI model to be accessible wherever you are, as long as you're within range of one of its smart speakers or displays, or your mobile device. While I was initially skeptical of this "upgrade," I must admit that I've found it genuinely useful to have easy access to AI. Amazon has largely delivered on the promise of a smarter, more conversational assistant. It's not so much that Alexa+ is adding revolutionary new features that other AI models don't offer, but rather that it's combining a multitude of functions in a ubiquitous service that's incorporated into a variety of devices I already own. 1. Better Querying The main role Alexa+ plays in my life is informational. I have an Echo Dot on my desk that I'm constantly querying while working, writing, or watching movies and TV. Even my previous-generation Dot seems better at picking up my voice than Google or Apple's phone-based smart assistants, and it's a lot easier to ask AI a question with my voice rather than interrupt my workflow by opening a new tab and punching a question into ChatGPT or Gemini. Alexa+ is also more responsive and better at maintaining a conversational flow of questions, commands, and answers than Siri or other assistants. 2. Contextual Reminders It's also great at alarms and reminders. Beyond the standard notifications you can program in for a specific time and date, Alexa+ can provide recurring notifications. For instance, to ensure I didn't forget to watch last year's Ryder Cup, I told Alexa to set a recurring notification to be broadcast from the Echo Dot on my desk every two hours, and to stop notifying me only after I'd acknowledged the message. You can leverage AI to set context-specific reminders ("remind me every time there's an upcoming Buffalo Bills game"), or import reminders from your existing calendar. You can even have Alexa+ help you build new reminders based on emails, and it can generate a color-coded calendar of its own to help manage your family's activities. 3. Playlist Creation Alexa+ can also provide a soothing (or inspiring) background to your workday. You can ask it to help create a playlist for you by providing the titles of specific songs or artists, or even get some AI assistance in building a playlist around a theme or mood. I asked Alexa+ to build me a playlist with a Fall theme and was generally impressed with the results (though there were some strange inclusions, like "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac). 4. News Briefings Alexa+ is also pretty good at parsing and delivering news. Amazon has partnered with more than 200 outlets, including Reuters, the Associated Press, and The Washington Post, and can tailor a news package to your preferences. You can get a customized Daily Briefing with everything from political headlines to sports results to news about your favorite entertainment properties. 5. Enhanced Memory It's also much better at remembering and incorporating previous interactions you've had with it into current conversations. For instance, Alexa remembered my negative feedback about a restaurant I'd dined at and mentioned it in a conversation about local Chinese places. It can also recall family recipes, as well as whether you or a family member has a gluten allergy or is a vegetarian. 6. Improved Recommendations There's also improved Fire TV integration now. You can ask Alexa for general movie recommendations, and it will learn your taste over time. You can also ask more abstract questions for a specific scenario ("Alexa, recommend some movies to watch with my dad"). There's even improved awareness of live content, like sports scores. 7. Wellness Integration Amazon is also trying to find a foothold in the wellness space, with Alexa+ at the vanguard. It can nudge you to work out when it recognizes there's some free time in your schedule, or gently prod you to start winding down when it gets late. The company plans to expand its wellness offering in the near future through partnerships with Wyze and Withings, which offer smart home devices and medical-grade wellness devices, such as air purifiers and smart scales. 3 Other Upgrades to Check Out Alexa.com on the Web It's a little late to the game, but Amazon launched Alexa+ for the web during CES 2026. With Alexa.com, you get a chatbot-like interface for Alexa+ that provides responses like you'd expect from ChatGPT or Gemini, while also allowing you to control your Alexa-enabled smart home devices. It is about bringing "the full power of Alexa+ right to your browser," Amazon says. Omnisense The newest Echo devices and Fire TVs include the ominously named Omnisense sensors. These combine technologies like Wi-Fi radar and ultrasound to notice when a specific user enters a room and can provide contextual updates, reminders, or content suggestions, such as turning on the lights and adjusting the temperature on your smart thermostat when it detects your presence. They also include improved noise filtering, making it easier for the device to detect the wake word even in noisy environments. Alexa+ Store The Alexa+ Store expands on the traditional Amazon digital storefront by including access to apps like DoorDash, TaskRabbit, Uber, Fandango, and more. Connect to your account to shop directly on any of those services, as well as perform tasks like having the AI model book a restaurant reservation or purchase your movie tickets. Do You Need a New Echo or Fire TV? Whether you need a new Amazon device for Alexa+ will depend entirely on your use case, but personally, I don't see a pressing need to upgrade quite yet. The Omnisense functionality doesn't thrill me, and my current-gen Echo Dot is perfectly serviceable for my smart speaker and "ambient AI" needs. That said, if you intend to use Alexa+ as the core for a smart home network (especially one that includes Ring or Blink cameras, or a dedicated Fire TV), one of the new displays is a compelling hub, and fairly reasonably priced compared with competing devices.

Alexa+ goes free for all US users as Amazon expands AI push

* Alexa+ is rolling out free to all US users; Prime members unlock all features. * Alexa+ is a smarter, more conversational AI upgrade to Alexa -- think Gemini vs Google Assistant. * Prime is $15/mo vs Alexa+ standalone $20/mo, so Prime makes more sense; upgrade via voice or web. Following an early-access launch in the US last February, Amazon is rolling out its next-generation AI to all US users. The limited free version of Alexa+ is available to everyone through Alexa.com, with all features unlocked for Prime subscribers. You can also subscribe to Alexa+ on its own for $20/month (it makes more sense to subscribe to Prime, which costs $15/month or $139/year). Amazon says its new Alexa is "smarter, more conversational, more personalized, and can get a wide range of things done on your behalf." To put the launch in context, Alexa+ is an AI-enhanced version of the standard Alexa, much like Gemini is a more powerful take on Google Assistant. If you're a Prime subscriber, just say "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+" near a compatible device. You can also log into Amazon's Alexa website to upgrade the voice-activated assistant. While the free version of Alexa is more limited, you can still chat with Alexa+ on the web. The web version of Alexa+ offers a chatbot-like experience similar to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Copilot. A subscription allows you to use Alexa+ on any device and gives you access to the AI voice assistant's mobile app. A closed Alexa+ beta is currently running in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Space. The $20/month standalone subscription also gives you 1TB of cloud photo and video storage, instead of the unlimited photos and 5GB of video storage Prime subscribers get access to. You can get NotebookLM's Pro version free for a year, as long as you meet this one condition Deals like these don't come around often. Posts 2 By Mahnoor Faisal Amazon aims to take on ChatGPT and Gemini with Alexa+ After years of development, the AI-powered voice-assistant is here Amazon says that Alexa+ is a ground-up rebuild of its Alexa voice-activated assistant. It moves Alexa from a simple command-and-voice system to an AI-powered assistant that understands and responds to natural language. This means that, in addition to setting timers, playing music, and controlling smart home devices, Alexa+ can answer complex questions, create routines, manage calendars, and more. As with other AI voice assistants, I still struggle to trust them with important tasks like calendar management, especially since they often mix up commands and information. That said, I'm interested to see how Alexa+ compares to Gemini given both AI assistants offer very similar smart home device integration. 6 TV settings I turned off to instantly improve picture quality Your TV isn't bad, its just not set up correctly Posts By Jasmine Mannan

Amazon's AI-Powered Alexa+ Now Available to Everyone: Here's How to Get It

Amazon's AI-powered assistant, AIexa+, is finally out of Early Access and available to all users in the US through Alexa-enabled devices, Alexa.com, and the Alexa app. Alexa+ improves upon the original Alexa by adopting chatbot-like capabilities to provide more personalized responses and fulfill more complex tasks. You can ask Alexa+ questions about a topic, just as you would on Gemini or ChatGPT, or use its agentic capabilities to find restaurants, make reservations, or book rides. On supported devices, the voice assistant saves you the time of opening browsers or tabs and typing queries. Amazon says the upgrade was made possible by a new architecture built on large language models from both Anthropic and its own Nova program. Early Access began rolling out in mid-2025, and some Prime members received automatic free upgrades early this year (which some customers didn't appreciate). As Alexa+ exits preview, it remains free for Prime members, while others need to pay $19.99 a month to access it. To start using the AI voice assistant, Prime members can say "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+" or log in to their Amazon account via Alexa.com. Non-paying customers can also get a taste of Alexa+'s AI capabilities, albeit only via text. They can head to Alexa.com and start an interaction by dropping a query in the prompt box.

Amazon rolls out Alexa+ to all U.S. customers, making its AI assistant free for Prime members

Amazon is betting that an AI assistant best known for turning on lights and answering trivia questions can become a sought-after benefit of its Prime membership, in the same league as free shipping and streaming video. The company is making Alexa+, the generative AI-powered upgrade to its voice assistant, available free starting today to all U.S. Prime members, nearly a year after it was unveiled. Tens of millions of customers used Alexa+ through an early access program, the company says. Today's rollout opens it up to Amazon's full U.S. Prime membership base, which is estimated at more than 200 million individual members by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. Alexa+ offers more natural, free-flowing conversations than its predecessor, along with agentic capabilities such as ordering takeout, and booking dinner reservations and rides, in addition to core features such as coordinating across family calendars and checking smart-home cameras. But the broad rollout comes more than three years into the generative AI era, with AI habits already ingrained for many users around ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others. Given its late start, Amazon is hoping that unlimited access to Alexa+ via Prime (including a browser-based chat experience at Alexa.com) will help close the gap against those rivals. In that way, the option to subscribe to Alexa+ for $19.99/month outside of Prime feels less like a play for standalone subscribers and more like a way to reinforce the market value of what Prime members will be getting for free. Amazon is also offering a free but limited version of the Alexa+ chat experience at Alexa.com and in the Alexa app for non-Prime users. ChatGPT's free tier limits users to a handful of messages before downgrading to a less-capable model. Google plans to replace its Google Assistant with the AI-powered Gemini across Android devices, making Amazon's timing all the more urgent. Daniel Rausch, Amazon's vice president of Alexa and Echo, said in an interview that the Prime benefit is aimed at customers who use AI tools but can't or don't want to pay for a standalone subscription. Rausch cited the example of students and others who "bounce around between different chat assistants" when they hit usage limits on free tiers. He said offering unlimited access to what amounts to a paid AI service, without those usage caps, is "a really big deal for Prime customers." Whether consumers see it as a true replacement for other AI chatbots remains to be seen. Working on this story, for example, I tried uploading the interview transcript, past coverage, and Amazon's blog post to Alexa.com for reference and analysis. The site was only able to accept one document at a time, unlike other chatbots that can handle multiple uploads simultaneously. It's a small but telling limitation for anyone accustomed to the competition. But that's a business use case that may not represent consumer patterns. Amazon's larger pitch isn't that Alexa+ is a better ChatGPT, it's that it can do things other AI assistants can't. For example, having uploaded those materials individually, I can now ask Alexa+ on my Echo devices to reference them in its responses -- something I've been doing already in the Alexa+ early access program with emails from our kid's school and other family documents. Rausch said 76% of what customers do with Alexa+ is unavailable in any other AI, according to Amazon's own internal data. He cited functionality such as smart home controls, family calendar management, music discovery, booking reservations, and the thousands of device and service integrations that Amazon has built up over a decade. Based on the early access period, customers are conversing with Alexa+ two to three times more than they did with the original version, according to Amazon, and engagement continues to grow week over week rather than tapering off after an initial honeymoon period.

Alexa+ launches for all US users, here's how to upgrade (or skip it for now) - 9to5Mac

Alexa+ is Amazon's new AI-infused version of its popular assistant. Following a slow initial rollout, Amazon has just made Alexa+ available to all users in the US. Here's how to upgrade to Alexa+, or skip it for now. Not long before Apple is expected to unveil Siri's big AI upgrade, Amazon has just launched the AI-powered Alexa+ to all US users. You can start using Alexa+ through several free and paid options: Amazon says that Early Access members have been using Alexa+ far more than they used the standard Alexa. After touting new Alexa+ capabilities such as conversational chat, deep research, and answering complex queries, Amazon says, "overall, customers are interacting with Alexa+ more than twice as much." So how do you gain access to the new assistant? Current Alexa users will not automatically be upgraded to Alexa+ and its new capabilities -- at least not yet. However, getting started with Alexa+ is very easy. If you're ready to start using Alexa+, Amazon offers the following instructions: Prime members can easily start using Alexa+ by saying, "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+" or by logging into their Amazon account at Alexa.com. Customers can learn more about Alexa+, and sign up for Amazon Prime (or if eligible, start a free 30-day trial) to enjoy the full set of benefits, including Alexa+ by visiting Amazon.com/AlexaPlus. Customers without Prime can also start using the new free Alexa chat experience today by visiting Alexa.com. So if you are not interested in upgrading to Alexa+ yet, Amazon won't force you to. You'll just need to avoid asking Alexa for the upgrade, or choosing any of the upgrade options on Alexa.com. Have you been using Alexa+ at all, and if so, how is it working for you? Let us know in the comments.

Amazon's new AI Alexa isn't free anymore

Alexa+ offers ChatGPT-style conversations and advanced agentic AI capabilities, officially exiting its early access phase with a limited free web-based text option available. The days of free Alexa+ for everyone just ended, with Amazon announcing today that it will start charging non-Prime members who want to use the AI-supercharged voice assistant on their Echo devices. Starting now, full Alexa+ access will cost $19.99 a month for those without Prime, while Prime members will get Alexa+ as a free benefit with their subscriptions. Amazon also announced a new free tier of Alexa+ that lets you text chat with the assistant over a web browser. The free version of Alexa+ will be "limited based on use," Amazon added. Amazon had previously announced that non-Prime members would have to pay for Alexa+ access. But up until now, Alexa+ was free for everyone during its "early access" preview period. With Amazon now charging for Alexa+, it's fair to say that the AI-enhanced assistant is essentially out of beta. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed that Alexa+ is no longer in an early access mode. Those who'd rather not pay extra for Alexa+ can still use the "classic" Alexa, which Amazon has promised will remain free. It's been nearly a year since Amazon unveiled Alexa+ -- for the second time -- at a splashy event in New York City. Previously, Amazon had touted its plans for a new generative AI-powered Alexa during its 2023 fall hardware event, well before it got the "Alexa+" name. Unlike the old Alexa, Alexa+ offers ChatGPT-style conversational abilities and can suss out your intentions in ways the legacy Alexa voice assistant couldn't. Alexa+ also promises "agentic AI" abilities, capable of acting on your behalf and performing multi-step tasks that could eventually include filling out forms on the web. But while chatting with Alexa+ is undoubtedly a different experience than it is with the "classic" Alexa, it's not always better. As I've written previously, Alexa+ can be both surprising and exasperating, sometimes correctly guessing your intentions and other times diving into wild tangents when it misunderstands your meaning. For the most part, I've been giving Alexa+ a pass given that it was in "early access" and thus free for everyone. But now that Amazon is charging for Alexa+, it's time to get real about what it does right, when and how it fumbles the ball, and whether it's actually worth the cash. Stay tuned for my full review. This story is part of TechHive's in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers.

Alexa+ now available for everyone -- and there's even a free tier for non-Prime members

It's been nearly a year, but Amazon is finally taking Alexa+ out of Early Access and making it available to everyone, both Prime and non-Prime members alike. Alexa+ is Amazon's new-and-improved voice assistant, which uses AI to deliver a richer and more personalized experience over the original Alexa. Up until now, Alexa+ has only been available in what Amazon called Early Access -- while that was a bit of a misnomer, as it's already in use in tens of millions of devices -- Alexa+ will now be available to anyone, regardless of whether you have a Prime membership, or own an Echo device. For Amazon Prime members, Alexa+ will be included as part of your subscription. If you're not a Prime member, you can subscribe to Alexa+ for $19.99/month, which is in line with the price for other AIs, such as Gemini. However, Amazon is also offering a free tier of Alexa+, which the company says will have all the same features as the paid tier, but with limits; for starters, you will only be able to use it on Alexa.com and the Alexa app, and it will be limited by use, though the company would not provide details as to the number of tokens or activity. You'll be able to access Alexa+ in one of three ways: Through an Amazon Echo device, via the Alexa app on your phone or tablet (for Android and iOS), or via Alexa.com. Alexa+ will work on Amazon Echo devices up to eight generations old, which includes not just smart speakers and displays, but Echo Buds, Echo Auto, and Amazon Echo Frames. Pretty much anything except first-generation Echo speakers can access Alexa+. Additionally, Alexa+ is also available on Fire TV streaming sticks as well as Amazon Fire TVs, and Amazon Fire tablets. Upgrading to Alexa+ is voluntary; you'll receive prompts on your devices, but you can also say "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+" to start the process.

Alexa+ is now available to everyone in the US, and free for Prime members

All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. For ages, Alexa has been a staple of Amazon Echo devices, serving as the loyal voice assistant. But Amazon is upgrading Miss Alexa to Alexa+, an assistant that does far more than play music and answer your questions. Alexa+ is Amazon's AI assistant coming to all Echo devices for Prime members. Not a Prime member? Well, you can still chat with Alexa+, too. Here's everything to know about Alexa+, now free for Prime members. Alexa+ is Amazon's upgraded AI assistant. The program had been beta tested by millions of users since its announcement in early February 2025. Alexa+ combines the ease and convenience of the classic Alexa voice assistant with AI for an assistant that can perform more complicated tasks. Where it differs from standard Alexa is that you don't actually need an Amazon smart home Echo device to use it. Now you can access Alexa+ on the web or through the Alexa app. So do you need to pay for Alexa+? Not if you're a Prime member. The AI assistant is now included as a Prime benefit. If you're not a Prime member, you can still use Alexa+'s chat function on Alexa.com for free, but that's it. If you want the full benefits of Alexa+ and you're not a Prime member, you can pay $19.99 a month for access. However, considering Prime membership is just $14.99 a month, just sign up for Prime, as you'll get additional benefits outside of Alexa+. Alexa+ takes Alexa to the next level. Alexa+ can be used anywhere with its web services and app, compared to Alexa, which is accessed through Echo devices. It has a chatbot feature where you can ask it all of life's questions. It also helps you stay more organized by planning meals, booking repairs, and managing calendars. It will also help you plan trips and date nights, write emails, craft workout schedules, and control your smart home devices.

Alexa+ is now available for free to everyone in the US on Prime - but early users say you should tread carefully

Full capabilities require a Prime membership or subscription Having launched an early access program for Alexa+ last February, a year later Amazon is opening wide the next-gen AI doors for all users in the US. A limited version is free for everyone on the web, with the full feature set free to Prime users, or available for a $19.99-per-month subscription. There's still no news about a global rollout. The upgraded Alexa is "smarter, more conversational, more personalized, and can get a wide range of things done on your behalf" enthuses Amazon in its press release. It's an upgrade similar to Gemini taking over from Google Assistant (which isn't going all that smoothly, by the way). To upgrade, if you're a Prime subscriber all you need to do is say "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+" within earshot of one of your devices, or log into the Alexa website and do it from there. If you don't have Prime, you can chat with Alexa+ for free on the web, or sign up for the full package through the same website. The full package includes features like access from any device (not just the web chat), and sharing Alexa+ with your whole household. To get that, you need to either sign up for Prime ($14.99 a month) or just pay for Alexa+ on its own ($19.99 a month). In theory, there are lots of good reasons to make the jump to Alexa+. As Amazon points out, rather than just getting it to play your music, you can ask it questions about artists and genres. It can help with meal plans, homework, travel itineraries and more - it's a full ChatGPT-style experience. It can still do the basics (like control your smart home gadgets), and it can remember the context of previous conversations. There are also the beginnings of agentic capabilities here, so you can ask Alexa+ to order takeaways and book cabs using simple commands. Amazon says Alexa+ is "making life easier and more delightful for customers", and that people are using it twice as much as the old Alexa, on average. Tens of millions of users have already switched over, Amazon says. For now, you can still return to the old Alexa if you want to, but clearly that's an option that's not going to be around forever. Alexa+ is very much the future of AI assistants as far as Amazon is concerned, and we can expect a wider global rollout soon. Alexa Plus, Bringer of Sorrow from r/alexa The idea of Alexa+ sounds great, until you take a quick peek at the Alexa board on Reddit. Post titles such as "Alexa+, bringer of sorrow" don't inspire much confidence, and users are reporting issues with slow responses, smart light connections failing, and problems doing some of the basic tasks that Alexa was fine with. There have been regular posts about Alexa+ breaking smart home routines, spouting inaccurate "AI slop" when responding to questions, getting calendar scheduling wrong, and simply talking too much (which perhaps explains the increased engagement Amazon is talking about). One user even reported having an issue with their Alexa device playing porn noises, while another post titled "Don't be afraid to leave Alexa+" talks up the benefits of going back to the old AI. While bugs are to be expected in a massive switchover like this, it certainly looks as though there are plenty of them doing the rounds right now. In the interests of balance, we were mostly impressed by Alexa+ when we tried it out, and it's fair to say Reddit doesn't reflect the experiences of all Alexa+ users. However, it does seem that you might be in for one or two early issues if you make the jump.

You can now use Alexa+ for free if you're an Amazon Prime member

Alexa+ is now available to everyone in the US, and if you are an Amazon Prime member, you get it at no extra cost. Amazon has been testing Alexa+ through an early access program over the past year. Now, it is moving out of that phase and opening the experience to a much wider audience across Echo devices, the Alexa mobile app, and Alexa.com. What is Alexa+? Alexa+ is a rebuilt version of Amazon's assistant, powered by large language models from Amazon Nova and Anthropic. Unlike the older Alexa, which focused on short commands, Alexa+ is designed to understand natural, conversational requests and handle more complex tasks. Recommended Videos You don't even need an Echo speaker to use it. Alexa+ works on the web and inside the Alexa app, making it more like a full AI assistant than a smart speaker feature. Amazon says people are already using Alexa+ roughly twice as much as the standard version during testing. The assistant can answer deeper questions, help with planning, and handle longer back-and-forth conversations instead of one-off commands. How much does Alexa+ cost? Pricing is where Alexa+ becomes especially interesting. Prime members in the US get unlimited access to Alexa+ as part of their existing subscription. If you are not a Prime member, Amazon offers a limited free chat experience through the Alexa app and Alexa.com. Full access without Prime costs $19.99 per month, which Amazon is clearly positioning as an incentive to subscribe to Prime instead. What Alexa+ can do for you Alexa+ goes well beyond setting timers and playing music. It can help plan meals, order groceries, manage calendars, write emails, help with shopping, organize trips, and build smart home routines using natural voice commands. You can also use Alexa+ as a text-based chatbot for research, planning, and content generation through the web and mobile app. Amazon has been steadily pushing Alexa beyond smart speakers, across devices ranging from Samsung TVs and BMW cars to wearables. It is also trying to take on ChatGPT and Gemini by bringing Alexa to the web, signaling how central Alexa+ is becoming to its broader AI strategy. By bundling Alexa+ directly with Prime subscription, something that millions of users already pay for, Amazon is turning Alexa+ into something people are likely to try simply because it is already there.

Everyone Can Now Use Alexa+, but the Full Experience Might Cost You

Alexa+ has been available in early access for free, but now, it's mostly locked behind one of two different paywalls. Amazon announced Alexa+, its overhauled digital assistant with generative AI capabilities, about a year ago. Shortly thereafter, it kicked off an early access program allowing interested users to try it out free of charge. Unfortunately, that honeymoon period has come to an end: Alexa+ has now officially launched, and now you'll need to pay to access its most useful features. While certain features will still be free to use, the majority of the Alexa+ experience is now locked behind a paywall. True, you might already pay for that paywall -- but if you don't, it's going to cost you quite a bit to keep the features you've been test driving for months. (Of course, the standard Alexa assistant still exists if you don't care for the latest generative AI enhancement.) The new Alexa is much like the old one, but now behaves a bit more like other generative AI assistants, including ChatGPT. In addition to simple requests and questions, Alexa+ can handle more complex queries and understand context (meaning one complex question can be followed by another, without needing to repeat yourself). For all the hullabaloo around generative AI, contextual awareness is really one of the big improvements users will notice with their digital assistants. Amazon has a big vision for Alexa+. It still wants you to use it to control smart home devices, run timers, check the weather, and catch up on the news, but it also wants users to take advantage of "agentic" tasks, or actions that the AI can handle on your behalf. In theory, agentic AI allows you to ask the AI to order dinner to-go, make reservations at restaurants, schedule an Uber, or book a home repair. I'm still not sold on the capabilities of agentic AI assistants, and I imagine most people will continue to use Alexa+ the way they used regular old Alexa, (e.g. asking "Is it cold today?" or telling it to "set a timer for 10 minutes," or ordering it to "Play 'Manchild' by Sabrina Carpenter on repeat"), but what do I know? Maybe Alexa+ really will change the way people interact with their Echo devices. If you're interested in Amazon's newest AI assistant, there are three different ways to try it -- one free, and two paid. The most basic, Alexa+ chat, is totally free of charge. You can try it by heading to alexa.com or using the Alexa app for iOS or Android, where you can talk to Alexa in a chat window, ala ChatGPT. Amazon says users can get "quick answers, plan research, and explore new topics." But the thing is, you can't use Alexa+ chat for any of the things you probably want to have Alexa+ do. It is solely a web-based chatbot experience, not something you can connect to your Alexa-enabled devices. If you're interested in the full Alexa+ package, you'll need to pay Amazon one way or another. The good news is, you might have already paid Amazon for the privilege, even if you didn't realize it: Currently, Amazon is offering all Prime members full access to Alexa+, including via the chatbot and through Alexa-enabled devices. Alexa+ also works with other Amazon services that come free with Prime, including Prime Video and Amazon Music. Seeing as over half the U.S. population has a Prime account, chances are good that if you're at all interested, you already have access to Alexa+. Maybe you're one of the rare unicorns who doesn't have a Prime account, but still wants to try Alexa+ on an Echo smart speaker. In that case, Amazon will offer you the full experience for a cool $19.99/month. That's a slightly ridiculous price, seeing as a full Prime membership (with all the added benefits, from Prime Video to free shipping) will run you $14.99/month (or $139 per year). You definitely save money by subscribing to the latter, which is probably a big part of Amazon's motivation here -- Jeff Bezos will never truly rest until everyone uses Amazon to buy everything. If you opt for either of the paid options, you can set up Alexa+ by simply telling your Alexa-enabled device, "Upgrade to Alexa+." You can also use Alexa+ by logging into your Amazon account on alexa.com. And as noted above, you can certainly opt to keep the old Alexa assistant for the time being, whether whether you have Prime or not. While Amazon may do away with the legacy assistant in the future, it isn't forcing anyone to switch just yet.

Amazon's AI Assistant Now Free to All Prime Members

We may earn a commission when you click links to retailers and purchase goods. More info. In February of last year, Amazon launched Alexa+ in early access, its generative AI-powered assistant. This week, Alexa+ is now available to all users in the US. What's even better, it's completely free to Prime members. What to do with Alexa+: Alexa+ is designed to complete tasks that most other AI services offer, but it's specific in the sense that people invested into the Amazon ecosystem of services and smart home devices can benefit more greatly. For example, Alexa+ can order takeout, find restaurants and book reservations, book a ride, schedule home repairs, as well as automate smart home services. Alexa+ ties in nicely to the Ring ecosystem, with one example being the alerting of unusual patterns around your home. If you have Ring, Echo, or Fire TV devices then the upgrade seems like a no brainer. How to get started: Prime members can start using Alexa+ by saying, "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+" or by logging into their Amazon account at Alexa.com. Alexa+ is priced at $20/mo, but again, it's free to Prime members. Non-Prime members can access a free tier of the assistant via the Alexa app or at Alexa.com.

Amazon rolls out Alexa+ nationwide in the US

Amazon said on Wednesday that it is expanding its enhanced voice assistant, Alexa+, to all US users, nearly a year after launching it in early access. Previously limited to select customers via a waitlist or on newer compatible devices, the generative AI-powered service is now available to everyone, marking a major overhaul of the voice experience Amazon has offered for over a decade. Introduced in 2025, Alexa+ offers advanced features, such as handling multiple requests and proactively carrying out tasks, such as booking a service or ordering a ride. Priced at $19.99 a month, the service is free for Prime subscribers and offers a trial version via a web and mobile interface. The move aims to reposition Alexa in a competitive landscape that is now dominated by AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude. With this rollout, Amazon is also adapting Alexa+'s interface to contemporary habits, emphasizing access via browser and mobile rather than only through Echo devices. The company is seeking to reinvigorate its presence in a rapidly changing voice-assistant market, where generative AI is redefining interaction standards.