Amazon Echo (3rd Gen) vs. Echo Plus (2nd Gen): Which should you buy?

Amazon Echo (3rd Gen)

Even though it may not look like a major update, Amazon significantly improved the speakers in this standard Echo (3rd Gen) and made the design a little less stark with a more plush fabric and new color options.

Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen)

With the changes to the Echo (3rd Gen), the Echo Plus (2nd Gen) days may be numbered. The two devices now look a lot alike and even have similar speaker setups. However, some may still consider the Zigbee support worth the additional money.

If you compare the all-new Echo (3rd Gen) vs. the Echo Plus (2nd Gen), you may be a bit confused at first. After all, the all-new Echo doesn't look that different from the Echo Plus. It also kind of sits in this weird middle ground of Echo devices, where it has better sound than the smaller Dots but doesn't have a smart display like the larger Show series. With Amazon's Certified for Humans program to make smart home setup easier, where does that leave the aging Echo Plus (2nd Gen) with its built-in Zigbee hub?

All New Echo vs. Echo Plus: Is there an Echo in here?

Often when Amazon updates a product line, it will quickly remove the older version of the products from its listings so as not to overly confuse purchasers. You'll often see older devices listed as "Currently Unavailable" on Amazon's website, save for third-party sellers, or refurbished items. The Echo Plus (2nd Gen) is technically a different product to the Echo (3rd Gen), so we can see why it is still listed, but the two devices do share an awful lot in common.

All New Echo vs. Echo Plus: Echo chamber

The original Echo Plus was introduced in the fall of 2017 at a time when there were several competing smart home protocols and standards. Its value proposition was that it included a built-in Zigbee hub to better allow Alexa to work with various smart devices since Zigbee was arguably the most popular smart home protocol.

The Plus was refreshed the following fall and given a new design to reflect better the softer aesthetic Amazon was going for. It was one of the few Echos that were not updated this year, and with the introduction of the Certified by Humans program, we wonder how long this particular Echo will stick around in the lineup.

Despite Amazon's attempts to extend the Echo devices line from the plug-sized Echo Flex to the full-on entertainment mini-monitor of the Echo Show, the original namesake Echo has kept a spot in the lineup once again. Amazon says that it improved the "sound architecture" on the Echo (3rd Gen) with a larger tweeter and bigger woofer to make it comparable to the Echo Plus (2nd Gen), and the device now has a softened look to better match the Echo Dot and even the Show lines. And what else do you do when you want to generate interest in a minor refresh? You introduce a new color! We love the twilight blue and hope that look comes to more Echo devices.

All New Echo vs. Echo Plus: Bottom line

As we noted in our comparison of the all-new Echo Dot with Clock versus the Echo Dot (3rd Gen), we think Amazon made the decision here pretty easy when it comes to choosing between the Echo (3rd Gen) or the Echo Plus (2nd Gen). By beefing up the sound quality of the "regular" Echo (3rd Gen), moving the styling towards that of the Echo Plus (2nd Gen), and introducing a new program called Certified by Humans that facilitates easier smart home setup, it's getting difficult to justify purchasing the Echo Plus (2nd Gen) for $50 more.

If you are choosing between these two devices and wondering which is the best Alexa speaker, it seems pretty clear that the Echo (3rd Gen) is the device to get.