Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The 6 best smart displays for Alexa and Google Home in 2024

If you’re looking for a way to control all your smart home devices, adding a smart display to your lineup is a great option. Not only do these gadgets make it easy to activate smart lights, smart thermostats, or smart cameras, but you can access a wide range of apps with them — including Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and other popular software.

Shopping for a smart display for Alexa or Google Home is a bit more challenging than you’d expect, as so many of the products share overlapping specs. And if you’re entirely new to the world of smart homes, you’ll have to choose between Google Home and Amazon Alexa as your central smart home platform. Once you’ve done that, things are a bit easier to manage.

Here’s a look at the 6 best smart displays for Alexa and Google Home. Keep in mind that all of these products are specifically designed for either Google Home or Amazon Alexa, though you can use Matter on supported devices to broaden their reach.

The best smart displays for Alexa and Google Home

  • Buy the Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) for the best Alexa smart display.
  • Buy the Nest Hub (2nd Gen) for the best Google Home smart display.
  • Buy the Echo Show 15 if you want a massive screen with support for Alexa.
  • Buy the Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) if you want a premium smart display.
  • Buy the Nest Hub Max if you want a Google device for video calls.
  • Buy the Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) for an affordable smart display.

Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)

The best overall Alexa smart display

An Amazon Echo Show 8 sits on a marble side table.
Nick Mokey / Digital Trends
Pros Cons
Great audio quality Small display
Built-in webcam
Tons of supported apps

The Echo Show 8 offers everything you’d expect from a smart display, yet does so without carrying an inflated price tag. Featuring an 8-inch touchscreen display, a built-in webcam, support for apps like Netflix and Spotify, and access to Amazon Alexa, there’s not much missing from its spec sheet. Its screen might be a bit small for large floorplans, but it’s easy to read from a few feet away and gives it a small footprint that’s easy to fit anywhere in your home.

Other standout features include robust audio from two 2-inch drivers with a passive bass radiator and the option to install Alexa Skills for additional functionality. Amazon loves to discount the smart display during big shopping holidays, so if you don’t need the unit today, consider waiting for a price cut.

Specifications
Display size 8-inches
Alexa or Google Home Alexa
Webcam 13 MP

Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

The best overall Google Home smart display

Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen on table.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
Pros Cons
Great price No webcam
Tons of supported apps Small display
Sleep tracking

At less than $100, the Nest Hub is one of the cheapest smart displays on this list. But despite the low price tag, it offers a bunch of great features. The one notable omission is a webcam — but if you don’t mind sticking with your laptop or smartphone for calls, there’s not much else missing on this excellent product.

Along with built-in support for Google Home and the ability to quickly view connected cameras, the Nest Hub serves as a sleep tracker. When placed next to your bed, it works much like a smartwatch does, giving you detailed information about your sleeping patterns when you rise in the morning. Toss in impressive audio, plenty of apps, and a streamlined design, and it’s easy to see why the Nest Hub is one of the best smart displays of 2024.

Specifications
Display size 7-inches
Alexa or Google Home Google Home
Webcam N/A

Echo Show 15

The best mountable smart display

Amazon Fire TV on Echo Show 15.
Amazon
Pros Cons
Gigantic 15.6-inch display Large footprint
Mountable to save countertop space Expensive
Built-in camera shutter

While its large size might make it difficult to place in cramped kitchens or busy living rooms, anyone looking for a large smart display should seriously consider the Echo Show 15. You’ll get everything available on the Echo Show 8 plus a lot more real estate for displaying photos, streaming Netflix, or taking video calls.

Because of its large 15.6-inch screen, you’ll likely want to mount the Echo Show 15 to your wall. Amazon includes screws and anchors and a mounting template, making this a fairly simple process. It can be mounted in either portrait or landscape orientation. The unit also comes with Fire TV built-in, making it a bonafide entertainment hub and slightly more capable than other displays on the market. You’ll pay a premium for the Echo Show 15, but there aren’t many other options if you’re looking for a display this large.

Specifications
Display size 15.6-inches
Alexa or Google Home Alexa
Webcam 5 MP

Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen)

The best premium Alexa smart display

The Echo Show 10 on a kitchen counter.
Amazon
Pros Cons
Sizable display Large footprint
Auto-framing during video calls Expensive
Unique design

Unlike most smart displays that are designed to be stationary, the Echo Show 10 can (sort of) move. It won’t roll around your home following you like Ballie, but its display is designed to rotate up to 175-degrees and keep you in focus during video calls. That gives you a lot of freedom to move around the kitchen or living room yet remain the center of attention.

Aside from that cool feature, this is a fairly standard smart display. Alexa is supported natively, as are apps like Hulu, Prime Video, and Netflix. The unit also doubles as a robust security camera, allowing you to get a live stream of your home and rotate its camera to better protect your property. Its footprint is quite large — and it’s quite expensive — but those tradeoffs are worth it if you want access to this generous screen and unique rotating feature.

Specifications
Display size 10-inches
Alexa or Google Home Alexa
Webcam 13 MP

Nest Hub Max

The best premium Google Home smart display

The Nest Hub Max on a table.
Google
Pros Cons
Vibrant screen Expensive
Built-in webcam
Premium sound quality

The Nest Hub Max is essentially a larger version of the Nest Hub. It’s picked up a few new tricks, however, as it features a built-in webcam and some impressive new audio equipment — making it a serious upgrade over its smaller sibling.

Equipped with a 10-inch HD touchscreen, webcam, and two tweeters and 30W woofer, the Nest Hub Max makes big strides over the standard Nest Hub. And since the standard Nest Hub doesn’t have a camera, this is the model you’ll need to get if you want a Google Home-enabled smart display that supports video chats. The biggest drawbacks? You’ll need to spend a bit more cash and clear a bit more space on your countertop.

Specifications
Display size 10-inches
Alexa or Google Home Google Home
Webcam 6.5 MP

Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen)

The best affordable smart display

The Amazon Echo Show (3rd Gen) on a table.
Amazon
Pros Cons
Affordable Small screen
Built-in webcam
Plenty of supported apps

The Echo Show 5 is the cheapest item on this list. Clocking in at $90 (and often on sale for less), the biggest concession it makes is with its tiny screen. At just 5.5-inches, you’re not going to be scanning its display from across the room. But if you have a small kitchen or are tight on space, it’s a nice affordable option.

Aside from its tiny display, most of the Echo Show 8 features carry over. That includes a camera shutter button, support for Alexa, and support for apps like Prime Video and Spotify. It works great as a speaker too, with a 1.7-inch driver that sounds better than you’d expect (though still falls short of dedicated smart speakers). Shoppers living in a cozy studio or with a busy kitchen will find the Echo Show 5 to be a perfect fit, though consider stepping up to the Echo Show 8 if your space permits.

Specifications
Display size 5.5-inches
Alexa or Google Home Google Home
Webcam 2 MP

How we chose these smart displays

There are a lot of smart displays to choose from, and many of them share the same specs and features. However, there are a few key factors to consider when shopping — here’s a look at how we put together the list of the six best smart displays for Alexa and Google Home.

Screen size

A smart display should be large enough to read from a distance but small enough to easily fit on your countertop. Most shoppers will find that a screen between eight inches and ten inches is ideal for their kitchen or living room, while anything larger likely needs to be mounted. Conversely, anything smaller than seven inches might be challenging to use unless you get within a few feet of the screen.

Supported apps

People use smart displays for a wide range of activities. Whether you want to catch up on a Netflix show while cooking or listen to Spotify, it’s important that smart displays offer support for a wide range of apps and services.

Smart home connectivity

Connecting to the rest of your smart home should be simple. The six products above are all built by either Google or Amazon, ensuring they play nicely with other Google Home or Amazon Alexa devices.

Additional features

A few smart displays offer unique features such as sleep tracking or swiveling to follow you during your video calls. While these typically won’t make or break a device, they can help give it an advantage over the competition.

Jon Bitner

Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites beyond Digital Trends, including The Wall Street Journal, Metacritic, GameSpot, and Slickdeals. He holds a degree in Biology and previously worked as a Medical Editor.

When not playing video games, he can be found running, reading, or checking out the latest series on Netflix.

The 8 best kitchen appliance brands in 2024
miele appliances kbis 2019 range and builtins

Whether you love cooking elaborate dinners or tossing a frozen meal in the microwave, your kitchen is the heart of your home. Not only can appliances like a refrigerator or stove pull together the room but many are also built to incredibly high standards -- ensuring they'll serve you well for years without any issues. On the other hand, opting for the wrong appliances can make your kitchen look dated or suffer reliability issues after just a few years of use.

That makes it important to find the proper alliances for your home. But with so many options available in 2024, it can be hard to sift through all the choices and figure out which are best for your needs. Thankfully, there are a few time-tested brands that continually churn out high-quality kitchen appliances. From microwaves and ovens to refrigerators and dishwashers, here's a look at the eight best kitchen appliance brands of 2024.

Read more
Grab Dad a digital photo frame while they’re on sale at Best Buy
The Aluratek 10-inch Digital Photo Frame on a table.

Nothing says “happy dad” like a digital photo frame packed with images of the loving spouse and children, plus the snapshots of the many trips they’ve all been on together. Photo frame sales are abundant in the lead-up to holidays like Father’s Day and Christmas, and we found a Best Buy promotion we couldn’t resist sharing. For a limited time, you can purchase an Aluratek 10-inch Digital Photo Frame for just $100! That’s a $30 markdown from its original $130 price tag. 

Why you should buy the Aluratek digital photo frame
When purchasing digital photo frames, it’s important to get one that holds up well to sunlight glare and the ambient lighting used throughout your home. To that end, the Aluratek holds up well in pretty much any setting, thanks to its brilliant 1,280 x 800 IPS touchscreen. Expect vibrant and colorful photos with minimal compression or degradationBest printer deals: 10+ cheap printers on sale as low as $79.

Read more
The 6 best digital photo frames in 2024
The Aura Mason Luxe sitting on a counter.

The family photo was once a mainstay of living rooms and office cubicles but it is slowly being replaced by something somehow more timeless — the digital photo frame. Digital photo frames don't fade over the years in exposure to sunlight, can be completely replaced without messing too much with paper, and make adding and changing the pictures within a snap. While the digital displays won't have the exactly same character as the physical photo paper counterparts, that's not necessarily a bad thing. With the possibilities for advanced screen tech, matte finishes, and the like, modern eyes may actually prefer these incredible photo display devices.
The best digital photo frames in 2024

Buy the for the best overall digital photo frame.
Buy the as a quality alternative to the above.
Buy the for a larger screen.
Buy the for one of the most beloved digital photo frames, and a true value pick.
Buy the 32-inch version of TV for a larger, multi-purpose frame.
Buy the for a budget touchscreen frame from a trusted camera maker.

Read more