What is Amazon Alexa used for?

Amazon Alexa is a voice assistant and smart home platform for Echo, Fire TV and compatible devices, with Alexa+ also available in a browser. It is a good fit for hands-free control of smart home devices, and planning events and drafting messages.

Is Amazon Alexa free?

Yes. Amazon Alexa is free to use.

Is Amazon Alexa open source?

No. Amazon Alexa is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Amazon Alexa include Gladys Assistant, Home Assistant and openHAB.

What are some alternatives to Amazon Alexa?

Amazon Alexa competes with Google Home, Apple Home and SmartThings. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Amazon Alexa alternatives.

Amazon Alexa: features, pricing and alternatives

About Amazon Alexa

Amazon Alexa is Amazon's voice assistant and smart home platform. It runs on Echo smart speakers, Fire TV devices and other compatible hardware, and it is managed through the Alexa app. People use it to ask questions, control connected devices and handle everyday tasks by voice.

The newer Alexa+ experience adds conversational AI and can now be used in a web browser as well as on devices. It can help plan events, draft messages, create images and turn conversations into actions such as scheduling or booking services. Conversations keep their context as users move between the browser, the Alexa app and Echo or Fire TV devices.

Alexa is a hosted service operated by Amazon and cannot be self-hosted. The site offers a free trial of Alexa+ in a browser and links to a pricing page, while Echo hardware is sold separately.

Key features

Voice assistant for Echo and Fire TV
Smart home device control
Alexa+ conversational AI
Browser access to Alexa+
Conversations that carry across devices
Alexa mobile app

Good fit for

→Hands-free control of smart home devices
→Planning events and drafting messages

Tags: voice-assistant; smart-home; amazon; alexa; echo; iot; home-automation

Amazon Alexa: questions and answers

What is Amazon Alexa used for?: Amazon Alexa is a voice assistant and smart home platform for Echo, Fire TV and compatible devices, with Alexa+ also available in a browser. It is a good fit for hands-free control of smart home devices, and planning events and drafting messages.
Is Amazon Alexa free?: Yes. Amazon Alexa is free to use.
Is Amazon Alexa open source?: No. Amazon Alexa is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Amazon Alexa include Gladys Assistant, Home Assistant and openHAB.
What are some alternatives to Amazon Alexa?: Amazon Alexa competes with Google Home, Apple Home and SmartThings. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Amazon Alexa alternatives.