Best Smart Displays 2026

Two things changed the smart display market this year, and neither is on the box.

First, the Google side of the aisle has mostly emptied out. The Nest Hub Max is discontinued, and when this guide went up the Amazon listing for the 7-inch Nest Hub had no buy box at all. Second, in August 2026 Amazon raised prices across its own hardware, blaming "significant increases in memory and storage component costs." The Echo Show 11 went from $219.99 to $249.99, and the rest of the Echo Show line moved up with it.

So this is, honestly, an Echo Show buying guide now. The real question isn't which brand. It's which size, and whether the new models are worth their higher sticker.

Quick Picks

Every price above was checked against a live Amazon listing sold by Amazon itself on September 24, 2026. Since Amazon makes these, that listing price is the list price.

Amazon Echo Show 8 (2025)

This is the one most people should buy.

The 2025 redesign gave the Echo Show 8 the same internals as the bigger Echo Show 11: Amazon's AZ3 Pro chip with its AI accelerator, a 13 MP camera that tracks your face on video calls, and a full smart home hub with Zigbee, Thread and Matter built in. The only real things you give up against the 11 are screen size and resolution.

That hub point matters more than it sounds. Zigbee and Thread let the display talk directly to cheap sensors, bulbs and locks without a separate bridge, which is one less box plugged in behind the TV.

The screen is 8.7 inches at 1340 x 800. That's plenty for recipes, a calendar and a doorbell feed from across the kitchen. Amazon's Omnisense sensors add presence detection, so the display can wake and show your reminders when you walk up instead of when you shout.

At $199.99 it costs $50 less than the Echo Show 11 for the same brains. That gap is the entire argument.

Amazon Echo Show 11

The Echo Show 11 is a brand-new size for Amazon, launched alongside the redesigned Echo Show 8 in late 2025.

Spec for spec, it's the 8 with a bigger, sharper screen. 11 inches at 1920 x 1200 is real Full HD, and you notice it most on photo frames, video calls, and anything with small text. Everything else, the chip, the camera, the hub radios, the Alexa+ features, is shared.

So who is it for? People who actually watch things on their smart display. If yours lives in the kitchen and plays a show while you cook, the extra 2.3 inches is worth it. If it mostly tells you the weather and turns lights off, save the $50.

One caution on price. Before Amazon's August hike it sold for $219.99, and deal trackers have caught it at $179.99 during sales. At $249.99 it's fine. Under $200, it beats the 8 on value.

Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen)

This is an alarm clock that happens to run Alexa, and that's meant as a compliment.

On a nightstand, a 5.5-inch screen is the right size. It shows the time from across the room, dims itself, and handles "Alexa, snooze" without asking you to find a phone. The sliding camera cover sits right on top, which is exactly where you want it in a bedroom.

The limits are clear. 960 x 480 is low resolution by 2026 standards, the 2 MP camera is a check-in camera rather than a video-call camera, and there's no smart home hub radio built in. If you want a display to run your smart home, start at the Echo Show 8.

It launched at $89.99 and now lists at $99.99. Still the only Echo Show under $100.

Amazon Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen)

The Echo Show 15 is a family command center first and a TV second.

Mounted on a kitchen or hallway wall, its 15.6-inch 1080p screen holds a shared calendar, lists, sticky notes and camera feeds all at once. The second-gen model fixed the old one's biggest weaknesses: a 13 MP camera instead of 5 MP, Wi-Fi 6E instead of Wi-Fi 6, and a proper smart home hub with Thread and Zigbee.

Fire TV is built in, and a remote now comes in the box. It's a real Fire TV, so Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video are all there.

The catch is the chip. The 15 still uses an octa-core chip with the older AZ2 engine, a generation behind the AZ3 Pro in the Echo Show 8 and 11. For calendars and streaming it's fine. For Alexa+ responsiveness, the smaller displays are newer.

Amazon Echo Show 21

The Echo Show 21 is the Echo Show 15 made bigger, with the same camera, radios and chip on a 21-inch screen.

That size changes what it's for. It's a small kitchen TV that also does the family calendar, rather than a calendar that can play TV. Stand at the sink and it's easy to watch. Stand right next to it and 1080p on 21 inches starts to look a little soft.

At $499.99 it's hard to recommend over the Echo Show 15 unless the room genuinely needs a screen that big. It launched at $399.99, so it has taken the biggest jump of any model here, $100, and it's the one worth waiting on a sale for.

How to Choose a Smart Display

Pick the size for the room, not the spec sheet

A rough rule that holds up well:

• Nightstand: 5 to 8 inches. Big screens light up a dark room.
• Kitchen counter or desk: 8 to 11 inches. Readable from a few feet away, small enough to move.
• Wall or hallway: 15 inches and up. These are designed for mounting and for being read from across a room.

Alexa+ is included with Prime, otherwise it's a subscription

The 2025 and later Echo Shows are built around Alexa+, Amazon's newer AI assistant. It's included with a Prime membership, and costs $19.99 a month without one. If you don't have Prime, factor that in, or plan to use the classic Alexa features only.

Check for a built-in hub before you buy a bridge

Zigbee and Thread devices, like many sensors, bulbs and locks, normally need a hub. The Echo Show 8, 11, 15 and 21 all have one built in and support Matter too. The Echo Show 5 doesn't. If you're building out a smart home, that alone justifies the step up. Our best smart home hubs guide covers dedicated hubs if you want something more advanced.

Camera and privacy

Every Echo Show here has a physical camera shutter and a button that cuts the microphones. The 13 MP auto-framing cameras on the 8, 11, 15 and 21 follow you around the room on video calls, which is great in a kitchen. If a camera in the bedroom bothers you at all, keep the Echo Show 5 there with its cover closed, or skip a display in that room.

If you're on Google Home or Apple Home

Here's the honest situation for September 2026. Google has discontinued the Nest Hub Max, and the 7-inch Nest Hub was not available on Amazon with a buy box when this guide went up, though Google still lists it on its own store. Apple doesn't make a smart display. If your home runs on Google or Apple, a smart speaker is the safer buy right now. See our best smart speakers guide for both.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Echo Show 11 worth it over the Echo Show 8?

Only if you watch video on it. Both use the AZ3 Pro chip, a 13 MP auto-framing camera and a built-in Zigbee, Thread and Matter hub. The 11 adds a larger 1920 x 1200 screen for $50 more at current prices ($249.99 vs $199.99). For calendars, recipes, and smart home control, the Echo Show 8 does the same job.

Do I need Prime to use an Echo Show?

No. The Echo Show works with the standard Alexa features without Prime. Alexa+, Amazon's newer AI assistant that the 2025 models are designed for, is included with Prime and costs $19.99 a month without it.

Why did Echo Show prices go up in 2026?

Amazon raised prices on Echo, Fire TV, Kindle and eero devices in August 2026, citing significant increases in memory and storage component costs. The Echo Show 11, for example, went from $219.99 to $249.99.

Can an Echo Show replace a smart home hub?

For most homes, yes. The Echo Show 8, 11, 15 (2nd Gen) and 21 have built-in Zigbee and Thread radios and support Matter, so they can control sensors, bulbs and locks directly. The Echo Show 5 has no Zigbee or Thread radio, so it can't.

Is there still a good Google smart display?

Not much of one. Google discontinued the Nest Hub Max, and the 7-inch Nest Hub had no buy box on Amazon when this guide was published. Google still sells it through its own store. If you're committed to Google Home, a Nest speaker is the easier purchase today.

Bottom Line

Buy the Echo Show 8 (2025). At $199.99 it has the newest chip, the best camera and a full smart home hub, and it costs $50 less than the Echo Show 11 that shares all of it. Get the 11 only if you'll actually watch shows on it, or if it dips under $200 on sale. The Echo Show 5 is the right $99.99 bedside clock, and the Echo Show 15 is the wall-mounted family calendar to buy if you want one. The Echo Show 21 is the big-screen option, but after a $100 price jump it's the one to wait for a sale on.