Amazon Alexa Loses Users as $19.99 Alexa+ Stumbles Against LLM Rivals

2 articles · Updated · Boy Genius Report · May 31

Amazon’s Alexa ecosystem is seeing users drift to Apple Home, Google Home and open-source Home Assistant as Alexa+ faces launch setbacks and a lukewarm reception.
LLM-based rivals have made the original Alexa feel dated, with users describing its responses as rigid compared with more natural conversational AI and limiting many Echo devices to basic tasks.
Privacy worries and persistent upselling are adding to the backlash: Amazon says recordings are stored only after activation, but always-on microphones and unsolicited “by the way” prompts have eroded trust.
Alexa+ is free for Prime members but costs $19.99 a month otherwise, versus Google’s $10 Google Home Premium tier and free voice options from Gemini and ChatGPT, weakening Amazon’s position despite more than 600 million Echo sales.

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