Amazon Prime comes with an Alexa upgrade you should know about

Amazon's Alexa is evolving. In 2025, the conglomerate launched Alexa+, an upgraded version of its famous assistant, now powered by generative AI. Built on large language models from Anthropic and Amazon's AI suite, Amazon Nova, Amazon's latest assistant is being touted as smarter, more conversational, capable of handling more complex interactions and offering a more tailored experience than previous versions. From managing your home to acting as your personalized shopping assistant, Amazon claims Alexa+ is "able to orchestrate across tens of thousands of services and devices," which the company says, to its knowledge, "has never been done at this scale." 

You can access Amazon's LLM-powered assistant through three main avenues. The first is on all Alexa-enabled devices, such as your Amazon Echo or Fire TV. The second is through Amazon's new lineup of tablets, which Amazon announced would have Alexa+ built in. Finally, if you don't own an Alexa-enabled smart hub, you can download the Alexa app to your phone or tablet from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The souped-up Alexa is also available via the chatbot's website, www.alexa.com. Both the application and website function as free, text-based chatbots, Amazon says, "ideal for quick answers, planning, research, and exploring new topics." 

Now, the AI system is available to a wider audience. Alexa+ is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers. Simply ask your Alexa device to upgrade to the new system. If you are not subscribed to Amazon Prime, you can gain full access to the LLM assistant through Amazon's Alexa+ subscription service. Users who want to test-deploy the AI system without shelling out a monthly payment can do so in a limited capacity through the application and website.

Alexa+: Is it worth it?

To give its AI system a wide breadth of functionalities, Amazon created what it dubs "experts," which it described as "groups of systems, capabilities, APIs, and instructions that accomplish specific types of tasks for customers." In an interview with TechRadar, Amazon's VP of Alexa and Echo, Daniel Rausch, explained that Amazon's AI experts gather information, which he illustrated by describing how Alexa+ indulges his New York Yankees obsession. You can tailor the tone of these conversations by filtering through four personality styles, namely Brief, Chill, Sweet and Sassy.

Amazon hopes that the addition of agentic functionalities, in which your Alexa can navigate the internet, complete tasks and operate in the background, can transform Alexa from a novel smart speaker to a multifunctional AI assistant. Third-party integrations with services like Ticketmaster, Uber, Grubhub and OpenTable expand these capabilities beyond typical integration with music, weather and Amazon apps. Hypothetically, Alexa+ can book your entire evening,  including purchasing concert tickets, booking a dinner reservation, scheduling your rideshare and even ordering a dessert for your return. 

But many early adopters argue that Alexa+ hasn't met Amazon's hyperbolic rhetoric. For one thing, the chatbot suffers from many of the consistency issues plaguing AI systems, requiring you to double-check the AI's work. Moreover, some have pushed back on its conversational gains, describing something akin to my overly chatty neighbor. Others have reported issues with the AI's functional memory, while some have been frustrated by the system's lag times and hearing issues. When my colleague Cherlynn previewed the chatbot last year, she found Amazon's AI assistant a useful but frustratingly inconsistent product.

Overall, Alexa+ is going through the growing pains currently affecting most AI products. And while most agree that it isn't (yet) the transformative product Amazon advertises, it can adequately handle many household tasks.

How to get Alexa+

Amazon's Alexa+ chatbot comes in several forms. As mentioned earlier, you can access Alexa+ as a text-based chatbot for free via its website and the Alexa app. However, access to this free experience "will be limited based on use." Those with an Amazon Prime subscription, meanwhile, gain full access to the chatbot via their Alexa-enabled devices, the app and the website. In August 2026, Amazon announced that owners of select Alexa-compatible devices, such as Fire TV, Fire TV sticks, Amazon Ember televisions and Fire TV Cube, can also access the AI assistant at no extra cost. You can also access the chatbot in your Amazon Music app.

As it stands, full access to Alexa+ is limited to the United States and Canada. However, early access programs are available for those in Mexico, the UK, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Austria, France, Australia, Spain and India. Notably, the capabilities of your Alexa+ may vary depending on your region. According to its website, Amazon is working to expand access to additional countries. 

Those who want full access to Amazon's AI assistant without subscribing to Prime can do so through a $19.99 per month subscription plan. If that seems steep, you're right. Currently, Amazon Prime charges $14.99 per month or $139 per year. So that's $5 less than the Alexa+ subscription, and it gets you all the other benefits of an Amazon Prime subscription, including free deliveries, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music and several Kindle perks. If you have an Only Prime Video or Free Shipping membership, you'll have to switch to the full Prime subscription to access Alexa+ You can learn more about these subscription plans on Amazon's website.

You can update your Alexa devices by saying, "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa plus." You can also start Alexa+ by logging in to your Amazon account at www.alexa.com. If you prefer a try-before-you-buy approach, you may be eligible for a 30-day trial. Learn more by visiting www.amazon.com/alexaplus.