Next-Gen Alexa+ Assistant is Coming in March, Will Be Free With Prime or $20/Month

Amazon’s long-awaited generative AI revamp of Alexa is almost here. Panos Panay, Senior Vice President of Amazon’s Devices & Services business took the wraps off Alexa+ today, nearly two years after the next-gen version of the assistant was first announced during Amazon’s Fall 2023 event.

Alexa+ will launch in preview in the US next month and it will be priced at $19.99/month. That’s quite expensive for a new version of the assistant that has been free since its launch more than 10 years ago. However, Alexa+ will be free for all Prime members.

“Alexa+ is that trusted assistant that can help you conduct your life and your home,” Panos said today. “Taking something that is so complex and making it into something that’s just a little bit simpler and definitely more accessible—it’s something Amazon is known for. Removing complexity for our customers with products that make every single day better and easier. I think you’re going to love it. When you use Alexa+, you’re going to feel it … I am so excited for you to be on this journey with us.”

Say hello to Alexa+. Need dinner plans? She’ll book your favorite restaurant, grab an Uber, and text your sitter — all in one conversation. Want concert tickets? She’ll scout for the best prices. Need to check if the garbage went out? She’ll find that exact Ring clip in seconds.… pic.twitter.com/gtwi9OajvD

— Panos Panay (@panos_panay) February 26, 2025

Alexa+ will be able to engage in free-flowing conversations, and it will get more personalized as it learns more about its users. It will also have “agentic” capabilities and be able to carry out various tasks for users, such as ordering items or checking smart home footage for users with a Ring subscription.

In the home, Alexa+ will also be able to move music from room to room Jump to your favorite scene on Prime Video. Amazon also designed two new features for Amazon Kids+ subscribers, “Stories with Alexa” and “Explore with Alexa.”

While the standard version of Alexa already has some light productivity features such as calendar management, Alexa+ will try to compete with ChatGPT and other chatbots that can do much more. Amazon’s assistant will be able to summarize information from emails and analyze uploaded documents. The company said that it will support “a wide range of documents with Alexa+, from emails and manuals to family recipes and study materials.”

Under the hood, the next-gen Alexa leverages Amazon’s in-house Nova models plus AI technology from Anthropic. Alexa+ will also be able to connect to thousands of services such as Uber, Opentable, and Whole Foods. The company also announced partnerships with major news organizations such as Associated Press, Reuters, TIME, USA TODAY, and Politico to provide up-to-date information to its assistant.

The new assistant will start rolling out in the U.S. next month and it will first be available on Amazon’s Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 smart displays. Some Alexa+ features will also be available on the web through a new Alexa web app.