Amazon is making its advanced Alexa AI assistant, powered by Alexa Plus, accessible outside of Echo devices. The company launched Alexa.com Monday, rolling out access to Early Access customers, allowing users to interact with the AI through a web browser on desktop and tablet. This expands the functionality of the voice assistant, previously limited to Amazon’s smart speakers, e-readers, and other devices.
What is Alexa Plus?
Introduced nine months ago, Alexa Plus builds on the original Alexa, launched in 2014, by incorporating more sophisticated AI capabilities. It aims to function as a “personal assistant” with a conversational style—handling tasks like scheduling, travel planning, and smart home control.
Why this matters: The move to web browsers is significant because it breaks Alexa out of the hardware ecosystem. This allows Amazon to compete more directly with other AI assistants, like Google’s Gemini for Home, in the broader digital landscape.
Market Dominance & Usage
Amazon has sold over 600 million Alexa-enabled devices globally, including Echo speakers, Kindle e-readers, Ring security systems, and Fire TV streaming devices. The company currently dominates the smart speaker market, with over 60% of users choosing Amazon Echo over competitors. Google Home holds the second largest market share at 23%, according to Statista.
Access and Pricing
Currently, access to Alexa.com is limited to Alexa Plus Early Access customers. This access is included at no extra cost with an Amazon Prime subscription. For non-Prime members, Alexa Plus costs $20 per month. Users gain access by purchasing eligible Amazon devices (Echo and Fire TV products) or subscribing to Prime.
Seamless Integration
Amazon emphasizes the continuity of interactions across devices. Users can start a conversation on their PC via Alexa.com and continue it on their mobile app or Echo device, with all chat history, preferences, and personalization carrying over. This feature is designed to improve user experience by allowing for a fluid AI assistant experience across multiple platforms.
In short: Amazon is pushing Alexa beyond smart speakers by making it accessible on the web. This move is aimed at strengthening the AI’s presence in the everyday digital lives of users, and solidifying Amazon’s position in the increasingly competitive AI assistant market.
