Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) vs Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen)

Last Updated & Fact Checked:  April 18, 2026

Are you trying to decide between the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) and the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen)?

Product Versus will provide you with all the product details so you can quickly compare the facts to find which product is right for you – the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) or the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) – and find out exactly what the differences are.

Both the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) and the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) are quality products, so read on to find out which one is best for your needs!

Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) quick facts

Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) quick facts

Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) product details

Bestseller No. 1
Amazon Echo Dot (newest model) - Vibrant sounding speaker, Designed for Alexa+, Great for bedrooms, dining rooms and offices, Charcoal
  • Your favorite music and content – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
  • Alexa is happy to help – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
  • Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
  • Designed to protect your privacy – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a mic off button.
  • Do more with device pairing– Fill your home with music using compatible Echo devices in different rooms, create a home theatre system with Fire TV, or extend wifi coverage with a compatible eero network so you can say goodbye to drop-offs and buffering.
Bestseller No. 2
Amazon Echo Dot (newest model) - Vibrant sounding speaker, Designed for Alexa+, Great for bedrooms, dining rooms and offices, Glacier White
  • Your favorite music and content – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
  • Alexa is happy to help – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
  • Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
  • Designed to protect your privacy – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a mic off button.
  • Do more with device pairing– Fill your home with music using compatible Echo devices in different rooms, create a home theatre system with Fire TV, or extend wifi coverage with a compatible eero network so you can say goodbye to drop-offs and buffering.
Bestseller No. 3
Amazon Echo Pop (newest model), Our smallest speaker, Designed for Alexa+, Fits in any room, Charcoal
  • Echo Pop – This compact smart speaker with Alexa features full sound that's great for bedrooms and small spaces. Small enough to blend in and mighty enough to stand out.
  • Control music with your voice – Ask Alexa to play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from your favorite providers like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Sirius XM and more. Connect via Bluetooth to stream throughout your space.
  • Make any space a smart space – Easily control compatible smart home devices like smart plugs or smart lights with your voice or the Alexa App.
  • Life just got easier – Have Alexa set timers, check the weather, read the news, re-order paper towels, make calls, answer questions, and more.
  • Alexa has skills – With tens of thousands of skills and counting, Alexa can help you do more or do less - like playing relaxing sounds and testing your music knowledge.

Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) product details

Bestseller No. 1
Amazon Echo Dot (newest model) - Vibrant sounding speaker, Designed for Alexa+, Great for bedrooms, dining rooms and offices, Charcoal
  • Your favorite music and content – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
  • Alexa is happy to help – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
  • Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
  • Designed to protect your privacy – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a mic off button.
  • Do more with device pairing– Fill your home with music using compatible Echo devices in different rooms, create a home theatre system with Fire TV, or extend wifi coverage with a compatible eero network so you can say goodbye to drop-offs and buffering.
Bestseller No. 2
Amazon Echo Dot (newest model) - Vibrant sounding speaker, Designed for Alexa+, Great for bedrooms, dining rooms and offices, Deep Sea Blue
  • Your favorite music and content – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
  • Alexa is happy to help – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
  • Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
  • Designed to protect your privacy – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a mic off button.
  • Do more with device pairing – Fill your home with music using compatible Echo devices in different rooms, create a home theatre system with Fire TV, or extend wifi coverage with a compatible eero network so you can say goodbye to drop-offs and buffering.
Bestseller No. 3
Amazon Echo Dot (newest model) - Vibrant sounding speaker, Designed for Alexa+, Great for bedrooms, dining rooms and offices, Glacier White
  • Your favorite music and content – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
  • Alexa is happy to help – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
  • Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
  • Designed to protect your privacy – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a mic off button.
  • Do more with device pairing– Fill your home with music using compatible Echo devices in different rooms, create a home theatre system with Fire TV, or extend wifi coverage with a compatible eero network so you can say goodbye to drop-offs and buffering.

New products & alternatives to the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) and the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen)

New
Amazon Echo Dot (Newest Model) | Limited-Edition Japanese Shibori Design by Joe Ando
  • Custom Design by Joe Ando – Growing up, Joe spent much of his time with family in Japan, and as a daydreaming teenager, he would often find himself captivated by the beautiful Shibori fabric dyes hanging on the walls of Japanese homes and stores.
  • Inspired by Japanese Shibori – Japanese Shibori dyeing is an accessible and expressive form of fabric print creation, and Joe loves that anyone can approach it and add their own personal touch. The range of visuals that can be achieved with just rubber bands, fabric, and indigo is both vast and exciting. The print Joe chose to include on the Echo Dot is meant to evoke a sense of relaxation while honoring the long heritage of Japanese fabric dyeing.
  • Your favorite music and content – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
  • Alexa is happy to help – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
  • Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
New
Amazon Echo Dot Kids (newest model) - Stardust including Amazon Kids+, with Echo Glow, Designed for Alexa+
  • This bundle contains Echo Dot Kids (newest model) in Stardust and Echo Glow.
  • MAKE BEDTIME MAGICAL – Pair Echo Glow with the Echo Dot Kids to control color and brightness, set timers and alarms with your voice to create a visual "wind-down" cue for bedtime.
  • ECHO DOT KIDS – Our most popular and cutest smart speaker with Alexa, made for kids (not a toy). The speaker delivers clearer vocals and rich, vibrant sound.
  • INCLUDES 1 YEAR OF AMAZON KIDS+ – A digital subscription designed for kids aged 3-12 to safely learn, grow, and explore. On Echo Dot, kids can enjoy kid-friendly Audible books, interactive games, fun Morning Routines, and educational Alexa skills. After 1 year, your subscription will automatically renew every month starting at just $5.99/month plus applicable tax. You may cancel any time by visiting the Amazon Parent Dashboard or contacting Customer Service.
New
Echo Dot Max Bundle: Includes Amazon Echo Dot Max (newest model) | Graphite and Stand with USB-C charging ports | Graphite
  • BUNDLE INCLUDES: Amazon Echo Dot Max (newest model) | Graphite and Stand with USB-C charging ports | Graphite
  • Meet Echo Dot Max. Designed to deliver rich room-filling sound that automatically adapts to your space and fine-tunes playback. Features a built-in smart home hub and Omnisense technology for highly personalized experiences. All powered by an AZ3 chip for fast performance.
  • Alexa+ Early Access is now on Echo Dot Max. Get access to a smarter, more useful Alexa when you set up this device.
  • Music to your ears. Fits beautifully in any space, delivering your personal sound stage with deep bass and enhanced clarity. Listen to streaming services, such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and SiriusXM. Encore!
  • Do more with device pairing. Connect compatible Echo devices in different rooms, or pair with a second Echo Dot Max to enjoy even richer sound. Pair your Echo Dot Max with compatible Fire TV devices to create a home theater system that brings scenes to life.
New
Echo Dot Max Bundle: Includes Amazon Echo Dot Max (newest model) | Amethyst and Stand with USB-C charging ports | Amethyst
  • BUNDLE INCLUDES: Amazon Echo Dot Max (newest model) | Amethyst and Stand with USB-C charging ports | Amethyst
  • Meet Echo Dot Max. Designed to deliver rich room-filling sound that automatically adapts to your space and fine-tunes playback. Features a built-in smart home hub and Omnisense technology for highly personalized experiences. All powered by an AZ3 chip for fast performance.
  • Alexa+ Early Access is now on Echo Dot Max. Get access to a smarter, more useful Alexa when you set up this device.
  • Music to your ears. Fits beautifully in any space, delivering your personal sound stage with deep bass and enhanced clarity. Listen to streaming services, such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and SiriusXM. Encore!
  • Do more with device pairing. Connect compatible Echo devices in different rooms, or pair with a second Echo Dot Max to enjoy even richer sound. Pair your Echo Dot Max with compatible Fire TV devices to create a home theater system that brings scenes to life.
New
Echo Dot Max Bundle: Includes Amazon Echo Dot Max (newest model) | Glacier White and Stand with USB-C charging ports | Glacier White
  • BUNDLE INCLUDES: Amazon Echo Dot Max (newest model) | Glacier White and Stand with USB-C charging ports | Glacier White
  • Meet Echo Dot Max. Designed to deliver rich room-filling sound that automatically adapts to your space and fine-tunes playback. Features a built-in smart home hub and Omnisense technology for highly personalized experiences. All powered by an AZ3 chip for fast performance.
  • Alexa+ Early Access is now on Echo Dot Max. Get access to a smarter, more useful Alexa when you set up this device.
  • Music to your ears. Fits beautifully in any space, delivering your personal sound stage with deep bass and enhanced clarity. Listen to streaming services, such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and SiriusXM. Encore!
  • Do more with device pairing. Connect compatible Echo devices in different rooms, or pair with a second Echo Dot Max to enjoy even richer sound. Pair your Echo Dot Max with compatible Fire TV devices to create a home theater system that brings scenes to life.

Our conclusion on the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) vs Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen)

Both the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) and the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) are high quality products and we are sure you will be happy with either one. In the end it comes down to your budget and the value for money you are looking for.

Either way, the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) and the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) are both excellent products that will more than do their job!