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

Last Updated & Fact Checked:  October 16, 2022

Are you trying to decide between the Amazon Echo (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 (3rd Gen) or the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) – and find out exactly what the differences are.

Both the Amazon Echo (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 (3rd Gen) quick facts

Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) quick facts

Amazon Echo (3rd Gen) product details

Bestseller No. 1
Echo Dot (3rd Gen, 2018 release) - Smart speaker with Alexa - Charcoal
  • Meet Echo Dot - Our most compact smart speaker that fits perfectly into small spaces.
  • Improved speaker quality - Better speaker quality than Echo Dot Gen 2 for richer and louder sound. Pair with a second Echo Dot for stereo sound.
  • Voice control your music - Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Sirius XM, and others.
  • Ready to help - Ask Alexa to play music, answer questions, read the news, check the weather, set alarms, control compatible smart home devices, and more.
  • Voice control your smart home - Turn on lights, adjust thermostats, lock doors, and more with compatible connected devices. Create routines to start and end your day.
Bestseller No. 2
Amazon Echo Power Adapter 30W Black: Echo (3rd Gen), Echo Plus (2nd Gen), Echo Show (2nd gen), Echo Show 8
  • Official Amazon 30W power adapter for the Amazon Echo (3rd Gen), Echo Plus (2nd gen), Echo Show 8, and Echo Show (2nd gen)
  • 1.8M (6') long cord
  • Choose from black and white adapter
  • UL Listed
Bestseller No. 3
Amazon Echo Power Adapter 15W Black: Echo Dot (3rd Gen), Echo Dot with Clock, Echo Show 5, Echo Spot, Fire TV Cube
8,863 Reviews
Amazon Echo Power Adapter 15W Black: Echo Dot (3rd Gen), Echo Dot with Clock, Echo Show 5, Echo Spot, Fire TV Cube
  • Official Amazon 15W power adapter for the Echo Spot, Echo Dot (3rd Gen), Echo Dot with Clock, Echo Show 5, and Fire TV Cube
  • 5 foot (1.5 Meter) long cord
  • UL Listed

Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) product details

On Sale!Bestseller No. 1
Echo Dot (4th Gen, 2020 release) | Smart speaker with Alexa | Charcoal
  • Meet the Echo Dot - Our most popular smart speaker with Alexa. The sleek, compact design delivers crisp vocals and balanced bass for full sound.
  • Voice control your entertainment - Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, and others. Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts throughout your home with multi-room music.
  • Ready to help - Ask Alexa to tell a joke, play music, answer questions, play the news, check the weather, set alarms, and more.
  • Control your smart home - Use your voice to turn on lights, adjust thermostats, and lock doors with compatible devices.
  • Start Routines with your motion - Turn on compatible lights, play your Flash Briefing, or turn on the coffee maker when you walk into the room.
Bestseller No. 2
Echo Dot (4th Gen, 2020 release) Kids | Designed for kids, with parental controls | Panda
  • Meet Echo Dot Kids - Our most popular smart speaker with Alexa, made for kids (not a toy). The super-fun design delivers crisp vocals and balanced bass for full sound.
  • Help kids learn and grow - Kids can ask Alexa questions, set alarms, and get help with their homework.
  • Includes 1 year of Amazon Kids+: the only service with thousands of ad-free books, games, videos, apps and Alexa skills. On Echo Dot, kids can enjoy kid-friendly Audible books, interactive games, and educational skills. After 1 year, your subscription will automatically renew every month starting at just $4.99/month plus applicable tax. You may cancel any time by visiting the Amazon Parent Dashboard or contacting Customer Service.
  • Easy-to-use parental controls - Set daily time limits, filter explicit songs, and review activity in the Amazon Parent Dashboard.
  • Made for wild imaginations - Kids can ask Alexa to play music, read stories, and call approved friends and family.
On Sale!Bestseller No. 3
All-new Echo Dot (4th generation) International Version | Smart speaker with Alexa | Charcoal
1,807 Reviews
All-new Echo Dot (4th generation) International Version | Smart speaker with Alexa | Charcoal
  • Meet Echo Dot — Echo Dot (4th generation) connects to Alexa, a cloud-based voice service, to play music, set timers and alarms, control compatible smart home devices, and more.
  • Recommended language — English United States or Español Estados Unidos is the recommended language to access Skills, Features and an optimal music experience.
  • Voice control your entertainment — stream songs from Amazon Music Unlimited (unavailable in MY, PH, and TW), Spotify and TuneIn. Pair with another Echo Dot (4th gen) for stereo sound or stream music from other popular audio services via Bluetooth with your smartphone or tablet (requires a Bluetooth connection from a compatible device, voice control not supported).
  • Ready to help — ask Alexa to play music, answer questions, play the news, check the weather, set alarms and more.
  • Control your smart home — use your voice to turn on lights and plugs with compatible devices.

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

On Sale!New
Echo Dot (3rd Gen) | Charcoal with Philips Hue White Smart Bulb
  • The Echo Dot (3rd Gen) is our most compact smart speaker that fits perfectly into small spaces.
  • With tens of thousands of skills and counting, Alexa is always getting smarter and adding new skills like tracking fitness, playing games, and more.
  • Pair with any compatible Amazon Alexa device to use simple voice commands to control your Hue lights, hands free.
  • Use preset light scenes to get the best light in which to Read, Relax, Concentrate, or Energize throughout your day.
New
All-New Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 release) Kids | Designed for kids, with parental controls | Dragon
  • ALL-NEW ECHO DOT KIDS – Our most popular and cutest smart speaker with Alexa, made for kids (not a toy). The improved speaker delivers clearer vocals and rich, vibrant sound.
  • WHERE LEARNING MEETS FUN – Kids can ask Alexa to play music, read a bedtime story, get help with their homework, and more. Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and others.
  • 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, and educational Alexa skills. After 1 year, your subscription will automatically renew every month starting at just $4.99/month plus applicable tax. You may cancel any time by visiting the Amazon Parent Dashboard or contacting Customer Service.
  • EASY-TO-USE PARENTAL CONTROLS – Alexa will automatically give kid-friendly responses and filter explicit songs. You can also set daily time limits and review activity in the Amazon Parent Dashboard.
  • FOR GROWING INDEPENDENCE – Kids can help take charge of their routines with Alexa by setting their own alarms, turning off compatible smart lights, and calling parent-approved friends and family.
New
Echo Studio | Our best-sounding smart speaker ever - With Dolby Atmos and Alexa | Glacier White
  • ENJOY AN IMMERSIVE AUDIO EXPERIENCE – 5 speakers produce powerful bass with improved clarity, deeper bass, dynamic midrange, and crisp highs. Dolby Atmos technology adds space, clarity, and depth.
  • VOICE CONTROL YOUR MUSIC – Stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, and more. With Amazon Music HD, enjoy access to 90 million songs in lossless audio formats, like HD or Ultra HD, and select songs in spatial audio formats like Dolby Atmos.
  • ADAPTS TO ANY ROOM – Automatically senses the acoustics of your space, fine-tuning playback for optimal sound.
  • BUILT-IN SMART HOME HUB – Ask Alexa to control Zigbee-compatible devices.
  • READY TO HELP – Ask Alexa to play music, read the news, and answer questions.
New
All-New Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 release) with clock | Smart speaker with clock and Alexa | Cloud Blue
  • OUR BEST SOUNDING ECHO DOT YET – Enjoy an improved audio experience compared to any previous Echo Dot with Alexa for clearer vocals, deeper bass and vibrant sound in any room.
  • CHECK THE TIME AND MORE AT A GLANCE – The improved LED display shows you the time, alarms, weather, song titles and more.
  • 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 READY TO HELP – Ask Alexa to show you weather and song titles, 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 with clock 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 compatible lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
New
All-New Echo Auto (2nd Gen, 2022 release) | Add Alexa to your car
  • HANDS-FREE ALEXA ACCESSORY - Slim design that's easy to place in your car and 5-mic built-in so Alexa can hear you over music, A/C, or road noise. Includes a fast car charger to charge your phone on the go.
  • LISTEN TO YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC - Ask Alexa to stream playlists from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and more, or listen live to radio stations. Use Follow Me Music to resume media playback.
  • CALL AND MESSAGE WITH YOUR VOICE - Use your voice to make calls, reply to text messages, drop in on Alexa-enabled devices in your home or broadcast announcements.
  • GET YOUR FAVORITE ENTERTAINMENT HANDS-FREE - Binge a hot new podcast, catch up on the news, or listen to best-selling Audible books.
  • ALEXA CAN HELP WITH AMAZON ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE - Just say, “Alexa, call Roadside Assistance” and you'll be connected to an agent who can assess the situation and request pay-as-you-go services as needed.

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

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