Google Home vs Amazon Echo - how to choose

Thanks for your Likes & Subs!

Smart digital assistants are growing in popularity, big time. In Canada, there’s really only two choices right now: Amazon Echo and Google Home.

Each brand has different versions of their assistants, usually a full size and a mini.At their core, these smart speakers/digital assistants operate largely the same no matter which size you choose, so we’ll focus this comparison on the base models; the full size Echo and Home.

Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Who you talking to? Human or Robot?

Each of the home devices has a different Assistant personality:

Google has the Google Assistant, aka “Google”. Amazon has Alexa.

While both have female voices by default, Google Assistant has a more normal and natural sounding voice and delivery. Alexa’s delivery is rather robotic and vaguely European even though I’ve selected Canadian English as her voice.

Will one of those voices please you more than the other? Maybe. At the moment, my preference is for Google Home.

While you have some choice for accent changes with Alexa, for the moment you don’t with Google Home. Here’s how to do it:

To change your Google assistant’s voice:

Go to Google Home -Hamburger Menu- Settings or More Settings- Preferences- Assistant Voice.

✅ Voice WINNER: Google Home

So how do you know which of these smart speakers is for you? Here are some of the other choices you’ll have to make when deciding between Google Home and Amazon Echo.

Do Google Home and Amazon Echo do the same tasks?

Yes. By and large these devices perform all the same basic functions:

playing music (Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Spotify)
answering questions
setting timers
controlling Smart Home gadgets like lights, thermostats, door locks and more
telling you about your day; see more below
getting news, weather and traffic info
making conversions: money, measurements, time
make phone calls
look up phone numbers (and call them)
add items to to-do lists and create reminders
make calendar appointments; depending on your OS, see below
Want to know how to talk to Google Home and Philips Hue smart lights?

Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Are you Apple or Android?

Google Home is definitely made to work closely with its own Pixel line of smartphones, and other Android phones and you may enjoy a more seamless experience if this is the platform you’ve got.

As far as Amazon Echo goes, the device may seem to be geared towards the Android world, but again, there’s a lot you can do with your Apple iPhone.

Can Alexa link to Apple Calendar?

With Echo you *can* add your calendar to Alexa’s brain. She’ll integrate with Apple Calendar/iCloud, Microsoft Outlook and Office, plus the G-suite of apps and functions from Google. Want to hear about your day or list of appointments from your Apple calendar? Alexa will tell you.

✅ Compatibility WINNER: Amazon Echo

Google Home vs Amazon Echo: Smart home control

Both Home and Echo can control your smart home devices, and the list is pretty much universal, though if you’re wondering about controlling a specific smart home toy, it’s a good idea to check it. But when it comes to door locks, lights and thermostats, they’re both pretty much the same.

If I noticed any difference its that it’s much much easier to add a single new device to Echo. For example, when I wanted to add a single new LIFX light, with Google Home I need to uninstall and reinstall the whole LIFX lineup of several bulbs, whereas with Echo, I just add the one light and it works great.

Google Home vs Amazon Alexa: Price

Amazon Echo costs $129 CAD. Google Home is $179CAD. Given that Echo has more versatility and functionality, and it costs less, this battle goes to Alexa.

✅ Price WINNER: Amazon Echo

So who’s best? Amazon Echo or Google Home?

All things considered, Amazon Echo does more and is more versatile, speaking to different platforms and devices (not just Android) and it costs less.

If you’re looking for a smart home digital assistant and speaker to start out with Amazon Echo is the winner.

✅ OVERALL WINNER: Amazon Echo

Do you agree or disagree? Have any questions about what these devices can do? Ask in comments .

[Power-Ads]

Get the best of BOTH! ... try this !!!
We own multiple Echo Dot 3's and one Google home mini.
First I need to explain that our house has an Echo Dot 3 in every bedroom, dining/kitchen area, living room, basement and garage (total 7 in all) AND we have ONE Google home mini in the living room
(Important point: DIRECTLY NEXT to the Echo dot 3 in the living room. We have our Google home mini about 3 inches away)
We use the "Drop In" feature on the Echo Dot to talk to the Google home mini in the living room anytime we want a second opinion form Google home mini using the Echo dot from any room in the house. You get the best of both anytime you want from any location in your house!

[lsequeira]

Thank you. That was a very useful comparative analysis although l would have appreciated your opinion on audio quality when listening to music and movie sound (when connected to a TV by bluetooth).

[StefanGenov]

I bought Google Home 2 days ago and truly i was very surprised i was looking for blowtorch speaker for my kitchen and really happy the music is amazing great bass really recommend.

[lauriegagnier]

Honestly, I watched hundreds of reviews pitting Google Home against the amazon Echo, and yours is one of the best - very detailed. For me, in the end I chose the Echo for all the reasons you listed and for its “drop in” function. I bought one echo and 3 dots and now I can use the system as a home intercom to reach the various family members. I also liked that I could group the echos together for music throughout the house. I have found the Echo to answer all questions, the only trick sometimes being the “way” you ask it. I love that I can get flash briefings, weather, and my calendar outline all before my feet hit the floor.

[juanpaulr]

I started with the echo and found it to be very reliable as well as flexible. I guess it depends on your wants and needs. I wanted to make my house a smart house and I have and wanted the echo for voice control. Echo does an excellent job with smart things. I am not sure if google home can do multi room music but I find this a huge plus for the echo. The price point for the echo device's are great. Even getting older generations are still a good value. Thanks for the comparison reviews.

[JoeDplummer_]

I have both devices... and If you are after home automatization, Alexa it's easier to work with and has more possibilities.

[nandyneelam]

Google can also change voice to male.My cousin was suprised!

[ariobarzane]

Excellent review, very systematically and logical flow of the presentation, hence I became a subscriber 👍😄

[afpitbull]

I took the easy way out and purchased one of each. Great stuff, Erin!

[Boswd]

I have the Google home mini and i'm not sure why you have to keep uninstalling and reinstalling lighting sytemt, I have the Philips hue's system and I've been gradually adding on every so often and NEVER had to do it all from scratch. There was one time it didn't recognize a new bulb but you say "hey Google refresh Philips Hue" and that did the trick. but otherwise no you don't have to keep reinstalling.

[siddacoolest]

I am interested in the Nest ecosystem..Smart thermostats, doorbell, does Google work better with that.. or does Echo work equally well?

[andyjohn]

I have a google home which is very impressive, liking the choice of uk music providers, it’s great quality bass sound and how it operates my 3rd gen chromecast and smart plugs, also have the home mini and nest hub, was using the nest hub as a daily bedside clock due to its clock like look but now trying out the google home instead and it’s really good, only difference is asking google to tell me the time as its an audio device, 100% thumbs up

[glennmillen]

Thanks for the video, I am a quadriplegic and I have started using a Amazon Alexa Echo dot to make my life more independent. I live in South Africa so not all the services are available, .

[newolympiangod]

I have Echo I have 3 might get a 4th. But I enjoy it a lot pretty cheap and simple to use. I even got my 61 year old mother a Echo Dot and she uses it everyday and loves it. I might upgrade her to a regular Echo so she can put the dot in her home office.

[motto]

Which is smarter in answering questions? Can you ask either 1 to wake you up 20 mins later for a quick nap? Can you ask them to sing a song?

[sofianegaming]

Nice Video but you forgot to talk about sound quality

[TCHGY]

Great review! Another reason to get the echo is that if you are an Amazon Prime member in Canada you get Amazon Prime music that works fantastic with the echo as well! I like the sound quality on the echo over the Google home as well!

[lsequeira]

Was hoping to get a comparison of sound quality as well - bass, depth and punch, clarity, frequency response and harmonic distortion.

[elaynelaakso]

Totally agree Echo is the winner for me!! Thanks for the great review

[andyjohn]

I have a google home hub and a home mini in charcoal, both are great devices, music is great when bass and treble are turned up full blast and both devices are playing together, since seeing the Amazon Echo 2nd Gen on your video, this device looks Awsome with Alexa and the coloured circle is amazing when it lights up after calling Alexas name, also Alexa uses national rail uk for train times and journey planning which is brilliant where as google uses the trainline uk which isn’t very appealing, 10 out of 10 for Alexa