Alexa+ is Amazon's generative AI version of its Alexa voice assistant. In the United States it costs USD 19.99 per month for people without Amazon Prime and is included with Prime, while in Canada it reached full availability on June 11, 2026, at CAD 27.99 per month plus tax for non-Prime customers. It works on Alexa-enabled devices, at the Alexa website, and in the Alexa app.
Key takeaways
- Amazon announced Alexa+ on February 26, 2025, and says it runs on large language models available through Amazon Bedrock.
- Prime members get Alexa+ at no extra charge in both countries; a text-only chat with usage limits is free for everyone else.
- Usage figures in this article, such as doubled engagement in Canada, are Amazon's own and were not independently audited.
- On March 28, 2025, Amazon ended the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" setting on three Echo models, citing cloud-based AI features.
- Canada's privacy commissioner advises avoiding always-on microphones and keeping smart devices on a separate guest Wi-Fi network.
From the first Echo to a language-model assistant
Amazon's own materials date the first Echo smart speaker to 2014, and the company says more than 600 million Alexa devices are in use. The classic assistant matched spoken commands to a fixed set of skills, such as timers, music, and smart home controls. Alexa+ puts large language models behind the assistant, which lets it take longer, looser requests and hold a conversation across several turns.
Amazon describes Alexa+ as able to control smart home devices, make reservations, play music, find products, and complete multi-step tasks on the web. It also keeps preferences and context across devices. These are capabilities as the company states them. Its pages give no error rates and do not discuss known limitations, so how often the assistant misunderstands a request is not documented in those sources.
Price and access by country
The table lists what Amazon's pages said on the date checked. Prices and tiers have changed once already, so they should be confirmed before any purchase.
| Item | United States | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Launch milestone | Announced February 26, 2025; Prime tier free from February 2026 | Early Access in November 2025; full availability June 11, 2026 |
| Prime members | Included at no extra cost, shared across the household | Included at no extra cost, shared across the household |
| Without Prime | USD 19.99 per month | CAD 27.99 per month plus tax |
| Free option | Text chat at the Alexa website and in the app, limited by use | Text chat at the Alexa website and in the app, limited by use |
| Languages named | English | English and French |
Amazon's Canadian release says engagement with Alexa+ is about twice that of the previous Alexa, smart home feature use rose 60 percent, and recipe requests rose fivefold. These are company-reported comparisons, and the release does not state the sample or the period.
What happens to voice recordings
Cloud processing is the main privacy change that came with generative features. In a March 2025 email, Amazon told owners of the fourth-generation Echo Dot, the Echo Show 10, and the Echo Show 15 that it would stop supporting the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" option on March 28, 2025. Amazon's stated reason was that its expanding generative AI features rely on the processing power of its cloud. The company added that its commitment to protecting customer privacy and keeping data secure was not changing, as News coverage reported on March 15, 2025.
Amazon says interactions and settings are collected in the Alexa Privacy dashboard, where users can manage them. Details such as how long recordings are kept depend on the settings chosen there, and the options can change, so the dashboard itself is the reference.
A settings checklist based on regulator advice
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada page on smart devices, last modified August 20, 2020, gives advice that applies to voice assistants generally. Its main points, turned into a short list:
- Prefer devices that record only when actively used, and avoid always-on microphones where possible.
- Choose devices that signal recording with a light or a sound.
- Keep audio recording from running as a background app.
- Create a password-protected guest Wi-Fi network just for smart devices, so they stay separate from computers and phones.
- Tell visitors in advance if conversations may be recorded, or turn the device off.
The guidance predates generative assistants, so it does not address language-model features directly.
What could not be confirmed
Several details circulate in tech coverage but were not confirmed against Amazon's own documentation: the full list of supported Echo models, the exact date Alexa+ opened to all U.S. customers, and which language model families sit behind it at a given moment. Amazon's pages say only that Alexa+ uses models available on Amazon Bedrock. Anyone who depends on a specific device or feature should check Amazon's current device help pages.
This article gives general information and does not recommend buying, subscribing to, or avoiding any product. Privacy decisions depend on each household's circumstances.
FAQ
Is Alexa+ free?
For Prime members in the United States and Canada, it is included. Others can use a text-only chat that is limited by use, or pay USD 19.99 per month in the U.S. or CAD 27.99 per month plus tax in Canada for the full version.
Is Alexa+ available in French?
Amazon's Canadian announcement dated June 11, 2026, says it is available in English and French across Canada.
Does Alexa+ send recordings to the cloud?
Amazon ended its option to keep voice processing off the cloud on certain Echo models in March 2025, saying its generative features need cloud processing. Saved recordings and settings are managed through the Alexa Privacy dashboard.
Is Alexa+ the same as the original Alexa?
No. The original assistant matched commands to fixed skills, while Alexa+ is built on large language models available through Amazon Bedrock, according to Amazon.
Related reading
- How a voice assistant is built
- GPT-3 and large language models
- Chatbots built on GPT technology
- AI and everyday communication
More in AI Tools and Industry.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- Introducing Alexa+, the next generation of Alexa, Amazon, February 26, 2025 (page updated 2026)
- Alexa+ now available to everyone in the US, and free for Prime members, Amazon, 2026
- Alexa+ is now available to everyone in Canada and free for Prime members, Amazon Canada, June 11, 2026
- Amazon's Echo will send all voice recordings to the cloud starting March 28, March 15, 2025
- Smart devices and your privacy, Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, modified August 20, 2020