Amazon Echo Dot or Google Nest Mini: Which Smart Speaker Should You Buy?

Smart speakers and their respective personal assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant are a convenient way to stream your favorite music, control your smart home devices, and ask just about any question that may cross your mind.

The best part?

You can start from a small device like Amazon's Echo Dot (

MX $ 1,299 and

$ 49.99) or Google's Nest Mini, the least expensive smart speakers you can buy.

But which one is the best for you?

Here is everything you need to know before choosing.

You should buy an Echo Dot if ...

You use Alexa to control your home

Arguably, Amazon and its Alexa platform ushered in the use of smart speakers and personal assistants to control connected home devices.

In addition to extensive support, Amazon owns several smart home companies, such as Ring and Blink, and they all work without a hitch using any of Amazon's Echo devices.

If you're looking for an inexpensive smart speaker and you've already invested in smart lights, garage door openers, and other home devices that integrate with Alexa, the Echo Dot (

MX $ 1,299 and

USD $ 49.99) is a clear option.

You want a smart watch and speaker for your nightstand

Unlike the Nest Mini, which is sold in a handful of colors, you can choose from several different models with the Echo Dot.

For example, the standard balloon-shaped Echo Dot comes in three colors (

MX $ 1,299 and

$ 49.99), while the Echo Dot With Clock comes in two colors and features a digital clock that you can see through the fabric cover (

MX $ 1,549 and

USD $ 59.98).

The Echo Dot and, for that matter, the Nest Mini can fill a small room with your favorite songs from most music services like Spotify and Amazon Music, but don't expect to be too impressed with the audio quality.

That being said, they are both perfectly proficient when it comes to listening to podcasts and music sessions.

You should buy a Nest Mini if ​​...

You use Google Home to control your smart devices

The Nest Mini uses the Google Assistant for voice interactions, which also links to the Google Home app.

If you have smart home devices like a Nest thermostat or a compatible lock for your front door setup and connected to Google Home, the Nest Mini is for you.

You can activate the Google Assistant by saying "Hey Google" or "OK ​​Google" followed by your request.

For example, "Hi Google, set the temperature to 27 degrees."

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You use an Android phone

The Google Assistant isn't just limited to the Nest Mini, it's built into Android phones as well.

When the Assistant is linked to your Google account and, by extension, your smartphone and smart speaker, you don't have to worry about linking multiple accounts to different platforms (like your calendar to Alexa): you can talk and interact with the Assistant. Google on the Nest Mini like you do on your phone.

That means you can request your daily schedule, play music on your preferred streaming service, or get news updates using the same commands on any device and get the same results.

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In conclusion

In the end there is not a big difference between the Echo Dot and the Nest Mini.

Both are affordable and support a wide range of music streaming services and smart home platforms.

Where the Echo Dot and Nest Mini start to diverge is when it comes to the rest of the devices you use on a daily basis.

If you primarily have an Android and Google setup, the Nest Mini makes perfect sense.

However, if you've already invested in Amazon devices, the Echo Dot is the right one for you.

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