Best Smart Displays of 2024
The best smart displays can help you manage all of your smart home devices in one place. Check out our top picks.
Our Experts
- Covered the mobile and smart home tech space for the past five years for multiple large publications.
What to consider
Smart home ecosystem
Buy the smart display that uses the same voice assistant you are already using to ensure seamless integration.
Personal use
Smart displays come in many different sizes, so be sure to get the one that best matches your primary use.
Where you plan to put it
Some smart displays can be wall mounted to free up counter or table space, others can't so the larger models will take up more room on table.
Our Picks
Best smart display overall
Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)
Best large smart display
Amazon Echo Show 15
Best smart home control display
Amazon Echo Hub
What to consider
Smart home ecosystem
Buy the smart display that uses the same voice assistant you are already using to ensure seamless integration.
Personal use
Smart displays come in many different sizes, so be sure to get the one that best matches your primary use.
Where you plan to put it
Some smart displays can be wall mounted to free up counter or table space, others can't so the larger models will take up more room on table.
What's the best smart home display for 2024?
There is no shortage of smart devices to add to your home, from smart speakers to smart security cameras and even smart kitchen appliances. Whether you've been collecting them all or are just beginning your smart home journey, using a smart display to easily control all of these devices can elevate your smart home experience. From acting as an alarm clock to watching videos to controlling your smart device collection, we tested and reviewed the best smart displays for your home. And if you know someone with an affinity for smart devices, smart displays are also a great smart home gift.
There are plenty of smart displays to choose from. For now, big players like Google and Amazon dominate the smart display market, with each having released numerous generations of devices. Most recently, we've seen the Amazon Echo Show 8 and the Amazon Echo Hub, the latter of which adds simplicity to controlling your smart home. Google on the other hand has the Google Nest Hub (formerly the Google Home Hub) as well as the Nest Hub Max, which adds face- and gesture-tracking capabilities along with a larger screen -- you can also check out the Google Pixel Tab, which can double as a smart home display and Android tablet.
Nevertheless, whether you're looking to add a smart display to your existing setup or you're just starting your smart home and you find the touchscreen appealing, here are the best models available now. We'll update this list periodically.
Best smart home displays
The latest version of the Nest Hub with Google services arrived in 2021, and it's a great entry point for the category. It's the smartest and best overall, making the low price even more appealing.
Thanks to the built-in Google Assistant, the Nest Hub responds to all of the same voice command options as the Google Home Mini smart speaker. The Google smart display touchscreen is a little small at seven inches, but the adaptive brightness makes pictures look particularly great. Google will even customize a slideshow of family pics as your screensaver.
You can also control your smart home devices, like your smart doorbell, with an intuitively designed control panel. Unlike most of the other smart displays (and unlike its big brother, the Nest Hub Max), the Nest Hub doesn't have a camera, but that might be a bonus if you have privacy concerns and want to put it on your bedside table.
The second-generation smart home hub model includes Sleep Sensing and Quick Gestures thanks to Google's Soli mini radar. The colorful fabric design on this Google Assistant smart display allows the device to blend in anywhere, although the tablet touchscreen comes in handy if you want step-by-step help through a recipe in the kitchen.
The other best smart display
Amazon Echo Show 8 (2023)
For a long time, the Nest Hub occupied pride of place on this list, thanks to its photo display aesthetic, pleasant user interface and more naturalistic voice assistant. It lacks the built-in camera for easy video calls found on the Echo Show 8. Add that to Amazon Alexa's growing smarts, and the Show 8 has been upgraded to share the "best display" honor with the Nest Hub. Both are great smart displays.
With the Show 8, Alexa will respond to your voice control and voice commands, plus you can use the tablet screen to play games, browse recipes, watch movies and Prime Video trailers, control your smart home and more. The 8-inch touchscreen is small enough to stay out of the way but big enough that you won't have to squint. In the mornings, Amazon's sunrise alarm feature can help ease you out of your sleep with a screen that starts getting brighter 15 minutes before your scheduled wake-up time. The camera also comes with a physical shutter for privacy.
Google Assistant still makes better use of the touchscreen than Amazon -- in particular, the cooking directions and smart home controls are better -- but the Echo Show 8 is close enough, and it comes with a camera for video chats. In short, the Show 8 is Amazon's best smart display yet.
Best sounding smart display display
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd gen)
If you want a 10-inch touchscreen powered by Alexa, the third-generation Amazon Echo Show 10 is the latest and greatest in smart display technology. With a motorized base, the Echo Show 10 can follow you around the room during video calls or while you're watching video content on the device. The 10.1-inch tablet HD display looks good, and the device comes with a 13-megapixel front-facing camera, plus a physical shutter for privacy. Amazon also added adaptive color to this Echo device model.
You can use the Echo Show 10 as a smart home security camera and view it remotely in the Alexa app. Group video calling is supported for up to seven people, and Drop In lets you make a call directly to your display from anywhere with the Alexa app. Occupancy and vacancy-based routines can trigger other smart home devices when the Echo Show 10 senses someone entering or leaving the room.
This Alexa device is Amazon's priciest smart home hub display and the most feature-filled smart screen. We think most people will still get by just fine with the Echo Show 8 for considerably less money, but if you're after Amazon's boldest smart display yet with the impressive sound to go with it, this is the way to go. That room-filling sound comes from 2x 1-inch tweeters and a 3-inch woofer to ensure that the audio from the Echo Show 10 is just as elevated as the display itself.
Smart displays let Amazon, Facebook, Google show you answers to your questions
See all photos- Attractive frame design
- Physical camera shutter
- Large, high-res screen
- Widgets could be better
- Lower quality camera and speakers
Widgets display on the home screen as a panel that swipes out from the side.
Best large smart display
Amazon Echo Show 15
For many years, the Echo Show 10 has been Amazon's largest smart display, but in December 2021, we got the Echo Show 15. This 15.1-inch smart display brings everything that you'd expect from the rest of the Echo Show lineup and allows for more screen room, better entertainment options and the flexibility to mount the screen on your wall.
Though users could access many of the best streaming services, like Prime Video and Netflix, on the Show 15 from the start, in September 2022, Amazon brought the full Fire TV interface to the smart display, making it an even better multimedia device. However, due to the device's thinness and rear-firing speakers, audio is a bit of a letdown on the Echo Show 15. Thankfully, you can group speakers together to improve the audio if you have more than one Echo device.
Adding another way to take advantage of the extra large screen real estate, Amazon first introduced Widgets with the Echo Show 15. This feature lets you put small customizable interactive blocks of the things you want to see right on the home screen. I keep my shopping list, a calendar with upcoming events, my favorite smart devices and a weather widget on my device. This makes quickly glancing at information really easy as it is all up front for me.
Widgets display on the home screen as a panel that swipes out from the side.
Best smart home control display
Amazon Echo Hub
The Amazon Echo Hub is truly a smart display because though it does have speakers, you likely won't use them for a party. Instead, the 8-inch display is designed to be a central control point for managing your favorite Alexa smart devices. The easy-to-navigate dashboard allows you to control individual devices or an entire room. This device has been great in my home, with my wife and children less familiar with everything that is set up in our home. This way there's a simple way to see what smart devices are available.
In addition to being a smart home management device, it also functions as an Alexa speaker, allowing you to use voice commands to do everything else you'd expect from a typical smart speaker. The Echo Hub can even be a digital photo frame to show all your favorite memories. But thanks to sensors on the device's front, as you approach it, the screen will show you smart home devices and be ready to help you out.
Smart display comparison
| Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) | Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) | Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd gen) | Amazon Echo Show 15 | Amazon Echo Hub | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Price | $100 (£90, AU$149) | $150 (£119, ~AU$232) | $250 (£135, AU$259) | $280 (£240, AU$399) | $180 (£170, AU$329) |
| Screen Size | 7-inch (177.8 mm) | 8-inch (203.2 mm) | 10.1-inch (256.5 mm) | 15.1-inch (383.5 mm) | 8-inch (203.2 mm) |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 7.00 x 4.70 x 2.70 inches (177.4 x 120.4 x 69.5 mm) | 7.9 x 5.5 x 4.2 inches (200.7 x 139.0 x 106.0 mm) | 9.9 x 9.0 x 6.7 inches (251.46 x 228.60 x 170.18 mm) | 15.8 x 9.9 x 1.4 inches (402 mm x 252 mm x 35 mm) | 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches (202 mm x 137mm x 15mm)" |
| Wireless Connectivity | Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth | Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth | Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth | Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth |
| Voice Assistant | Google Assistant | Alexa | Alexa | Alexa | Alexa |
| Calling and Messaging | Direct dial (US only), audio calls with Google Duo | Alexa Messaging, Skype, direct dial (US and Mexico) | Direct dial, Group calling with Alexa, Zoom, Skype | Direct dial, Group calling with Alexa, Zoom, Skype | Group calling with Alexa |
| Smart kitchen features | Step-by-step recipe assistance with YouTube tutorial videos | Food Network GO; Step-by-step recipe assistance; Amazon Meal Kits integration | Food Network Kitchen; Step-by-step recipe assistance; Amazon Meal Kits integration | Food Network Kitchen; Step-by-step recipe assistance; Amazon Meal Kits integration | Food Network Kitchen; Step-by-step recipe assistance; Amazon Meal Kits integration |
| On-screen smart home controls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Camera | No | Yes (13MP) | Yes (13MP) | Yes (5MP) | No |
| Privacy Shutter | n/a | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a |
| Microphones | 3-mic array | 2-mic array | 2-mic array | 2-mic array | 3-mic array |
| Speakers | Full-range speaker with 1.7-inch (43.5 mm) driver | 2x full range 2-inch 10W speakers | 2x 1-inch tweeters, 3-inch woofer | 2x full range 1.6-inch | Dual speakers |
| Streaming Music Services | iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music | Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, Apple Music | Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, Apple Music | Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, Apple Music | Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, Apple Music |
| Streaming Video Services | YouTube, YouTube TV, Google Play Movies, CBS All Access, HBO Now, Hulu, Disney+, Netflix | Amazon Prime Video, NBC, Vivo, Hulu, Netflix | Amazon Prime Video, NBC, Vivo, Hulu, Netflix | Amazon Prime Video, NBC, Vivo, Hulu, Netflix | Amazon Prime Video, NBC, Vivo, Hulu, Netflix |
| Compatible smart home cameras | D-Link, EZVIZ, Nest Cam, Netgear Arlo, Skybell Video Doorbell, Smartcam, Swann, TP-Link Kasa Cam, Vivitar | Amazon Cloud Cam, Amcrest, August Doorbell Cam, Blink, Canary, D-Link, EZVIZ, Logitech Circle, meShare, Nest Cam, Netgear Arlo, Ring Video Doorbell, Toucan, TP-Link Kasa Cam, Wyze Cam, Zmodo | Amazon Cloud Cam, Amcrest, August Doorbell Cam, Blink, Canary, D-Link, EZVIZ, Logitech Circle, meShare, Nest Cam, Netgear Arlo, Ring Video Doorbell, Toucan, TP-Link Kasa Cam, Wyze Cam, Zmodo | Amazon Cloud Cam, Amcrest, August Doorbell Cam, Blink, Canary, D-Link, EZVIZ, Logitech Circle, meShare, Nest Cam, Netgear Arlo, Ring Video Doorbell, Toucan, TP-Link Kasa Cam, Wyze Cam, Zmodo | Amazon Cloud Cam, Amcrest, August Doorbell Cam, Blink, Canary, D-Link, EZVIZ, Logitech Circle, meShare, Nest Cam, Netgear Arlo, Ring Video Doorbell, Toucan, TP-Link Kasa Cam, Wyze Cam, Zmodo |
| Other notable features | Ambient EQ automatic adaptive screen brightness; Digital picture frame via Google Photos with Live Albums; Live TV with YouTube TV; Sleep Sensing and Quick Gestures; Digital Wellbeing mode for parental restrictions and downtime hours | Sunrise alarms; Customizable clock faces; Customizable alarm tones; YouTube access via Silk or Firefox browsers | Zigbee hub; Adaptive color and brightness; 360 rotating screen with motion tracking; YouTube via Silk or Firefox browsers; Sunrise alarms; Customizable alarms; Customizable motion settings | Visual ID, Wall mountable, FireTV built-in, Energy dashboard, Low-power mode, Widgets | Zigbee hub, Advanced smart home controls, Wall mountable |
| Color options | Charcoal, Mist, Chalk, Sand | Charcoal, Sandstone | Charcoal, Glacier White | White and black | White |
Other smart home displays we tested
Google Nest Hub Max: At over $200, the Nest Hub Max ups the Google Assistant's screen size from 7 to 10 inches and offers better sound quality than before. The real story is the addition of a sophisticated camera that can track movements and gestures, or identify faces to show you personalized info on the screen. It's an impressive combination of hardware and software, but the Google Nest Hub Max comes with privacy concerns. For most people, we think the original, camera-free Nest Hub is a lot closer to the smart display sweet spot.
Amazon Echo Show 5: The Echo Show 5 is the cheapest of Amazon's displays, and it features most of the perks of the Show 8. Its resolution is lower than the Show 8 and its screen is smaller. While it features a tap-to-snooze alarm feature that makes it perfect for a bedside alarm, its sound quality isn't close compared to its bigger siblings.
Amazon Echo Show (second-gen): The original Echo Show helped popularize the smart display back in 2017 and the second-gen Show improved on it in every way with better design, sound quality and a more useful screen. It's a good premium counterpart to the attractive $40 entry point of the Echo Show 5, although it's a little tricky to find in stock at the moment. The second-gen Show has great sound quality and a 10-inch screen. The touchscreen just isn't as useful as similar models with Google Assistant.
Lenovo Smart Display 10: If you want a 10-inch touchscreen powered by Google Assistant, Lenovo's smart display looks elegant and features the same smarts as the Nest Hub. There are three different Lenovo smart display models with 10-, 8- and 7-inch screens. The 10-inch Lenovo smart display has a bamboo back that's particularly well-suited for the kitchen.
Lenovo Smart Clock: This smart alarm trims out a lot of the functionality of smart displays. There's no camera and you can't watch videos. You can customize alarms and scroll through screens with weather and commute info. Thanks to a recent update, you can also look at personal pics and the Smart Clock will scroll through selected albums from Google Photos as your screensaver. It's cute and tailored for your nightstand, but it's more of an upgraded alarm clock than a full smart display.
Factors to consider when buying a smart display
Your smart home ecosystem
We have options on this list that offer both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa as the voice assistant available to help with questions and smart home controls. It is important to pick the smart display that best matches what you already use. If you have an Echo device already in your home, then going with an Echo Show will seamlessly integrate into your home. But if you have a Google Home device, then you'll want a Google Assistant display. If you currently have neither, then go with the one that satisfies your personal preferences best.
What you will mostly use it for
If you plan to use the smart display primarily for controlling your smart home, and you use Alexa, then you'll likely want to go for the Echo Hub. But if you want more of an all-around device that will work great for watching videos, then perhaps a Google Hub Max, Echo Show 10, or Echo Show 15 would best suit your needs.
The amount of space you have on your table or counter
You'll want to consider where you'd like to place this smart display. While something like the Echo Show 8 (2023) or Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) don't need much room, the Echo Show 10 does. But if you go with the Echo Hub or Echo Show 15, you can mount those on the wall with the included hardware to free up more space on your table or counter.