How Much Does Alexa Cost? What are some Hidden Fees?

Amazon Alexa, which is more commonly known as Alexa, is the smart AI voice assistant which is built into Echo devices, various third-party smart speakers, and the Amazon Alexa app.

Alex can help you perform a variety of functions like music streaming, setting alarms, giving you the latest news and weather updates, and even turning on or off your home’s lights.

A commonly asked question is how much does Alexa cost? Is Alexa free?

There are no monthly subscription fees to use Alexa; however, an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, or third-party smart speaker that costs $40+ is required to enable free Alexa features.

You can increase the capabilities of your Alexa device by subscribing to additional services, like Amazon Music Unlimited, Amazon Prime, Audible, and Spotify.

To learn more about what it costs to use Alexa with the different devices, find out which features are free and which cost, and find out how to get access to free music, read on.

Does Alexa require a monthly fee? What are some hidden costs?

There is no monthly fee to use Alexa on Alexa-enabled devices. However, there are other services that have monthly fees, such as Amazon Prime.

If you use an Amazon Alexa speaker, the only indirect monthly cost may be for the internet, and this is necessary for everything except the most basic functions of Alexa.

To take advantage of Alexa on the Amazon Echo, you will need to purchase a smart speaker or TV set-top box, and the devices range in price from $20 to $100. Prices of products in the same type range, including some of the most expensive ones, can range up to $250.

What are some additional costs for Alexa?

Some of Amazon’s Alexa skills require a separate subscription, often apps for monitoring or music and video streaming services.

If you have Amazon Prime, an Amazon Prime subscription gives you access to Prime Music, Prime Video, and other Amazon services on your Alexa device. It’s not a required subscription, but having Prime does give you more value from your Alexa.

Generally, if you already subscribe to a streaming service, it’s free to enable its Alexa skills. If you’re on a paid tier with a music service, you may find that you can’t use the skill with Echo devices. An example of this is that only Premium subscribers can play Spotify through Alexa.

Below are some of the most popular ones and the range in their price.

• Alexa Guard – Popular choice of security protection is the Alexa Guard which only costs $4.99/month because Alexa cannot call 911.
• Spotify Premium-  A $9.99/month music service with over 70 million songs.
• Amazon Prime Video – The Amazon Prime Video streaming service costs $8.99/month, or is available for free to those with an Amazon Prime membership. This service is available on Echo Show or Amazon Fire TV.

FAQ

Can you play free music on Alexa?

There are many ways to listen to free music through your Echo device, but the easiest and most common way is to use Amazon Music’s free version. Alternatively, you can subscribe to free streaming services, although these may not be quite as effective as a premium plan.

No matter what, Amazon Music’s free streaming service will have its limitations. For instance, you will have access to thousands of playlists and stations, but you won’t be able to request a specific song. Commercials will air as well.

But if you’re a Prime member, you’ll have access to 2 million songs without commercials and be able to listen to whatever you want. And if you’re an Amazon Music Unlimited member, you’ll have access to 75 million songs.

You may also want to consider alternatives such as Apple Music, Spotify, iHeart, SiriusXM, and Pandora.

Do you need an Amazon Prime account to use Alexa?

To take advantage of Alexa, you do not need to purchase an Amazon Prime membership, but there are Alexa-related benefits reserved for Prime subscribers.

Amazon Prime subscribers have access to exclusive features not available to non-subscribers. 

For example, they can order items on Amazon for next-day delivery, listen to Prime Music without any commercials, and so on. Prime Video is available on the Echo Show.

As for other perks, customers can take advantage of Amazon’s voice-enabled device deals and receive two free audiobooks from Audible.

In conclusion

To get started with Alexa, all you really need to pay for is a smart speaker or display. Usually, this will be an Amazon Echo.

Most of Alexa’s basic functions are 100% free with no monthly fees. The only thing you need in order to use Alexa is an Amazon account. It won’t cost you a penny as there are no subscriptions to keep your smart devices connected except for the one-time speaker purchase.

When you’ve linked your Amazon account to a range of devices, you can easily sign in and start asking Alexa for the answers you need.