# Amazon Alexa vs SmartThings

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SmartThings at none against Amazon Alexa's 2. SmartThings also leads on review sentiment (31% vs 20%). Amazon Alexa's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (5.9M vs 845K). On price, rating, ads and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Amazon Alexa sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. SmartThings asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Amazon Alexa against 4.6 for SmartThings. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Amazon Alexa has 5.9M ratings behind it against 845K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 20% of Amazon Alexa's written reviews are positive against 31% of SmartThings's.

Amazon Alexa ships an update weekly, SmartThings monthly. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Amazon Alexa | SmartThings |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (5.9M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amazon-alexa/id944011620/reviews) | **[4.6 (845K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartthings/id1222822904/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.9M** | 845K |
| Positive reviews | 20.3% of reviews | **30.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #14 | **#9** |
| Size | 501 MB | 887 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [AMZN Mobile LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/297606954) | [Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/359580642) |

## What reviewers say

### Amazon Alexa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amazon-alexa/id944011620)

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Free · Lifestyle (US App Store)

Manage your smart home devices, control music, and organize your day with voice commands. This app allows you to set up and interact with compatible devices, discover new skills, and stay connected with others. It learns your preferences for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Manage Alexa-enabled devices, Control music playback, View and edit lists, Set reminders and timers, Discover and enable skills, Connect with other devices

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Amazon Kids+ | $6.99 | per month |
| Alexa+ Standard Monthly | $19.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient for controlling smart devices
- 🚀 Helpful for managing reminders and playing music
- 👍 Alexa is a great companion
- 👍 Alexa is funny, nice, and kind
- 👍 Alexa is a lifesaver for the elderly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Inconsistent voice recognition
- 🐛 Cluttered and unintuitive interface
- 🐛 Slow and unresponsive app
- 🐛 Alexa sometimes ignores commands or gives irrelevant responses

**Reported bugs**

- Alexa unable to link to Apple Music account
- Alexa unable to properly control smart plugs and lights
- Alexa unable to maintain connection with Bluetooth speakers
- Alexa unable to consistently set alarms and timers
- Alexa app crashing or becoming unresponsive

**Requested features**

- More customization options for routines
- Better integration with third-party apps
- Ability to control Alexa devices without voice commands
- Option to set custom sounds/music for alarms and timers
- Improved music playback controls in the app


### SmartThings

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartthings/id1222822904)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Free · Lifestyle (US App Store)

Unify and manage all your smart home devices from a single application. Connect hundreds of brands, create custom scenes and routines, and control your home remotely. Monitor energy usage and even get meal planning assistance.

**Highlights:** Connect and control devices from multiple brands, Create custom scenes and routines, Remote home monitoring and control, Automated notifications and status updates, Voice control with Google Assistant, Energy tracking and saving features, Smart cooking and meal planning assistance

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Remote control functionality
- 📚 Laundry cycle recommendations
- 🤖 Automation and scheduling capabilities
- 🔧 Customizable settings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent disconnections and crashes
- ⏱️ Slow and laggy performance
- 🔍 Difficulty connecting and configuring devices
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive user interface
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with location tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to add or remove devices
- Inconsistent device status updates
- Notifications not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to control TV without remote
- Improved photo/artwork management for Frame TV
- More advanced automation and scheduling options
- Better integration with other smart home platforms


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Amazon Alexa free?

Amazon Alexa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SmartThings free?

SmartThings is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Amazon Alexa or SmartThings?

SmartThings is rated higher. Amazon Alexa averages 4.5 out of 5 from 5.9M ratings, while SmartThings averages 4.6 from 845K ratings.

### Do Amazon Alexa or SmartThings have ads?

Neither Amazon Alexa nor SmartThings shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Amazon Alexa or SmartThings?

Amazon Alexa ships an update weekly, and SmartThings monthly. Most recently, Amazon Alexa was updated on October 15, 2026 and SmartThings on October 15, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Amazon Alexa or SmartThings?

Amazon Alexa currently peaks at #14 in the App Store charts, and SmartThings at #9. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*