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Every November the same two boxes end up in shopping carts: the small Echo Show 5 and the mid-size Echo Show 8. Both are made by Amazon, both run Alexa and both are sold as "Designed for Alexa+". So the question most people actually have is simple: is the bigger one worth it, and for which room?
I set up and look after the smart home gear in our house and in the properties I rent out: smart plugs, sensors, timers and the routines that tie them together. I haven't owned these two exact models, so this comparison is built on Amazon's own spec sheets, independent reviews and a close reading of what owners say after months of use. Where my own setups explain something, I say so.
Quick picks
8.7-inch HD screen, much bigger sound, built-in smart home hub, 13 MP auto-framing camera.
Check price on AmazonCompact alarm clock with a screen, auto-dimming night mode, built-in camera shutter.
Check price on AmazonTilts and swivels the screen toward the counter or the sofa. Sold separately.
Check price on AmazonShopping for Black Friday? Echo devices are among Amazon's most discounted items every holiday season. Add the one you want to your cart or list now, so it is ready when the deal starts.
Echo Show 5 vs Echo Show 8: side-by-side specs
| Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) | Echo Show 8 (2025 release) | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 5.5-inch touchscreen, 960 x 480 | 8.7-inch HD touchscreen, 1340 x 800 |
| Speakers | One 1.75-inch full-range speaker | 2.8-inch woofer + two full-range drivers, spatial audio |
| Camera | 2 MP | 13 MP, auto framing, 3.3x zoom |
| Camera privacy | Yes Built-in sliding shutter + mic/camera off button | No shutter Mic/camera disable button + on-screen camera controls |
| Smart home hub | No | Yes Zigbee, Matter, Thread border router |
| Sensors | Ambient light | Temperature, ambient light, presence detection (Omnisense) |
| Processor | MediaTek MT 8169 B | AZ3 Pro with AI accelerator |
| Wi-Fi | Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Size | 5.8 x 3.6 x 3.2 in | 8.2 x 5 x 5.9 in |
| Weight | 16.1 oz | 37 oz |
| Released | 2023 | November 2025 |
| Alexa+ | Listed as "Designed for Alexa+" | Listed as "Designed for Alexa+" |
| Warranty | 1-year limited | 1-year limited |
From Amazon's technical details on each product page, checked October 19, 2026. Release month for the Show 8 from TechRadar's review.
Screen size, drawn to scale
Numbers like "5.5 inches" and "8.7 inches" undersell the gap. Screens are measured on the diagonal, so the Show 8's display has about 2.7 times the area of the Show 5's. Here are both screens at the same scale:
Round 1: screen and video
The Echo Show 8 has an 8.7-inch HD screen at 1340 x 800, and Amazon says it has 15% more viewing area than the 2023 Show 8 it replaced. That is enough to follow a recipe from across the counter, read a calendar for the whole family, or watch a show while you cook. The listing names Prime Video and Netflix among its streaming services.
The Echo Show 5 has a 5.5-inch screen at 960 x 480. It is sharp enough for the clock, weather, timers, song titles and a doorbell feed, but long recipes need scrolling and video is a small-window experience. Trusted Reviews also notes that Netflix is no longer available on it; Prime Video is.
Winner: Echo Show 8. If you will look at the screen for more than a few seconds at a time, the bigger one is the one you want.
Round 2: sound
This is the biggest difference you will notice on day one. The Show 8 has a 2.8-inch woofer plus two full-range drivers with spatial audio, and Amazon claims up to twice the bass of the previous Show 8. Tom's Guide says its speakers match the Echo Studio's and calls it a display you might actually want to listen to music on.
The Show 5 has a single 1.75-inch speaker. It is fine for news, podcasts, alarms and background music in a bedroom, and better than earlier Show 5 models, but it is not a music speaker.
Winner: Echo Show 8, by a wide margin.
Round 3: smart home hub (the hidden difference)
Most shoppers don't notice this line on the spec sheet, but it matters if you own or plan to buy smart home gear. The Show 8 is a smart home hub: it has a Zigbee radio and works as a Matter controller and Thread border router. That means Zigbee and Thread devices (many smart bulbs, door and window sensors, leak sensors and locks) can pair straight to it, with no separate bridge.
The Show 5 has no hub radio. It controls anything that already works with Alexa over Wi-Fi or through another brand's hub, which covers most smart plugs, cameras and thermostats, but it can't replace a hub.
The Show 8 also has a temperature sensor and presence detection (Amazon's Omnisense), so routines can start when someone walks into the room or when the room gets warm. In my experience with rentals, temperature-triggered routines are one of the most useful automations there are; our leaving-home checklist shows how we use them.
Winner: Echo Show 8. If you own Zigbee or Thread devices, this alone decides it.
Round 4: camera and privacy
The Show 8's 13 MP camera auto-frames you during video calls and offers 3.3x zoom with noise reduction, so you can walk around the kitchen and stay in the picture. You can also use it to check on pets or kids through the Alexa app while you are away.
The Show 5's camera is a basic 2 MP, fine for a quick call. What it has that the Show 8 does not is a built-in sliding shutter. The 2025 Show 8 relies on a button that turns off both the microphones and the camera, plus camera controls in the settings and the app. TechRadar and Tom's Guide both name the missing physical shutter as the main drawback of the new Show 8.
Winner: Show 8 for calls, Show 5 for peace of mind. If a camera in the bedroom bothers you, the Show 5's shutter is a real reason to choose it, and for the Show 8 a small stick-on camera cover is an inexpensive fix.
Round 5: bedroom and alarm clock
Here the small one wins. The Show 5 is the size of an alarm clock, weighs about a pound, and its ambient light sensor dims the screen at night; a night mode can switch the clock face to a dim display on a schedule. Trusted Reviews calls it a strong bedside companion. One quirk to know: tapping the top snoozes an alarm, and you stop it with "Alexa, stop."
The Show 8 can do all the same alarm and dimming tricks, but it is more than twice as heavy, deeper, and brighter in a dark room. On a nightstand it can feel like a small TV.
Winner: Echo Show 5.
What Alexa+ costs on either one
Both devices are sold as "Designed for Alexa+", Amazon's newer AI version of Alexa that handles follow-up questions, longer requests and tasks like finding recipes or booking a table. Since February 4, 2026, Alexa+ has been included for Amazon Prime members in the U.S. at no extra cost; without Prime it costs $19.99 a month, according to Amazon's announcement as reported by MacRumors. The classic Alexa still works for free on both devices.
So the screen you choose doesn't change the cost of Alexa+. What changes is the experience: answers that come with pictures, recipe steps and calendars are simply more useful on the larger screen.
What owners complain about
Echo Show 5
Common complaints
- Small speaker: fine for talk, thin for music
- Small screen for recipes and video, and no Netflix
- Responses from the wrong Echo in homes with many devices
- Rotating home-screen cards and suggestions that some owners find busy; many can be turned off in Settings
Skip it if you want a kitchen screen or a music speaker.
Echo Show 8 (2025)
Common complaints
- No physical camera shutter
- The screen is fixed; tilting it needs the stand, sold separately
- Higher launch price than the 2023 model
- An interface that reviewers call cluttered
Skip it if it is going on a nightstand, or a shutter is a must.
Our summary of independent reviews (TechRadar, Tom's Guide, Trusted Reviews) and recent owner reviews on Amazon, October 2026.
Which one fits your room? Four quick questions
Echo Show 5 or Echo Show 8?
Which should you buy?
Echo Show 8 (2025 release)
Buy it for the kitchen, the living room or a family command center. You get a screen big enough to cook from, sound good enough for music, a sharp auto-framing camera for calls and a smart home hub that can replace a separate bridge. If you're buying one Echo Show for the main room of the house, this is the one.
Skip it if it will sit next to your bed, or you won't use a device without a physical camera shutter.
Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen)
Buy it as a smart alarm clock, a desk screen, a doorbell monitor in another room or a gift for a parent who wants simple video calls. It is small, light, has a built-in shutter, and it is the Echo Show people buy more than one of.
Skip it if you want to follow recipes, watch shows or play music on it.
Amazon Adjustable Stand for Echo Show 8 and 11 (2025)
The Show 8's screen doesn't tilt on its own. Amazon's stand attaches magnetically and lets you tilt and swivel it toward the counter, the stove or the sofa. Tom's Guide counts the stand as a highlight but notes it is an extra purchase.
Want something bigger? The Echo Show 11 uses the same design with a Full HD 11-inch screen and works with the same stand. It makes sense if the display will mainly be for video in a living room.
Setup tips for either one
- Turn on night mode for any bedroom device. In Settings, set it to switch on at a time or when the room gets dark, so the clock dims instead of lighting up the room.
- Trim the home screen. In the home content settings you can switch off the rotating cards you don't care about, which makes the screen calmer and easier to read.
- Name each Echo by room. In homes with several Echo devices, clear room names help Alexa answer from the right one and make "announce" and "drop in" easier.
- Pair Zigbee and Thread devices to the Show 8 directly. Say "Alexa, discover devices" after putting a sensor or bulb in pairing mode. Keep the Show 8 within reasonable range of battery sensors.
- Add your doorbell and cameras. Ring and Blink video shows up on both screens; see our Ring vs Blink battery doorbell comparison and Blink Mini 2K+ vs Tapo C210 for indoor cameras.
- Review privacy settings once. In the Alexa app you can review and delete voice recordings and control camera features. Amazon also turns on Amazon Sidewalk by default on these devices; you can turn it off in the app.
Building out a smart home around your new Echo? Start with smart plugs that work with Alexa, a smart thermostat and water leak sensors, or browse our budget smart home gift ideas.
FAQ
Is the Echo Show 8 worth it over the Echo Show 5?
For a kitchen or living room, yes. The Show 8 has an 8.7-inch screen with about 2.7 times the area, much fuller sound, a 13 MP auto-framing camera and a built-in Zigbee, Thread and Matter hub. For a nightstand or desk, the smaller Show 5 is the better fit.
Does the Echo Show 5 have a camera shutter?
Yes. The Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) has a built-in sliding camera shutter and a microphone and camera off button. The 2025 Echo Show 8 has no physical shutter; it uses a button that disables the microphones and camera, plus camera controls on the device and in the app.
Is the Echo Show 8 a smart home hub?
Yes. Amazon lists the 2025 Echo Show 8 with a Zigbee hub, Matter support and a Thread border router, so compatible sensors, bulbs and locks can pair to it directly. The Echo Show 5 has no hub radio.
Do I need to pay for Alexa+ on an Echo Show?
Alexa+ is included for Amazon Prime members in the U.S.; without Prime it costs $19.99 a month. The classic Alexa keeps working on both devices for free.
Can you watch Netflix on the Echo Show 5?
Trusted Reviews reports that Netflix is no longer available on the Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen), while Prime Video is built in. Amazon's Echo Show 8 (2025) listing names both Prime Video and Netflix.
Which Echo Show is best for a bedroom?
The Echo Show 5. It is alarm-clock sized, weighs about a pound, dims automatically in a dark room with night mode, and has a physical camera shutter.
Does the Echo Show 8 come with a stand?
No. Amazon sells an Adjustable Stand for the 2025 Echo Show 8 and 11 separately, and also a bundle of the Show 8 with the stand.
Related reading
- Fire TV Stick 4K Plus vs Roku Streaming Stick Plus
- Best budget smart home gifts
- Best smart plugs
- Ring vs Blink battery doorbell
- Best smart Christmas lights
- Smart plug problems and fixes
Sources
- TechRadar: Echo Show 8 (4th gen, 2025) review
- Tom's Guide: Echo Show 8 (4th Gen) review
- Trusted Reviews: Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Generation) review
- MacRumors: Amazon's Alexa+ now free for all U.S. Prime members
- Product listings and technical details on Amazon.com for the Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) and Echo Show 8 (2025 release), checked October 19, 2026
Shopping Black Friday? See our Black Friday 2026 smart home and kitchen picks, chosen from our reviews.
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