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Displays · Head to head

Amazon Echo Hub vs Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)

Full Smart Displays comparison in 2026

Updated October 2026
Data from Amazon.
2026 verdict
With the same 8-inch screen and the same hub radios inside, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is the better buy of these two Echo displays, because it adds a camera and usually costs less.
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
Winner
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
$149.99
Buy on Amazon USACheck price
That camera, with its own off switch, handles video calls and Drop In, the speaker is built for music, and with a subscription it can listen for glass breaking and smoke or CO alarms. The Amazon Echo Hub answers with a very different shape: a 15 mm thin panel made for the wall, with an Ethernet port and no camera, built to be a fixed smart home control panel rather than a kitchen companion. Both run Alexa on a 1280 x 800 touchscreen, have a motion sensor and a mic-off switch, and act as a Zigbee coordinator, Thread border router and Matter bridge. Pick the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) for a counter or nightstand, and the Amazon Echo Hub for a wall by the door.
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FeatureAmazon Echo HubAmazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)Winner
Price$179.99$149.99Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
Rating3.94.4Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
Connectivity2.4 GHz WiFi, 5 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth, Ethernet2.4 GHz WiFi, 5 GHz WiFi, BluetoothAmazon Echo Hub
CameraNOYESAmazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
Warranty1 year1 yearTie
IntegrationsAlexa, Home AssistantAlexa, Home AssistantTie
HubZigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Matter BridgeZigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Matter BridgeTie
Screen Size8"8"Tie
Voice AssistantAmazon AlexaAmazon AlexaTie
SensorsMotion, Ambient LightMotion, Ambient LightTie

What the differences mean

Wall panel or tabletop

The Amazon Echo Hub is 15 mm thin and designed to hang on a wall, with an Ethernet port for a wired install. The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is a 106 mm deep tabletop speaker with a screen and no wall mount.

Camera

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) has a camera with an off switch for video calls. The Amazon Echo Hub has none, so it cannot call or see the room.

Sound

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is built around a speaker meant for music, which its owners praise. The Amazon Echo Hub is a slim panel, and owners describe its speakers as weak.

Safety sound alerts

With a subscription, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) can alert you to glass breaking or a smoke or CO alarm. The Amazon Echo Hub does not offer these.

Same where it counts for control

Screen size and resolution, dual-band Wi-Fi, the motion sensor and the Zigbee, Thread and Matter hub radios are identical, so either one runs the same smart home.

Which one to buy if

What owners say

Owners of both Amazon displays lean on them to control the home and pull up Ring and other camera feeds, and both groups have complaints about Amazon's software. Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) owners are won over by the sound, with spatial audio some compare to a HomePod, a bright and snappy screen at a kitchen-friendly size and a camera good enough for video calls, and they report the Alexa+ app rollout breaking speaker groups and music preferences. Amazon Echo Hub owners who wanted a dedicated panel love one screen on the wall for devices, groups and routines, and often run one per room, but they call the software slow and glitchy, the speakers weak and the in-wall power install a project, and some felt it was sold as more than a control panel.

Price history compared

Every price change of both, in the same store, so the gap between the two lines is what one costs more than the other.

  • Amazon Echo Hub
  • Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Echo Show vs Echo Hub: which is better, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) or the Amazon Echo Hub?

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen), for most homes. It has the same 8-inch screen and hub radios, adds a camera and a better speaker, and usually costs less. The Amazon Echo Hub is better only if you want a thin panel on the wall.

What is the difference between the Amazon Echo Hub and the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)?

The Amazon Echo Hub is a wall-mounted control panel with Ethernet and no camera. The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is a tabletop display with a camera and a music speaker. Both have an 8-inch 1280 x 800 screen and the same Zigbee, Thread and Matter hub.

Is the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) a smart home hub like the Amazon Echo Hub?

Yes. The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is a Zigbee coordinator, Thread border router and Matter bridge, exactly like the Amazon Echo Hub, so either can run Zigbee and Thread devices without a separate hub.

Can the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) be wall mounted like the Amazon Echo Hub?

Not as designed. The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is a tabletop device with no wall mount, while the Amazon Echo Hub is built to hang on a wall and is only 15 mm thick.

Who should buy the Amazon Echo Hub?

Alexa households that want a fixed wall panel to control lights, routines and cameras, possibly wired to Ethernet, and do not need a camera or a strong speaker.

Who should buy the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)?

Alexa users who want a kitchen or bedside display for music, recipes and video calls, with a built-in Zigbee, Thread and Matter hub at a lower price.

Full comparison table

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