Amazon Echo (4th Gen) vs Sonos Five comparison

Updated August 2026

Data from Amazon and official Sonos site.

2026 verdict

As an everyday smart speaker, the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) beats the Sonos Five on price, owner rating and smart home reach: it bundles a Zigbee coordinator, Thread border router and Matter bridge with temperature and motion sensors and subscription-based safety alerts. The Sonos Five plays a different role entirely, a big, premium hi-fi speaker (364 x 203 x 154 mm, 6.3kg) built for sound, and it leads on integrations (Google Home, Alexa, Apple Home, Home Assistant), voice-assistant options (Alexa and Sonos Voice Control) and a 1-year warranty, with a 3.5mm line-in and Ethernet for a turntable or wired setup. Notably, the Five has no Bluetooth by design. Buy the Echo (4th Gen) if you want an affordable hub-and-sensor speaker in an Alexa home; buy the Sonos Five if room-filling music quality is the whole point.

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Feature	Amazon Echo (4th Gen)	Sonos Five	Winner
Price	$99.99	$599.00	Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Rating	4.7	4.4	Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Warranty	90 days	1 year	Sonos Five
Integrations	Alexa, Home Assistant	Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant	Sonos Five
Hub	Zigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Matter Bridge	None	Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Voice Assistant	Amazon Alexa	Amazon Alexa, Sonos Voice Control	Sonos Five
Sensors	Motion, Temperature	None	Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Alerts	Glass breaking, Smoke/CO alarm	None	Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Connectivity	2.4 GHz WiFi, 5 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth	2.4 GHz WiFi, 5 GHz WiFi, Ethernet	Tie

Winner

Amazon

Amazon Echo (4th Gen)

$99.99

Buy on Amazon USA

+ Price: $99.99
+ Rating: 4.7
+ Hub: Zigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Matter Bridge
- Warranty: 90 days vs 1 year
- Integrations: Alexa, Home Assistant vs Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant

Sonos

Sonos Five

$599.00

Buy on Amazon USA

+ Warranty: 1 year
+ Integrations: Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant
+ Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa, Sonos Voice Control
- Price: $599.00 vs $99.99
- Rating: 4.4 vs 4.7

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better overall: Amazon Echo (4th Gen) or Sonos Five?

The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) wins overall on the site: it is much cheaper, higher-rated, and works as a Zigbee and Thread hub with temperature and motion sensors. The Sonos Five leads on integrations, voice options and warranty and delivers far bigger sound, so it is the better pick if audio quality is your priority.

What is the biggest difference between the Echo (4th Gen) and the Sonos Five?

Scale and purpose. The Sonos Five is a large hi-fi speaker with six amplifiers built to fill a room and replace a stereo, while the Echo (4th Gen) is a compact speaker that doubles as a Zigbee, Thread and Matter hub with sensors. One is about sound, the other about smart home control.

Does the Sonos Five have Bluetooth like the Echo (4th Gen)?

No. The Sonos Five deliberately omits Bluetooth to preserve fidelity, streaming over Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2 instead, though it adds a 3.5mm line-in and Ethernet. The Echo (4th Gen) does include Bluetooth alongside dual-band Wi-Fi.

Who should buy the Amazon Echo (4th Gen)?

Alexa users who want an affordable speaker that also acts as a Zigbee and Thread hub with a temperature sensor. It is the smart home and value choice rather than an audiophile pick.

Who should buy the Sonos Five?

Buyers who care most about sound: big, room-filling hi-fi audio, a line-in for a turntable, wide platform support and a 1-year warranty. It is a music-first speaker, not a smart home hub, and works best in a Sonos multi-room setup.

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