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Voice Assistants · Head to head

Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) vs Google Nest Mini (2nd gen)

Full Voice Assistants comparison in 2026

Updated October 2026
Data from Amazon and official Google site.
2026 verdict
Ask Alexa to pull up a recipe and the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is the voice assistant that can put it on a screen.
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
Winner
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
$149.99
Buy on Amazon USACheck price
It leads with an 8 inch color touchscreen, a camera you can switch off, motion and ambient-light sensors, and hub radios the speaker lacks: a Zigbee coordinator and a Thread border router, beside the Matter bridge both include. The Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) is the more affordable voice assistant, a 183 g speaker with a wall mount, play and pause controls, and a conversation agent that can run on the device as well as in the cloud. Each speaks only its own assistant, Home Assistant support is only partial on both, and neither works with Apple Home or SmartThings. Choose the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) for video calls, camera feeds and a countertop hub, and the Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) when a Google Home only needs voice and music.
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FeatureAmazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)Google Nest Mini (2nd gen)Winner
Price$149.99$99.99Google Nest Mini (2nd gen)
Rating4.44.3Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
HubZigbee Coordinator, Thread Border Router, Matter BridgeMatter BridgeAmazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
ScreenYESNOAmazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
SensorsMotion, Ambient LightNoneAmazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
Warranty1 year1 yearTie
Connectivity2.4 GHz WiFi, 5 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth2.4 GHz WiFi, 5 GHz WiFi, BluetoothTie
IntegrationsAlexa, Home AssistantGoogle Home, Home AssistantTie
AlertsGlass breaking, Smoke/CO alarmGlass breaking, Smoke/CO alarmTie
Voice MatchYESYESTie

What the differences mean

Screen and camera

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) has an 8 inch color touchscreen at 1280 x 800 and a camera with an off switch, so recipes, video calls and camera feeds stay in view. The Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) has no screen and no camera, which means every answer is spoken and nothing in the room is being watched.

Hub radios

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) includes a Zigbee coordinator and a Thread border router as well as a Matter bridge, so it can sit at the center of those devices. The Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) has the Matter bridge only. Zigbee and Thread gadgets still need another hub if this speaker is the only voice assistant in the room.

Where it can live

At 183 g, with a wall mount, the Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) can sit flush on a wall or disappear on a shelf. The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) weighs 1034 g and has no wall mount, so it stays on a counter or a nightstand where you can see the screen.

On-device conversation

The Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) can run its conversation agent locally as well as in the cloud. On the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen), speech recognition, the conversation and the spoken reply all stay in the cloud. Speech-to-text is cloud-only on both, so a dead internet still silences either one.

Which one to buy if

What owners say

Owners of both praise a setup that takes minutes and a hardware microphone switch they actually use. After that they are talking about different machines. Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) owners describe the bright screen and spatial audio working together, and they like glancing at Ring or Blink feeds without opening a phone. The complaint that keeps coming back is a home screen that cycles through suggestions and ads, plus the occasional case of audio routing to the wrong speaker. Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) owners single out sound that feels fuller than the puck's size, the flush wall mount, and using it as a chime for a Nest video doorbell. Their gripes are a unit that arrived speaking the wrong language, occasional missed commands, and bass that thins out as the volume goes up.

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 Show 8 (3rd Gen)
  • Google Nest Mini (2nd gen)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which voice assistant is the stronger buy, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) or the Google Nest Mini (2nd gen)?

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen). It adds an 8 inch touchscreen, a camera with an off switch, motion and ambient-light sensors, and Zigbee plus Thread hub radios that the Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) does not have. Pick the Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) instead when you want the more affordable Google speaker and you do not need a screen.

What is the biggest difference between the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) and the Google Nest Mini (2nd gen)?

One is a smart display and the other is a small speaker. The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) shows recipes, calls and camera feeds on an 8 inch touchscreen and can hub Zigbee and Thread. The Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) has no screen, no camera and no Zigbee or Thread radio, and it mounts on a wall.

Do the Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) and the Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) work with the same assistant?

No. The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) works with Alexa and not with Google Home. The Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) works with Google Home and not with Alexa. Neither supports Apple Home or SmartThings, and Home Assistant support is only partial on both. Both include a Matter bridge and voice match.

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

Anyone who wants one countertop voice assistant for video calls, recipes, a look at compatible camera feeds, and a Zigbee and Thread hub. The screen is 8 inches at 1280 x 800, and the camera has an off switch.

Who should buy the Google Nest Mini (2nd gen)?

A Google Home that needs an inexpensive voice assistant in another room, especially on a wall. It weighs 183 g, includes a wall mount and play and pause controls, and can run its conversation agent on the device as well as in the cloud.

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