Smart Displays / Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) vs Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)
Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) vs Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)
Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)
Old hardware, no ads, no camera — and the cheapest Thread border router with a screen.
Wins overall by 0.6 points
Quick Verdict
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) is the stronger all-round pick, ahead by 0.6 points. Old hardware, no ads, no camera — and the cheapest Thread border router with a screen.
The Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) and Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) are both closely matched smart Display models, and the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) is $80 cheaper than the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) ($99.99 vs $179.99). On Ad Freedom, the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) leads (9.0 vs 6.0/10) — how much of the screen you paid for the vendor sells back to you, and whether you can turn it off. On Sound, the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) leads (5.5 vs 3.0/10) — whether it is honestly a music speaker or just a voice speaker with a screen. On Smart Home Hub, the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) leads (9.5 vs 7.5/10) — zigbee, Matter and Thread border-router support — often the real reason to buy the bigger model. Overall, the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) scores 6.9/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.3/10 for the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) | Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $179.99 | $99.99 |
| Release Year | 2024 | 2021 |
| Voice Assistant | Alexa+ — Amazon's own FAQ states there is no free Alexa+ tier on Echo hardware: it needs Prime or a $19.99/mo Standard plan | Gemini for Home (has replaced Google Assistant on this device); basic voice control needs no subscription |
| Screen Size (in) | 8✓ | 7 |
| Resolution | 1280 x 800 | 1024 x 600 |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | No camera | No camera — Soli radar handles presence and gestures instead |
| Physical Camera Shutter | No camera fitted; microphone-off button only | No camera fitted; a hardware microphone switch on the back physically cuts the mics |
| Speakers | Mono speaker — Amazon does not publish the driver size; PCMag describes it as smaller than the Echo Show 8's and reviewers rate it as background-audio-only | One full-range driver — Google publishes no driver size, only '50% more bass than the original Nest Hub, measured 40 Hz to 200 Hz at max volume' |
| Smart Home Hub Radios | Zigbee hub + Matter controller + Thread border router + Amazon Sidewalk — the most complete radio set Amazon puts in a display | Matter controller AND Thread 1.x border router — Google names only Nest Hub (2nd gen), Nest Hub Max and Nest Wifi Pro as its border routers |
| Subscriptions Required | Alexa+ requires Prime or $19.99/mo; Ring Alarm arming works, but Ring video history needs a Ring subscription | No subscription for voice control; Google Home Premium ($10/mo Standard, $20/mo Advanced) is required for camera history and the sound-detection alerts Google advertises on this product page |
| Home-Screen Ads | Dashboard is user-built, but Amazon's sponsored-content rules still apply to Alexa surfaces and cannot be fully disabled | No sponsored cards on the ambient screen — Google sells you a subscription instead of an ad slot |
| Video Calling | None — no camera. It can display other cameras' feeds but cannot originate a video call | None — no camera. Audio calls and Broadcast only |
| Wall Mountable | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | White | Charcoal, Sand |
Category Scores
Display Quality
The Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) leads clearly here, 5.5 against 5.0 — a 0.5-point margin on size, resolution and pixel density for the money. If that is what you are buying for, the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Sound
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) leads clearly here, 5.5 against 3.0 — a 2.5-point margin on whether it is honestly a music speaker or just a voice speaker with a screen. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Assistant
The Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.5 — a 0.5-point margin on how capable and responsive the built-in assistant actually is on this hardware. If that is what you are buying for, the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Smart Home Hub
The Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 7.5 — a 2.0-point margin on zigbee, Matter and Thread border-router support — often the real reason to buy the bigger model. If that is what you are buying for, the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Ecosystem Freedom
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) leads clearly here, 5.5 against 5.0 — a 0.5-point margin on how much of a rival ecosystem's gear, apps and calling networks it will still talk to. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Privacy Hardware
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.0 — a 1.0-point margin on physical camera shutters, hardware mic cut-offs and how much sensing runs by default. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Ad Freedom
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 6.0 — a 3.0-point margin on how much of the screen you paid for the vendor sells back to you, and whether you can turn it off. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.5 — a 0.5-point margin on hardware and features relative to price, including accessories that are not in the box. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) if…
- • Smart Home Hub matters most to you — the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) scores 9.5/10 here (zigbee, Matter and Thread border-router support — often the real reason to buy the bigger model).
- • Display Quality matters most to you — the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) scores 5.5/10 here (size, resolution and pixel density for the money).
- • Your main use case is family-organizer.
Choose the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) if…
- • Ad Freedom matters most to you — the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) scores 9.0/10 here (how much of the screen you paid for the vendor sells back to you, and whether you can turn it off).
- • Sound matters most to you — the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) scores 5.5/10 here (whether it is honestly a music speaker or just a voice speaker with a screen).
- • Privacy Hardware matters most to you — the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) scores 9.0/10 here (physical camera shutters, hardware mic cut-offs and how much sensing runs by default).
- • You want to spend less — it's $80 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is bedside or kitchen.
Pros & Cons
Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel)
Pros
- +Zigbee + Thread border router + Matter for $179.99 — the cheapest way to get all three from Amazon
- +The only Echo designed to sit flush on a wall with cable management in the box
- +No camera, so it can go in a hallway or bedroom without argument
- +Amazon actively rebuilt the interface in June 2026, so it is not a maintenance-mode product
Cons
- −The speaker is genuinely poor — do not buy this to play music
- −No camera means no Drop In video, no video calls and no indoor-camera duty
- −Power over Ethernet is supported but the PoE splitter is not in the box
- −No Z-Wave, so it will not replace a SmartThings or Hubitat hub
- −Costs the same as an Echo Show 8 that has a better screen, a 13 MP camera and the same hub radios
Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)
Pros
- +A genuine Thread border router at $99.99 — no Echo Show under $180 can say that
- +No camera and a real hardware mic cut-off: the best privacy story in the category
- +No sponsored content on the ambient screen, unlike every Echo Show
- +Sleep Sensing via Soli radar is still free, and still unique
Cons
- −Five-year-old hardware at its full 2021 launch price of $99.99
- −Google has stripped most of the on-device 'apps' since 2021 — Netflix, Podcasts, Meet, Reminders and more have gone
- −Google's 2026 replacement is a rumoured 'Google Home Display' that has not shipped, so buying now is buying into an unreplaced product line
- −Sleep Sensing is explicitly a free preview that Google says it may fold into Fitbit Premium later
- −No camera means no video calling at all, and it will not act as an indoor camera
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) or Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Ad Freedom, the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) or the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)?+
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) scores higher on Ad Freedom (9.0/10 vs 6.0/10) — how much of the screen you paid for the vendor sells back to you, and whether you can turn it off.
Which is better for Sound, the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) or the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)?+
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) scores higher on Sound (5.5/10 vs 3.0/10) — whether it is honestly a music speaker or just a voice speaker with a screen.
Which is better for Smart Home Hub, the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) or the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)?+
The Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) scores higher on Smart Home Hub (9.5/10 vs 7.5/10) — zigbee, Matter and Thread border-router support — often the real reason to buy the bigger model.
Which is better for Privacy Hardware, the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) or the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)?+
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) scores higher on Privacy Hardware (9.0/10 vs 8.0/10) — physical camera shutters, hardware mic cut-offs and how much sensing runs by default.
Is the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) worth the price difference over the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)?+
The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) is the cheaper option at $99.99 versus $179.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Ad Freedom.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) is the better fit if you mainly care about family-organizer. The Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) is the better fit for bedside or kitchen.
What's the warranty on the Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) vs the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)?+
The Amazon Echo Hub (8-inch wall panel) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) — $99.99
Premium Option
Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) — $179.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.