Smart Displays / Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) vs Google Nest Hub Max
Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) vs Google Nest Hub Max
Google Nest Hub Max
Seven-year-old hardware, the best speakers in the category, and no successor in sight.
Wins overall by 0.4 points
Quick Verdict
A 0.4-point gap makes the Google Nest Hub Max the straightforward choice here. Seven-year-old hardware, the best speakers in the category, and no successor in sight.
The Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) and Google Nest Hub Max are both closely matched smart Display models, and the Google Nest Hub Max is $171 cheaper than the Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) ($229 vs $399.99). On Ad Freedom, the Google Nest Hub Max leads (9.0 vs 3.5/10) — 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 Max leads (8.0 vs 6.5/10) — whether it is honestly a music speaker or just a voice speaker with a screen. On Smart Home Hub, the Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) leads (9.0 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 Max scores 6.7/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.3/10 for the Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024). 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 Show 21 (2024) | Google Nest Hub Max |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.99 | $229.00 |
| Release Year | 2024 | 2019 |
| 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) | 21✓ | 10 |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1280 x 800 |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | 13 MP centred camera with auto-framing and 3.3x zoom | 6.5 MP, 127-degree field of view, Face Match and auto-framing; also works as a Nest indoor camera |
| Physical Camera Shutter | Yes — physical shutter, plus a mic/camera off button | No sliding shutter — a hardware switch on the back electrically disconnects the camera and mics and turns the status LED green |
| Speakers | Two 2-inch woofers plus two 0.6-inch tweeters — identical to the 15.6-inch model | Two 18 mm 10 W tweeters plus one 75 mm 30 W woofer (stereo) |
| Smart Home Hub Radios | Zigbee hub + Matter controller + Thread border router (Amazon's own tech specs; one third-party FAQ claims Matter over Wi-Fi only, which contradicts Amazon and the launch press release) | Matter controller AND Thread border router — one of only three Google devices Google lists as a border router |
| Subscriptions Required | Alexa+ requires Prime or $19.99/mo; every Fire TV streaming service is billed separately | Voice control is free, but the camera-history and familiar-face features the product is sold on need Google Home Premium ($10/mo Standard or $20/mo Advanced) |
| Home-Screen Ads | Sponsored cards appear on the home screen; Amazon's own help page says these ads cannot be turned off, only swiped away | No sponsored cards — the ambient screen is Google Photos, weather and your own content |
| Video Calling | Alexa calling and Drop In only | Google Meet only; Duo was retired into Meet in October 2025 and Zoom support was dropped in 2023 |
| Wall Mountable | Yes | No |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Black | Charcoal |
Category Scores
Display Quality
The Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.0 — a 1.0-point margin on size, resolution and pixel density for the money. If that is what you are buying for, the Google Nest Hub Max does not close the gap elsewhere.
Sound
The Google Nest Hub Max leads clearly here, 8.0 against 6.5 — a 1.5-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 Show 21 (2024) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Assistant
The Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 6.5 — a 1.0-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 Max does not close the gap elsewhere.
Smart Home Hub
The Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 7.5 — a 1.5-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 Max does not close the gap elsewhere.
Ecosystem Freedom
The Google Nest Hub Max leads clearly here, 5.5 against 4.5 — a 1.0-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 Show 21 (2024) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Privacy Hardware
The Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) and Google Nest Hub Max are level here, at 6.5/10 each. physical camera shutters, hardware mic cut-offs and how much sensing runs by default is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Ad Freedom
The Google Nest Hub Max leads clearly here, 9.0 against 3.5 — a 5.5-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 Show 21 (2024) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) leads clearly here, 5.5 against 4.5 — a 1.0-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 Google Nest Hub Max does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) if…
- • Smart Home Hub matters most to you — the Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) scores 9.0/10 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 Show 21 (2024) scores 7.0/10 here (size, resolution and pixel density for the money).
- • Assistant matters most to you — the Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) scores 7.5/10 here (how capable and responsive the built-in assistant actually is on this hardware).
- • Your main use case is family-organizer.
Choose the Google Nest Hub Max if…
- • Ad Freedom matters most to you — the Google Nest Hub Max 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 Max scores 8.0/10 here (whether it is honestly a music speaker or just a voice speaker with a screen).
- • You want to spend less — it's $171 cheaper.
Pros & Cons
Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024)
Pros
- +Nothing else in the category comes close to 21 inches on a kitchen wall
- +Keeps the physical camera shutter, unlike the newer Show 8 and 11
- +Complete hub: Zigbee, Thread border router and Matter
- +Wall mount and Fire TV remote are both in the box
Cons
- −1920 x 1080 stretched across 21 inches is about 105 ppi — pixels are visible up close
- −Same two woofers and two tweeters as the 15.6-inch model, in a much larger cabinet
- −$399.99 buys a 1080p panel; a same-sized 1080p TV plus a Fire TV Stick costs far less
- −Counter stand $99.99 and frame kit $39.99 are both extra
- −Sponsored home-screen content cannot be disabled, on the biggest screen Amazon sells
Google Nest Hub Max
Pros
- +The best-sounding smart display here — a real 75 mm woofer and two tweeters
- +Hardware camera/mic switch cuts power rather than just toggling software
- +No advertising on the ambient screen at all
- +Face Match personalises the screen without you touching it, and it doubles as a Nest camera
Cons
- −A 2019 product still priced at $229 in 2026, with several colourways already sold out
- −No physical lens cover — the privacy control is a switch, not a shutter
- −Camera history and familiar-face alerts need a Google Home Premium subscription
- −Video calling is Google Meet only; Zoom and Duo are both gone
- −Google has stripped most on-device apps from Nest displays and has not shipped a successor
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) or Google Nest Hub Max better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Google Nest Hub Max 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 Show 21 (2024) or the Google Nest Hub Max?+
The Google Nest Hub Max scores higher on Ad Freedom (9.0/10 vs 3.5/10) — 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 Show 21 (2024) or the Google Nest Hub Max?+
The Google Nest Hub Max scores higher on Sound (8.0/10 vs 6.5/10) — 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 Show 21 (2024) or the Google Nest Hub Max?+
The Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) scores higher on Smart Home Hub (9.0/10 vs 7.5/10) — zigbee, Matter and Thread border-router support — often the real reason to buy the bigger model.
Which is better for Display Quality, the Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) or the Google Nest Hub Max?+
The Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) scores higher on Display Quality (7.0/10 vs 6.0/10) — size, resolution and pixel density for the money.
Is the Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) worth the price difference over the Google Nest Hub Max?+
The Google Nest Hub Max is the cheaper option at $229 versus $399.99. 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 Show 21 (2024) is the better fit if you mainly care about family-organizer. The Google Nest Hub Max is the better fit for kitchen or video-calling.
What's the warranty on the Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) vs the Google Nest Hub Max?+
The Amazon Echo Show 21 (2024) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Google Nest Hub Max 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
Amazon Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen, 2024) — $299.99
Premium Option
Google Pixel Tablet (128 GB, dock sold separately) — $399.00
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.