Smart Displays / Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) vs Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025)
Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) vs Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025)
Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025)
The one to buy — if you can live without the camera shutter Amazon just deleted.
Wins overall by 0.1 points
Quick Verdict
Too close to call on score alone: 0.1 points separate them. The one to buy — if you can live without the camera shutter Amazon just deleted. The Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) answers with a different set of strengths, so let the categories below decide it.
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) and Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) are both current-generation smart Display models, and the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) is $40 cheaper than the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) ($179.99 vs $219.99). On Value, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) leads (7.5 vs 6.5/10) — hardware and features relative to price, including accessories that are not in the box. On Display Quality, the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) leads (8.0 vs 7.5/10) — size, resolution and pixel density for the money. On Ad Freedom, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) leads (3.5 vs 3.0/10) — how much of the screen you paid for the vendor sells back to you, and whether you can turn it off. Overall, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) scores 6.4/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.3/10 for the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025), though the gap is close enough that your specific use case should decide it. 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 8 (4th Gen, 2025) | Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $179.99 | $219.99 |
| Release Year | 2025 | 2025 |
| 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 | 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 |
| Screen Size (in) | 8.7 | 11.95✓ |
| Resolution | Sources conflict: PCMag's spec sheet lists 1,340 x 800, while Amazon publishes only 'over a million pixels' | Sources conflict: Amazon markets it as 'Full HD' and owners report 1920 x 1200, while TechRadar's review spec box lists 1280 x 800 |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | 13 MP with auto-framing, 3.3x zoom and ambient noise reduction | 13 MP with auto-framing, 3.3x zoom and ambient noise reduction |
| Physical Camera Shutter | NO physical shutter — the 2025 redesign removed it; only an on-device button that electronically disables camera and mics | NO physical shutter — TechRadar's review headline calls it out; only a software camera/mic disable button |
| Speakers | Two front-firing full-range drivers plus one custom woofer, tuned for spatial audio | One 2.8-inch woofer plus two full-range drivers, front-firing, with spatial audio processing |
| Smart Home Hub Radios | Zigbee hub + Matter controller + Thread — Amazon's press material confirms all three radios on this generation | Zigbee hub + Matter controller + Thread — same radio set as the Echo Show 8 (2025) |
| Subscriptions Required | Alexa+ requires Prime or $19.99/mo; Ring event summaries shown in Amazon's marketing require a Ring subscription; Oura integration requires an Oura account and its subscription | Alexa+ requires Prime or $19.99/mo; Ring camera summaries need a Ring plan |
| 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 | Sponsored cards appear on the home screen; Amazon's own help page says these ads cannot be turned off, only swiped away |
| Video Calling | Alexa calling and Drop In within the Alexa ecosystem; no Meet, no FaceTime, and Skype ended in May 2025 | Alexa calling and Drop In only — nothing outside Amazon's own ecosystem |
| Wall Mountable | No | No |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Graphite, Glacier White | Graphite, Glacier White |
Category Scores
Display Quality
The Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 7.5 — a 0.5-point margin on size, resolution and pixel density for the money. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Sound
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) and Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) are level here, at 7.5/10 each. whether it is honestly a music speaker or just a voice speaker with a screen is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Assistant
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) and Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) are level here, at 8.0/10 each. how capable and responsive the built-in assistant actually is on this hardware is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Smart Home Hub
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) and Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) are level here, at 8.5/10 each. zigbee, Matter and Thread border-router support — often the real reason to buy the bigger model is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Ecosystem Freedom
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) and Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) are level here, at 4.5/10 each. how much of a rival ecosystem's gear, apps and calling networks it will still talk to is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Privacy Hardware
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) and Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) are level here, at 4.5/10 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 Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) leads clearly here, 3.5 against 3.0 — a 0.5-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 11 (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 6.5 — 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 Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) if…
- • Value matters most to you — the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) scores 7.5/10 here (hardware and features relative to price, including accessories that are not in the box).
- • Ad Freedom matters most to you — the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) scores 3.5/10 here (how much of the screen you paid for the vendor sells back to you, and whether you can turn it off).
- • You want to spend less — it's $40 cheaper.
Choose the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) if…
- • Display Quality matters most to you — the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) scores 8.0/10 here (size, resolution and pixel density for the money).
- • Your main use case is family-organizer.
Pros & Cons
Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025)
Pros
- +Best sound-per-dollar in the category — a real woofer, not a single full-range cone
- +Zigbee, Thread and Matter in a $179.99 tabletop display
- +13 MP auto-framing camera is a serious upgrade over the 2 MP Show 5
- +AZ3 Pro makes it the most responsive Echo Show yet, by a wide margin
Cons
- −Amazon deleted the physical camera shutter in this generation — a software toggle is all you get now
- −Sponsored home-screen content cannot be turned off, per Amazon's own help pages
- −Alexa+, the entire pitch of the device, is gated behind Prime or $19.99/mo
- −Amazon publishes no resolution figure; the only numbers available come from third parties
- −Omnisense presence sensing means the device is always modelling who is in the room
Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025)
Pros
- +Biggest, brightest tabletop screen Amazon sells — genuinely readable across a kitchen
- +Same Zigbee + Thread + Matter hub as the Show 8, so nothing is held back
- +Fixed screen is more reliable than the motorised Echo Show 10 it replaces
- +13 MP camera panning and zoom make it a credible indoor camera when you are out
Cons
- −$40 more than the Echo Show 8 for a bigger panel and effectively identical internals
- −No physical camera shutter, on a device with a camera that actively tracks people
- −Buyer reviews repeatedly single out full-screen sponsored content that cannot be disabled
- −Amazon does not publish a resolution figure and third-party sources disagree
- −Alexa+ still requires Prime or $19.99/mo despite the $219.99 hardware price
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) or Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) 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 Value, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) or the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025)?+
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) scores higher on Value (7.5/10 vs 6.5/10) — hardware and features relative to price, including accessories that are not in the box.
Which is better for Display Quality, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) or the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025)?+
The Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) scores higher on Display Quality (8.0/10 vs 7.5/10) — size, resolution and pixel density for the money.
Which is better for Ad Freedom, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) or the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025)?+
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) scores higher on Ad Freedom (3.5/10 vs 3.0/10) — 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 Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) or the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025)?+
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) scores higher on Sound (7.5/10 vs 7.5/10) — whether it is honestly a music speaker or just a voice speaker with a screen.
Is the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) worth the price difference over the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025)?+
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) is the cheaper option at $179.99 versus $219.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Value.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) is the better fit if you mainly care about kitchen or smart-home-control. The Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) is the better fit for family-organizer.
What's the warranty on the Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) vs the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025)?+
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) 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 8 (4th Gen, 2025) — $179.99
Premium Option
Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) — $219.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.