Amazon has cornered the market on inexpensive and easy-to-use smart home devices with its Echo lineup. Two of its tiniest (yet still feature-packed) offerings are the Echo Dot, now on its 5th generation, and the Echo Pop, which debuted in 2023. Both smart speakers cost under $50 and regularly go on sale during Prime Day events. With Black Friday just around the corner, they’re on sale yet again.
And while the two devices are remarkably similar, there are some key differences you should know before you pick one. Here’s how the Echo Dot (5th gen) and the Echo Pop compare, based on my first-hand insights using them both.
Echo Dot vs. Echo Pop: Specs
Credit: Chart: SaVanna Shoemaker / Mashable
Design: We like color options
The Echo Dot and the Echo Pop are nearly the same size, but while the Echo Dot is round, the Echo Pop has a flat face. It basically looks like a cross-section of the Dot.
The Echo Dot (left) and Echo Pop (right) — as you can see, the Dot has been graced by toddler spaghetti fingers.
Credit: SaVanna Shoemaker / Mashable
The Echo Dot also comes in three fairly muted colors (gray, white, and blue), but the Echo Pop is available in some, well, poppier colors (lavender and teal in addition to gray and white).
Overall, I like the appearance of the Echo Pop a little better. The brighter colors add a cute splash of color to a corner shelf. The Pop can serve as a more discreet Alexa assistant than the Echo Dot (which is fairly universally recognized as a smart home gadget).
Both have a modern, sleek appearance that can easily complement or blend into your home decor.
Winner: Echo Pop
Setup and ease of use
Amazon has made setting up these devices extremely easy. You’ll need the Alexa app on your phone, and it walks you through setup step-by-step. The app is also where you’ll connect other apps like Spotify or Audible to stream them on your Echo devices using Alexa voice commands.
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The devices themselves are also very straightforward. The physical buttons on them allow you to mute and unmute the microphone and adjust the volume. Everything else is done through voice commands or through the Alexa app. I had no problems setting up either device and both were highly responsive to my “Hey, Alexa’s.”
Winner: Tie
Sound quality is almost identical
Amazon describes the Echo Pop’s sound as a “full sound” that’s a good fit for bedrooms and small spaces and the Echo Dot’s sound as a “bigger vibrant sound” for any room.
In my side-by-side comparisons of the Echo Dot and the Echo Pop, I couldn’t detect a difference in sound quality between the two devices. Both devices were excellent for playing background music in my office or listening to podcasts while doing housework, providing fuller, clearer sound and increased volume compared to my smartphone.
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The Echo Pop does have an ever-so-slightly larger speaker. However, the Dot’s round shape can help it to fill a space with sound no matter where it’s placed.
Winner: Echo Dot
Alexa integration and smart home connectivity
Both the Echo Dot and the Echo Pop integrate with Alexa through the Amazon Alexa app. You can use Alexa to ask questions, check the weather, set timers and alarms, and open connected apps (like music or streaming apps including Spotify, Pandora, Audible, and Amazon Music).
Personally, I have always found Alexa devices most handy in the office and in the kitchen. They provide a hands-free, screen-free way to set timers (for productivity or pizza) or to stream audio. A centrally-located Echo device is also a great way to free up space in your brain. I’ve used Alexa to remind me to water my plants, put birthday cards in the mail, and check the water level in the pool at regular intervals when filling it up for the season.
However, the Echo Dot edges out the Echo Pop here in two key ways: temperature sensing and motion detection. So your Echo Dot can execute Alexa Routines that involve temperature or motion, while the Echo Pop can’t. Some examples:
Winner: Echo Dot
Considering additional features
The Echo Dot and the Echo Pop can both serve as WiFi extenders if you have an existing Amazon Eero network, adding up to 1,000 square feet of additional WiFi coverage.
However, once again the Echo Dot edges out the Echo Pop in terms of extra features. As mentioned above, the Dot comes equipped with motion and temperature detection capabilities.
Winner: Echo Dot
