Amazon is making Alexa+ available to everyone in the U.S. starting Wednesday, expanding access to its generative AI-powered voice assistant nearly a year after it entered early access. The upgraded assistant will cost $19.99 a month, remain free for Prime subscribers, and will also be available through a standalone Alexa+ website and app with limited free usage.
Alexa+ has been in preview since last March, requiring consumers to join a waitlist or buy newer devices to try the service. Amazon has positioned it as a more capable version of its long-running Alexa assistant, able to handle multiple requests in a conversation and take actions on a user’s behalf, such as booking a repair or ordering an Uber ride.
Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Echo, said tens of millions of people are already using Alexa+ and that engagement has increased across the board, with users having two to three times more conversations compared with the classic assistant. Amazon has also begun automatically upgrading some Prime members in recent weeks, a move that sparked frustration among users who preferred the older version — though the company says customers can revert back with a voice command.