Amazon Echo Hub vs Echo Show 8 (3rd-gen)

Both Alexa smart displays boast smart home features galore, but what is best for you?

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Amazon’s Alexa smart home ecosystem continues to evolve, with the Echo Hub positioned as the company’s first true smart home control panel.

In comparison, the Echo Show 8 (3rd-gen) is the latest in the Echo Show lineup, doubling as an entertainment device and smart home hub.

While both feature Alexa and Matter support – as well as Zigbee – they are pretty different and you might find that one suits your needs better than the other.

In this versus article, we’ll break down the strengths and weaknesses of each device, helping you choose the right one for your needs.

Amazon Echo Hub vs Echo Show 8: Price

The Amazon Echo Hub landed in February 2024 and is currently retailing for $179.99 Stateside and and £169.99 in the UK.

The latest Echo Show 8 first went live at the end of 2023 with a price-tag of $149 / £149, making it a bit more affordable than the Hub.

However, you’d be a fool to pay the full price for any Amazon Echo device as the prices are slashed multiple times a year for things like Prime Day, Black Friday and more.

Amazon Echo Hub vs Echo Show 8: Design and installation

Designed to be wall-mounted, the Hub isn’t your regular Show-style Alexa display device, instead it’s a sleek screen, with a slim 15mm profile and multiple power options, including USB-C and Power-over-Ethernet (PoE).

The installation is straightforward, with everything included in the box for wall mounting.

Should you wish, you can get a table-top stand for it to sit on if you don’t want to wall mount it – but that’s not really the point, is it?

The Hub skips the front facing camera, emphasizing a clean and focused design for smart home control.

Its 1280 x 800 HD display, although functional, is pretty basic and could be more responsive, it’s nowhere near as zippy as a modern Android tablet or iPad.

The Show 8 features a more traditional Show-esque design that can sit on your desk, shelf or a kitchen counter.

Measuring in at 200 x 139 x 106mm, it’s actually a fraction bigger than its predecessor; and it weighs in at just north of 1kg.

It includes a 13MP camera for video calls, making it a better option for people wanting their Alexa display for communication.

The camera on the latest Show 8 is in the middle and this makes for better video calling; which is available through both Alexa Calling and Skype over Echo (sadly, no Zoom on this model.)

Like other recent Echo Show devices, the 3rd-gen 8 has the Home Monitoring remote view mode through the Alexa app, which is handy for checking on your home when you’re away; essentially turning your smart display into a makeshift smart security camera.

An alert pops up on the Show, so anyone in the room will know they’re on camera. You can’t record or store these videos.

The display on the Show 8 is the same resolution as the Hub (which is actually the same as the ancient 2nd-gen Show), but the overall experience is more geared towards casual use rather than being a control panel.

Amazon killed the 3.5mm audio jack for music output on the 2nd-gen Show 8 and there’s no return for it on the 3rd-gen sadly; and they’ve also done away with the USB-C charging port, so there’s no smartphone charging from the Show 8 now either.

Amazon Echo Hub vs Echo Show 8: Features

The Echo Hub is all about smart home control, featuring widgets and a bottom bar that sorts your smart devices into categories like locks, climate, lights, and cameras.

The Hub works well with Alexa’s device mirroring system, but suffers from a lack of filtering options.

Disabling duplicate devices is a hassle, and it lacks compatibility with Z-Wave so its not a complete smart home hub.

However, it supports acts as a Matter controller and Thread border router and boasts both Zigbee and Amazon Sidewalk, ensuring connectivity with most modern smart home setups.

The Show 8 has all of this smart home connectivity too but the controls aren’t as front and center as they appear on the Hub… which is actually annoying, it’d be nice to be able to switch the Show 8 into a dedicated smart home mode to mimmic the Hub.

It does still offer access to Alexa routines, device controls, and that all important Matter support though.

But the Show 8 is more concerned in being an entertainment device. You can stream music, watch videos, or use the device for video calls, as mentioned.

Amazon Echo Hub vs Echo Show 8: Performance

While the Hub’s interface is specifically tailored for smart home control, its performance is somewhat sluggish.

The system is intuitive, but transitions between widgets and device controls could be smoother.

The Hub’s real strength is its ability to display live camera feeds and manage smart devices with ease, though it does favor Amazon’s own Ring cameras and systems for most of the standout features, such as live thumbnails and alarm arming/disarming.

The Show 8’s performance is solid for general use. Whether you’re controlling smart devices, making video calls, or streaming content, the Show 8 delivers without any real issues.

However, when it comes to hardcore smart home tasks, it doesn’t have the same dedicated controls as the Hub – you’ll have to rely on the somewhat limited smart home widgets.

When it comes to listening to music, neither should be a top consideration but the Show 8 is capable of being a pretty good radio companion for the kitchen or a bedside table.

It boasts spatial audio processing technology and room adaption technology, which fine-tunes audio playback for optimal sound.

The outcome is pretty good; while it may not outperform the HomePod or compete with the likes of the Sonos Era 100, it offers a pretty robust audio performance.

The Echo Hub, on the other hand, has a terrible audio quality… you will not want to listen to music on it at all.

Amazon Echo Hub vs Echo Show 8: App and ecosystem integration

Powered by Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant, the both the Echo Hub and the Show 8 are packed with a wide range of voice driven capabilities, which we won’t go to too deep on here.

If you’re looking for specific information as to what Alexa offers you check out some of our key Alexa guides:

Of course, Alexa underpins everything about any Echo speaker, which are voice-first devices despite the presence of a screen on this duo.

The Echo Hub relies heavily on the Alexa app for initial setup and device management. While this ensures consistency across Amazon’s ecosystem, the Hub’s inability to filter devices or hide disabled ones in the interface can be frustrating.

Advanced users might find this limiting, as disabled devices often clutter the control screens.

The Show 8 also integrates seamlessly with the Alexa app and offers a more balanced experience.

While it lacks the depth of control that the Hub provides, it still allows for quick device management, routines, and voice commands through Alexa.

The integration with apps like Prime Video and Spotify also adds to its entertainment value.

Amazon Echo Hub vs Echo Show 8: Which one is right for you?

Both the Amazon Echo Hub and the Echo Show 8 (3rd-gen) aim to be the heart of your smart home, but they cater to different needs.

The Echo Hub is a dedicated smart home control panel, while the Echo Show 8 blends entertainment and smart home control.

For hardcore smart home enthusiasts, the Echo Hub offers the edge in managing devices, but the Echo Show 8 is better suited for those wanting a balance of smart home control and entertainment.

Both the Echo Hub and Echo Show 8 serve different audiences. The Echo Hub is Amazon’s first true smart home control panel, offering a more focused interface for managing your devices but coming up short on responsiveness and device filtering options.

On the other hand, the Echo Show 8 offers more versatility. It balances smart home management with entertainment features like video streaming and video calls, making it a better all-around device for casual users who still want some smart home control.

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