Alexa+ is now in Australia: free with Prime, $29.99 a month without

Amazon's rebuilt, AI-powered assistant has arrived in Australia. Alexa+ launched here through an Early Access program in early August 2026, bringing a more conversational version of Alexa to Australian homes. Once Early Access ends, it will be included with Amazon Prime and cost $29.99 a month for everyone else. For Australians with an Echo speaker or display, it is a significant upgrade to a familiar assistant.

What's different

Alexa+ is built on large language models through Amazon Bedrock. Amazon's Alexa Country Manager for Australia, Kate Gooden, describes it as "our biggest leap forward in personal AI", saying it moves Alexa from a transactional "ask and do" experience to "a sidekick that you can chat to naturally." BTTR reports she called it "an all new architecture which connects hundreds of services and devices" rather than AI added to the old assistant.

Amazon says the local version understands Australian slang such as "arvo", "servo" and "snags". Among the tasks it can handle:

• booking restaurant tables through OpenTable
• flagging calendar conflicts and managing schedules
• controlling smart home devices with natural language, and building multi-step routines by voice
• proactively turning on air conditioning when the temperature rises
• checking whether a delivery has arrived using a Ring doorbell camera
• comparing products, summarising reviews, tracking Amazon orders and flagging price drops
• news from ABC NEWS, News24, The Guardian, AAP and Reuters, plus music from Amazon Music, Spotify or Apple Music

Which devices work

Amazon says more than 98 per cent of Australian Alexa customers already have a compatible device. The Echo Show 8, Echo Show 11, Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio are the models purpose-built for Alexa+. The Alexa app is available now, and Amazon says browser access at Alexa.com.au will launch in the coming months. Trip planning with Tripadvisor is also listed as coming soon.

Amazon highlights multi-layered privacy protections, along with voice and camera controls on its devices.

How to get it

There are two ways in. Buying an eligible Echo device lets owners opt in straight away, while existing owners can register interest at amazon.com.au/newalexa and will receive invitations over the coming weeks.

Price and availability

• Early Access: free for eligible customers.
• After Early Access: free for Amazon Prime members; $29.99 a month without Prime.
• End of Early Access: Amazon has not announced a date.

At $29.99 a month, the standalone price is steep, so for most households Alexa+ will make the most sense as part of a Prime membership.

Sources: About Amazon Australia and BTTR