Updated
Updated · The Independent · Sep 7
Amazon Makes Alexa+ Free for U.S. Prime Members as Subscription Revenue Hits $13.7 Billion
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Sep 7

Amazon Makes Alexa+ Free for U.S. Prime Members as Subscription Revenue Hits $13.7 Billion

3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Sep 7

Summary

  • September 1 gave all U.S. Prime members unlimited Alexa+ access at no extra cost, extending Amazon’s generative-AI assistant across Alexa devices, the Alexa app and Alexa.com.
  • Alexa+ handles more conversational and complex tasks than the original Alexa, including research, calendar management, reminders, takeout orders and service scheduling.
  • More than 25% higher Prime sign-up rates among Alexa+ users helped make the perk a membership tool as Prime grew at a double-digit pace in the second quarter.
  • Subscription-services revenue, including Prime, rose 12% year over year to $13.7 billion, while Alexa+ reached more than 100,000 people in the weeks after its earlier 2026 launch.
  • The move also sharpens Amazon’s loyalty-program competition with Walmart+, which is adding new member perks, as retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods roll out paid premium programs.

Insights

Will the massive computing costs of running Alexa+ force Amazon to secretly hike Prime membership fees next year?
Amazon is giving away a $20-a-month AI assistant for free, but what hidden data trade-offs are Prime members unknowingly making?