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IoT & Smart Home · head to head

Amazon Alexa vs MQTT

Amazon Alexa logo

Amazon Alexa

IoT & Smart Home

Amazon's voice-controlled smart home ecosystem

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MQTT logo

MQTT

IoT & Smart Home

Lightweight messaging protocol for IoT devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Alexa amazon Alexa is a free consumer app (per Apple App Store listing under AMZN Mobile LLC) with no subscription required for core voice assistant functionality; premium content and some skills route through separate Amazon subscriptions such as Prime and Amazon Music; MQTT mQTT is an OASIS standard messaging protocol maintained by a standards committee, not sold by a vendor; there is no company-controlled price list, subscription, or edition to compare because implementations are independent open source or commercial products built on the spec
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Alexa covers Voice Control, MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Alexa and MQTT actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Alexa and MQTT differ
AttributeAmazon AlexaMQTT
Pricing modelfreeopen-source
PlatformsEcho devices, Fire TV, Android, IOSAny platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing
Founded19941999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (IoT & Smart Home).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon Alexa

  • Voice Control
  • Skills Library
  • Routines
  • Multi-Room Audio
  • 100,000+ skills
  • Ring
  • Blink
  • Fire TV

Only in MQTT

  • Publish-Subscribe
  • Lightweight
  • QoS Levels
  • Retained Messages
  • IoT platforms
  • Home automation
  • Cloud services
  • Edge devices

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon Alexa

  • Voice-controlled homenot MQTT
  • Smart shoppingnot MQTT
  • Entertainmentnot MQTT
  • Home securitynot MQTT

MQTT

  • IoT messagingnot Amazon Alexa
  • Sensor datanot Amazon Alexa
  • Real-time updatesnot Amazon Alexa
  • Device telemetrynot Amazon Alexa

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon Alexa

  • Amazon Alexa is a free consumer app (per Apple App Store listing under AMZN Mobile LLC) with no subscription required for core voice assistant functionality; premium content and some skills route through separate Amazon subscriptions such as Prime and Amazon Music

MQTT

  • MQTT is an OASIS standard messaging protocol maintained by a standards committee, not sold by a vendor; there is no company-controlled price list, subscription, or edition to compare because implementations are independent open source or commercial products built on the spec

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Alexa

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Voice control
    • Skills
    • Smart home control
  • Alexa Guard Plus$4.99/month
    • Emergency response
    • Hands-free calling
    • Enhanced alerts

MQTT

Free
  • Open ProtocolFree
    • Publish-subscribe
    • Lightweight
    • QoS levels

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Alexa if

  • You need voice control.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Echo devices, Fire TV, Android, IOS.
  • You also want skills library.
Amazon Alexa review

Choose MQTT if

  • You need publish-subscribe.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing.
  • You also want lightweight.
MQTT review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Alexa or MQTT better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Alexa starts at Free and MQTT at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Alexa or MQTT?
Amazon Alexa starts at Free and MQTT at Free.
Does Amazon Alexa or MQTT run on more platforms?
Amazon Alexa runs on Echo devices, Fire TV, Android, IOS. MQTT runs on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing.
Can I use Amazon Alexa for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Amazon Alexa best used for?
Amazon Alexa is most often used for voice-controlled home, smart shopping, entertainment, home security. Of those, voice-controlled home and smart shopping are not what MQTT is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Alexa do that MQTT cannot?
Amazon Alexa covers Voice Control, Skills Library, Routines, Multi-Room Audio. MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe, Lightweight, QoS Levels, Retained Messages.
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Related pages

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