Amazon's Alexa+ Web Integration: AI Expansion and Intensifying Rivalry in the Tech Landscape
At CES 2026, Amazon unveiled a significant expansion of its AI ecosystem with the introduction of Alexa.com, bringing its Alexa+ AI assistant to web browsers. This move marks a pivotal shift in Amazon's strategy, aiming to broaden Alexa's reach beyond smart speakers and mobile devices, directly challenging competitors like ChatGPT and Google Gemini in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Alexa+, the enhanced version of Amazon's voice assistant, has been in development since 2024 and first integrated into Alexa's voice service in March 2025. After a period of early access, Alexa.com is now available to all Alexa+ Early Access customers, with plans to extend access to Amazon Prime members for free, while a standalone subscription will be offered to non-Prime members for $19.95 per month.
The launch of Alexa.com signifies Amazon's ambition to make Alexa+ a ubiquitous personal assistant, accessible "wherever [users] are—at home, on their phone, and now on the web". Users can leverage Alexa.com for a wide array of tasks, including quick information retrieval, in-depth topic exploration, content creation, trip planning, and homework assistance. Furthermore, Alexa+ enables users to manage to-do lists, update calendars, control smart home devices, and make reservations. This cross-platform functionality ensures seamless continuity, with previous chats, preferences, and personalization settings carrying over across devices.
The web-based Alexa+ offers a chat-forward design that supports both voice and text interactions, breaking away from the traditional tiled interface of the Alexa app. This new interface also provides quick access to frequently used features, such as smart home controls, calendars, and shopping lists, all within a single window.
Amazon is also integrating Alexa+ with various services through partnerships with companies like Expedia, Yelp, Angi, and Square. These integrations enable users to directly discover and book services across travel, restaurants, home services, and personal wellness. Alexa+ can generate weekly meal plans, manage shopping lists, and control smart home devices.
Amazon emphasizes that Alexa+ distinguishes itself through its focus on practical, household-specific tasks. Daniel Rausch, Vice President of Alexa and Echo at Amazon, stated that 76% of Alexa+ interactions cover unique tasks not handled by other AI systems, such as family-oriented functions like managing calendars and shopping lists.
The expansion of Alexa+ to the web intensifies the competition in the AI assistant market. While Amazon's cloud unit has established itself as a major AI infrastructure and enterprise services provider, the company has faced challenges in matching the momentum of OpenAI, Google, and other consumer AI startups. By making Alexa+ more accessible and versatile, Amazon aims to capture a larger share of the growing AI market and solidify its position as a leading provider of AI-powered services.
According to a 2023 report, Amazon Alexa holds a substantial 37.1% market share in the virtual personal assistant segment of the smart speaker market. Despite this dominance, the smart speaker market is experiencing steady growth, with a projected market size of $105.5 billion by 2033. By extending Alexa+ to the web and integrating it with a wider range of devices and services, Amazon is strategically positioning itself to capitalize on this growth and maintain its competitive edge in the evolving tech landscape.
