Amazon.com Inc. is rolling out Alexa+, an upgraded version of its voice assistant that incorporates generative artificial intelligence (AI) — and it will come with ecommerce features at launch.

Announced on Feb. 26, the new service is designed to offer more natural conversations, smarter automation and deeper ecommerce integration, the company said.

Non-Prime members can access Alexa+ for $19.99 per month, while Prime subscribers will receive the service at no extra charge. Amazon plans to launch the upgrade in early access in the U.S. in the coming weeks, followed by a broader, phased rollout over the next several months.

Alexa+’s AI brings smarter automation to Amazon’s assistant

Amazon stated that Alexa+ surpasses traditional voice assistant capabilities by incorporating agentic AI with the ability to execute tasks on behalf of users.

The technology allows the assistant to manage multi-step tasks independently — such as coordinating service bookings and handling online orders — without requiring user intervention at every step.

“Alexa+ is designed to take action, and is able to orchestrate across tens of thousands of services and devices — which, to our knowledge, has never been done at this scale,” Panos Panay, Amazon’s senior vice president of devices and services, wrote in a blog post.

Moreover, the upgraded assistant can control smart home devices, book reservations and assist with music discovery. It is also capable of searching for products, suggesting purchases and completing online orders based on user interests, Panay said.

Ecommerce and third-party integrations

A major component of Alexa+ is its integration with Amazon’s own ecommerce ecosystem and third-party services, the company said.

According to Amazon, Alexa+ can facilitate transactions and services through platforms such as:

• Amazon, Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh for grocery and produce orders
• Grubhub and Uber Eats for food delivery
• OpenTable and Vagaro for reservations and appointments
• Ticketmaster for event reminders and purchases
• Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music for music streaming

In addition, Amazon emphasized that Alexa+ will feature advanced personalization capabilities. The assistant is designed to learn from past interactions, allowing it to recall frequently ordered items, preferred delivery addresses, and shopping habits. This, in turn, enables Alexa+ to provide tailored recommendations, Amazon said.

A free perk for Prime members

By offering Alexa+ at no additional cost to Prime subscribers, Amazon aims to bolster its membership proposition and drive wider adoption.

Meanwhile, non-Prime users will pay $19.99 per month, which aligns with competing AI services such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus.

During the rollout, Amazon said it will prioritize early access for users of certain Echo devices, including Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21.

In addition to smart speakers, Alexa+ will be available through a new mobile app — downloadable from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store — as well as via a browser-based interface at Alexa.com.

The company noted that Alexa+ offers a multi-channel experience, allowing users to transition between devices. For example, a conversation started on an Echo device can continue on a smartphone, in a car, or on a computer, with Alexa+ maintaining the context across all platforms.

Tapping into a broader generative AI trend

The launch is part of a wider push by retailers to incorporate generative AI into their platforms.

During its September Accelerate event, Amazon also unveiled Project Amelia, a generative AI assistant designed to help sellers manage and scale their businesses.

Other retailers are taking similar steps:

• Poshmark Inc. recently launched Smart List AI, which automatically generates product listing details such as size, color, and brand, for sellers.
• ThredUp introduced three new AI-powered tools. These include a style chatbot and advanced search features that use natural language and image recognition to help customers find and shop for items.

Amazon ranks No. 1 in Digital Commerce 360’s Top 2000, a database of North America’s largest online retailers by annual web sales. The company is also No. 3 in Digital Commerce 360’s Global Online Marketplaces Database. That database ranks the 100 largest such marketplaces by third-party gross merchandise value (3P GMV).

ThredUp is ranked No. 851 on Digital Commerce 360’s Top 2000 Database. Meanwhile, Poshmark holds the No. 33 spot in the Global Online Marketplaces Database.

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