Recent reports from early 2026 reveal growing internal skepticism within Amazon about the value proposition of its new Alexa+ subscription service. While the company is moving ahead with a phased public rollout, leaked feedback from thousands of employee beta testers suggests that technical reliability issues and a steep monthly price could limit widespread adoption.
Internal Beta Testers Raise Red Flags
According to reports citing Business Insider, feedback from an internal Slack channel with more than 6,400 Amazon employees paints a troubling picture of Alexa+ performance during testing. Many testers described the experience as inconsistent and unreliable, with one employee calling the system “unbearably erratic.”
Several employees questioned whether Alexa+ delivers enough improvement to justify a subscription fee at all. One tester stated bluntly that “nothing would justify paying a subscription fee,” adding that the only noticeable enhancement was smoother conversational flow hardly a compelling upgrade for a paid tier.
Reliability Issues and Real-World Risks
Beyond value concerns, testers highlighted systemic failures that undermine trust in the product. Alexa+ reportedly ignored commands, stalled mid-response, or became entirely unresponsive. Some employees claimed they waited up to five minutes for a reply to simple requests.
One particularly alarming incident involved a smart home command gone wrong. A software engineer reported asking Alexa+ to “turn off the light,” only for the system to shut down an entire power strip. The unexpected action cut power to an aquarium filter, resulting in the death of the tester’s pet fish. The episode raised serious concerns about smart home safety and reliability.
Testers also noted that despite being marketed as an advanced AI assistant, Alexa+ still struggled with basic tasks as late as 2025, such as playing specific songs or setting simple routines—features long considered table stakes for voice assistants.
Pricing Strategy Under Scrutiny
Amazon has officially priced Alexa+ at $19.99 per month, matching the cost of ChatGPT Plus. However, analysts argue that this price is significantly higher than early expectations, which ranged between $5 and $10.
To soften the blow, Amazon is currently offering Alexa+ free to Amazon Prime members, who already pay $14.99 per month or $139 annually. Industry observers see this as a strategic move to boost Prime subscriptions rather than a long-term pricing solution.
Amazon’s Official Response
Amazon has pushed back against the criticism, emphasizing that beta testing is designed to surface bugs before mass deployment. Company spokespeople say that malfunctions are expected at this stage and that many issues are being resolved ahead of wider availability.
CEO Andy Jassy has also highlighted positive metrics, noting that Alexa+ users are engaging in longer and more meaningful interactions compared to classic Alexa.
Limited Rollout and Hardware Requirements
Alexa+ is currently available through a phased rollout, with priority given to newer Echo devices like the Echo Show 15 and 21, which feature Amazon’s AZ3 chips for faster local AI processing. For non-Prime users, however, the $20 monthly fee remains the biggest obstacle to adoption.
