Which one of the top 5 smart assistants is better?
Top 5 best virtual assistants in 2019. Source: shutterstock.com
PaySpace Magazine has decided to make an overview of the most popular virtual assistants, since this software solution is becoming more and more popular nowadays. These gradually become more and more common in assisting people with mundane tasks such as performing a write my essay for me Google search or compiling a shopping list.
We have considered five of the most popular smart assistants, and now we are ready to compare these five solutions.
So, what do we have?
- Alexa by Amazon
- Siri by Apple
- Google Assistant by Google
- Bixby by Samsung
- Cortana by Microsoft
In 2019, there is no reason to compare which smart assistant will set an alarm clock better, or remind you of a business trip more accurately. All five solutions are good, if we are talking about the basic functions of smart assistants. Other stats, such as “smart home” capabilities, platform independence, and price policies for compatible devices are more important than just a brand name.
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Alexa
Let’s start with Alexa. It is quite a smart assistant by all means, and it is able to perform a lot of interesting commands. However, voice command is not a real strong suit of Alexa. First and foremost, Amazon allows third-party manufacturers to embed Alexa into their products. As far as we are concerned, it is the most cross-platform smart assistant, which operates with the most number of devices. Furthermore, Amazon has taken care of the “smart home” concept implementation. Amazon Echo is great, but Alexa cooperates with other additional devices of other manufacturers as well. Thus, if you want a real smart home, without any trouble related to software integration and cross-platform issues, then Alexa will be a great choice.
The price policy of Alexa-connected devices is one of the strong points of Alexa. Source: shutterstock.com
The price policy of Alexa-connected devices is one of the strong points of Alexa. This assistant is compatible with tons of devices, so a user can choose a device within their budget.
Siri
Siri is a solid Apple solution, and it would be wrong to call it “not-as-smart-as nearest-competitors’-assistants.” It can handle even “overcomplicated” voice commands, while machine learning makes it better day after day. However, there are also some weak points. Firstly, it is a virtual assistant for those who are already deeply integrated into Apple’s products. You can’t call it a cross-platform solution. Even though there is a bunch of manufacturers that are ready to cooperate with Apple and produce Siri-compatible devices, they are not compliant with Apple software certification (and a compliance issue is not easy to solve). Consequently, this results in another issue. You can buy only a limited set of devices. Moreover, Siri-compatible devices are not cheap (Apple HomePod costs about $340-$430).
Siri is a solid Apple solution. Source: shutterstock.com
On the other hand, you should know that the “smart home” concept is implemented here at a high level.
Google Assistant
Google has released a real smart assistant, and a lot of users who have tried different virtual assistants claim it is the “smartest” one. It is exceptionally good when it comes to recognition of voice commands. Google Assistant can be called a cross-platform solution, and prices for Google-compatible devices are not that high (Google Home costs $150 – $160, while Google Home Mini costs 55$-$60).
We believe that the “smart home” concept is fulfilled completely, while the price for required devices is not that high.
Google has released a real smart assistant. Source: shutterstock.com
Bixby
Bixby by Samsung is considered to be one of the smartest virtual assistants when it comes to basic functions (with all its “chains of actions”, scheduling, and keywords).
On the other hand, it is not the worst solution, if we are talking about a smart home. Samsung’s solution is not as cross-platform as those from Amazon or Google, but it still cooperates with a lot of third-party manufacturers. Moreover, Samsung’s smart TVs and smart fridges are a real novelty on the market. SmartThings Hub, a brain of all the system, costs $50 – $60, and it is a reasonable price.
Bixby by Samsung is considered to be one of the smartest virtual assistants. Source: samsung.com
Some Bixby features are cooler than other assistants’, but Samsung hasn’t created something astonishing, so we can’t say that this is the only favorite. On the other hand, it is still a decent and reasonable solution.
Cortana
Cortana by Microsoft is not a bad assistant if we are talking about basic scheduling/calling/chatting/ etc functions. Considering all other stats, we can say it is a real outsider in this race. It doesn’t have better “standard-assistant” functions that any other smart assistant. It is not as cross-platform as Google’s or Amazon’s solution. And finally, the “smart home” concept wasn’t fulfilled here. Furthermore, a user depends on Microsoft services if they want to use the most useful business functions of this assistant.
Cortana: has Microsoft surprised its users? Source: shutterstock.com
Comparison
The following table will contain three types of grades: good, normal, and bad. Good means an “A”, like everything is cool with those stats. Normal means it is good, but still, it can be better (mediocre). Bad means just bad, worse than other options.
| “Smartness” * | Platform independence | Compatible devices price | “Smart home” concept fulfillment | |
| Alexa | normal | good | good | good |
| Siri | good | bad | bad | good |
| Google Assistant | good | good | good | good |
| Bixby | good | normal | good | good |
| Cortana | normal | normal | good | bad |
* – (voice commands recognition, search results, etc)
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