The 6 Best Virtual Assistants in 2024

AI, chatbots and virtual assistants — it can be a challenge to understand the nuances of modern technology. Many can perform the same actions, but some have more limited functionality. Today, let’s look at the best virtual assistants, capable of answering voice commands by utilizing advanced natural language processing. Many adore them for their convenience, able to cancel appointments, answer burning questions and play music from Bluetooth-connected devices — all with a simple question. Which of these is the best virtual assistant in 2024?

1. Siri

It’s impossible to discuss virtual assistants without exploring Siri. Though Siri is only available on iOS tech, everyone is familiar with the signature voice and remarks that sometimes end up in memes. Apple has invested countless hours and resources into improving Siri’s capabilities in responding to queries, allowing it to perform any of the following with ease:

• Respond to search queries
• Dictate speech to send as messages
• Make requests that connect to other Apple devices, such as Find My
• Ask geographical questions, such as transportation options or restaurant recommendations
• Read your daily highlight of calendar tasks or daily news report

No virtual assistant is flawless, and Siri still can’t perform hundreds of actions, like updating apps or saving photos from emails. However, this isn’t indicative of Siri exclusively. Most of these functions will arrive in most virtual assistants in the coming updates.

2. Bixby

Samsung’s lesser-known virtual assistant, Bixby, is available on their devices. Like most virtual assistants, Bixby performs optimally with other Samsung products and contains Bixby Voice and Vision for more accessibility in obtaining information. If you’re investing in smart home technology like Samsung smart TVs or appliances, Bixby will be the commander of those assets. Bixby has more abilities than other virtual assistants, as it can easily adjust internal settings like brightness and work with third-party apps.

3. Google Assistant

Known for being on Android devices, Google Assistant is one of the most recognizable and popular virtual assistants. You can even utilize it on Apple products with some finagling. Google Assistant wins in device compatibility, as more smart tech makers are releasing their speakers, lights and other devices with the ability to enable Google Assistant. 

It’s one of the simplest virtual assistants to set up, regardless of device. Google also may have the upper hand when it comes to intuitive understanding. With Google’s advanced AI, it’s more consistent at interpreting more complex queries and understanding user intent. As a bonus, it can interpret over 40 languages — outperforming other virtual assistants.

4. Cortana

Cortana is malleable to numerous devices though it’s known for use on Microsoft tech. It’s one of the few virtual assistants that play well with others — Cortana and Alexa can collaborate to operate smart devices from Amazon. It has the abilities of other virtual assistants, like adding reminders and alarms. However, Cortana has been known to cause privacy concerns, and Microsoft allows manipulation of settings to provide users greater peace of mind while talking to Cortana.

5. Socratic

Companies made several virtual assistants for a specific niche, and Google designed Socratic as an educational tool. It acts like a study partner, helping explain math problems or tutor literacy. It is a virtual assistant, so its capacity is only as strong as its data set — it’s a supplementary resource, not the answer key for homework. Regardless, it’s known for its consistent accuracy. Socratic can take photos to analyze homework and pull up tutorials to refresh your memory.

6. Alexa

Of course, Amazon has to jump on the virtual assistant bandwagon with Alexa. Ever since Alexa rose in popularity with the Amazon Echo and other smart home hub devices, it’s known an utterance of the name could cause unintentional responses. It’s one of the few devices that allow users to change the waking word though — its name doesn’t have to be Alexa if you don’t want it to be. 

Compared to other virtual assistants, it has a similar range of tools to simplify your life. However, the Amazon tools it works best with are known for their delightful user experiences and interfaces with reasonable price points.

Best Virtual Assistants for Convenience in 2024

The more curated virtual assistants become, the more they help humans manage the minutiae of daily life. Whether it’s saving us a couple of seconds typing in a phone number or curating our music-listening experience, virtual assistants provide convenience and nicety to life humans wanted with the technological revolution — and they will only become more competent and valuable in the future.