Why You Can Trust CNET Take Amazon's Alexa assistant for a test drive in your browser
If you're unsure how an Amazon Alexa speaker might fit into your life, you can now try it out for free using Amazon's new site Echosim.io.
If you've been on the fence about buying an Echo, you can now give Alexa a spin, for free. Just open your browser, go to Echosim.io and log into your Amazon account.
Alexa became famous inside of the Amazon Echo, but now can be found in your browser.
The demo lets you give Alexa commands, ask questions, control your smart home devices and even try Alexa's "Skills."
Instead of saying "Alexa," though, click and hold the microphone button to speak your command. Alexa will process the command and respond just as she would from the Echo, Echo Dot or Tap speakers.
One thing you will not be able to do, however, is play Amazon Music, since it isn't supported by the simulator.
Echosim was originally developed by Sam Machin and is meant to be a tool for developers to more easily test the Alexa Skills they're developing. So if you want, you can download the Amazon Alexa app onto your phone (or navigate to echo.amazon.com) to connect your smart home devices and enable Skills that will work with the online simulator.