The Number of Alexa Skills in the U.S. More Than Doubled in 2018
The number of Alexa skills in the U.S. more than doubles in 2018, reaching over 56,000 as developers push out an average of 85 new skills per day.
The number of Alexa skills available in the U.S. more than doubles in 2018, growing from 25,784 to 56,750 according to Voicebot data. This 120 percent growth rate represents a slowdown compared to the 266 percent surge seen in 2017, but developers still publish an impressive average of 85 new skills per day. Amazon confirms the broader global momentum by reporting over 70,000 total skills across all markets at the end of the year.
International markets experience even more explosive growth, with the UK seeing a 233 percent increase to 29,910 skills and Germany growing 152 percent to reach 7,869 skills. A massive portion of this development happens late in the year as creators rush to prepare for the holiday shopping season. During the final two months of the year, the U.S., UK, and Germany see daily publication rates jump to 181, 84, and 37 new skills respectively.
While industry analysts debate the actual value of this rapid skill expansion due to low user discovery rates, the numbers clearly indicate strong ongoing developer interest in the Alexa platform. The most popular skills remain dominated by games and major brand partnerships. Meanwhile, non-gaming applications focus heavily on daily routines, wellness, and smart home management, further cementing Alexa's primary role as the central hub for the connected home.