Hey everyone,
I’m planning to build my first voice assistant and could really use some advice on where to start. There are so many options out there Dialogflow, Rasa, Voiceflow, Alexa Skills Kit and I’m a bit overwhelmed trying to choose the right one.
I’m looking for something that’s easy to get into, lets me build a simple prototype fairly quickly, but also gives me room to grow and add more advanced features later on. I’ve got some coding experience but I’m not an expert in AI.
If you’ve built something similar, what tools or platforms did you use? What would you recommend to someone just starting out?
Thanks in advance I’d really appreciate your thoughts!
For beginners prototyping a voice assistant, the sweet spot is finding tools that balance ease of use with real capabilities.
Here are a few standout options:
Dialogflow (by Google) – Great for fast prototyping with a GUI. Natural language understanding (NLU) is solid, and it integrates easily with Google Assistant.
Rasa – More hands-on but gives you full control. Best if you want to self-host and go beyond basic intents. Ideal once you’re past the “drag-and-drop” phase.
Alexa Skills Kit – Perfect if you’re targeting Alexa devices. Amazon provides templates, tutorials, and even voice testing tools.
Start with Dialogflow if you want to build fast. Shift to Rasa when you want freedom. Think of it like training wheels vs. riding on your own both are part of the journey.