Top 5 compared
The best streaming devices
Shows and movies from all your streaming apps on the big TV, found by voice from the couch.
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The top 5 at a glance
A streaming stick or box plugs into the TV’s HDMI port and brings Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube and free live channels together under one remote, which makes it the easiest upgrade for an older TV. Roku’s home screen is a plain grid of the apps you pick; Fire TV puts Amazon’s own shows first and answers to Alexa. A stick hides behind the TV, while a box sits on the shelf and can carry more connections.
A voice remote comes with each, and most of those remotes also run the TV’s power and volume. Dolby Atmos sound only matters with a soundbar or receiver that plays it, and the newest Wi-Fi needs a router to match before it helps.
What matters
- A 4K device with the HDR format your TV supports.
- A wired Ethernet port, if the router is rooms away.
- Headphone listening, if others sleep nearby.
#1Roku Streaming Stick 4K with Voice Remote
$50–$75
Roku’s home screen shows the apps you choose in 4K with Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and a long-range Wi-Fi receiver reaches a TV a few rooms from the router. The stick tucks behind the set without blocking the HDMI port next to it.
What owners say: Owners find it quick, with no lag while streaming and a fast start-up, and they like how easy the menus are to find their way around; many rate it above a Fire TV Stick. The remote and the Wi-Fi connection get mixed reports, and several had one fail, some within hours and others after about ten months.
A closer look: Built into the USB power cable is the long-range Wi-Fi receiver, so use that cable and the adapter in the box rather than a spare one. AirPlay lets an iPhone or Mac send photos and videos straight to the screen, and a free Roku app on your phone can stand in for the remote.
- AirPlay from iPhone or Mac
- Phone app doubles as remote
- Wi-Fi receiver in the cable
- Leaves nearby HDMI ports free
- Works with Alexa, Google Home
Best for: Bringing Roku to a 4K TV
- Max resolution
- 4K at 60fps
- HDR formats
- Dolby Vision, HDR10+
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 5, long-range
- Voice remote
- Voice, TV controls
- Dolby Atmos
- Dolby audio pass-through
- Ethernet
- No
#2Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (newest model)
$75–$100
The quickest Fire TV Stick, for homes already built around Prime Video and Alexa: a 2.0GHz quad-core processor, Wi-Fi 6E and 16GB of storage keep apps snappy, and the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced adds a recent-apps button and channel buttons for live TV.
What owners say: Picture and sound get the most praise, along with smooth menus and an easy setup, and owners point out how much it saves against a cable bill. The remote divides them: quick to respond for some, while others say theirs stopped working within a month.
A closer look: Ambient Experience turns the screen into a picture frame when nobody’s watching, showing art and photography from a collection of over 2,000 pieces. Wi-Fi 6E only pays off with a router that broadcasts on the 6GHz band, and the 16GB of storage leaves room for more apps, games and downloads.
- Art and photos when idle
- 16GB of storage
- Recent-apps and channel buttons
- Keeps apps snappy
Best for: Prime members and Alexa users
- Max resolution
- 4K at 60fps
- HDR formats
- Dolby Vision, HDR10+
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Voice remote
- Alexa Enhanced, TV controls
- Dolby Atmos
- Yes
- Ethernet
- No
#3Roku Ultra (4800R) with Voice Remote and Headphones
$100–$150
A box for the main TV in a home theater: Dolby Vision picture, Dolby Atmos sound, an Ethernet port for a wired connection and a USB port for playing your own videos from a drive. Press the button on the box and a lost remote plays a sound.
What owners say: Owners say it sets up easily and the picture looks excellent. The Wi-Fi gets good marks, though some had trouble over a wired Ethernet connection, and both the remote and the price draw mixed views, with a few remotes giving out.
Heads up: Roku no longer makes this earlier Ultra (model 4800R), so it’s sold here by a third-party seller; the current 2024 Roku Ultra adds HDR10+, Wi-Fi 6 and a backlit, rechargeable Voice Remote Pro.
A closer look: Run an Ethernet cable from the router if the TV is a long way from it; the port is the 10/100 kind, which is plenty for 4K streams. The earbuds in the box plug into the remote for late-night viewing without waking the house, and a premium HDMI cable comes in the box too.
- Lost-remote finder
- Earbuds in the box
- USB port for your videos
- Premium HDMI cable included
- Bluetooth music streaming
Best for: Home theaters and wired connections
- Max resolution
- 4K at 60fps
- HDR formats
- Dolby Vision, HDR10
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 5
- Voice remote
- Voice, headphone jack
- Dolby Atmos
- Yes
- Ethernet
- 10/100
#4Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus
$50–$75
A Fire TV Stick with 4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos sound, Wi-Fi 6, and Amazon’s Alexa Voice Remote for finding shows by voice or dimming compatible smart lights from the couch.
What owners say: Setup is quick, and owners describe the picture as crystal clear and say it runs smoothly. The remote and how well it works with some TVs and Wi-Fi networks draw mixed reports, a few found it quit after several weeks, and opinion is split on whether it was worth buying.
A closer look: Preset buttons on the remote jump straight to the big streaming apps, and its power and volume keys work the TV, a soundbar or an A/V receiver over infrared. Wi-Fi 6 helps most in a busy house where phones and laptops share the router, as long as the router is Wi-Fi 6 too.
- Preset app buttons
- Dims smart lights by voice
- Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming
- Controls soundbars and receivers
- 8GB of storage
Best for: One remote for TV and soundbar
- Max resolution
- 4K at 60fps
- HDR formats
- Dolby Vision, HDR10+
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6
- Voice remote
- Alexa, TV controls
- Dolby Atmos
- Yes
- Ethernet
- No
#5Roku Streaming Stick HD with Voice Remote
$30–$50
The simplest way to stream on an HD TV: a small stick, Roku’s uncluttered home screen and a voice remote whose power and volume buttons work the TV too, so one remote does the job. It suits a bedroom, kitchen or older living-room TV that tops out at 1080p.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to set up and say it gets along with a wide range of TVs and streaming services, with a big choice of shows and movies. Opinions on the voice remote and the connection are split, and while some have had no problems, others report crashes.
Heads up: It plays up to 1080p, so for a 4K TV the Roku Streaming Stick 4K above is the better match.
A closer look: With no power brick to find room for, it’s easy to move to a bedroom TV or pack for a trip, and it carries your own sign-ins so there’s no logging in on a hotel TV. Setup takes a few minutes: plug it into HDMI, join the Wi-Fi and sign in to each app once.
- Powered by the TV’s USB
- Your sign-ins travel with it
- Bluetooth headphone listening
- AirPlay, Alexa and Google Home
Best for: HD TVs, bedrooms and travel
- Max resolution
- 1080p
- HDR formats
- None
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 4
- Voice remote
- Voice, TV controls
- Dolby Atmos
- Dolby audio pass-through
- Ethernet
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Roku Streaming Stick 4K | #2Fire TV Stick 4K Max | #3Roku Ultra | #4Fire TV Stick 4K Plus | #5Roku Streaming Stick HD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best Fire TV | Best for home theater | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Price | $50–$75 | $75–$100 | $100–$150 | $50–$75 | $30–$50 |
| Max resolution | 4K at 60fps | 4K at 60fps | 4K at 60fps | 4K at 60fps | 1080p |
| HDR formats | Dolby Vision, HDR10+ | Dolby Vision, HDR10+ | Dolby Vision, HDR10 | Dolby Vision, HDR10+ | None |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5, long-range | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 5 | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 4 |
| Voice remote | Voice, TV controls | Alexa Enhanced, TV controls | Voice, headphone jack | Alexa, TV controls | Voice, TV controls |
| Dolby Atmos | Dolby audio pass-through | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dolby audio pass-through |
| Ethernet | No | No | 10/100 | No | No |
| Best for | Bringing Roku to a 4K TV | Prime members and Alexa users | Home theaters and wired connections | One remote for TV and soundbar | HD TVs, bedrooms and travel |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
