Also: The best movies and shows to stream right now The two media giants offer affordable streaming through plug-in sticks, branded televisions, and streaming boxes. This makes choosing the right one about more than just seeing the price tags. For this article, we compare the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, with extra information on each company’s other streaming devices, so you can make an informed decision on which is the best one for you.
Fire TV Stick 4K vs Roku Streaming Stick 4K
You should buy a Fire TV Stick 4K if…
1. You want the most features for less money
For example, this past holiday season brought many sales on both Roku and Fire TV devices and you could get a Fire TV Stick 4K for $27, while the Roku Stick 4K was $33. Both were discounted, but the former is a better deal. Also: The best Fire TV players: Fire TV Stick, Cube, Lite, and more compared
2. You use Alexa in your smart home
If you have Alexa-enabled devices as part of your smart home setup, you can tell Alexa via your Fire TV Stick remote to do actions like turning on a light or changing the room temperature on your smart thermostat. You can even ask the voice assistant to show you your compatible security cameras right on your TV. Roku has a brand-new line of smart home products that can integrate its camera feeds with Roku TVs or streaming devices, but the feature is still pretty new and limited to its own Roku Home devices.
3. You watch Prime Video and Youtube Kids (and don’t mind ads)
Keep in mind that some apps are available on Fire TV that are not available for Roku and vice versa, as is the case for Youtube Kids. Now, I’m not a fan of YouTube Kids, so if my kids ever watch it, I only allow it on the TV, where I can see or at least hear what they’re watching. If you have little ones who like watching YouTube Kids, know that it’s not available for Roku devices at this time. YouTube and YouTube TV are available on Roku. Also: Why I chose YouTube TV out of the sea of streaming options
You should buy a Roku Streaming Stick 4K if…
1. You prefer a more user-friendly platform
The Fire TV menu has a visually attractive design, but it’s simply not as straightforward and user-friendly as the Roku platform. It’s a sleek design, but it often takes extra steps to do something compared with doing it on a Roku. Another pretty noteworthy feature of the Roku platform is the universal search, which the Fire TV platform lacks. Universal search lets you search for a title and have your Roku show you all the different apps you can watch it on, along with how much it costs to rent or buy, if applicable. Also: I cut my video streaming bill in half, and so can you Universal search is underrated, but it’s extremely useful. Unfortunately, I’ve fallen victim to the lack of it in the Fire TV platform, when I’ve paid to rent a movie only to find it included in my Netflix subscription the next day. Fire TV’s search results require extra work to sift through. You’re given one primary channel and have to select “more ways to watch” to see all the other options. You’ll often find multiple options are available, but clicking on them may lead to a paywall or dead end.
2. You want an easier-to-use remote control
Admittedly, Fire TV remotes have come a long way to become more user-friendly and, in the process, more like the Roku remote. But I still find the Roku remote easier to use than its competitor. Also: The 5 best streaming devices It’s the buttons for me; give me good old arrows, and I know where to go. I don’t want to sound like a dinosaur here, but if I had to choose between my Fire TV, Roku, or even Apple TV 4K remotes, I’d choose the Roku remote. The Roku remote is rounded and a bit thicker than the Fire TV remote, which is thin and really easy to lose between the couch cushions. The Roku remote also has old-school arrows and an “OK” button, where the Fire TV remote has a circle with a round “OK” button in the middle and, you guessed it, no letters or arrows in this navigation wheel, which makes it a little less intuitive for someone getting familiar with it. Also: Which Roku is right for you? The top players and TV options compared Aside from this, both remotes are pretty similar: Both have a mute and volume buttons to control compatible televisions, and your regular navigation buttons, as well as four channel shortcut buttons that are not reprogrammable on either remote. Also, both devices have a mobile app that enables your phone to double as a remote should you lose your physical remote control.
3. You need the long-range Wi-Fi feature
If you’ve got a bigger home or want to be able to put your streaming device on any TV around your house, then you may be interested in the Roku’s long-range Wi-Fi feature. The Roku Stick 4K has a larger antenna than previous devices, allowing for four times the wireless range. This is thanks, in part, to the included USB power cable with Wi-Fi receiver, which holds the Wi-Fi hardware on the cable farther away from the device for less wireless interference. There’s also the option of a more expensive alternative, such as buying a smart TV that’s already Wi-Fi-integrated and equipped with the most popular streaming apps. However, the investment is far more than the cost of a $50 TV stick.
