Whether you have an older TV without streaming features or you simply don’t like its built-in platform, you can easily fix that for less than $50 with a media streamer. Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K is two years old but remains one of our top picks in the category, while Roku’s new Streaming Stick Plus costs $10 less and has its own benefits. I’ve tested both and am here to tell you how they compare across a number of key categories to help you decide which one is right for you.
Price
Based purely on MSRP, the $39.99 Streaming Stick Plus is $10 cheaper than the $49.99 Fire TV Stick 4K. This means Roku officially has the edge. However, at the time of this writing, Amazon’s 4K stick is available for $30. Generally speaking, if you’re looking for a media streamer on Prime Day or around the holidays, there’s a good chance you might be able to get the Fire TV Stick 4K for less than the Roku Streaming Stick Plus.
Winner: Roku Streaming Stick Plus
Design
(Credit: Will Greenwald)
Both sticks are slim enough to pop into an HDMI port on the back of your TV with ease. The Fire TV Stick 4K comes with a short HDMI extender dongle in case the ports are too crowded for it to fit comfortably. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus doesn’t, but at 0.8 inches wide, it’s much slimmer than the 1.2-inch-wide Fire TV Stick 4K and will almost certainly fit nestled in between a bunch of cables.
(Credit: Will Greenwald)
Winner: Tie
Ease of Use
Neither the Fire TV nor the Roku OS platforms are particularly difficult to use, but Amazon’s interface can feel a bit more overwhelming than Roku’s. I typically recommend Roku for older, less tech-savvy users because it’s very simple and streamlined, with a home screen built around big icons for accessing individual streaming services instead of endless rows of recommendations.
Winner: Roku Streaming Stick Plus
You can count on 4K video in high dynamic range (HDR) on either stick, but the Fire TV Stick 4K has an edge in both HDR formats and spatial audio with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. The Streaming Stick Plus is Dolby-less, though it at least has HDR10+ in addition to HDR10. Atmos support is beneficial if you’re using a soundbar with more than two channels, especially if it has upward-firing drivers for height.
Winner: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
App Selection
Fire OS (Credit: Amazon)
Both sticks cover the bases of streaming services, with one small exception. You can access Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Crunchyroll, Disney+, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, and YouTube on either device, along with a host of smaller apps and services. Gamers should lean toward the Fire TV Stick 4K, though, because it has Twitch and Roku doesn’t. The Roku app store has a few alleged Twitch third-party apps, but I’ve found them unreliable at best and broken at worst.
Roku OS (Credit: Roku)
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Winner: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
Local Streaming
If you want to stream from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Roku has an edge thanks to the inclusion of Apple AirPlay, a feature Fire TV does not support. Both support screen mirroring from Windows PCs and some non-Pixel Android phones via Miracast/WiDi. Neither is suitable for Pixel phones or tablets, though; you’ll have to pay twice as much for the Google TV Streamer if Google Cast support is a must.
Winner: Roku Streaming Stick Plus
Voice Control
You can search for media to watch by speaking into either streaming stick’s remote, but that doesn’t mean they both have voice assistants. You can also use Roku’s simple Voice Search to control a handful of first-party smart home devices, but Fire TV has the full-featured Alexa voice assistant, which offers much more functionality. Alexa can control almost all major smart home devices currently available, provide general information like weather forecasts and sports scores, and set reminders and appointments.
Recommended by Our Editors
Winner: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 5 is fine for most media streaming, so neither stick should be sluggish. However, if you have a newer router, especially if you don’t keep it very close to your TV, you might prefer the Fire TV Stick 4K, which features Wi-Fi 6 for faster and more reliable connectivity. Range might be a concern with the Streaming Stick Plus, which has Wi-Fi 5.
Winner: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
Power
Media streamers don’t typically consume a lot of power, but every fraction of a watt counts if you want it to run reliably. That’s why the Fire TV Stick 4K comes with a power adapter. While Amazon doesn’t specify exactly how much electricity it uses, your TV’s USB ports might not be able to give it enough to work without hiccups. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus, meanwhile, uses 2.6 watts and doesn’t come with or need a wall adapter. It can get power straight from your TV’s USB port, freeing up an outlet.
Winner: Roku Streaming Stick Plus
And The Winner Is…
While it costs $10 more, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is more powerful than the Roku Streaming Stick Plus in almost every way. It has Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for improved imaging and audio, Wi-Fi 6 to keep its connection fast and smooth even if your router isn’t nearby, and Alexa voice control, which significantly adds to its usefulness. It’s a better pick for most people and the winner of our Editors’ Choice award. This doesn’t mean the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is an inferior choice in all cases, though. It does have Apple AirPlay, which should appeal to iPhone, iPad, and iOS users. It also has a simpler interface, which is why we recommend Roku to anyone who doesn’t want to deal with a lot of menus or features.
