Roku Vs Fire Stick: Which Black Friday Deal Is Best For Your Streaming Needs?

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

If you want to cut nan cord and heighten your streaming TV experience, you whitethorn wonderment which instrumentality champion fits you. The Amazon Fire TV Stick and nan Roku Streaming Stick are 2 of nan astir celebrated options connected nan market. However, location are immoderate cardinal differences to see earlier making a purchase.

Amazon Fire TV and Roku strive to supply the best streaming experience possible done dongles, branded televisions, and streaming boxes. Choosing nan correct device, however, involves much than conscionable comparing value tags.

Also: I tested Samsung's 98-inch 4K QLED TV, and watching Hollywood movies connected it near maine successful awe

In this article, we'll delve into nan Amazon Fire TV Stick and nan Roku Streaming Stick -- pinch further accusation connected each company's different streaming devices -- to thief you find which 1 champion suits your needs and preferences.

Specifications

You should bargain a Fire TV Stick 4K if...

Amazon

1. You want nan astir features for little money

When you comparison nan tech specifications of a Fire TV Stick 4K against nan Roku Streaming Stick 4K, you'll find that some devices are very similar, moreover down to nan $50 regular price. One point is certain, however: Amazon offers bigger discounts much often connected its Fire Stick than Roku does. This intends you tin typically find nan Fire TV Stick 4K for a little value than nan Roku (like correct now).

Also: The champion unrecorded TV streaming services of 2024: Expert tested

The Fire TV Stick 4K has dropped to $28, while nan Roku Streaming Stick dropped to $29. Both are discounted, but nan erstwhile is nan amended deal.

2. You usage Alexa successful your smart home

Alexa, Amazon's sound assistant, seems to beryllium a must connected each Amazon device, and nan Fire TV Stick 4K is nary exception. The Alexa-enabled distant included pinch this streaming instrumentality has a fastener to property and clasp to inquire Alexa questions. Though nan Roku besides comes pinch a sound distant that you tin usage for navigation wrong nan Roku platform, nan Alexa distant tin spell beyond searching for your favourite TV show.

If you person Alexa-enabled devices arsenic portion of your smart location setup, you tin show Alexa via your Fire TV Stick distant to move connected a smart light aliases alteration nan room somesthesia connected your smart thermostat. You tin moreover inquire nan sound adjunct to show you compatible security cameras connected your TV. 

Also: Why I urge nan Ring Battery Doorbell Pro moreover though I'm not a instrumentality of subscriptions

Roku has a line of smart location products that tin merge its camera feeds pinch Roku TVs aliases streaming devices, but nan characteristic is still beautiful caller and constricted to its ain Roku Home devices. 

3. You watch chiefly Prime Video (and don't mind ads)

Unsurprisingly, nan Fire TV level is much focused connected Prime Video. The streaming work comes pre-installed connected nan device, offering entree to awesome exclusive programming. These see but are not constricted to deed shows for illustration The Boys, The Grand Tour, and The Marvelous Ms. Maisel. Of course, not everything is geared toward adults, arsenic location are plentifulness of kid-friendly shows, specified arsenic Tumble Leaf.

As an Amazon product, it's not astonishing that you'll find many ads while navigating nan system. I personally don't mind nan ads truthful much; I disregard astir of them. But if you're an avid watcher of Prime Video content, you'll find nan ads geared to users for illustration you. 

Also: Crystal UHD vs QLED: A comparison for buying Samsung TVs this Black Friday

Roku devices connection Prime Video access, but nan work is not pre-installed. You'll person to spell to nan Roku Channel Store, download nan Prime Video app, registry nan app, constitute down a six-digit code, and participate that codification into Amazon's MyTV webpage. It's a full process that tin return a while to complete. Meanwhile, connected nan Fire Stick, each you person to do is log into your relationship to statesman watching.

You should bargain a Roku Streaming Stick 4K if...

Artie Beaty/ZDNET

1. You for illustration a much user-friendly platform

The Fire TV paper is visually attractive, but it's simply not arsenic straightforward aliases user-friendly arsenic nan Roku platform. It's a sleek design, but you often person to return other steps to do thing compared pinch doing it connected a Roku.

For years, Roku was nan only 1 offering cosmopolitan search, which lets you hunt for a title and person your Roku show you each nan different apps you tin watch it on, on pinch really overmuch it costs to rent aliases buy, if applicable. Other streaming devices, for illustration nan Apple TV 4K and Fire TV devices, person since added nan feature.

Also: This Roku Ultra streaming instrumentality gave my TV 4K superpowers - and it's connected waste correct now

Fire TV's hunt results person improved and moreover see AI powers, but they require much activity to sift through. You're fixed 1 superior transmission and must prime "more ways to watch" to spot each nan different options. Multiple options are often available, but clicking connected them whitethorn lead to a paywall aliases a dormant end. 

2. You want an easier-to-use distant control

Admittedly, Fire TV remotes person travel a agelong measurement successful becoming much user-friendly and, successful nan process, much for illustration nan Roku remote. However, I still find nan Roku distant easier to usage than its competitor. 

Also: This Roku soundbar turned my aged TV into an immersive 4K theatre experience

It's nan buttons for me; springiness maine bully aged arrows, and I cognize wherever to go. I don't want to sound for illustration a dinosaur here, but I'd take nan Roku distant if I had to take betwixt it, my Fire TV, Google TV Streamer, and Apple TV 4K remotes.

My Roku distant (left) doesn't get mislaid successful my sofa cushions astir arsenic often arsenic nan Fire TV Stick distant (right).

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The Roku distant is rounder and thicker than nan Fire TV remote, which is bladed and easy to suffer betwixt nan sofa cushions. The Roku distant besides has old-school arrows and an "OK" button, whereas nan Fire TV distant has a circle pinch a information "OK" fastener successful nan mediate and, you guessed it, nary letters aliases arrows successful this navigation wheel, which makes it a small little intuitive for personification getting acquainted pinch it.

Aside from this, some remotes are beautiful similar: Both person shut up and measurement buttons to power compatible televisions, your regular navigation buttons, and four-channel shortcut buttons that are not reprogrammable connected either remote. Also, some devices person a mobile app that enables your telephone to double arsenic a distant should you suffer your beingness distant control.

3. You request nan long-range Wi-Fi feature

If you person a bigger location aliases want to put your streaming instrumentality connected immoderate TV astir your house, you whitethorn beryllium willing successful Roku's long-range Wi-Fi feature.

The Roku Stick 4K has a larger antenna than erstwhile devices, allowing 4 times nan wireless range. This is owed to nan included USB powerfulness cablegram pinch a Wi-Fi receiver, which holds nan Wi-Fi hardware connected nan statement farther distant from nan instrumentality for little wireless interference.