When it comes to the best streaming devices, the market is flooded with models to choose from. But two of the most popular — and cheapest — streaming sticks for 4K TVs remain the Roku Streaming Stick Plus and Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K.
Officially launched just a mere few days ago, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus comes in as a serious value pick. It's $10 cheaper than the Fire TV Stick 4K and offers HDR10/HDR10+ support with some extra smart home and screensaver features that make it stand out for the price.
In the opposite corner is the Fire TV Stick 4K, which initially launched back in 2023. Unlike the Streaming Stick Plus, this Fire TV Stick comes equipped with both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, with the addition of some of the best cloud gaming services.
While these streaming devices might seem similar on the outside, there are several key differences that set them apart. Let's see which of these two models serves as the best pick to spend your valued dollar on.
Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: Specs compared
Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: Design
Right out of the gate, Roku's already labeled its new Streaming Stick Plus the smallest streaming device yet. It's 35% smaller than most of its rivals, and the extreme thinness shows, allowing it to fit in practically every crevice behind the TV.
Still, this doesn't allow the Streaming Stick Plus to fit into every single HDMI input — it wouldn't fit into the bottom HDMI slots of my Samsung S90D OLED TV. That's where the Fire TV Stick 4K proves victorious; while it might be slightly bulkier than its rival, Amazon does provide an HDMI extension cord in the box.
In terms of general size comparisons, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is 3.7 x 0.80 x 0.45 inches, whereas the Fire Stick is 3.8 x 1.18 x 0.55 inches. Clearly, the differences are minimal, but the Streaming Stick Plus is the winner here. It even weighs much less at just 26 grams versus the Fire TV Stick 4K's 43.5 grams.
Another huge addition on both devices is power delivery. In addition to simply plugging them into an outlet, you can now easily just plug either stick into the USB port on the back of the TV. That's a huge win for those who might not like those annoying wires creating a fuss behind their display.
Both devices also come equipped with a handy voice-compatible remote that runs on included AAA batteries. Roku's model is the dumbed-down version of its Voice Remote Pro, and it's about the same size of Amazon's remote.
Both remotes are just slightly bigger than the streaming devices themselves, fitting perfectly in one's hand with extra quick access buttons to some of the best streaming services.
The neat thing is that the included remotes can replace the ones that come with your TV, allowing you to turn on/off the display and change volume levels on a dime. You won't be able to change the input, unfortunately, so if you do have multiple connected devices you'll still need the TV remote on-hand.
Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: Performance
The Roku Streaming Stick Pus and Fire TV Stick 4K are essentially neck-and-neck in terms of performance. It will also entirely depend on the particular TV you're using, as both support displays of up to 4K at 60fps, and they can even upscale lower-resolution content.
The primary aspect that separates the two is HDR compatibility. Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K casts a much wider net, supporting Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HDR10+, while the Roku device just has the latter two and HLG. And, the Fire TV Stick 4K even has Dolby Atmos for surround sound.
This allows the Fire TV Stick 4K more leeway when it comes to the display you're using, specifically more premium models among the best TVs. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus, on the other hand, has the best compatibility with Samsung models, which only support HDR10 and HDR10+.
Of course, most users aren't buying a streaming stick to upgrade something like the Samsung S90D OLED TV, but maybe you dislike Tizen OS? These will improve the experience you might have with the interface.
On that notion, navigation has always proven king on Roku devices. Both models have their fair share of ads plaguing their individual systems, but Roku's are a lot less in-your-face. Plus, getting to the content you like and the streaming services you use the most — whether it be via search or simply scrolling through the interface — is much easier on Roku OS.
Both devices shine in terms of free content. Roku's OS is packed with movies and shows, plus loads of free channels all at no extra cost. Amazon claims its Fire TV platform is home to more than 300,000 free movies and TV shows, making them pretty equal on this front.
But the Fire TV Stick 4K is a treasure trove of added features, namely video game streaming. With Amazon's Luna, you have access to tons of games on the cloud, and Xbox Game Pass only amplifies the overall experience.
It's not quite on the same level as Samsung's Gaming Hub, but it's still a huge get for the Fire TV Stick 4K — and puts to shame most other streaming sticks.
In my review for the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, I raved about Backdrops being a phenomenal experience for those who don't want to deal with a blank TV screen all the time. Then again, Fire TV has its own version, called Ambient Experience, and it corrals a slew of photos and art pieces with the addition of AI-generated content.
That's hard to beat. And, to make things even more appealing for the Fire TV model, it's also got Wi-Fi 6 capabilities versus the Roku's Wi-Fi 5, meaning 4K streams and game streaming will run flawlessly.
The Fire TV Stick 4K also can do a lot more with your assorted smart home devices. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus falls flat in terms of its smart home capabilities, relegated to the Roku camera app, which means you can't even control lights or smart outlets using your streaming stick. That's a bit frustrating, and gives the Fire TV Stick 4K a leg up for smart home enthusiasts.
Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: Outlook
There's a ton of competition in this market, but there's no question that Roku and Amazon are at the top of their game when it comes to streaming devices.
Roku's platform still remains one of the most fluid and easy to navigate, but it lacks a lot of the broader features on offer with Fire TV. And, while both are certainly riddled with ads, Fire TV definitely is the one with the worse set of them.
But even in the face of that, I still think the Fire TV Streamer 4K is the best choice for most users. Its Ambient Experience, which has loads of art and even AI-generated content for those who want it, puts Backgrounds to shame, not to mention its smart home capabilities. .
At the time of writing, the Fire TV Stick 4K is also $10 cheaper than the new Roku Streaming Stick Plus. Typically, I'd say the Roku model is the better value, but it's already beaten on price at the moment. Add that to Fire TV Stick's access to some of the best cloud gaming services, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, plus the slew of free channels it offers, and it's simply the one to go with — even if you don't like the Fire TV interface.
