Accessibility: Fire Stick Available content: Overall tie, with a slight advantage for Fire Stick Ease of use: Fire Stick Tech specs: Tie Pricing: Roku
If you want to find out why we think Fire Stick is better in most of these categories, as well as when we think Roku might be the right choice for you, read our full comparison below. However, there are slight differences. For example, some streaming apps (such as Vudu) aren’t available on Roku, and the Roku Channel isn’t available on Fire Stick. So to understand which streaming device is best for you, you’ll need to look at the details. We compared these two streaming devices in terms of their capabilities, price, content, usability, and privacy. In our comparison, we mostly focus on Roku’s and Fire Stick’s software. but we’ll also touch on device-specific differences here and there. If you’re doubting between the two, here’s all the information you need!
What is Roku?
Roku is an American company that manufactures and distributes streaming devices. If you want to use Roku, you can get a small device to connect to your computer or TV via HDMI for as low as $29, remote control included. You can also buy Roku-powered soundbars, from $129 upwards, depending on the sound quality you want. These devices will play the sound from your TV and allow you to use your TV with Roku’s operating system. Roku also sells accessories, like headphones you can connect to a Roku remote control. Lastly, if you want a new TV, you can buy a Roku TV to get the full package. This doesn’t mean the hardware is actually created by Roku, however. Instead, Roku takes TVs made by other popular brands, like Philips, LG, or Hisense, and adds the Roku operating system for built-in TV streaming. From what we could gather, this is where Roku is available:
North America (including the US and Canada) Latin America (including Brazil) Parts of Europe (including Ireland, the UK, and France)
Even if you don’t live in one of these countries, you might be able to get your hands on a Roku device by using a market place in a different country. This could be a solution within the rest of the European Union, for example. However, there are no guarantees that you’ll actually be able to order from abroad. Regardless of what we show in this comparison, check whether you actually have the option to buy both first. If not, the choice is simple: just get the one that’s accessible. When it comes to popular content, you can’t really go wrong with either option. Both Roku and Fire Stick have apps for and work with the most well-known streaming giants, including:
If you want to access content that’s not available on any app that Roku or Fire Stick features, you can use a web browser. Roku doesn’t have a built-in browser, while Fire Stick has several. That’s why, for an all-around best experience that doesn’t just rely on streaming, Fire Stick is the better option. In terms of usability, both options work well. Each has its own TV remote and a unique interface, although they’re both easy to navigate. There’s not an enormous difference between the interface of Roku, Fire Stick, or any smart TV’s home menu.
Roku is slightly easier to use, because it instantly gives you access to a streamlined user interface. As you can see below, it easily allows you to access whatever streaming platform you want right away, without preferential treatment.
The remote controls of the two streaming devices aren’t extremely different. That being said, Roku’s remote is a bit more complex, though their buttons are more self-explanatory compared to the Fire Stick remote. As you can see below, the Roku remote has specific buttons dedicated to Netflix, HULU, Disney+, and Sling TV. On the right side, the Fire TV Stick remote shows a simpler, more classic design.
Keep in mind that different versions of Roku and Fire Stick devices might come with different remotes, so the one you get might not look exactly the same as those pictured above. Even so, it should be easy to make sense of. A final advantage for Fire Stick comes from their soundbars. Because those work with Alexa voice control, they are even more user-friendly and accessible than any of the other streaming device. With that in mind, and considering Fire Stick has a very simple yet effective interface, we consider Fire Stick the winner of this usability showdown. Its only drawback is the fact that you’ll see relatively more Prime Video content when using it.
Installing a VPN on your streaming device
Another reason why Fire Stick outshines Roku in terms of user-friendliness, is because it’s easy to install a VPN on it. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) will allow you to change your IP, making it look like you’re using streaming services from a different country. This means you can unblock regionally restricted content. With a VPN you can access Netflix shows that wouldn’t otherwise be available in your country, for example. Similarly, if you live outside the US and want to access Peacock, you can do so with a VPN as well. With Fire Stick, it’s as easy as installing a VPN app. With Roku, you’ll need to install a VPN on your router, which is a more complicated process. You can read more about this in our article “How to install a VPN on Roku”. Even so, there are some important technical differences between Roku and Fire Stick:
You can’t jailbreak Roku devices, which makes the Fire Stick a better choice for people who want to install third-party software on their streaming device. Fire Stick devices have more storage than Roku devices. For example, the Roku Streaming Stick+ has 256 MB or 512 MB of internal storage, while the 4K Fire Stick has 8 GB. Fire Stick supports VPN installation on their devices, while Roku does not.
Other than that, both brands have very similar devices. Their processors, TV compatibility, supported video and audio formats, ports, and network receivers are all pretty much the same. The table below compares two mid-tier products from both brands: We’ve shortly touched on pricing before in this showdown, but here we’ll go a bit more in-depth. Before we do, remember that the pricing of Roku and Fire Stick devices depends on the country you buy them from, as well as special offers available at the time of purchase. That being said, Fire Stick devices tend to be slightly more expensive. For a small device, the difference isn’t huge (about $5-10), but the Fire Stick Nebula Soundbar costs as much as $70 more than a basic Roku soundbar. If you don’t need the expensive soundbar, but still want HD, 1080p 4K streaming, the pricing tides shift a bit. The Roku Ultra, Roku’s premium streaming device, is $99. The Fire TV Cube can be found for as little as $79. That makes the Fire TV Cube a bargain, especially since it has more or less the same tech specs as Roku Ultra, and it adds Alexa to the package. Here’s a price comparison table to see what you can expect to spend on a Roku or Fire Stick device:
In Conclusion
Support for VPN installation The ability to be jailbroken, offering more flexibility to the user Slightly better specs compared to Roku The built-in Alexa functionality on soundbars
