I am PCMag’s residence theater knowledgeable, and I have been reviewing media hubs since Roku launched its second-generation mannequin 14 years in the past. Since then, I’ve examined each main Amazon Fireplace TV, Apple TV, Google TV, and Roku machine launched. I’ve watched these media streamers evolve from cumbersome set-top containers to tiny sticks you’ll be able to plug into your TV’s HDMI port and adopted their progress from SD to HD to 4K. With a 4.5-star ranking and an Editors’ Selection award, the Amazon Fireplace TV Stick Plus and the Onn 4K Professional are the very best media streaming gadgets for most individuals, whereas the Amazon Fireplace TV Stick HD is the highest reasonably priced approach so as to add media streaming to an older 1080p TV. The checklist under consists of extremely rated choices for all budgets and streaming platforms.
Deeper Dive: Our High Examined Picks
EDITORS’ NOTE
April 30, 2026: With this replace, we added the Amazon Fireplace TV Stick HD (2026) as our high decide for 1080p TVs, changing the earlier model. Our remaining picks have been vetted for foreign money and availability.
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
Execs & Cons
Reasonably priced
Quick efficiency
Wi-Fi 6
Speedier Alexa responses
Loads of apps and options
No Apple AirPlay or Google Forged for native streaming
Why We Picked It
The Amazon Fireplace TV Stick 4K Plus (beforehand often known as the Fireplace TV Stick 4K) is provided with quite a few options, together with the Alexa voice assistant, which could be accessed through the included distant management. It streams at ultra-high definition (4K) decision with help for prime dynamic vary (HDR) content material in HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Imaginative and prescient, and options Wi-Fi 6. That is loads of options for a $50 stick that you’ll find for as little as half as a lot throughout gross sales occasions like Prime Day.
Who It is For
Amazon followers who do not want hands-free Alexa: That is the media streamer to get if you happen to subscribe to Amazon Prime and/or use Alexa-compatible good residence gadgets, however don’t desire your TV all the time listening for instructions. It affords entry to all main streaming providers and permits you to use Alexa by urgent a button on the distant and talking into it.
Echo and Ring machine customers: If you have already got an Echo good speaker, you should use it to regulate the Fireplace TV Stick 4K Plus and even show video feeds out of your Ring safety digicam or video doorbell in your TV.
Specs & Configurations
Decision
4K
HDR
Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10
Platform
Amazon Fireplace TV Retailer
Constructed-In Voice Assistant
Amazon Alexa
Study Extra
Amazon Fireplace TV Stick 4K Plus
Evaluate
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
Execs & Cons
Streams 4K HDR with Dolby Imaginative and prescient and Dolby Atmos
Fingers-free Google Assistant
Distant finder
Wi-Fi 6 help
Ethernet port for wired connectivity
Why We Picked It
Walmart’s Onn model affords a greater Google TV media streamer than Google itself. The Onn Google TV 4K Professional Media Streamer is offered for under $50, helps 4K content material with Dolby Imaginative and prescient, options Wi-Fi 6 and Ethernet connectivity, and consists of hands-free Google Assistant, Google Forged, and a distant finder operate.
Who It is For
Most individuals: That is essentially the most feature-packed $50 media streamer at the moment accessible, and it is your general best option if you happen to aren’t dedicated to a particular platform. It affords just about every little thing besides Apple AirPlay help.
Voice management fanatics: If you wish to management your TV or good residence gadgets together with your voice and do not have already got a sensible speaker in your front room, the 4K Professional is essentially the most reasonably priced approach to take action. It affords hands-free Google Assistant help (with plans to improve to Gemini Residence by the top of the 12 months), for half the worth of the Alexa-equipped different under.
Anybody who usually loses the distant: The distant finder button on the 4K Professional is important if you happen to regularly misplace the distant. All it’s a must to do is ask Google to search out your distant, and it will make it ring.
Specs & Configurations
Decision
4K
HDR
Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10
Platform
Google TV
Constructed-In Voice Assistant
Google Assistant
Study Extra
Onn Google TV 4K Professional Streaming Machine
Evaluate
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
Execs & Cons
Slim design simply matches amongst crowded HDMI ports
Can get energy instantly out of your TV
Wi-Fi 6
Constructed-in Alexa
Up to date Fireplace TV interface buries your bookmarks
Restricted native streaming options
Why We Picked It
Not everybody has a 4K TV, and that is advantageous as a result of Amazon has a budget-friendly 1080p possibility. The most recent model of the Fireplace TV Stick HD is extra-slim and may get energy solely out of your TV’s USB port, eliminating the necessity for a wall adapter. It additionally has Wi-Fi 6 and feels speedier when looking the interface.
Who It is For
1080p TVs: When you’ve got a 1080p TV that lacks good options, you’ll be able to breathe new life into it for a fraction of the fee with the Fireplace TV Stick HD. It could possibly add all the main streaming providers, in addition to Alexa (by the distant).
Study Extra
Amazon Fireplace TV Stick HD (2026)
Evaluate
(Credit score: PCMag)
(Credit score: PCMag)
Execs & Cons
Fingers-free Alexa voice help
HDMI pass-through with Alexa overlay
Helps Wi-Fi 6E
Quick efficiency
Costly
Wi-Fi 6E does not essentially provide video advantages
Why We Picked It
The Fireplace TV Dice stays essentially the most highly effective (and costly) Fireplace TV media streamer accessible, with one important benefit over the remaining: far-field microphones that allow hands-free interplay with Amazon’s Alexa assistant. It is rather more handy than choosing up the distant, holding the voice button, and talking into it. It additionally options HDMI pass-through, permitting you to show Alexa visible data in your TV whereas utilizing your set-top field or recreation console. Lastly, it helps Wi-Fi 6E for a quick and dependable community connection.
Who It is For
Alexa followers: That is greatest for devoted Alexa customers who do not have already got an Echo close to their sofa. It is the one approach so as to add hands-free Alexa to your TV, and it helps the brand new Alexa+ voice assistant, which permits for extra conversational instructions.
Anybody with a cable or satellite tv for pc field: The Fireplace TV Dice’s HDMI pass-through is a novel characteristic amongst media streamers, permitting you to see Alexa’s responses even whereas watching TV by a distinct machine, reminiscent of a cable field.
Specs & Configurations
Decision
4K
HDR
Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10
Platform
Amazon Fireplace OS
Constructed-In Voice Assistant
Amazon Alexa
Study Extra
Amazon Fireplace TV Dice (third Gen)
Evaluate
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
Execs & Cons
Easy, accessible interface
Would not require a wall outlet
Helps Apple AirPlay
Reasonably priced
Lacks Dolby Atmos and Dolby Imaginative and prescient help
No Twitch app
Why We Picked It
Amazon Fireplace TV and Google TV have a bit extra whole-home energy resulting from their absolutely purposeful voice assistants, however Roku stays a wonderful platform for media streaming. And the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is a perfect selection within the lineup. It is an reasonably priced media hub that plugs into your TV and affords 4K media streaming with help for HDR10 and HDR10+, with a giant profit Fireplace TV and Google TV lack: Apple AirPlay help. That integration lets iPhone, iPad, and Mac customers stream their screens to the TV.
Who It is For
Anybody who simply needs media streaming capabilities, and nothing else: Roku’s streaming platform is way less complicated and extra media-focused than Fireplace TV or Google TV. It does not have a full voice assistant, and it does not fill your display with content material strategies and advertisements. You may nonetheless see a couple of advert,s and you should use the distant’s microphone to regulate the streamer and a small collection of first-party good residence gadgets together with your voice, however in any other case it is all about streaming with little or no else to distract.
Much less tech-savvy customers: If you wish to get streaming arrange for anybody who is not superb at navigating a great deal of menus, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is your greatest wager. Its interface could be very accessible and straightforward to make use of, constructed round huge tiles that leap proper into a selected streaming service.
Specs & Configurations
Decision
4K
HDR
HDR10
Platform
Roku OS
Constructed-In Voice Assistant
Search
Study Extra
Roku Streaming Stick Plus (2025)
Evaluate
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
Execs & Cons
Quick, responsive efficiency
Deep integration with Apple gadgets and providers
Apple AirPlay 2
Expensive
Complicated overlap of Apple tvOS and Apple TV app options
Utilizing Siri requires talking into the distant
Why We Picked It
The Apple TV 4K is a succesful media streamer that may function an Apple HomeKit hub if you happen to desire Apple’s ecosystem on your good residence gadgets. It is also the one machine that permits you to use Siri somewhat than Alexa or Google Assistant (although solely by the distant, since there isn’t any hands-free mannequin).
Who It is For
Apple followers: The Apple TV 4K is designed for devoted Apple customers. When you’ve got an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, use Siri, and your good residence gadgets help HomeKit, this ties them collectively in your front room.
Specs & Configurations
Decision
4K
HDR
Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10
Platform
Apple tvOS
Constructed-In Voice Assistant
Apple Siri
Study Extra
Apple TV 4K (third Era)
Evaluate
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
Execs & Cons
Easy, accessible interface
Fast efficiency
Helps Apple AirPlay
Cheap
Lacks HDR help
No Twitch app
Why We Picked It
The Roku Streaming Stick is essentially the most budget-friendly media streamer on this checklist. It has most main streaming providers and helps Apple AirPlay for iPhone, iPad, and Mac customers, in addition to WiDi/Miracast for PC customers. Its interface is straightforward to make use of and does not overwhelm customers with suggestions, making it appropriate for individuals who are much less tech-savvy and simply need to watch their exhibits. As a result of the Roku interface is primarily centered on media and lacks many ancillary options, reminiscent of a full-fledged voice assistant or strong good residence controls, it is also extra accessible to customers who do not need to construct their residence theater right into a hub for every little thing of their residence.
Who It is For
Older, non-4K TVs: When you’ve got an older 1080p TV and need to add streaming options whereas preserving it easy and accessible, the Roku Streaming Stick is your greatest and most cost-effective selection.
iPhone and iPad house owners: Constructed-in Apple AirPlay makes the Streaming Stick an inexpensive solution to share your iPhone or iPad display in your TV.
Specs & Configurations
Decision
1080p
HDR
No
Platform
Roku OS
Constructed-In Voice Assistant
Search
Study Extra
Roku Streaming Stick (2025)
Evaluate
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
(Credit score: Will Greenwald)
Execs & Cons
Quick efficiency
Wi-Fi 6 help
Ethernet port for wired connections
Fingers-free voice management
Apple AirPlay
Costly
Voice options lag behind rivals
Distant lacks a headphone jack
No Twitch app
Why We Picked It
The Extremely is Roku’s most feature-rich media streamer. It options Wi-Fi 6 for quick streaming and an Ethernet port for essentially the most dependable community connection, permitting you to run a cable if desired. It comes with the second-generation Roku Voice Distant Professional that permits for hands-free voice management. It helps Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR and Dolby Atmos spatial audio. And, after all, Roku’s interface could be very easy and straightforward to make use of, with quite a few media streaming apps and providers, in addition to Apple AirPlay help.
Who It is For
Roku followers who need hands-free voice management: For those who like Roku’s easy interface however would nonetheless like to make use of it with out choosing up the distant, the Extremely is your greatest wager. The distant can decide up your voice instructions from wherever within the room.
Anybody who usually loses their distant: The distant finder characteristic is de facto helpful if you happen to typically get the distant caught between cushions on the sofa or left on a counter and forgotten. Press the button, and it chimes.
Specs & Configurations
Decision
4K
HDR
Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10
Platform
Roku OS
Constructed-In Voice Assistant
Search
Study Extra
Roku Extremely (2024)
Evaluate
The Greatest Media Streaming Gadgets for 2026
Examine Specs
Shopping for Information: The Greatest Media Streaming Gadgets for 2026
What Does Amazon Fireplace TV Do?
Amazon’s Fireplace TV OS (Credit score: Will Greenwald)
Amazon’s Fireplace TV platform is a modified model of Android that places Amazon’s Prime content material proper at your fingertips, together with Prime Video and Prime Music. Loads of different content material providers can be found by the Fireplace TV platform as particular person apps, reminiscent of Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube.
Amazon equips Fireplace TV gadgets with Alexa, the identical voice assistant within the firm’s Echo good audio system. It is a useful device to make use of with the voice distant that present Fireplace TV Sticks embody. And, if you would like hands-free Alexa together with your Fireplace TV, the Fireplace TV Dice includes a far-field microphone array that may decide up your instructions similar to a standalone speaker.
Video Streaming Companies: What You Ought to Know
What Does Google TV Do?
Google TV (Credit score: Will Greenwald)
Google TV is a feature-packed good TV platform that gives entry to all main streaming apps and providers, together with Google Assistant for voice management and Google Forged for native streaming. It is accessible on most Hisense, Sony, and TCL TVs, in addition to Onn media streamers and Google’s personal Google TV Streamer. Its Google Forged help is useful for Android cellphone and pill customers, and it additionally permits for PC streaming; nonetheless, it lacks AirPlay help for iPhone, iPad, and Mac customers. Some TV producers add AirPlay to their Google TV fashions after the very fact, but it surely’s not on the media streamers.
What Does Roku Do?
Roku OS (Credit score: Will Greenwald)
Roku refers back to the providers and apps accessible on its gadgets as Channels, and at the moment affords hundreds of selections within the Roku Channel Retailer. All main streaming media providers can be found, together with Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, and Sling TV, in addition to quite a few smaller, area of interest apps and providers that cater to motion pictures, sports activities, climate, information, and worldwide content material. It additionally has Apple AirPlay help.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K, Streaming Stick 4K+, and Extremely all stand out as high selections. Every affords 4K video with HDR10 and Dolby Imaginative and prescient help. The Streaming Stick 4K+ and Extremely characteristic Roku’s Voice Distant Professional, which boasts hands-free voice management, a distant finder operate, and a headphone jack for personal listening. The Extremely is the costliest, but it surely’s the one mannequin with Ethernet (for wired community connections) and USB ports (for taking part in media instantly from a USB drive).
Along with devoted media streamers, Roku additionally affords a soundbar with media streaming features, the Roku Streambar ($129.99). It is costly as a media hub, however that worth is cheap for a modest stereo soundbar with the extra good thing about streaming 4K video. You’ll be able to pair it with the Roku TV Wi-fi Audio system for encompass sound and the Roku Wi-fi Subwoofer for extra rumble.
Roku has additionally established itself as one of many largest firms within the good TV platform business with Roku TV. The corporate each manufactures its personal TVs and affords its know-how to producers for incorporation into their screens. A dozen firms, together with Hisense, apply it to a few of their TVs. Roku TVs work equally to Roku media streamers, besides that they’re constructed instantly into the TV units.
Is the Apple TV 4K Value Shopping for?
Apple TV 4K (third technology) (Credit score: Apple)
Apple’s content material and AirPlay 2 help can be found on many good TVs and media streamers. Nevertheless, the corporate nonetheless sells the Apple TV 4K, the newest iteration of which features a sooner CPU and a brand new distant. It additionally affords the power to Shade Steadiness your TV with a suitable iPhone. Nonetheless, in gentle of its excessive worth and Apple’s continuous growth of providers, it appears much less and fewer essential.
For those who merely need to entry iTunes content material in your TV and have already got an iPhone or iPad, your TV would possibly be capable to do this with no media streamer. All Roku streamers and TVs, in addition to these from Hisense, LG, Samsung, TCL, and Vizio, help Apple AirPlay 2. AirPlay permits you to stream media out of your iOS machine on to your TV over Apple’s platform, which is a key a part of the attraction of Apple TV.
Advisable by Our Editors
The Apple TV app additionally offers entry to most Apple-purchased motion pictures and exhibits, together with Apple TV+ content material, on different gadgets. It is accessible on all main good TVs, media hubs, and recreation consoles, together with PlayStation and Xbox.
Apple TV is pricey in contrast with Amazon Fireplace TV and Roku, but it surely nonetheless affords some advantages for devoted Apple customers: It features as an Apple HomeKit hub and features a distant that permits you to discuss to Siri. These are the one actual benefits of the Apple TV machine over the Apple TV app, nonetheless. You would get an Apple HomePod mini and one other media streamer on this checklist for a similar worth.
Can I Stream 8K?
What about 8K, you could be questioning? Don’t fret about it. Critically, no client 8K streaming service and even client 8K media is offered but. 8K TVs have begun to trickle out, however they will not be rather more than novelties for no less than a couple of extra years.
