Roku and Amazon Fire TV Stick are two renowned streaming devices that can provide unmatched streaming experience. The users can use these devices without the need to pay for a cable connection. Both the devices use the internet to stream content to the user, which means the user has the convenience to stream what he needs, unlike cable which doesn’t provide the user with any choice but to watch what they air.
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On the surface, both Roku and the Amazon Fire TV Stick might sound similar to the most, but there are some major differences between the two and these differences can indeed influence the final choice of the user. In this article, we’ll have a look at these small but game-changing differences and by the end, you will have a better idea of which one is best for you.
Amazon Fire TV Stick vs Roku – Comparison
Home Screen Navigation
Both the devices offer a clean and responsive Home Screen Interface, with easy access and filters to all the contents that a user needs
Roku
- Roku provides a User Interface that can be easily organized as per the user’s need.
- Apart from the user’s personalized apps, Roku comes with Tabs to the left of the Home Screen. User can easily browse the Featured Free tab for free movies and TV shows, or head down to Search to find movies and TV shows.
- The user can search by actor or director if there is trouble recalling the title.
Fire TV Stick
- Fire Stick doesn’t allow any sorts of rearranging but it displays the most recent contents and those based on the user’s previous search and watch history.
- The user can add any number of apps to his/her favorites. Fire Stick always displays the latest contents for their favorite apps under Favorites.
- If the user wants to watch the most recent movies and shows Fire Stick will be a better choice over Roku.
Remote Control
Both the devices dedicated remote controllers for ease of use. Even though both of them support voice search, Roku has an edge over Fire Stick because it can make use of Google or Alexa while Fire Stick only comes with Alexa.
Roku comes with 4 dedicated buttons for Netflix and other popular streaming apps. This can be an advantage if the user uses any of these.
Fire Stick doesn’t come with any dedicated buttons but it is much easier to connect and it can be used to control any soundbar, unlike Roku which can only control the soundbars which are connected over HDMI. Furthermore, Fire Stick has a dedicated mute button and the remote itself feels more tactile and sleek.
One thing to note here is that Roku has a dedicated headphone jack which can be used to stream content without disturbing others.
Voice Control
Both devices can be controlled with the dedicated voice search button that comes with the remote.
Roku
- Roku works with both Google and Alexa, but Google doesn’t work with the Amazon Fire Stick.
- If the user happens to have Google Home smart speakers then Roku is a better choice.
- However, one downside of Roku is that the user has to suffix Roku to every voice command he/she gives like “ Google open Hulu on Roku”.
Fire TV Stick
If the user happens to own an Amazon smart speaker, then the Fire Stick might be the better choice because of the seamless integration between both these devices. This is mainly due to the fact that both these devices are from the same manufacturer.
The user can give some in-depth voice commands such as “ Alexa rewind by 30 seconds”. As an icing on the cake, the user can also control other smart devices like a bulb with a dedicated voice button in the remote controller.
When it comes to voice control it clearly depends on the smart device is the user own. One thing to note is that Amazon Fire Stick offers better voice control over streaming and other smart services.
Apps
Both devices have a wonderful collection of apps. Even though the fire stick offers a wide range of games, Roku clearly has an edge due to its free ad-supported movies and series.
Roku has a large collection of free content, unlike the Fire Stick which requires a subscription.
Pricing
Pricing might be the only factor that forces the user to choose between one another. Roku is priced at a much higher rate of over $60 and the Fire Stick priced at $34.99. One can even buy a Fire Stick and an Echo Dot for $60 which even when combined is similar to the price of a Roku.
Buy Amazon Fire Stick | Roku
However, one thing to consider is Roku happens to have a large content of free movies and series even if they are ad-supported, so no one should straight up assume that Roku is overpriced.
To Conclude
Both are very well established and capable devices for streaming media. The users should be very well aware of the differences mentioned because they give a better understanding of each of these devices and which one suits best for them.
Also Read: How to cast Amazon Prime Video on TV using Chromecast.
