Best streaming devices we tested:
Best streaming device: Roku Streaming Stick TK
Best upgrade streaming device: Roku Ultra
Best streaming device for Apple users: Apple TV 4K
Best Fire TV streaming device: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
Best Google TV streaming device: Onn 4K Pro
Best budget streaming device: Roku Express (2022)
While current TVs come preloaded with a smart interface, many are clunky, don’t offer the latest streaming services and can lag months behind on updates to the services they do offer. The solution? Streaming sticks and boxes. These plug-and-play devices can enhance even the smartest TV and provide up-to-date access to the services you’re looking for. To help you find the best ones, we’ve spent countless hours with the top streaming boxes and sticks on the market, from Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV, Apple TV and Google Chromecast.
Best streaming device
Even if your smart TV comes with its own apps, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is the upgrade you should consider. Its built-in Wi-Fi extender is a nice touch, and the addition of Dolby Vision is great for those with TVs that support it.
Best upgrade streaming device
The Roku Ultra is fast and responsive, it delivers the widest variety of streaming services through up-to-date apps and it lets you find everything easily with universal search, for a reasonable price. Plus, its rechargeable remote eliminates the need for batteries.
Best streaming device for Apple users
Less expensive than before, but still pricey, the Apple TV 4K features the best integration into the Apple ecosystem. In exchange for more cash, you get a much faster device, plus a wider variety of apps, including games.
Read our review
Prime Day Deal
Best Fire TV streaming device
Not only is this the fastest Fire stick but its Ambient Experience mode lets you ditch the ads for actually great screensavers. Oh, and Wi-Fi 6E support adds more future-proofing.
Best Google TV streaming device
It’s just like the 4K Chromecast, except it eliminates laggy interface issues, packs an Ethernet port for stable streaming and has a lost-remote finder feature.
Read our review
Prime Day Deal
Best budget streaming device
If you want to smarten up a "dumb" TV, the Roku Express gives all the apps in a straightforward interface.
Read our review
Best streaming device: Roku Streaming Stick 4K
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is our favorite streaming device because it’s the product of many iterative improvements over the years. The latest include a long-range Wi-Fi receiver built right into its power cable. That’s a helpful upgrade when this stick doesn’t allow for the dedicated Ethernet connections of pricier models we cover later in this guide.
Roku offers nearly every streaming service app you could think of or ask for, with everything from Amazon Prime Video to Shudder, plus the free content from The Roku Channel. We love how the Roku interface focuses on just the apps. If you prefer getting suggestions for what to watch, consider the Chromecast With Google TV. We prefer how the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, like all Rokus, offers a home screen built around a big grid of app icons.
Performance-wise, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K proved snappy. Jumping around between apps and shows, we did not notice any cringe-inducing lag. If you need speed? Check out the Roku Ultra or Apple TV 4K below.
But most people just need a streaming stick that works well, and makes the shows and movies they want to see look good. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K does just that, as Roku added the Dolby Vision premium HDR standard to this model (it also has HDR10+). These specs ensure optimal color quality and contrast, and helped make everything from “Squid Game” to “The Queen’s Gambit” look great in my testing. The Streaming Stick 4K also supports Dolby’s Atmos audio quality, which aims to provide more “immersive” sound.
Unlike some cheaper streaming devices, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K’s remote comes with TV controls for volume and power. This way, you don’t need to juggle both it and your TV’s remotes, and can just focus on what you’re watching.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K also wins points for being ultra portable, as there’s always room for it in your suitcase (we never travel without one). Why would I do that? In my testing, Roku devices beat their competitors at signing into the weirdly complicated hotel Wi-Fi networks. This way, you’re never reliant on paying premium prices, and that Wi-Fi range extender will come in handy there because who knows where your hotel’s Wi-Fi is coming from.
Best upgrade streaming device: Roku Ultra
We previously named the 2019 version of the Roku Ultra CNN Underscored’s best overall streaming device. With the 2020 version of the Ultra, Roku took another winning approach and made it even more attractive. From the moment you switch it on, the Roku Ultra presents one of the most seamless experiences of any streaming device we tested.
It was easier and quicker to locate preferred apps and services and to move those used most to a higher spot for even quicker access compared to other devices we tested. We were able to open Netflix, select “Parks and Recreation” and be in the world of Pawnee, Indiana, in about 10 seconds flat.
That swiftness is thanks to its quad-core processor and improved Wi-Fi, which makes the Ultra noticeably faster than other streaming devices we tested. Comparatively, the cheaper Rokus take a handful of seconds to open up an app and a few more seconds to start a stream.
Roku Ultra automatically upscales content to the highest resolution your TV can handle, up to 4K, and calibrates it to make sure it’s optimized for your screen. So if you’re streaming 720p content on a 1080p TV, it will upscale to that resolution, or if you have a 4K TV, it will deliver it at a full 4K resolution.
Content looks great, and with the addition of Dolby Vision HDR, the 2020 Ultra makes it look even better. In action titles, such as “Fast & Furious” and “Star Wars,” we didn’t experience any skips in fast scenes, and colors were vibrant but not overexposed. We previously knocked the Ultra a few points due to the lack of Dolby Vision, but with Dolby Vision joining Dolby Atmos on the Ultra, we have no more complaints.
Roku has access to some of the most popular streaming services: Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Sling TV, AT&T TV, Philo, Disney+, Apple TV+, Peaco*ck, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video are all supported
The cherry on top is the included remote, which provides a simple layout with navigation buttons, voice functionality and volume controls. There’s a headphone jack built right in for personal listening (earbuds are even included in the box), and it has a speaker built in so you can ping the remote if it gets misplaced or lost in the couch cushions.
If you’re looking for a streaming box that’s fast, responsive and future-proofed with features, the latest Roku Ultra delivers at a reasonable price point of $88.
Best streaming device for Apple users: Apple TV 4K
The Apple TV 4K kicks things up a notch compared to the Roku Ultra, adding gaming and countless additional apps to the menu. It’s ideal for anyone in the Apple ecosystem who subscribes to Apple’s many services.
The upgraded 2022 model of the Apple TV 4K looks nearly identical to its predecessor. It’s the same small block with a white LED indicator on the front and power, HDMI and Ethernet (for the pricier model) connectors on the back. One of its biggest changes is a faster chip; inside is the Apple-made A15 Bionic in place of the A12. It proved faster during most everyday tasks in our testing, providing a fluid experience with near-instantaneous responsiveness — tvOS and the respective apps fly.
It can handle having multiple streaming services open all at once (much like how you can multitask between different apps on the iPad). You can quickly switch between Netflix and opt to open Disney+ without experiencing any slowdowns. At times, other devices we tested experienced delays when going back to the home screen, but this happens instantly on the Apple TV 4K.
The big and welcome change is a price drop for the entry-level model, down to $129 from $179. Want Ethernet, the Matter smart home standard and more storage? There’s a pricier model that costs $149.
Let us not forget Siri Remote. It’s a solid aluminum remote with a click wheel reminiscent of the iPod; you can click and hold or just touch it to control the interface. It’s much easier to navigate around the user interface than Apple’s previous remote. In supported apps you can even use the wheel to scroll back and forth through content. Quite handy. You also get dedicated buttons for back, play or pause, mute, the TV app and volume. Apple’s also finally included a power button that can turn your entire TV setup on or off.
The Apple TV 4K works flawlessly for anyone within the Apple ecosystem via an interface that will be familiar to anyone with an iPad or iPhone. For instance, when you need to fill in a text field (like a password or search box), you’ll get a notification on your iPhone that allows you to use that keyboard to type on your TV screen. It’s leagues better than locating and selecting one letter at a time with a TV remote. It can also autofill an email field for you, and you can access your iCloud Keychain to auto-complete logins to services. It worked like a charm when we tried it on Netflix.
The Apple TV 4K supports all of the major streaming services. Via the App Store, you can find Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Sling TV, Max, Peaco*ck, YouTube, AT&T TV, Philo and tons of others. Countless gaming titles are available through Apple Arcade, while Fitness+ subscribers will be right at home with an app that displays workout metrics from the connected Apple Watch right on the big screen.
You can also cast content with AirPlay or AirPlay 2 from your iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS devices — everything from viewing photos or videos from your iPhone to a YouTube video and even mirroring your display.
Like the Roku Ultra, Apple TV 4K will auto-scale content up to 4K Ultra High Definition, and it also supports HDR, HDR 10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. If you currently have a 1080p HD TV, the TV 4K will present content at that resolution and calibrate it for your TV panel. There are minute differences between the calibrations Apple and Roku make, but either way you’ll get an accurate, clear and vibrant picture. The Apple TV 4K goes a step further with support for high-frame-rate content, but that’s basically future-proofing at this point, and only makes a difference right now in the Red Bull app, and only if you have a compatible TV. Don’t upgrade just for this.
You pay more for Apple TV 4K, but Apple users will enjoy the ease of control and added ability to game and access the full App Store for that extra money. At $129, it’s not the cheapest streaming device option, but it is the complete package with one of the best remotes we’ve ever used.
Best Fire TV streaming stick: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
The new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (which updates the 2022 model) gives folks more reason to upgrade from the standard (and super-popular) $50 Ultra HD stick. Now you get both upgraded specs and a standout new feature that makes it more competitive with the Apple TV 4K and Roku of the world.
That’s the Ambient Experience mode, Amazon’s version of Apple’s high-end screensavers that we’ve loved for years. Previously seen in Amazon’s Fire TV Omni QLED Series TVs, this setting allows you to turn your TV into a constantly shifting work of art, with everything from impressionist paintings to trippy motion graphics. Or even Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s Barbie and Ken, respectively, as stills from the “Barbie” movie can decorate your mojo dojo casa house. There are even aerial videos of stunning vistas.
Each category of works looks crystal clear and comes with multiple options it cycles through. We set ours to change once per minute to avoid any chance of OLED burn-in. If you’re as concerned about that as I am, you’ll probably not use Amazon’s little smart tiles, which include weather forecasts, tips and recommendations, and (our favorite) sticky notes to help you remember things (or passively send messages).
The other perks this year come in the specs section, with twice as much storage as before (16GB for all those Ambient Experiences and all your apps) and Wi-Fi 6E support for smoother streaming (on modern routers that enable more simultaneous connections).
And, of course, it’s still a solid way to stream shows and movies. It includes Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support for optimized HDR and sound, plus a remote with practically all the buttons you could ask for.
Best Google TV streaming device: Onn 4K Pro
Yes, we’re as surprised as you are: Walmart makes the best Google TV streaming device right now, as the Onn 4K Pro fixes flaws and adds features without raising the price. Sure, it may have a weird full product name — the onn. Google TV 4K Pro Streaming Device — but you’ll quickly forget about that once you start using it.
The Onn 4K Pro offers the same Google TV interface as the latest Chromecast, with four main sections. You start with the recommendations-focused For You screen, then a Live section for free, ad-supported content as well as select services such as YouTube TV, followed by tabs for apps and a library. It all works pretty well, and it’s best for people who constantly struggle to answer the question “what am I going to watch tonight?” Sure, you can (and I do) scroll down to the apps you want to open because you may already know what you want, but Google’s menus are full of often-decent recommendations. The Live section is also a competitive edge, especially for cord-cutters who want to jump straight into the channel or show they know is already on the air without navigating in the app.
What makes the Onn 4K Pro stand out, though, is that its performance is much snappier than Google’s own Chromecast, as nearly all the lag I’ve seen on that device is gone. On top of that, this streaming box also supports hands-free voice commands, so you can search for what you want to watch with just a shout.
Those with cluttered and congested Wi-Fi networks will also appreciate how the Onn 4K Pro includes a built-in Ethernet port for more stable streaming. This capability is typically reserved for much more expensive devices that start at twice the price, like the Roku Ultra, the even-pricier Fire TV Cube or the high-end Apple TV 4K model.
Tend to misplace your remote a lot? Then you’ve got another reason to grab this box over a more expensive model, as it packs a lost-remote finder that is activated with either a voice command or a click on the box. Again, this is not something we ever see in $50 streaming devices.
With that many special features, the only reasons to pass on the Onn 4K Pro are a preference for another platform or a desire to keep your streaming device behind your TV. Yes, unlike the regular Chromecast, this box can’t be hidden behind your flatscreen.
Best budget streaming device: Roku Express
Some may be confused by our inclusion of a streaming device that maxes out at 1080p, but in the age of rampant streaming service price hikes (we’re glaring at you, Disney+), we get it. Sometimes, you just need to put all the apps you want on a TV and call it a day, especially for older “dumb” TVs that max out at Full HD.
For these situations, we recommend the Roku Express. Once you figure out where to place this little curved rectangular box (it’s not a dongle, so it doesn’t hide behind your TV), you unlock a whole world of apps in that straightforward Roku interface we love so much. All the other $30-or-less streaming devices seem to make up for their prices by putting ads all over your screen, all of the time.
Then, there’s the improved remote. Unlike Roku’s past $30 streaming device, the latest Roku Express doesn’t require focused aiming for each click.
How we tested
While some of these are sticks and others are boxes, the core use case is to stream content to your TV. And we crafted categories that best reflect that core premise.
Under the Ease of Setup category, we focused on what came in the box and the process for getting the device working. In some cases, it was as simple as plugging it in and connecting to Wi-Fi; for others, we held a device nearby for fast pairing.
Performance tackled more areas, notably the ecosystem, quality across watching the content and available apps and services.
On the quality perspective, we calibrated each streaming device for the TV and then checked out the upscaling. Most importantly, we ensured that it reached 4K UHD or 4K Ultra High Definition as well as checked out the supported standards.
In terms of the build, we looked at the outside and the overall quality of the design. Did the materials live up to the price point? Was space wasted? And what did the controls and ergonomics of the remote mean for the user experience?
We tested all of these streamers with a range of TVs: a 55-inch LG C2 OLED, 55-inch TCL 6-Series, 55-inch LG CX55, 65-inch Sony A8H, 65-inch TCL 8-Series, 55-inch Vizio V-Series, 65-inch Vizio M-Series and 75-inch Vizio P-Series.
Others we tested
Chromecast With Google TV
The basic Chromecast is a decent streaming device, and while it might not be the fastest Google TV device, it does neatly tuck behind your TV, thanks to its dangling dongle design.
Fire TV Stick 4K
Amazon recently updated its 4K Fire TV Stick, the default streaming device for many shoppers who just want 4K for a frequently discounted price. It provides Dolby Vision and Atmos and a crisp Ultra HD picture. Its performance got a little better this year, but it still isn’t much to write home about, though, and the Amazon Fire TV OS interface is something to be endured rather than enjoyed. You can also hack it to sideload stuff that Amazon doesn’t allow in its store. Don’t need 4K? There’s always the $40 Fire TV Stick (which maxes out at 1080p) and the $30 Fire TV Stick Lite (whose remote has no TV controls), both of which are frequently on sale. Want a better set of screensavers, more speed and better specs? Look at the $60 Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
Onn Google TV Streaming Box
Somehow, there’s a $20 4K streaming device. Walmart’s budget version of the Chromecast With Google TV has its own quirks, though. It doesn’t work that well with the Google Home app’s virtual remote, showing an inconsistent interface (or no buttons at all). Oh, and it just feels cheap. But for that price? You might be willing to make the sacrifices. Don’t expect Dolby Vision or Atmos, though.
Amazon Fire TV Cube
We really enjoyed our time with the Fire TV Cube, but to a degree, it feels like it’s trying to be too much. The premise? It combines an Alexa smart speaker with a Fire TV streaming device. It’s a square box that’s taller than most streaming devices and has the classic blue light strip on the front. You can ask Alexa to turn on the TV, tune to Hulu or switch your input. It also promises upscaling, but we haven’t seen amazing results there. Performance-wise, it’s fast and it meets the quality standards with 4K UHD and HDR support.
Roku Streaming Stick 4K+
Bucking trends, the “+” in this streaming stick doesn’t stand for a streaming service. Instead, it references the packed-in Roku Voice Remote Pro, the company’s excellent rechargeable remote that comes with its two programmable buttons. We’d rather control those four app-specific buttons. Still, this has the same streaming stick as our overall favorite streaming device, just for $20 more.
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