Fire TV Cube
Best for hands-free Alexa, smart home control
This story is part of Gift Guideour year-round collection of the best gift ideas.
What is the best Fire TV Stick?
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is far and away the best Fire TV Stick made by Amazon. It launches apps with ease, and navigating around feels fast and smooth, thanks to its powerful processor. It also has support for Dolby Vision and Wi-Fi 6 for faster streaming.
Amazon has aggressively pushed into the streaming market, producing a range of Fire TV-branded streaming devices. We’ve tried and tested them all — as well as others from Roku, Google, Apple and more — and we know we like Roku products the best for their ease of use and their platform -agnostic approach. Roku’s menus do not favor one streaming service (like, for example, Prime Video) over another. That said, Amazon’s Fire TV devices are capable too, especially if you want them Alexa sound integration.
Amazon’s range is robust and runs the gamut from the basic Fire TV Stick Lite to the midrange Fire TV Stick 4K Max to the top-tier Fire TV Cube, as well as a bunch of models in between. If that sounds confusing, don’t worry. Our guide to the best Fire TV streaming devices will help you choose the right model for you.
Read more: Best 4K TVs for 2023
Best Fire TV Sticks of 2023
If you’re looking for the best Fire Stick on the market, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is it. The Max is fast and loads apps almost instantly, and navigating around the system is quick and smooth. Even better, Max supports Wi-Fi 6 and almost all the latest playback standards, including Dolby Vision. The downside of the Max is the Fire TV platform which has ads displayed prominently throughout. We just don’t appreciate the TV turning into a giant rotating billboard for content or ads when in screensaver mode. But this is a good option for those looking for the best and easiest Amazon Fire TV stick.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max review.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K debuted in 2018 and is still available today. While many of us think it’s worth upgrading to the Max, the original Fire TV Stick 4K is still a great option for those who want 4K streaming without paying for the latest bells and whistles, which is Wi-Fi 6 and fast speed. The voice features are impressive and Echo and Dot owners can control them with Alexa. The app and game selection is excellent and the responses are still fast, though not as quick as the Max. The remote can control the volume and power of TVs and soundbars. Finally, if the price of the Fire TV Stick 4K is close to the Max, we recommend passing on it and getting the newer and faster Max.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K review.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite is our favorite budget streaming device, besting the Roku Express. The Lite beats the Express in features-for-the-money. The biggest advantage of the Fire TV is a remote with built-in search and voice control powered by Alexa. The cheapest Roku with a voice remote is the Express Plus 4K, which uses Roku’s more basic voice system, not Alexa. The Fire Stick remote also doesn’t require line of sight to work. If you want to spend as little as possible on a streaming player, the Lite is your best bet.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite review.
The 2022 Fire TV Cube adds some bells and whistles, including 4K upscaling and a faster processor, to a device that’s been around for a while. The Cube is always a mash-up of Fire TV Stick and an Alexa speaker, which allows you to use your voice to search for shows and adjust the volume and inputs of your TV, dim ones lights, make Zoom calls (audio-only, unless you add a webcam), stream music and check the weather — all hands-free, without using a remote. It also features an octa-core processor and 2GB of memory for lightning-fast 4K streaming, as well as audio support for Dolby Atmos. That said, the latest version of the Cube has trouble controlling devices connected to your TV — especially if that TV is a TCL — and often misses the mark when mixing Alexa commands with your cable box.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Cube review.
Although the Lite is a better value, the Amazon Fire TV Stick is another good option for those who are rocking a regular HD TV. The main difference between the Fire TV Stick and the cheaper Fire TV Stick Lite is in the remote control. The Fire Stick remote has buttons for volume, mute and power, allowing you to control the functions of your TV. The Lite lacks these capabilities and is therefore less expensive. If you have a 1080p TV and don’t mind paying a little more for a remote that can control the volume on your TV, the Fire TV Stick is a good option for you.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick review.
How we test Fire TV devices
Every Fire TV Stick we’ve reviewed gets hours of hands-on testing. Usually, this includes installing the device on several TVs, evaluating the setup process, adding popular streaming channels and using the product as if it were our own. We run through all the major features available and note how it stacks up against other Fire TV models in the company’s lineup. To do this, we connect multiple Fire TV streaming devices to the same TV so we can easily go back and forth to compare experiences.
The metrics we use to rate a device include hardware design, distinctive features that differentiate models, remote capabilities and design, overall ease of use, effective features layout and design, search capabilities, privacy settings, the number of apps and their performance and overall speed. and system reliability.
Fire TV FAQs
What is the difference between a Fire TV device and a Fire TV television?
A Fire TV device, like the one on the list, is a small stick-shaped or square piece of hardware that plugs into the HDMI port on the back of your TV. This gives your TV access to Amazon Fire TV software and content, no matter what brand of TV you own.
Amazon also makes Fire TVs, which are televisions with Fire TV software preinstalled. This means that your TV automatically has access to the Fire TV interface without the need for an additional streaming device.
What streaming apps are on Fire TV?
Fire TV offers a long list of streaming apps, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount Plus, Peacock TV, Tubi, Pluto TV, Showtime, Discovery Plus and more. Spectrum cable users, however, do not have access to the Spectrum app on Fire TV.
Do I need an Amazon Prime membership to use Fire TV?
No, although you do need a free Amazon account to set up the device. While you don’t need to pay for a Prime membership to use Amazon Fire TV, it is useful and recommended. Membership comes with a selection of Prime Video content, including access to shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Expanse and Wheel of Time. These shows and other Amazon-branded content are heavily advertised on the Fire TV system and a Prime membership makes it easy to explore everything Amazon has to offer.
