Fire TV Stick vs. Chromecast vs. Roku Streaming Stick: Measuring the sticks
Ready for more comparisons than you can shake a stick at? Ranging in price from $35 to $50, these three HDMI streaming sticks all offer Netflix...and diverge from there. Stick with this roundup for all the details.
- Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
Streaming sticks won't break the bank.
At $39, Amazon's new Fire TV stick is priced squarely between the the $35 Google Chromecast and $49 Roku Streaming Stick .
Each device has its pluses and minuses. In our reviews, we gave the Roku stick the highest score (8.4/10, or 4 stars), then the Fire TV stick (8.1/10, 4 stars) and finally the Chromecast (7.3/10, 3.5 stars).
The Roku was our favorite by virtue of its excellent app selection, best-in-class search and agnostic interface. The Fire TV, if you can find one, is almost as good as long as you don't mind its Amazon-centric interface. The Chromecast is perhaps the most innovative device of the three, but its dependence on your smartphone or tablet makes it significantly less-convenient to use.
If HBO Go is a must-have channel for you, note that it's currently supported by the Chromecast and Roku (although Comcast subscribers still can't use HBO Go or Showtime Anytime via Roku). Amazon is pledging to add HBO Go to the Fire TV by end of year, and in the meantime many older titles are available to Prime members, such as The Sopranos, Deadwood and Six Feet Under (sorry, no Game of Thrones).
For more information check out the full reviews linked above. And if you'd like to do the deciding on your own, here are a couple of charts comparing features and app support.
Stick features comparison
| Google Chromecast | Roku Streaming Stick | Amazon Fire TV Stick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $35 | $49 | $39 |
| Physical remote control | No | Yes | Yes |
| Phone/tablet app remote control | "Cast" apps only | iOS/Android | Android (iOS "coming soon") |
| Gaming support | Yes | Limited | Yes (optional $40 controller) |
| Voice search | Via select "cast" apps | Via remote app | Via remote app, optional physical remote ($30) |
| Screen mirroring | via Chrome browser or Android | via Android, Windows 8.1 | via Kindle or Android (coming soon) |
| Wi-Fi antenna | Single-band | Dual-band/Dual antenna (MIMO) | Dual-band/Dual antenna (MIMO) |
| Works with "captive portal" Wi-Fi sign-in* | No | No | "Coming Soon" |
Sticks app comparison
| Google Chromecast | Roku Streaming Stick | Amazon Fire TV Stick | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amazon Instant | No | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hulu Plus | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HBO Go | Yes | Yes | No |
| Showtime Anytime | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vudu | Yes | Yes | No |
| Flixster | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crackle | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PBS | TabCast | Yes | Yes |
| PBS Kids | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Disney Channels | TabCast | Yes | Yes |
| Time Warner Cable TV | No | Yes | No |
| SlingPlayer | Yes | Yes | No |
| Starz Play | Yes | No | No |
| Watch ESPN | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MLB.TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NFL Now | No | Yes | Yes |
| NBA Game Time | No | Yes | Yes |
| Pandora | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spotify | TabCast | Yes | Yes |
| Rdio | Yes | Yes | No |
| Rhapsody | Yes | No | No |
| Vevo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TuneIn | TabCast | Yes | Yes |
| iHeartRadio | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amazon Music | No | Yes | Yes |
| Google Music | Yes | No | No |
| Google Play Movies and TV | Yes | Yes | No |
| Plex | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Chart Notes: *"Captive portal" refers toWi-Fi authentication systems, common in hotels and college dorms, that force the device to see a special Web page to sign in before using the Internet normally. Apps were selected based on editorial discretion. All of these devices support additional apps beyond those listed here. "Yes" means the device supports the app natively; "TabCast" means the device supports the app using Chrome browser mirroring in our tests; "No" means the device does not currently have the app or did not fully support it via mirroring in our tests. The list applies only to the US market; app selection varies in other countries worldwide. App selection is current as of November 26, 2014.
This article was updated November 26 with additional detail and links to reviews.