Thanks to them Corona virus Pandemic, we are streaming more television and films than ever before, while millions of Americans are trying to cut spending because of financial uncertainty. A cheap streamer balances these desires and doesn’t get much cheaper than that Roku Express and Amazon Fire TV Stick. These are among the most popular streamers for a reason: they’re dirt cheap, easy to use, and can provide all the apps and services that most people want, including subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus. you also have Free TV options including Streaming messages, YouTube, Tubi TV, the Roku Channel and IMDb TV.
Both streamers work well as primary options, but are even more useful with secondary TVs. You can put them in the bedroom or children’s room where they are missing 4K capability and in the case of Roku, additional amenities are not so much missed. Both have access to around tens of millions of TV apps, including all major ones, and most apps look the same and behave basically the same on both. And both are pretty equally fast, responsive, and reliable as long as you have one solid internet connection.
How do they differ? Let’s take a look.
Sarah Tew / CNET
The Express is the cheapest streamer on the market yet offers all the benefits of the Roku platform. Roku is CNET’s favorite because it offers thousands of apps, a foolproof menu system and the best search in the industry. The tiny box hides near your TV and contains a remote control, an HDMI cable, and a small sticker to keep it in place.
Read our Roku Express (2019) review.
Sarah Tew / CNET
The Fire TV Stick costs more than the Express, but offers three major comfort upgrades that Roku’s cheapest players lack. The first is Alexa’s voice control, which allows you to search for TV shows and movies, or even turn on the lights by speaking into the remote. The second is the on / off, volume, and mute button on the Fire TV remote, which allows you to control your TV directly so you don’t have to use the TV’s remote at all. The third is the ability to control the player yourself without pointing the remote at the TV.
The disadvantage, apart from the higher price? Fire TV’s menus and search are more complex and lead to Amazon content rather than staying neutral as with Roku.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick with the brand new Alexa Voice Remote (2019).
Best remote features: Amazon Fire TV Stick
Both streamers have a big advantage over that other dirt cheap steamer, Google’s Chromecast for $ 35: You have an actual physical remote control. That alone makes them both a better choice than Chromecast in my book, although people who prefer to use their phones to control streaming on a TV will be different.
I actually prefer the layout and feel of Roku’s remote control – on the one hand, the purple “+” cursor made of rubber is better than the plastic circle from Amazon. The buttons differ in size better, and I even like keyboard shortcuts for apps like Netflix and Hulu. But Amazon’s remote control is better overall. That’s because it contains the main features I mentioned above, namely voice control, TV volume and performance, and convenience from anywhere. Having these extras is much more important than Roku’s superior ergonomics in my book.
Speak into the remote to bring Alexa to Fire TV.
Sarah Tew / CNET
Here I mention the Roku Express Plus, a $ 40 version that offers all of these remote amenities: voice (from Roku, not from Alexa), TV control, and point-anywhere functionality. It’s the best of both worlds, but of course the Standard Express is cheaper.
Best menus and search: Roku Express
Roku’s no-nonsense menu system places the apps themselves in the foreground and lets you arrange them as you like on your phone. It quickly takes me to the apps and shows I want without filling the screen with other junk.
Roku’s menus are all about apps, just like your phone.
Sarah Tew / CNET
If you’re using a Fire TV device, you’ll need to flip through a number of TV shows and movies in addition to the apps themselves. That would be fine if it’s TV shows and films I’m watching or I actually want to see – something that Netflix’s menus do well. But mostly I’m not interested in the TV shows and films on Fire TV’s screen. They just seem to be the way Amazon or its partners want me to look at them.
Look at that:
Which is better: Roku or Amazon Fire TV? (The 3:59, Ep ….
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The search results on Roku are straightforward and price-oriented. You see how much a movie or TV show costs, and you can click through to watch or buy it – and if it’s free because you’re a subscriber, you’ll see that too. Fire TV’s results are much more confusing, with multiple options and false alarms. And once you’ve found what you want, you’ll only see a primary service, and you’ll need to click through to see “More Ways to Watch”. One advantage of Fire TV, however, is the easier search thanks to the Alexa remote control.
Best cheap streamer overall: Roku Express
Yes, you could argue that the convenience of Fire TV is worth the extra money. And yes, you could point out that Fire TV is often available for $ 30 or less. Or to the fact that both received exactly the same rating in CNET’s ratings: both scored 8.0 out of 10, which is excellent.
But we’re talking cheap streamers here, and for just $ 30, the Express’s value proposition – as well as its superior menus compared to Fire TV – surpasses it for the purposes of this comparison.
If you’re ready to spend a little more, I prefer that Roku Streaming Stick Plus and Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K for their ability to process 4K HDR video, especially now that pretty much every new TV is 4K. Are you looking for even more options? Here are CNETs Favorite 2020 streaming devices a total of.
