• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Bestdroidplayer logo - Kodi tips and streaming guides

BestDroidplayer

The best and latest Kodi Tips, Tutorials, guides and news to provide you all you need to enjoy the most of your streaming device.

  • Free Guides
  • Kodi
    • Kodi Guide
    • Best Kodi Addons
    • Best Sports Kodi Addons
      • Best Football (Soccer) Kodi Addons
      • Best NFL Kodi Addons
      • Best Cricket Kodi Addons
      • Best UFC / MMA Kodi Addons
      • Best WWE Kodi Addons
    • Best Movie Kodi Addons
    • Best Live TV Addons
    • Addons List
      • Live Sports Addons
        • Install TvTap Addon
        • Install Sportowa TV Addon
        • Install Rising Tides Addon
        • Install SportHD Addon
        • Install Fight Club Addon
      • Movies & TV Shows
        • Install Exodus Redux Addon
        • Install Magic Dragon Addon
        • Install Covenant Addon
        • Install Tempest Addon
        • Install TAZ Addon
        • Install Seren Addon
        • Install The Promise Addon
        • Install EnterTain Me Addon
        • Install The Crew Addon
        • Install Nightwing Addon
        • Install Black Lightning Addon
        • Install Shadow Addon
        • Install Asgard Addon
      • Live TV Addons
        • Install TvTap/TapTv Addon
        • Install LiveNet TV Addon
        • Install The Crew Addon
        • Install USGoTv Addon
        • Install Asgard Addon
        • Install RBTv Addon
        • Install Centry Sports Addon
    • Fix Kodi Errors
    • More Kodi Articles
  • Stremio
    • Stremio Beginner Guide
    • How to Install Stremio on FireStick
    • How to Install Stremio on Android TV Box
    • How to Install Stremio Addons
    • Best Stremio Addons
  • Plex
    • Plex Channels (Overall)
    • Plex Channels for Movies
    • Plex Channels for Sports
    • Plex Channels for Kids
  • Fire TV Stick
    • How to Set Up Amazon Fire Stick
    • How to Jailbreak Amazon Firestick
    • Best Apps for Jailbroken Firestick
    • How to Get Local Channels on Firestick
    • Best IPTV Players for Firestick
    • Install Kodi on Fire TV Stick
    • Update Kodi on Fire TV Stick
    • Install a VPN on Fire TV Stick
    • Best Free VPN for Firestick & Fire TV
    • More Firestick Articles
  • VPN
    • Best VPN for Kodi
    • Free VPN for Android TV Box
    • Free VPN for Firestick & Fire TV
    • What you can do with a VPN
  • Posts
  • Disclaimer
You are here: Home / Streaming devices / Should I Buy a Firestick or Roku? Everything on these streaming Devices

Should I Buy a Firestick or Roku? Everything on these streaming Devices

Last Updated on 9th March 2019 by Hutch Leave a Comment

123 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • LinkedIn
Should I Buy a Firestick or Roku? Everything on these streaming Devices

Firestick and Roku are the ultimate devices for streaming. Depending on the point of view they may be very similar or very distinct. In this comparison article we are putting Firestick and Roku, face to face, so you know everything about both devices as well answering the million question on Should I Buy a Firestick or Roku?…

Contents hide
1. Firestick
2. Roku
3. VPNs and Why You Need It
3.1. Choosing the right VPN
4. Firestick or Roku?
4.1. Specifications
4.2. Cost
4.3. Controls
4.4. Interface
4.5. Streaming Content
4.6. Surfing
4.7. Screen Mirroring
4.8. Gaming
5. The Winner isโ€ฆ

Digital media players are taking over the world and cable TV providers are feeling the pinch from it. Digital players connect directly to stream media. They have been around since the year 2000 and are just starting to gain momentum. The rise in available online streaming content has led to a rise in the number of these available digital players. In this article, we are going to discuss two of the best players on the market, theย  Amazon Firestick and Roku. We are going to do a comparison to decide which is better and for what reasons. But first, letโ€™s look at a brief introduction of the two players.

Firestick

The Firestick digital media player is developed by Amazon. With the Amazon Firestick, you can watch high-resolution content streamed to your TV and play games using a game controller or a mobile app.

There is also a bigger option of the Firestick known as Fire TV โ€“ the Firestick comes as an HDMI plugin while the Fire TV comes as a set-top box.

The Firestick was released in November 2014 as the smaller version of the Fire TV. Its first generation model has 8 GB internal storage and 1GB RAM.

The Amazon Firestick and Fire TV runs on Android software and you can download many apps from the Amazon app store to expand its capabilities. Kodi for example is available on the Firestick following these simple instructions.

Roku

Roku digital player is developed by Roku Inc. โ€“ an American company based in Los Gatos, California. The name Roku is Japanese for sixth. The company was named Roku by its founder, Anthony Wood, for being the sixth company he started.

With the Roku digital player, data is transferred through an audio and video cable or an HDMI cable. The Roku streaming stick connects via the HDMI.

The first Roku media streaming device was launched in 2008 for Netflix. It runs on Linux OS which means you still cannot install Kodi on Roku. But you can still run Kodi in a Android Device and have it on Roku, mirroring it; shortly weโ€™ll write an article about this.

Rokuโ€™s content is provided by partners. Roku also launched its own free channel in 2017 that is free.

We are now going to look at how the two digital players compare by features.

VPNs and Why You Need It

While this post is primarily about the difference between the Amazon Firestick and the Roku, Iโ€™d be doing you a disservice if I didnโ€™t discuss the importance of VPNs when it comes to streaming content online. VPNs or Virtual Private Networks were initially created in the business world. Used by employees around the world as a means of communicating with their offices in a secure manner, they have gradually made the transition to the commercial world where they have found rabid fans!

You see with constantly changing rules and regulations around the world, not to mention draconian measures in some jurisdictions from a censorship perspective, individuals need to protect themselves. This is where VPNs come into play.

This is how a VPN worksVPNs help create a secure, private connection between your streaming device and the VPN server. Anything you are browsing over that connection cannot be monitored, traced or tracked. This is really important.

However, thatโ€™s not the only reason to think about a VPN though. Another concern is something called georestriction. Basically this means that the content you are able to watch is limited, based on your location. As weโ€™re discussing the Firestick and Roku in this post, if youโ€™re anything like me, youโ€™re going to want to take it with you when you go on a holiday. If that is the case, imagine your disappointment if when you get to your destination, the shows you were watching are not available! Well, a VPN can help here and itโ€™s really quite easy. You see, when you connect to a Good VPN like IPVanish, you simply have to select the server location youโ€™d like to connect to and then the VPN software will mask your IP address making it appear as if youโ€™re in that location!

Choosing the right VPN

Now choosing the right VPN can be difficult, but fortunately for you, Iโ€™m here to make things easier! You see, there is one VPN โ€“ IPVanish โ€“ that I think is the best for both the Amazon Firestick and Roku. Itโ€™s one that Iโ€™m happy to recommend to you and even better for you;ย weโ€™ve managed to get you a special 81% of IPVanish.

Save 81% of IPVanish now!

Firestick or Roku?

OK, lets get into the details of comparing the Firestick and Roku now, so that you can choose the best option for your needs.

Specifications

The basic Amazon Firestick has a 1.3GHZย  processor, supports Bluetooth 4.1, and has 8GB internal memory. It plays videos in the 720p to 1080p resolution range at 60FPS (Frames per second).

The 4K model offers a 1.7GHZ processor and supports Bluetooth 5. Its internal memory remains 8GB though it supports 2160p resolution.ย The 4K model also offers Dolby vision.

The Roku Streaming Stick, Express and Express+ offer 1080p resolution. The streaming stick+ however offers 4K resolution (2160).

No model of Roku offers Dolby vision.

In this category, Amazon Firestick wins considering it offers more features at a lower price than Roku.

Cost

Roku is a streaming deviceThe entry-level Amazon Firestick goes for $39.99 while the high-resolution 4K model will cost you $49.99. Roku, on the other hand, has more options ranging from $29.99 for Roku Express to Roku Streaming stick+ that goes for $59.99. In between, there is the Roku Premiere that goes for $39.99, the Premiere+ that goes for 49.99 and the Roku streaming stick which also goes for $49.99. Roku thus has more variety and a much cheaper starting point.

In terms of cost, Roku is a clear winner with a lower base starting point and more options available.

Controls

Both Roku and Amazon Firestick come with a remote control.

The Amazon Firestick devices comes with Alexa. Alexa is Amazonโ€™s virtual assistant where the user can control the device using voice commands.

Some of Roku devices also come with voice control. They are Roku streaming stick+, Roku Streaming , and Roku Premieree+. The other models donโ€™t.

Both Roku and Amazon firestick also come with a mobile phone control app.

In this category, itโ€™s almost a tie since both devices provide good controls. However, some lower end Roku devices do not come with a voice recognition assistant hence the Firestick narrowly wins.

๐Ÿ‘‹ Signup to our newsletter to receive guides and cord-cutting tips for FREE!! Click Here!

Interface

Roku's interfaceThe Amazon Firestick interface is very modern and attractive. It looks more refined and has that futuristic feel. The only disadvantage about it is the fact that it tends to give priority to Amazon Prime Video content. Youโ€™ll see Amazon Prime Content even if you donโ€™t subscribe to it.

Rokuโ€™s interface looks basic but is very customizable. You have the option of placing your channels in groups just the way you want them.

Even though Amazon Firestickโ€™s interface looks more modern and appealing, I would choose the more realistic and convenient Roku which allows me to arrange my channels the way I want them. This might be personal preference only but I say Roku wins.

Streaming Content

Roku has the best agnostic device on the market. It is compatible with almost all media streaming apps including Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, Youtube, Google Play Movies, Tunulnen Radio etc without requiring any adaptation software.

Roku also offers a large variety of private channels. You might want to use a VPN on these private channels though as some of them provide access to copyrighted content.

Amazon Firestick offers no Youtube native app. Misunderstandings with Google also saw Google pull its apps from them. Amazon with its somewhat restrictive app store doesnโ€™t help here either as many apps are only available through the use of a downloader app.

In this category, Roku wins once again.

Surfing

Amazon Firestick lets you surf the internet. You can surf using the Fire TV remote control on Firefox and Amazonโ€™s Silk Browser.

Roku does not offer web browsing. Amazon Firestick wins.

Screen Mirroring

This feature allows you to mirror whatever is on your mobile deviceโ€™s screen onto your TV screen. Roku devices have a technology called Miracast built within that offers screen mirroring services. Amazon Firestick used to offer screen mirroring on its earlier devices but interestingly they no longer offer the feature currently.

Roku wins.

Gaming

Both Roku and Amazon Firestick offer gaming.ย Many gamers though prefer games on Amazon Firestick to those of Roku. Roku games may not entertain a hardcore gamer much. Neither device is really suitable for this though and other android boxes are a better option. However in the interest of fairness, Amazon wins.

The Winner isโ€ฆ

In this comparison article we put face to face the two ultimate streaming devices and we ran a deep analysis on various important features that may influence your choice.

So, which should you buy between the Firestick and Roku? Frankly, itโ€™s a tricky task to make the choice considering the two devices are largely similar. However, Roku tends to have more important advantages over Amazon Firestick.

I consider the most important feature on a digital media player to be the amount and variety of channels available. Roku seems to do better in this category which places it slightly higher than Amazon Firestick. I would go with Roku, but the choice is yours.

Hope this comparison article has helped to answer your question onย Should I Buy a Firestick or Roku. If so, please share it with your friends as probably they have the same doubts!

Related Posts:

  • Why You Should Use VPN on Android Devices
  • 5 Reasons why you should use a VPN while streaming on Kodi
  • Fully load your Android TV Box with these streaming Apps
  • Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao Vs. Errol Spence Jr.:…
  • How to install Diamond Shadow Kodi Addon: Everything…
  • Pacquiao vs Ugรกs: everything you need to know
๐Ÿ‘‹ Signup to our newsletter to receive guides and cord-cutting-tips tips for FREE!! Click Here!


Marketing permission: I give my consent to BestDroidPlayer to be in touch with me via email using the information I have provided in this form for the purpose of news, updates and marketing.

123 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • LinkedIn

Legal Disclaimer: BestDroidPlayer.com is in no way affiliated to any streaming application, apk or its addons. Also,  we are not associated with the brands here shown as the references are only informative. Bestdroidplayer.com does not verify the legality or security of any apps, apks, addons or services mentioned on this site. We DO NOT HOST any copyright-protected software or streams and we DO NOT broadcast or provide any copyright-protected streams on this website - The content here provided is only informational and it should be used only to access content that is not protected by copyright. We strongly advise our readers to avoid piracy at all costs, if you decide to do so, it is your responsibility - We are not responsible for any of your activities.
If you wish to make a claim, please check our DMCA Notice Policy.

Affiliate disclosure: Bestdroidplayer.com is a reader-supported blog. If you buy a VPN or an Amazon product through our links, we may earn a commission that helps maintaining our blog. Our reviews are totally honest and we only recommend trusted VPN and ecommerce brands.

Filed Under: Streaming devices Tagged With: Firestick, review, roku, Streaming Alternatives

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Featured Posts

How to watch TV for free using Live NetTV on fire TV and android devices

Watch TV for free with Live NetTV apk on your Fire TV and Android device

Kodi Setup Guide

Most Complete Kodi Setup Guide: All you need to know to use Kodi

Free VPN for Firestick and Fire TV

The Best Free VPN for Firestick & Fire TV in August 2024 – Top Free and Premium VPNs

best sports addons for kodi

15 Best Kodi Sports Addons in October 2024 | Kodi Addons to Watch Live Sports

Latest Articles

woman winning money casino online

What You Should Know About No Deposit Casino Bonuses

26th March 2025 By laarni

Call of Duty Warzone, how to use ESP

ESP in Call of Duty Warzone: How Enemy Position Tracking Changes the Game

26th March 2025 By bestdroidplayer

men with headphones with digital entertainment

The Evolution of Digital Entertainment Platforms

25th March 2025 By bestdroidplayer

How to Watch Jack Catteral vs Regis Prograis

How to Watch Jack Catterall vs Regis Prograis Free Online [Firestick & Android Devices]

24th October 2024 By Joel Timothy

Footer

Menu

  • Homepage
  • About Us
  • All Posts
  • FAQ
  • DMCA Notice Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Advertise with us โ€“ Banner Ads
  • Get in Touch
  • Language
    • Portuguรชs
    • Franรงais
  • HTML Sitemap

About Us

Bestdroidplayerย itโ€™s a blog with News, Tips, and Tutorials about the streaming industry.
In this blog, you will findย useful tips to cut the cordย and save some bucks while you get the best streaming experience.

Read more about us here.

Legal Disclaimer

BestDroidPlayer.com is in no way affiliated to any streaming application, apk or its addons. Also,ย  we are not associated with the brands here shown as the references are only informative. Bestdroidplayer.com does not verify the legality or security of any apps, apks, addons or services mentioned on this site. We DO NOT HOSTย any copyright-protected software or streams and we DO NOT broadcast or provide any copyright-protected streams on this website – The content here provided is only informational. We strongly advise our readers to avoid piracy at all costs, if you decide to do so, it is your responsability – We are not responsible for any of your activities.

Copyright © 2025 Bestdroidplayer Log in