Truth be told, there are a lot of similarities between the streaming devices, especially if you narrow your options down to the Roku Stick 4K+ and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
Both are compatible with the same streaming services, offer 4K, and come with voice-enabled remotes.
Where the real differences are, though, comes down to the finer details, like the fact that Roku's player has a rechargeable remote or that the Fire TV Stick 4K Max can take advantage of Alexa.
Wondering which option is the best streaming stick?
Here's how the Roku Stick 4K+ and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max compare.
Specifications Roku Streaming Stick 4K + and Fire TV Stick 4K Max
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is slightly cheaper
If you're shopping strictly based on cost, then the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the clear winner with a price of
$54.99 USD or
MX$4,675.
That's noticeably cheaper than the Roku Stick 4K+
$69. Aside from the fact that Amazon typically prices its products competitively, the price difference may also be due to the remote that comes with the Roku Stick 4K+.
It has a rechargeable battery that will eliminate the need to always have AAA batteries on hand (not to mention it also reduces electronic waste).
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If you're patient and look for a deal, you can find either device at a lower price, especially the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, as Amazon is fond of offering random discounts on its own products.
Outside of the remote diffs, you get a streaming stick, power adapter, and power cable in both boxes.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max has the benefit of Alexa
A key feature of any streaming device worth its salt is the ability to search for a show or open a specific app using just your voice.
Both the Roku and Fire TV streaming devices offer some form of voice search, depending on which remote came in the box.
For the Roku Stick 4K+, you get the company's best remote, the Roku Voice Remote Pro. It features a rechargeable battery, a lost remote finder option, private listening, and, as the name implies, the ability to use your voice with the remote control to search for your favorite program.
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The Fire TV Stick 4K Max comes with Amazon's best remote for its streaming portfolio with the third-generation Alexa voice remote included in the box.
It is powered by two AAA batteries and lacks any kind of remote search function or private listening option.
But what it does have over the Roku remote is Alexa.
Alexa is perhaps the most well-known voice assistant, and it's built right into the remote you'll use to control the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and your TV.
Streaming services and picture quality are more or less the same
When you compare the supported streaming services and picture quality of both devices, you won't find much difference.
Both streaming sticks support 4K, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision, so all your favorite content will look great on either.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max has a slight edge due to its Dolby Atmos audio support, but it all depends on how much you care about audio quality and whether you have the equipment to take full advantage of it.
As for streaming services, both devices offer the same core services.
At one point, there was a huge gap between the two devices due to the lack of HBO Max on Roku, and even before that, the lack of YouTube Devices on Fire TV was a sore spot.
However, the companies have ironed out their differences with the respective streaming services, and you'll see plenty of parity between the two.
Services like HBO Max, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Peacock, and Apple TV are available on both devices, to name just a few.
Do you have a Wi-Fi 6 home network?
Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max supports Wi-Fi 6. When connected to a compatible network, you'll see more reliable connections and faster speeds.
But that's the catch: you'll need to have a Wi-Fi 6 network in your home to take full advantage of this feature.
That said, the Roku Stick 4K+'s Wi-Fi performance isn't going to be horrible.
It supports the most common 802.11ac Wi-Fi speeds, with MIMO support for more reliable connections and performance.
The benefit of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and its Wi-Fi 6 support is that it's a way to future-proof your investment.
And if you already have a Wi-Fi 6 network, it is a device that is capable of making the most of the money you have already invested in the connectivity of your home.
Roku offers a wider range of smart home platform support
All of Amazon's streaming devices are compatible with Alexa, the company's virtual personal assistant and the broader smart home platform that Alexa enables.
Roku's Streaming Stick 4K+ shares that same Alexa support, but in addition, the Roku is also compatible with Google Assistant and Apple's AirPlay 2.0 and HomeKit smart home platforms.
That means no matter what platform you use to automate things in your home, Roku can integrate with it.
For example, you can use Siri to turn the TV on or off, or ask her to open a specific program on the TV, even if it's not an Apple TV.
In the meantime, the only way you'll be able to use voice commands to turn the Fire TV Stick 4K Max on or off, or control playback, is if you have Alexa-enabled devices in your home.
It's nice to have Alexa on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max remote, but Amazon's stick is also limited to a single smart home platform.
In conclusion
There are many similarities between these two streaming sticks.
They have largely the same design and offer the same streaming experience, albeit with a different interface for each.
That said, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is probably the streaming stick you'll want if you're heavily invested in Dolby Atmos sound equipment or have an Alexa-enabled smart home.
And with Wi-Fi 6 support, your streaming experience will benefit from more future-proof connectivity.
It's also cheaper than Roku's offering.
However, the Roku Stick 4K+ offers support for a wider range of smart home ecosystems, and it has a remote that offers a few extra features over the Fire Stick's offering, like lost remote finder and a rechargeable battery.
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