Nearly every TV on the market today is a smart TV, but not every operating system is a winner. A media streaming device lets you pair the user interface of your choice with nearly any screen that has an HDMI port. In some cases, such as with older or less expensive smart TVs, a streaming stick or dongle can be faster and less messy than your TV’s built-in system.
At home, these handy gadgets make it easy for cord cutters to watch millions of hours of content streaming services offer without cable. And when traveling, a streaming player lets you watch your favorite content on a hotel set (without having to type in a password or activation code). We tested streaming players from Roku, Google, Apple, Amazon, and others, assessing the usability and performance of each to create our list of the best streaming devices you can buy.
Google’s TV Streamer, Apple TV 4K, Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks, and Roku devices are the most popular players in this field. Three of these brands also come in TVs, such as Fire, Google, and Roku TV, but the Apple TV 4K doesn’t come preloaded on any of the sets. Each one has a unique operating system and interface.
This may be the biggest deciding factor for many people, as it determines how the content you want to watch is organized and presented. We go into detail about each platform below, but they all come with home screens that, to varying degrees, gather your apps in one place, present the movies and TV shows you’re currently watching and give you suggestions for other media streaming options.
Nearly all streaming devices come with a remote that lets you perform searches and other operations using your voice, eliminating the need to search and tap on an on-screen keyboard. They all offer “universal search,” in which searching for a title takes you to the app in which it’s available.
If you want to watch Barbie but don’t know where it’s playing, just press the voice button on the remote and say “Barbie.” (We found that sometimes just saying the title or genre works better than saying “Show me…” or “Search…”) From the search results, press the play button and the correct app will open and begin playing – assuming you’ve logged into that app before and, in most cases, you have an active subscription.
Connectivity
Most streaming sticks connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, with most supporting the Wi-Fi 5 or 6 protocol. Set-top boxes may also have Ethernet ports, so you can hardwire your internet connection to the device, which is always faster than wireless. Streaming media players connect to your TV via an HDMI port, and most sticks are hidden behind the screen, while set-top boxes are on a nearby surface.
Nearly all units also plug into an AC outlet for power. Some sticks used to work by drawing power from a USB port on the TV, but increasingly, these devices are designed to be plugged into the wall.
Video and audio features
If you have a screen that can show 4K content with Dolby Vision and HDR10, you need a streaming device that supports those high-end formats. Of course, even the most top-shelf streamer can’t make a 1080p TV display content in 4K. Series or movies must also be broadcast in 4K and, increasingly, companies are restricting high-quality streaming to more expensive subscription plans. In short, each element needs to support a video or audio feature, otherwise the highest quality you get will be the lowest of any component in the chain.
Voice control
In addition to helping you find stuff to watch, streaming devices from Apple, Google and Amazon can answer questions about the weather, sports scores and general facts using built-in voice assistants. They can also act as smart home controllers to turn off connected smart bulbs or plugs and show feeds from smart cameras. Just remember, like all smart home devices, compatibility is key.
Fire TV devices work with Alexa-enabled smart home equipment; Google TV streamers let you control Google Home devices; Apple TV 4K works well with HomeKit; and Rokus offer power over Roku’s smart home products.
Below are some suggestions for the best streaming sticks and other budget-friendly options. We’ve also included suggestions for set-top boxes and devices geared toward gamers.
Best streaming devices
Google replaced the Chromecast product line with the release of the Google TV streamer in September 2024. There’s no HD model, only 4K this time and it costs $100, which is more than twice the price of the most recently launched 4K Chromecast. Instead of a dongle that hides behind your TV, it’s now a set-top wedge.