The Best TV Streaming Devices for Cord Cutters
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Best Streaming Device Overall
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Best for Casting (and Anyone on Google Home)
Google TV Streamer (4K)
The Best Roku
Roku Ultra (2024)
You probably stream most, if not all, of your content. A good streaming device makes that process easier. If you’ve purchased a new TV recently, it likely has a built-in streaming interface. Some of these are fine, but a stand-alone streaming device can offer a better experience. We’ve tried them all—from Roku, Apple, Google, Amazon, and even a cheap Walmart-owned brand—so you don’t have to, and we’ve separated each of our favorites by what they do best.
To test streaming devices, I note how easy or complicated the setup was, from the first plug-in to signing into all our favorite streaming services, and then I watch TV! I stream a lot of content in general even when I’m not testing a new device, but for at least a week, I watch a few hours of movies, TV shows, and YouTube videos every day, installing and deleting apps, and playing around with any additional features within the device itself or on the remote.
Be sure to check out all our home theater guides, like the Best Roku Devices, Best Streaming Services, Best TVs, Best Soundbars, and Best Projectors.
Updated October 2024: We’ve added the new Google TV Streamer (4K) and Roku Ultra.
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Photograph: Roku
Best Streaming Device Overall
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Roku has several good devices available, but the Streaming Sticks have long been our top pick. They’re affordable, small, fast, and come with a longer-range wireless receiver. They also plug right into your TV’s HDMI port, so you won’t see them dangling. This one comes with a voice remote, so you can hold the microphone button to ask it to play specific shows.
Roku’s interface isn’t the most polished of our picks, but it’s the easiest to navigate, whether you’re tech-savvy or not. It’s not cluttered or overwhelming, with a simple home screen where all your favorite apps live. Voice search makes it easy to find whatever you’re looking for across platforms.
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Photograph: Parker Hall
Best for Casting (and Anyone on Google Home)
Google TV Streamer (4K)
Google’s latest high-end streaming device is, no surprise, our favorite ever (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Gone are the days of stuttering screens and apps that sometimes crashed on prior Chromecast models. Here to stay is Dolby Vision support, Thread Router features that let it work as a smart home hub, and some of the best voice search I’ve used on a streaming device, apart from Roku.
The Streamer officially replaces the Chromecast With Google TV, but it still has the same casting functionality that made Google’s original dongle a huge hit. As long as you’re on the same Wi-Fi network, you can cast media from your phone, tablet, or laptop, directly to your TV—that includes casting your screen or even photos from a recent trip to show your family. The interface supports virtually every app you could ever want to stream from, but I particularly like casting the F1 app from my phone because it lets me pick a specific part of the race.
This device isn’t designed like a dongle like prior Chromecasts but is more like a set-top box. Place it on your media console, connect it to a power source, and connect an HDMI cable to your TV (the HDMI cable is not included). There’s a button on the back to ping the location of the remote if you can’t find it. Speaking of, the remote is longer and has a shortcut to access your “Favorited” smart home devices via a Google Home overlay, so you can quickly see who’s at the front door or toggle on the lights without hunting for the phone. It’s a shame this device doesn’t support the newer Wi-Fi 6 or 7 standards, but it’s not a deal-breaker.
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Photograph: Apple
Best for iOS Lovers
Apple TV 4K (3rd Generation)
Apple TVs are expensive, but they’re worth the extra cash if you own an iPhone and buy movies and shows from Apple’s library and subscribe to Apple TV Plus. This 2022 model (9/10, WIRED Recommends) has a sleek interface and some seriously dope features, like the ability to play sounds on two pairs of AirPods with no sound in the room, or to watch movies together with a friend over FaceTime. The latest model also gets HDR10+, which means the most vivid color possible.
The included remote control also now comes with USB-C charging, which makes it even easier to juice up every few months. There are two models to choose from: one with Wi-Fi and 64 gigabytes of memory, and one with Ethernet and 128 gigs of memory for $20 more. I’d spring for the bigger one, but that’s just me.
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Photograph: Amazon
The Best Roku
Roku Ultra (2024)
I am a huge fan of the simple Roku interface, as well as the speed and stability that I get when streaming via Roku’s apps. Because it is such a popular ecosystem, it has some of the most-updated options, which makes for some of the best streaming you’ll find. The high-end Roku Ultra was recently updated: it’s now faster in both processing and in its internet connection, which makes it an excellent choice for folks who have a nice TV but are tired of dealing with a clunky interface (looking at you, Samsung).
The Roku Ultra supports Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2 for easy casting from mobile devices, laptops, and tablets, and it supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats. That means you’ll always have the best and brightest colors any streaming app can provide. The built-in voice control on the remote makes it super easy to find apps and shows, and backlit buttons make it easy to find the pause button in the dark. I also love that you can plug in a pair of headphones to the remote, so you can listen to your favorite movies without subtitles when the family has gone to bed.
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Photograph: Best Buy
Best for Amazon Prime Video Lovers
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation)
The second-generation Fire Stick 4K Max is the device you should get if you primarily watch Amazon Prime shows and movies. You can access any of the major streaming apps, but it’s obviously tailored to Amazon’s Prime content. It has 16 gigabytes of storage compared to the last version’s 8 GB, supports Wi-Fi 6E, and is fast and easy to set up and use.
Like the last 4K Max, there’s picture-in-picture for pulling up security camera feeds or controlling other smart home devices. Alexa is built into the remote too. There’s an “Ambient Experience” feature that displays and cycles through art or nature scenes when you aren’t streaming, and there’s a large selection of collections to choose from. Wondering what that painting is? Just ask Alexa to tell you more about it.
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Photograph: Walmart
The Cheapest
Onn. Google TV 4K Streaming Box
Walmart’s Onn brand is affordable, and this 4K box works great. It uses Google TV and comes with Google Assistant. It’s a little less sleek than Google’s first-party device we recommend above, but it does the job. You can set your Google photos to display while in ambient mode too, if you’d like a version of a digital picture frame. It took longer to set up than the others, but that’s the Google Home app’s fault. Every time I thought the process was over, another question popped up! Be aware: This bounces in and out of stock.
★ Another from Walmart: Walmart’s brand has come a long way since the first time we tried it. While the 4K Box is the cheapest, this 4K Pro is on par with other favorites at $50. It has 32 gigabytes of storage over the 8 GB in the 4K Box, and is compatible with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. While both remotes have Google Assistant buttons, this one can be set up for hands-free voice control. No more tearing apart the couch for a lost remote.
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Photograph: Tivo
If None of Those Appeal to You
TiVo Stream 4K
Yep, TiVo does streaming now. The Stream 4K uses Android TV, an older version of Google TV. Android TV categorizes recommendations by streaming service, and TiVo has its own menu too, which sorts recommendations based on genre rather than service. You can also search across all services. When we tried it, both Sling and YouTube TV could be integrated into the live TV guide, but now only the latter works. You can still use the Sling app directly though.
There’s a Google Assistant button but no voice-to-text for filling in long emails and passwords. I like the remote, but my finger kept going to the TiVo button instead of the selection button, so while trying to pause a movie I kept sending myself back to the main menu. That might just be me. If you really hate Roku, it’s not bad for the price.
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Photograph: Roku
If You Need a New TV
Roku Plus Series QLED
Is your TV also in need of an upgrade? Unsurprisingly, we love Roku’s Plus Series. If you like the brand’s simple interface, you’ll enjoy this too. You’ll be able to find your favorite TV shows or movies to stream quickly and it’ll look good, thanks to the QLED panel that gives excellent colors and solid blacks.
If you prefer a more high-end TV or plan to do serious gaming, we have other options, but with a 60-Hz refresh rate, this is fine for most consoles. This price is for the 55-inch, but if you’re OK with something smaller, you can spend around $200 for a solid TV.
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Photograph: Roku
If You Don’t Own a Soundbar
Roku Streambar
A good soundbar will seriously improve your TV-watching experience. A soundbar with streaming capabilities built in is even better for those of us who don’t want an excess of devices. This Streambar is just 14 inches long, so it should work with smaller TVs and TV stands. It’s equipped with four front-facing 1.9-inch drivers and Dolby audio, which will up anyone’s current TV sound. There’s also Night Listening Mode, which quiets explosive sounds so you won’t annoy your family.
There is another soundbar from Roku we haven’t tried yet but is worth considering: The Streambar SE ($100) is just 10 inches long for the smallest setups, and has two 1.9-inch drivers.
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Photograph: Juan Moyano/Getty Images
Why You Need a Streaming Device
Your Built-In TV Apps Are Awful
If you just bought a smart TV, you may be wondering: Why pay extra for a streaming device? TV makers are far better at manufacturing beautiful screens than they are at building good software. So unless that TV was a Roku TV, Google TV, or a Vizio, you should consider an external streaming device. Chances are high that your TV’s house-made apps are slow, poorly designed, and out of date—and that’s if it has the apps you want at all.
The streaming apps for Roku, Google TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV are typically the best you’ll find, and if they’re broken they get fixed very quickly. LG, Samsung, and any number of other TVs come with their own interfaces, but we advise you to ignore them.
Which TV OS Should You Choose?
- Roku is our favorite streaming OS because it has just about every streaming app there is, and the setup is hassle-free. You don’t have to be technologically savvy to figure it out. Roku also isn’t made by one of the major tech companies. Even though it’s moved to include home security in its lineup, the company survives on how well its streaming device platform performs.
- Chromecast used to eschew an interface altogether (and older models still hold true to this), but recent versions have Google TV built in. Though casting is no longer its main draw, these devices are excellent at letting you send web pages or other content directly from your smartphone (it’s easiest on an Android phone), which is quite handy. You can also do this with Apple TV’s Airplay 2 functionality, but you need an iOS or macOS device. Chromecasts are officially being discontinued though you’ll still see some around at various retailers. Going forward, Google will be focusing its efforts on Google TV and products like the Google TV Streamer.
- Google TV, formerly called Android TV, is Google’s latest streaming OS. It’s been around for years, but it nailed the experience in 2020. With its newest Chromecast and Google TV Streamer 4K devices, we stopped seeing the bugs and problems that used to plague the platform, and it includes basically every streaming app out there, as well as YouTube and Spotify.
- Amazon Fire TV is geared toward those who really enjoy Amazon’s ecosystem, and it will quickly point you to its content. It also has a great voice interface. Unfortunately, it sometimes feels like an ad for Amazon stuff more than a diverse ecosystem of apps and content. If you buy or rent a lot of movies from Amazon and subscribe to Prime, the Fire TV is appealing. If not, go with a Roku.
- Apple TV has a slick interface and Apple’s usual gloss. The company wasn’t updating its models or its interface all that often, but recently we’ve seen improvements. If you have a house full of Apple stuff and enjoy AirPlay, you may as well complete your collection.
