Amazon Fire TV Cube vs. Fire TV Stick vs. Fire TV Stick 4K vs 4K Max: What should you buy?

Amazon Fire TV Cube vs. Burn Idiot box Stick vs. Fire TV Stick 4K vs 4K Max: What should you buy?

The Amazon Fire TV Cube plugged into a TV

The Amazon Fire Television set Cube and Sticks all offer an easy gateway to all of content in the Amazon ecosystem — and many more apps too. Though while some have an affordable cost, the Cube is decidedly much pricier (with skilful reason). But when there are five unlike models it tin can get confusing to figure out which you should buy.

The five singled-out Amazon Fire TV devices beginning with the popular 1080p Amazon Fire TV Stick and the new Fire Tv set Stick Lite, ii affordable ways to start streaming. Check out our Burn TV Stick vs Fire TV Stick Lite comparing for the major differences if you're looking for something cheap.

For those who want UHD streaming, the Amazon Fire Goggle box Stick 4K Max and Amazon Fire Television set Stick 4K are quite similar, while the Amazon Fire Telly Cube is the odd egg out. All 3, though, offering UHD streaming. All of these devices at present offer the same Fire TV OS, thanks to an update that took its sweet time to roll out.

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With a Fire TV device, you tin access almost all of your favorite apps, similar Netflix and Hulu.

We at Tom's Guide have tested and reviewed all of these Burn down Television devices (including the most-contempo Fire TV 4K Stick Max), and while one is arguably the best for the buck, they're all at to the lowest degree worth because — specially for dedicated Amazon Prime subscribers.

In terms of content (non to exist confused with streaming quality), the Burn Sticks and Cube all offering the aforementioned programming and apps. And since budgets are getting tighter and nosotros're all looking for more to stream, Amazon recently added a Free tab to the top of the Fire TV interface, that collects stuff you don't need to pay to watch.

And since all of these devices share the same Os, our tip for the one tip every Fire Boob tube owner should know applies to each and every one of them. While the Burn TVs don't requite you a lot of command over your home screen, this tip tin help you make the near of this state of affairs.

With the new Fire TV Os, you can ready upwardly personal profiles then that your watchlist doesn't get mixed up with your kids' favorite shows.

Here's how the Amazon Burn Cube vs. Fire Stick (in both of its configurations) shakes out:

Fire Cube vs. Burn Stick: Size and pattern

Ane of the biggest differences among the devices is how they expect (at least betwixt the Sticks and Cube). The Fire Tv Stick is the smallest of the bunch: a pocket-sized black rectangle measuring 3.3 x 1.0 inches — and the Burn TV Stick Lite is just a piffling larger, at 3.four 10 1.2 inches.

The Fire Idiot box Stick 4K and 4K Max have the same general design, just a bit bigger, at iv.25 10 1.18 x 0.55 inches. To master Amazon's cheapest Burn down TV streamer, cheque out our guide for how to utilize the Fire Stick.

Every bit the name suggests, the Fire TV Cube features a different appearance entirely: a 3.4-inch square box. Some crave constant connectedness to a wall outlet; the Fire TV Max, though, can exist powered through one of your TV's USB ports.

While all v products are relatively pocket-size, it's worth because how much space you take around your TV. If you have lots of room, a Fire Idiot box Cube volition fit simply fine; if not, one of the dongles volition take to suffice.

Fire TV Cube connected to a TV and soundbar

Finally, only the Fire Television Cube supports Ethernet connections out of the box. Y'all can purchase an Ethernet adapter for either the Burn Goggle box Stick or the Fire TV Stick 4K, simply information technology'southward a bit of a daisy concatenation. Just continue that in heed if your Wi-Fi isn't potent plenty for 4K streaming (about 25 Mbps downwardly).

Burn down Cube vs. Fire Stick: 4K and HDR

Simply put: The Fire TV Cube, Fire Tv set Stick 4K and 4K Max support 4K resolutions and HDR protocols. The Fire TV Stick does non. If you have a Idiot box that maxes out at 1080p, the standard Fire TV Stick is fine; otherwise, you'll definitely want one of the other two devices.

Fire TV home screen on a TV in a living room — (Image credit: Amazon)

Both the Fire Tv set Stick 4K, 4K Max and the Burn TV Cube support 4K resolution and the HDR ten and Dolby Vision protocols, which provide a much richer color gamut. Previously, this functionality was available only in the Fire TV Stick 4K, but a newer version of the Fire TV Cube has corrected the oversight.

Burn Cube vs. Fire Stick: Alexa integration

Like only about every Amazon gadget on the market lately, all three Fire TV Sticks feature full Alexa integration. This means that yous can bank check the weather, manage your shopping list, look up sports scores, research traffic conditions and create impromptu playlists using only your voice. All 5 Fire TV models come with voice remotes, so y'all can start using Alexa every bit soon as the setup is consummate.

Yet, the Fire TV Cube handles these features merely a picayune bit better than its dongle counterparts. That's because in improver to beingness a streaming device, the Fire Goggle box Cube is also a full-fledged Alexa speaker. That ways that you can speak to it and give it commands without having to hold down a button on the remote.

Furthermore — and this is a bigger deal for people with smart-domicile gadgetry — that means that the Burn Telly Cube tin also control your lights, thermostats and other IoT devices right out of the box. The Fire Idiot box Stick and Fire Television Stick 4K can besides do this, just you accept to showtime connect them with an Amazon Repeat speaker.

Briefly, then: If you want an Alexa-enabled speaker and a streaming device, but have neither, the Burn Boob tube Cube is your simplest solution. If yous already accept an Echo speaker, or don't want one, ane of the Fire TV Stick variants volition exist fine.

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Burn Cube vs. Fire Stick: Remote controls

If you want a fancy remote control, you're going to accept to pay extra for it. The standard Amazon Burn down TV Stick comes with a voice remote, just that's well-nigh the nearly innovative thing nigh it. (Sometime-timers may call up that when it first came out, the Fire TV Stick didn't accept a microphone at all.) Otherwise, all it's got is the standard assortment of d-pad, confirm, play/intermission, rewind, fast-frontwards, home, dorsum and options buttons.

The Burn Tv Stick Max, though, has an actress button on its remote: Alive TV. This button jumps you straight to that section of the Fire TV Os, which integrates with Sling Idiot box and other services.

There's also a new way to more than easily customize the live Goggle box screen, thank you to the newly-announced "Add Channels" button.

The Burn TV Stick Lite remote drops the Boob tube controls for power and book, then you might not want that device if yous're trying to cut down on clutter.

Both the Fire Goggle box Stick 4K and the Fire TV Cube come with Amazon's upgraded Alexa remote. (Don't let the name confuse y'all; you tin withal use Alexa features with the regular vocalism remote.) This remote features four important buttons missing from the basic voice remote: ability, volume up, book downward and mute. The Alexa remote syncs automatically with your Telly, and y'all tin can employ it to control the whole Telly — non just the Burn Tv histrion.

While yous could buy the Alexa remote for $30 on its own, because that the Burn down TV Stick costs $40 and the Burn down TV Stick 4K $50, it's a much smarter idea to just buy the 4K stick if the remote is a large deal to you. In my ain tests, I found it pretty useful.

Fire Cube vs. Fire Stick: Price and value

Every bit stated to a higher place, the Amazon Burn down TV Stick Lite is the cheapest of the bunch at $thirty, followed by the $forty Burn down TV Stick, the Fire TV Stick 4K at $50 and the Fire Television set Cube at $120. And at $55, the Burn TV Stick 4K Max is asking for a trivial more than than the 4K.

To put it bluntly, there is well-nigh no reason why anyone should invest in the Fire TV Stick, when the 4K variant is just $10 more and comes with a much better remote control. Not only will you be time to come-proofing your purchase, merely yous'll as well have a better peripheral right off the bat. And if performance and app open times thing to you lot, become the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

The Burn Tv set Cube, on the other mitt, is a chip expensive. This makes sense, though, as it's not only a Fire Telly device — it's also a full-fledged Alexa speaker. If you don't have a smart speaker in your den, or want your very ain digital assistant built into a versatile streaming box, the Fire TV Cube makes sense.

In the battle of Fire Stick 4K vs. Burn down Stick vs. Fire Television Cube, the $50 Amazon Fire Tv set Stick 4K represents the sensible midpoint that should piece of work best for nigh viewers. It has the best balance of price and functionality.

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Henry is a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past vi-plus years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's besides covered the wild globe of professional person wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.