Amazon Fire devices come with access to 4K Ultra HD content, plus support for Dolby Vision and HDR, HDR10+. What is the difference between Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV? Between the Fire TV and the Fire TV Stick, I recommend the Stick for most people (and as a gift), as it’s more convenient, easier to install, and less expensive. It would be nice if it came with the Fire TV box’s voice search remote, but personally I wouldn’t spend the extra $30 on it. For people without good Wi-Fi, or those who want their stereo systems to blast out every decibel of audio from whatever they’re streaming, I’d go for the Fire TV box. Know details in Firestick comparison chart 2021.
In the box
Fire TV Stick
Fire TV Stick 4K, Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen), USB cable and power adapter, HDMI extender cable for Fire TV Stick 4K, 2 AAA batteries, Quick Start Guide
Fire TV Cube
Each Fire TV set includes a Fire TV streaming media player, an Alexa Voice Remote (First Generation), a USB cable and power adapter, two AAA batteries, a quick start guide, and a product guide.
Price difference between Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV
How much is each Fire TV streaming device? The regular Fire TV Stick retails at $39.99 / £39.99, while the Fire TV Stick 4K is a smidge higher at $49.99 / £49.99. By comparison, the Fire TV Stick Lite costs just $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$59.99 – and is the only model available in Australia.
The Fire TV Cube – bundling as it does the functionality of a streaming stick and Amazon Echo together – comes with a somewhat higher $119 / £109 price tag.
The Fire TV’s biggest competitors are the $99 Apple TV, Google’s $99 Nexus Player, and Roku’s $99 Roku 3. The Fire TV Stick, meanwhile, competes with Google’s $35 Chromecast and Roku’s $49 Roku Streaming Stick.
Specs – Difference between Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV
Fire TV stick
- Voice Support with Alexa Voice Remote (included)
- Dual-band, dual-antenna 802.11a/b/g/n/ac MIMO Wi-Fi
- Dolby Audio, 5.1 surround sound, 2ch stereo, and HDMI audio pass-through up to 7.1
- Support for Dolby Atmos Audio
- The apps and available content are the same.
- Supports HDR
Fire TV Cube
- Voice Support with Alexa Voice Remote (included)
- Dual-band, dual-antenna 802.11a/b/g/n/ac MIMO Wi-Fi
- Dolby Atmos Audio, 5.1 surround sound, 2ch stereo, and HDMI audio pass-through up to 7.1
- Supports Up to 4K video and HDR at 60 fps
- Better Menu response times due to better processor
- Far-Field Voice Controller fire TV and other smart devices
- Built-in Speaker
- The Power of Amazon Alexa, even with the TV off
- Support for Ethernet with the included Fire TV Ethernet Dongle
What is it – Firestick comparison chart
Fire TV Stick
As an Amazon Fire TV Family device, this streaming media player has key entertainment benefits, including good picture quality, access to over 500,000 movies and TV episodes, and the ability to control content with an Alexa Voice Remote (same First Generation model used with Fire TV).
Fire TV Cube
The Fire TV is a streaming media player part of the Amazon Fire TV Family. It’s a device with many streaming benefits—packed with high-tech features and the power to deliver an immersive entertainment experience. Key features include advanced 4K Ultra HD streaming, access to over 500,000 films and TV episodes, and more voice control options with Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant.
Difference between Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV
| Fire TV Stick (2020) | Fire TV Cube (2019) | |
| Included remote | Alexa Voice Remote | Alexa Voice Remote |
| Remote with TV controls (power/volume buttons) | Yes | Yes |
| Supported audio | Dolby Atmos Audio | Dolby Atmos Audio |
| Best for | Streaming essentials plus TV control | Hands-free voice control of entertainment |
| Hands-free with Alexa | No | Yes |
| Picture quality | Up to 1080p Full HD with support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG | Up to 4K Ultra HD with support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision |
| Behind-the-TV design | Yes | No |
| Storage | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Quad-core processor | Yes | Hexa-core |
| Optional Amazon Ethernet Adapter | Yes | Full Ethernet support |
Firestick comparison chart 2021
| Fire TV Stick Lite (2020) | Fire TV Stick (2020) | Fire TV Stick 4K (2018) | |
| Included remote | Alexa Voice Remote Lite | Alexa Voice Remote | Alexa Voice Remote |
| Remote with TV controls (power/volume buttons) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Supported audio | HDMI pass-through for Dolby Atmos Audio | Dolby Atmos Audio | Dolby Atmos Audio |
| Best for | Streaming essentials | Streaming essentials plus TV control | Vivid 4K Ultra HD streaming |
| Hands-free with Alexa | No | No | No |
| Picture quality | Up to 1080p Full HD with support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG | Up to 1080p Full HD with support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG | Up to 4K Ultra HD with support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision |
| Behind-the-TV design | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Storage | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Quad-core processor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Optional Amazon Ethernet Adapter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Difference between Amazon Fire stick and Fire tv
Design
Fire TV Stick
The Fire TV Stick weighs 1.1 ounces and its dimensions are 3.4 inches x 1.2 inches x 0.5 inches. Its shape resembles a USB flash drive, unlike the Fire TV which looks more like a square. Because it weighs less than the Fire TV
Fire TV Cube
The Fire TV weighs 3.1 ounces and its dimensions are 2.6 inches x 2.6 inches x 0.6 inches. It has a slim square shape.
Connection
The TV Stick is pretty much the same, except it is smaller like a USB flash drive and much lighter compared to the Fire TV. You can only connect it through the Wi-Fi,
Fire TV Cube has a standard HDMI Male, and a micro USB port for power or an optional Amazon Ethernet Adapter. Its stays concealed behind your HDTV, so there’s no need to worry about any cords or wires poking out.
Processor
FireStick 4K with a Quad-core 1.7 GHz processor is faster than FireStick 2nd gen with a Quad-core 1.3 GHz. The difference of just 0.4 may not seem like much. However, the fact that Fire TV Stick 4K has a 64-bit processor and FireStick 2nd Gen relies on 32-bit makes quite a bit of difference.
| Specs | Processor | CPU Width | RAM / Memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| FireStick 2nd Gen | Quad-Core 1.3 GHz | 32-bit | 1 GB DDR3 |
| FireStick 4K | Quad-Core 1.7 GHz | 64-bit | 1.5 GB DDR4 |
| Fire TV Cube | Hexa Core (Quad-core 2.2 GHz + Dual-core 1.9 GHz) | 64-bit | 2 GB DDR4 |
Fire TV Cube specs include a Hexa-core processor with Quad-core (2.2 GHz) and Dual-core (1.9 GHz) packed into one. This device definitely has more processing prowess than the other two. However, with built-in Alexa Echo Dot, which is always listening, Fire TV Cube also has more work to do. Nevertheless, it is faster and the difference is notable.
Remote
A cool highlight of the Fire TV is that it works with Alexa. The Alexa Voice Remote can help you find, start, and control digital content for seamless streaming. The Fire TV can be paired with Echo devices as well, so you can use Alexa for hands-free control when you watch films or TV episodes. Plus, you can use Alexa on your Fire TV via the Alexa Voice Remote to play music, check the weather, and listen to the news.
In addition, the remotes feature infrared TV control buttons including Power ON/OFF, Volume UP/Down, and Mute. If you bought the FireStick 2nd Gen controller a few months ago, it would not have the TV control buttons. However, all the devices feature the TV control.
4K content
The Fire TV Cube and Fire TV Stick 4K support 4K resolutions and HDR protocols. The Fire TV Stick does not. If you have a TV that maxes out at 1080p, the standard Fire TV Stick is fine; Fire TV video quality is better. Plus I can play 4K content (Works best if you have a 4K TV / Display).
Gaming
Amazon Fire TV Cube is good for gaming due to its storage of 16GB and 2GB DDR4 RAM, while Fire TV Stick comes with 8GB storage and 1.5 GB RAM.
Content load time
This Fire TV is faster. That’s about it. You can view the same content on either unit. It’s just that the loads times are quicker than the stick.
Audio
FireStick 2nd Gen supports Dolby Audio, which limits the surround sound to 5.1. On the other hand, FireStick 4K and Fire TV Cube support a much superior Dolby Atmos technology with 7.1 surround sound.
| Device | Audio Support |
|---|---|
| FireStick 2nd Gen | Dolby Audio with 5.1 surround sound, Up to 7.1 HDMI audio pass-through, 2ch stereo |
| FireStick 4K | Dolby Atmos with 7.1 surround sound, up to 5.1 HDMI audio pass-through, and 2ch Stereo |
| Fire TV Cube | Same as Firestick 4K |
Setup
Fire TV Stick
Plug the Fire TV Stick into your HDTV, attach the power adapter, connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, and then you can start streaming movies and TV episodes. An Alexa Voice Remote also comes with the Fire TV Stick, so you can use Alexa to find your favorite
Fire TV Cube
Using the Fire TV is easy. All you have to do is plug the Fire TV into your HDTV’s HDMI port, insert its USB cable and power adapter into a wall outlet, and connect to the internet through Wi-Fi or an optional Amazon Ethernet Adapter to watch movies and TV shows.
Similarities
Apps support
With more than 500,000 films and TV episodes from the most popular providers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Prime Video, and much more, you will have the wide range of viewing options you have only ever dreamed of. Now the question is how to choose among half a million shows to watch?
Fire TV provides this, as well as music for streaming (through Spotify, Prime Music, and iHeart Radio). You can also browse your favourite social media sites, including YouTube through the Fire TV, though some of these providers might not be accessed for free.
Remote
Both the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Fire TV Cube come with Amazon’s upgraded Alexa remote. This remote features four important buttons missing from the basic voice remote: power, volume up, volume down and mute. The Alexa remote syncs automatically with your TV, and you can use it to control the whole TV set — not just the Fire TV player.
Is Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite good?
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Amazon’s entry-level streaming stick was new in 2020 and sits below the main Fire TV Stick. Like the main Fire TV Stick, it supports Full HD, however, there is no Dolby Atmos support.
The key difference is the less powerful remote control – called Alexa Voice Remote Lite. There are no volume or mute buttons, so you can’t use it to control the sound of your TV and/or soundbar. There’s also no power button. It does, however, include Alexa voice control as you’d expect as well as a Guide button.
Why buy? The cheapest way to get Alexa working through a TV and if you don’t have 4K, there’s not much reason not to choose this over the standard Fire TV Stick provided you don’t mind using another remote for volume.
Difference between Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV
| AMAZON FIRE TV | APPLE TV | |
|---|---|---|
| List Price (USD) | Fire TV Stick Lite: $29.99 Fire TV Stick: $39.99 Fire TV Stick 4K: $49.99 Fire TV Cube: $119.99 | Apple TV HD, 32GB: $149.00 Apple TV 4K, 32GB: $179.00 Apple TV 4K, 64GB: $199.00 |
| Additional | Available: Apple TV+, Spotify, Amazon Music, PlayOn Find More Missing: Peacock, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU, iTunes, Apple Music | Available: : Peacock, Apple TV+, iTunes, Apple Music, VUDU Find More (full list not available online) Missing: Google Play, FandangoNOW, Spotify, Amazon Music, PlayOn |
| Ethernet Connector (all have Wi-Fi) | Cube has built-in Ethernet port. A separate Ethernet adapter is available for all stick models. | HD: 10/100BASE-T Ethernet 4K: Gigabit Ethernet |
| 4K/HDR Support (all have 1080p) | Stick 4K, Cube | 4K |
| Voice Search on Remote (all have feature via app) | All | All |
| Display Mirroring | N/A | Can cast and control streaming content and mirror screens from compatible Macs and iOS devices using AirPlay |
| Hotel Login | Yes | No |
| Single Sign-On for TV Everywhere Apps | Yes | Yes |
| Additional Features | Stick, Stick 4K, and Cube include TV controls on remoteAmazon Fire, iOS, Android apps availablePair stick versions with select Amazon Echo voice-activated devices for hands-free controlRemote and mobile apps also work with AlexaFire TV Recast adds live TV watching/recording capabilities with HD antennaAmazon FreeTime for childrenFree Amazon Cloud storage for all Amazon contentSupports Bluetooth accessories | Can watch content saved on Mac computers, iOS devices, iCloudTV app helps organize content in one interfaceUse Siri voice commandsiOS app available for use as remoteSupports Bluetooth accessories |
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