It can be hard shopping for presents at this time of year. We have loads of Christmas gift ideas but one surefire gadget that will no doubt be a hit with any movie lover is a 4K HDR streaming device – and by luck, two of our favorites are still discounted in the sales. Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K, which was only released in September, is already selling for close to half-price at just $29 on Amazon. Roku's two-year old Express 4K Plus has also been marked down to $29 on Amazon.
Under $30 for one of the best streaming devices is a great deal, which is why we're highlighting these two discounted models in the Christmas sales. The Roku Express 4K Plus has long been a top budget choice for anyone wanting to go to add 4K streaming with basic HDR10 (and HDR10+) support to their TV, while the all-new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K offers more premium features. Now, you just need to decide which streaming platform you prefer, and our reviews of both devices should help with that choice.
Not in the US? Scroll down for the best deals in your region.
Today's best Black Friday streaming device deals
The more up-to-date offering out of these two deals is of course the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. The company's new flagship streaming stick has had some improvements since the last model, including a slightly faster processor, a larger storage capacity of 16GB, Wi-Fi 6E, support for Fire TV Ambient Experience as well as for Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos.
It also has a whole suite of AI-enhancements that Amazon rolled out to its other smart home products, including a new search functionality, a smart display mode and personalized recommendations that make finding new content a whole lot easier.
In comparison, the Roku Express 4K Plus is very much stripped back. It doesn't support high-quality formats like Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, and has a slightly smaller range than its more premium iterations. But if you're happy with HDR10+ and don't need all the bells and whistles then it certainly delivers. You'll get access to all the same streaming apps as any other streaming device and of course the Roku OS, which includes access to the Roku Channel and its free streaming offerings.
Both are generally easy to use, but we'd say the Roku slightly has the edge in terms of usability – and we like that its suggestions aren't biased towards any particular company, while Amazon's search and suggestions tends to favor its own platform, unsurprisingly.
However, if you've got one of the best TVs and best Dolby Atmos soundbars and want to show them off, the Dolby Vision and Atmos support of the Fire TV Stick would win us over.
More Amazon and Roku streaming stick deals
Looking for more Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Roku Express 4K Plus deals? You'll find all the lowest prices from around the web right here, with offers available in your region.
More holiday sales
- Amazon: 70% off Kindle, TVs, tablets & clothing
- Apple: AirPods, Apple Watch & iPads from $79
- Adidas: 40% off running shoes & clothing
- Beauty: 51% off makeup, skincare & hair tools
- Best Buy: $800 off TVs, laptops & headphones
- Cheap TVs: big-screen 4K TVs from $269.99
- Christmas: 40% off decor, pajamas & trees
- Dell: cheap laptops and desktops from $259
- DreamCloud: 40% off all mattresses
- Gaming: console bundles from $289.99
- Lenovo: 76% off laptops, desktops & printers
- Lululemon: up to 30% off sitewide
- Nectar: mattress deals starting at $359
- Nordstrom: 40% off Nike, Levi's & UGGs
- Patagonia: pullovers starting at $64.99
- Saatva: $400 off mattresses over $1,000
- Samsung: $2,000 off TVs, $800 off Galaxy S23
- Stocking stuffers: tech, gift cards, candy & toys
- Target: 40% off Christmas decor, TVs & toys
- Toys: Disney, Barbie & Lego from $14.99
- Walmart: cheap TVs, air fryers, PS5 & toys
