Where's the Fire (TV)?
The Roku Streaming Stick's biggest competition is the $40 Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote. It's cheaper than the Roku, and runs circles around it for voice control. You can use its voice remote to ask Alexa for just about anything and get relevant results, including onscreen displays like the weather and Wikipedia entries. Better yet, if you own an Echo speaker you can use it to control Fire TV hands-free, no remote required.
Roku Streaming Stick PlusView Full Gallery
Sarah Tew/CNET
But I still like the Roku better for a few reasons. Its menu system is simpler and more familiar, and not cluttered with Amazon ads and promotions everywhere. Where every item in Amazon's system seems designed to push you toward that company's own videos, Roku takes a neutral approach, not prioritizing any one provider over another. Yes, the Fire TV looks cleaner and more modern, but the Roku is easier to customize. And Roku's cross-app search is much better than Amazon's, including its excellent ability to compare pricing across different apps -- including, yes, Amazon Video itself.
Roku Streaming Stick PlusView Full Gallery
Sarah Tew/CNET
But I still like the Roku better for a few reasons. Its menu system is simpler and more familiar, and not cluttered with Amazon ads and promotions everywhere. Where every item in Amazon's system seems designed to push you toward that company's own videos, Roku takes a neutral approach, not prioritizing any one provider over another. Yes, the Fire TV looks cleaner and more modern, but the Roku is easier to customize. And Roku's cross-app search is much better than Amazon's, including its excellent ability to compare pricing across different apps -- including, yes, Amazon Video itself.

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