The best streaming device out there: Which one comes out on top — Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku Ultra, Apple TV and Google TV Streamer?

If you have multiple streaming subscriptions and you want to access all content in one place, you'll want the best streaming device available, but what is that?

A streaming device is something, usually a box or a stick, that connects to your TV (usually via HDMI) and displays apps that are installed through Wi-Fi connectivity, once you're connected.

Here, we've put four of the top options on the market head-to-head to determine which is the best streaming device for you. If you're someone who has subscriptions to several of the best streaming services, or you're someone who doesn't buy DVDs and Blu-Rays anymore, having access to all your accounts in one place can be really helpful, and knowing which is the best device for that is certainly helpful.

We compare and contrast the Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku Ultra, Apple TV and Google TV Streamer for their viewing quality, audio, price and design to determine which is the top option for you. So, for key specs, overviews and analysis on the best streaming devices on the market, keep reading.

Visual Quality

In order to get the most out of your streaming device, you'll need a device (i.e. a TV/laptop etc) that can support the visual quality the streaming device offers. These days, the best streaming devices all support 4K viewing, although some support it better than others.

If you do have a TV, or another device that supports 4K viewing, you'll be pleased to hear that the Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku Ultra, Apple TV and Google TV Streamer all offer 4K visuals. The Apple TV device offers the best picture with its 4K HDR ability, which means it offers 4K viewing, with improved contrast and brightness.

The Roku Ultra offers 4K UHD as a maximum resolution, whereas the Google TV Streamer offers a genuine 4K resolution and the Fire TV stick can play 4K HDR at 60FPS. All of this means you get high-quality visuals from each, but the Apple TV device is technically ahead, marginally, of the others.

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The extra detail of 4K UHD compared to standard 4K viewing is subtle, but it is the difference between a 3,840 x 2160 and a 4,096 x 2160 resolution. Typically, to the average viewer, this won't make any noticeable difference, but there are more pixels and a slightly finer picture produced in 4K viewing as opposed to 4K UHD.

Audio Quality

It's all well and good viewing something with clear visual quality, but your experience will be ruined if the sound is terrible, so the audio quality is almost, if not just as, important as the visual quality.

Again, the Apple TV streaming device is marginally ahead of the rest, thanks to its Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio feature. Spatial Audio means you get a 3D audio atmosphere, so the audio sounds like it's coming from different, specific points.

All the other streaming devices in this article offer regular Dolby Atmos audio quality. That's still an outstanding feature. It's much better than standard audio, and it means that the audio comes across with more depth and height, leading to a more impressive audio experience. The difference is that the Apple TV's Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio offers a slightly more immersive audio experience.

Power and Available Apps

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Unsurprisingly, as the Apple TV 4K is the premium option in this clash of the best streaming devices, it has the best tech internally to keep it running smoothly. It features 4GB of RAM and an A 15 bionic chip to help it load apps quicker and run faster than previous generations. You can also get up to 128GB of storage, so you can download and use more than enough apps to satisfy your streaming needs.

The Google TV Streamer is a close second with 4GB of RAM, and a quad-core processor. The reason this comes a close second to the Apple TV 4K is due to its storage size; at just 32GB, it's enough to use some apps, but not nearly as much as you get in the Apple model. Still, it performs well and costs less.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick marks a drop in processing power as it has a quad-core processor, but only 2GB of RAM and only up to 16GB of internal storage. Now, this is enough to get by, and get by sufficiently, but it's clear that it doesn't have the same firepower as the competition.

Then we have the Roku Ultra, not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but with 2GB of RAM and an ARM Cortex A 55 CPU, it has all you need to perform well, without boasting the same firepower as the Google or the Apple models.

In terms of the apps available on each device, there are no notable absentees. All of the above have all major streaming services available to access, with the exception of some regional options in some cases. That's a huge part of what makes these four stand out; you're truly able to access the streaming services you would want to access, all in one place.

Price

When it comes to actually having to pay for everything you've read above, which costs a premium and which is great value?

Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, the premium model, the Apple TV 4K, costs the most. With options costing up to $149, it's comfortably the most expensive on this list. But considering it's also the best overall, maybe it isn't as steep as expected, depending on how much you are willing to spend on a streaming device.

The value option here is undoubtedly the Amazon Fire TV Stick. There are different options available, ranging from the $35 mark to $60. It's important to remember that these are regularly on sale if you're buying from Amazon, so you probably won't have to pay full price.

In between these, we find the Roku Ultra, which will set you back around $100, but is regularly on sale and it's the same for the Google TV Streamer. Again, we have seen it on sale occasionally.

Verdict

Now that we've pitted four of the best streaming devices against each other, we can't sit on the fence and say they're all good; it's down to what you want. While different people will have different preferences, we think the Apple TV 4K is the best streaming device out there.

Its internal storage, power and processor allow for a top streaming experience. Its visuals, audio and loading capabilities put it a little ahead of the competition. However, it is comfortably the most expensive option out there.

If you're looking for value, or something that's going to do everything you need and want with a friendly price tag, the Amazon Fire TV Stick is the option you want to pick. Of course, if you don't want a stick and you want an actual box, the Roku Ultra is a great choice as it's regularly on sale for a price that competes with the Fire TV Stick. And, if you're an Android user, or you see a great offer, the Google TV Streamer becomes a top choice. But, overall, the Apple TV 4K reigns supreme here.