The Roku vs Fire TV debate is the question most people come up with when purchasing a new streaming device But if you ask me, it's the easiest decision: the Roku product family is just better

However, Amazon still has a significant portion of the market Not only do they offer some features at a lower price, but they tend to have extremely low sale prices on Fire TV Stick on Prime Day and other days ending in "y"

And while Roku and Fire TV devices may seem really similar, the differences are heaven and earth to those of us who have tested both If you're trying to choose a smart TV, check out our Roku vs Fire TV showdown

Here's why I always choose Roku over Fire TV:

When I help someone get a new technology, I think "which is easier to use?" [The home screen is a simple grid of apps, up to nine at a time, with three apps in the next row Use the directional pad to move around this grid, and everything appears right there [On the Fire TV home screen, only five apps appear in the apps row (more may appear in the "recently used content" row), and to find more, you scroll to the right; Amazon also has a dedicated apps screen, but it is six tabs away from the home screen, and to get there You have to scroll to the top of the screen to get there

Why can I only see 5 apps at a time on the Fire? Because the interface is bloated with recommended content, ads, and large banners to display the currently selected content Most of it comes from Amazon itself or its partners like IMDbTV While this may be fine for those who live the Prime Life, the more neutral Roku interface is easier to deal with

Fire TV's interface displays ads in the row of icons

Amazon's single row of icons is more cumbersome because it is not customizable; on Roku, you can move each app's icon anywhere you want in the grid

Buying a new streaming device is not something everyone wants to do So many people must want a streaming device that is as future-proof as possible, ie, capable of 4K streaming

And simply put, if you want a 4K streaming device, Roku has Amazon beat Because the Roku Streaming Stick Plus (the best streaming device available) is much easier to use than the Fire TV Stick 4K

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus does not require a power adapter to be connected Also, if the Streaming Stick is connected to the back of the TV, connecting an extra cable can be tricky

Also, and this is definitely my opinion, the Roku remote feels more comfortable in the hand The buttons are chunky and clicky

Both the Streaming Stick Plus and Fire TV Stick support 4K HDR streaming, and both are fast with this feature And we are not going to fault the Streaming Stick Plus for not having Dolby Vision, Atmos Audio, and HDR10+, which the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K offers, as this is sufficient for most people The aforementioned ease of use is enough to give the Streaming Stick the edge

And if you want 4K at a lower price point, there's the $35 Roku Premiere, a $35 product for those on a tight budget The small stick-shaped streaming device is too light and may not lay flat on a surface without a little ingenuity

Roku also beats Amazon on the high end The Roku Ultra (with the aforementioned Dolby Vision and Atmos Audio) is $20 cheaper than the Fire TV Cube The Fire TV Cube is also an Alexa speaker that works with cable boxes, but we prefer the Roku Ultra's more organized design

The Roku Ultra's Ethernet port (which helps many people get a stable 4K streaming connection) is built right in, whereas the Fire TV Cube requires a weird little dongle behind it

This may change over time, but for now the Fire TV Stick does not yet have Peacock, one of the big streaming services launching in 2020 Yes, Roku took a while to get HBO Max, but December 2020 seems like a thing of the past

But the Fire TV Stick also lacks the Vudu streaming app Furthermore, if you want to play your own media, the Roku has its own built-in media player, but the Fire TV does not (although the Plex does)

This is why I bought my parents a Roku device over the Fire TV streaming stick, and why I recommend my friends do the same

The Amazon Fire TV device may have some additional audio and video formats, but its home screen is cluttered and its devices are somewhat too complex Also, each device likely does not have the next hot new streaming service, but Roku has a more complete lineup of apps at this time

Sure, those who subscribe to Amazon Channels and are into Prime Video may disagree But for the rest of us, the Roku device is superior