Best Fire TV Stick 2025: Every Amazon media streamer tried and tested

Amazon sells a range of Fire TV sticks and devices for streaming, and we’ve tested them all
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Updated on 15 April 2025
Best Fire TV Stick - Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) with remote, adapter, cable and three-prong plug

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A streaming stick is an internet-connected device that plugs into your TV and allows you to stream TV series and movies from a range of apps and services – and Amazon makes some of the best in the business.

Every model in its Fire TV range will stream Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, NOW, Apple TV Plus and all the major UK catch-up services. What’s more, each one comes with a bundled Alexa remote, enabling you to search through and browse your favourite services using voice commands.

Amazon sells four different Fire TV Sticks, along with the Fire TV Cube streaming box, but which one is the right one for you? To find out, I’ve tested the different Fire TV Sticks to look at how they differ, how they perform and whether they provide great value for money. You’ll find my verdicts in the reviews below. And if you’re interested in the alternatives to Amazon’s streaming range, head over to our best streaming stick guide, where you’ll also find the best devices from Roku, Sky and Google.

Best Fire TV Stick: At a glance
Best entry-level Fire TV Stick Amazon Fire TV Stick HD
Best-value 4K Fire TV Stick Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen)
Best Fire TV Stick overall Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen)

I test streaming sticks by setting them up – plugging them directly into a test TV and using any supplied cable and adaptor – then running through the process to connect to Wi-Fi and install a range of streaming apps. After that, most of the testing comes down to simply using it, browsing through the home screen and clicking through to recommendations, apps and channels. I’ll explore the different apps and streaming services and use voice commands – where supported – to locate and launch specific content or search for different films and programmes by actor, genre, director and so on. I’ll also test the remote to see how effectively it works, along with any buttons designed to launch specific services or features.

Once I’ve got some shows and movies up and running, I’ll look at video and audio quality compared to other devices. I’ll check for 4K, HDR and audio format compatibility with those services that support it, using Dolby Vision, for example, on Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus, or HDR10 with Netflix. If Dolby Atmos is supported, I’ll connect the stick to a compatible TV and/or soundbar to check how the immersive audio translates. Throughout the whole process, I’ll also check for performance, to see how responsive the user interface feels, how quickly the stick switches to high-quality video streams, and whether there are any signs of buffering or freezing.

1. Amazon Fire TV Stick HD: Best entry-level Fire TV Stick

Price when reviewed: £40 | Check price at Amazon

Featured image of the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD on a peach-coloured background
  • Great for… those on a budget
  • Not so great for… those with a 4K TV

If you’ve yet to upgrade to a 4K TV and want a low-cost media streamer providing access to a huge range of streaming platforms, the new Fire TV Stick HD is the option for you. 

In addition to being limited to 1080p streaming, this budget streamer makes several other sacrifices in the name of affordability. It’s got less memory than the options above it in the Fire TV Stick range (1GB vs 2GB), doesn’t support Dolby Atmos audio or Dolby Vision HDR and its Wi-Fi connectivity only extends to Wi-Fi 5. 

However, it still includes the Alexa Voice Remote, meaning you can easily control your viewing with verbal commands, and the list of supported apps and services is as exhaustive here as it is on any Fire TV streamer. 

We don’t recommend it if you want to make the best use of your shiny new 4K TV, but for those with older tellies, the Fire TV Stick HD remains a convenient and cost-effective choice. 

Key details – Streaming services: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Now, Apple TV Plus, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My 5, YouTube; Resolution: Up to 1080p; HDR formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG; Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 5; Audio support: Dolby Digital; Smart assistant: Amazon Alexa; Storage: 8GB; Operating system: Fire OS

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD (Newest gen), free and live TV, Alexa Voice Remote, smart home controls, HD streaming

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD (Newest gen), free and live TV, Alexa Voice Remote, smart home controls, HD streaming

2. Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen): Best-value 4K Fire TV Stick

Price when reviewed: £60 | Check price at Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K 2nd gen and accessories
  • Great for… excellent 4K streaming and HDR support, snappy performance
  • Not so great for… those who like to install a lot of apps and games

Fire TV interface and a full stable of apps? Check. Alexa remote with TV power and volume controls? Check. HDR and Dolby Atmos support? Check. Yep, that sounds like an Amazon Fire TV Stick all right.

However, this model does have one obvious edge over lower-tier models, and that’s the ability to stream compatible titles in Ultra HD should you have a 4K TV.

The addition of Dolby Vision HDR support is also a big bonus for compatible TVs, and the upgraded Wi-Fi “antenna technology” promises to ensure stutter-free streaming of 4K HDR content.

Aside from the 4K upgrade, there’s little to get excited about, but there doesn’t need to be as the price is so reasonable. All told this is one of the best-priced and most capable 4K media streamers available.

Read our full Fire Stick 4K review 

Key details – Streaming services: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Now, Apple TV Plus, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My 5, YouTube; Resolution: Up to 3,840 x 2,160p (4K) at up to 60fps; HDR formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG; Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6); Audio support: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus; Smart assistant: Amazon Alexa; Storage: 8GB; Operating system: Fire OS

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

3. Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen): Best Fire TV Stick overall

Price when reviewed: £70 | Check price at Amazon

  • Great for… slick 4K HDR streaming, running apps and Android games
  • Not so great for… cost-conscious buyers

If you like to get in at the top of the line, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, as the name would suggest, is the most complete media streamer Amazon has to offer. The Max has all the features of Amazon’s basic 4K streamer and adds a few bells and whistles to boot.

The Max’s brightest and boldest new features are a faster processor, an increase in storage (from 8GB to 16GB) and the addition of Wi-Fi 6E compatibility, which allows for better bandwidth and lower power consumption during 4K streaming. That is, if you have a Wi-Fi 6E capable setup, but even if you don’t, it’s still great futureproofing as the format will eventually become the standard. It’s

You also get an upgraded quad-core processor and GPU, so the UI and apps are just that bit slicker and quicker than the cheaper models in the range, and this extra power means that you can also view live picture-in-picture feeds from devices such as your home security cameras.

Naturally, you can still connect to your Amazon smart speakers for immersive surround-sound playback.

Read our full Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd gen) review 

Key details – Streaming services: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Now, Apple TV Plus, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My 5, YouTube; Resolution: Up to 3,840 x 2,160p (4K) at 60fps; HDR formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG; Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6E); Audio support: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus; Smart assistant: Amazon Alexa; Storage: 16GB; Operating system: Fire OS

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (Newest gen), supports Wi-Fi 6E, Ambient Experience

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (Newest gen), supports Wi-Fi 6E, Ambient Experience

Written by

Stuart Andrews has been writing about technology and computing for over 25 years and has written for nearly every major UK PC and tech outlet, including PC Pro and the Sunday Times. He still writes about PCs, laptops and enterprise computing, plus PC and console gaming, but he also likes to get his hands dirty with the latest gardening tools and chill out with his favourite movies. He loves to test things and will benchmark anything and everything that comes his way.

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