We tested the 6 best streaming devices for smart and dumb TVs

Read the full Mashable review of the Roku Express 4K Plus.

If you want a robust streaming device without shelling out, then opt for the Roku Express 4K Plus. It’s one of the cheapest streaming devices around but still has all the essential functionality and reliability of more expensive alternatives. The device itself is a rectangular puck, so you’ll need to put it somewhere in front of the TV.

Like all Roku products, the interface is straightforward and a breeze to navigate. Apps load fast, there’s no clutter filling up the page, and you can find what you want in a moment. You can also pair the device with your phone to stream from an iOS device, although more useful is the ability to connect a pair of headphones and listen to the TV without disturbing anyone else in the room.

The newer Plus model comes with a voice remote, so you can use verbal commands to load apps and control playback. And set-up is pretty much instantaneous, too. Plug in an HDMI cable, power it up, and you’re pretty much done. This is a fast, no-nonsense streaming device with a price to match.

The Roku Ultra is the beefier cousin of the Roku Express 4K Plus. It comes with all the same features – 4K support, HDR, voice commands and phone connectivity – alongside a few improvements. Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support is included, a microSD slot is there for storing and streaming external media, and the Ethernet port will be particularly useful to anyone who has a spotty Wi-Fi connection.

It’s also noticeably faster thanks to a speedier internal processor, and it comes packaged with Roku’s Voice Remote Pro, an improved remote that has a couple of extra features like customizable shortcut keys. You can save your most-used commands to them, like launching a specific app or something more complex like dropping the volume by 20%. And with its $100 price tag, it’s cheaper than the other premium streaming devices on this list.

The standout feature of the Amazon Fire TV Cube is the fact it’s a speedy streaming device and Alexa smart speaker rolled into one. You can use it for all the usual things you’d want Alexa for – checking the weather, taking notes, controlling smart home devices, setting times – as well as navigating your streaming apps entirely hands-free through voice commands. You don't even need to pick up the remote if you don't want to.

Apps load quickly and navigating the interface is fast thanks to its internal 2.0Ghz processor. It has an Ethernet port on the back if you don’t want to rely on a dodgy WiFi connection, and an HDMI-in port lets you connect gaming consoles or Blu-ray players so you can switch to them on command. A USB-A port also lets you connect other devices, like a webcam for two-way video calling. This is one of the most feature-rich streaming devices around.

Read Mashable's full review of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

Amazon’s take on the budget, no-nonsense streaming device, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max doesn’t offer anything you won’t find elsewhere, but does it all for a respectable price. Older models of the Fire Stick have had a reputation for their sluggish response times that made navigating apps feel laborious. Thankfully, a faster processor has fixed that issue and we were able to fly through our favorite streaming apps.

There’s not much in the way of bells and whistles to the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. The remote’s Channel Guide button lets you switch to Live TV in an instant, and unlike the Roku Express 4K, its main competitor, the voice controls have a better hit rate so we rarely have to repeat ourselves. The interface has a tendency to push Amazon’s products and subscriptions on you, though. That might become annoying unless you’re already a card-carrying member of the Amazon ecosystem.

A plush set-top box, the Apple TV 4K is as feature-rich as you’d expect: it’s got virtually all the apps you could want, a slick and ad-free user interface, and a new processor chipset that makes this the fastest streaming device we tested by a good margin. It’s all ever so stylish, too, with a slim metal remote and minimalist box that doesn’t look gaudy on a television cabinet.

The real draw of Apple TV is its seamless integration with the wider Apple ecosystem. Airplay 2 support lets you cast movies, galleries, and presentations from Mac and iOS devices to your TV. It directly links with iTunes, Apple Arcade and Fitness+, and can even function like an Apple Home Hub to let you use Siri to control smart home devices. The remote is an exception, but in a good way: you can charge it using a standard USB-C cable rather than a Lightning connector. (Fair warning: for new users, the minimalist Apple TV remote has a learning curve.) Apple buffs could want little else.

Apple users are used to paying a premium for quality, speed, and stylish design, and if you've gotten used to the Apple ecosystem, then this is the best streaming device for your home.

The Chromecast really shines for its clean and fast user interface. It doesn’t have the clutter of Amazon’s Fire TV, it recommends shows on apps to which you’re already subscribed, and it includes a bunch of other useful metrics like Rotten Tomatoes scores. That functional design extends to the remote, too: there are the usual volume and app buttons, alongside buttons to switch the inputs of your TV, so you can go from Chromecast to console to Blu-Ray player instantly. There's even a button just for Netflix, making this the best streaming device for Netflix subscribers.

It links with other Google products nicely, collects all of your streaming apps into a single interface for easy browsing, and the integration of Google Assistant means controlling the TV with your voice is a breeze. However, this is the only streaming device on this list that doesn’t support Apple Music. It’s a minor but irritating omission, although one that could be fixed: the Apple TV app also originally wasn’t available, but support was added after release. Also, it comes in a 4K and cheaper HD variant. We’d recommend the 4K version because even if your current TV can’t handle it, your next one probably will.