If you want smart TV capabilities without a smart TV price, you may start to look at streaming devices like Apple, Amazon, and Roku. There are plenty of good options to choose from, but Roku's devices remain our clear favorites thanks to their convenient features, impressive performance and affordable prices.
Devices range from the advanced Roku Ultra, which recently got some nice upgrades, to the affordable Roku Express, which you can snag for just $30. Roku also makes some of its own soundbars and speakers, which make it easy to build an all-in-one entertainment setup. We've spent hours testing these devices side-by-side to help you find the right one for your home.
Best Roku overall
Roku's lineup can be confusing, and the two streaming devices at the top of our list are very similar. The first is the Roku Express 4K Plus. This small box sits next to your TV and is the cheapest Roku device that offers full 4K HDR streaming support, which generally makes it our favorite. Yes, it lacks Dolby Vision, but we tend to think that this isn't too big of a deal, as the service only works with compatible TVs and doesn't offer any real difference in picture quality over other HDR formats. All 4K TVs with HDR support multiple HDR formats and you most likely won't be missing out on anything by skipping Dolby Vision.
That said, there are certain times of the year when the Roku Express 4K Plus isn't the best buy. That's because the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is often on sale for less and is therefore the better option. The Streaming Stick 4K is almost identical to the Express 4K Plus -- the only difference is the shape of the device and the fact that the Streaming Stick 4K offers Dolby Vision support, which is what makes it slightly more expensive. We don't recommend spending more money on something with Dolby Vision, but don't be afraid to grab the Streaming Stick 4K when it's the cheapest option.
Best Rokus of 2025
How we test Roku devices
Every Roku we review receives hours of hands-on testing. Typically, this involves installing the device on multiple TVs, evaluating the setup process, adding popular streaming channels and using the product as if it were our own. We use all of the major features available and note how they stack up against other Roku models in the company's lineup. To do this, we hook up multiple Roku streaming devices to the same TV so we can switch back and forth easily to compare the experiences.
Our metrics that we look at to rate a device include hardware design, distinctive features that differentiate models, remote capabilities and design, overall ease-of-use, effective layouts and design, search capabilities, privacy settings, the number of apps and their performance and the overall speed and reliability of the system.