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It's no secret that Roku has consistently been a favorite of ours. It offers a content-agnostic streaming platform with the simplest interface along with the best search functionality. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is our top overall pick with an excellent voice remote and 4K capability. Meanwhile, the Roku Streambar is a great streamer-soundbar combination that's perfect for smaller TVs. If you're looking for a wired Ethernet connection, along with Dolby Vision, you might want to check out the flagship Roku Ultra. Right now, however, the Roku Express 4K Plus at just $34 is one of the best deals on this list.
Best Roku deals right now
Our favorite streamer is $6 off its normal $40 price at Amazon. We like the Roku operating system because it has the most streaming app options, the simplest interface of any streaming platform and the best search. It's also content-agnostic -- it doesn't push any one media streaming service provider, like Amazon Prime Video or Apple, over another. The Express 4K Plus is one of the cheapest streaming TV options with 4K HDR. (Even if your current TV doesn't support those formats, your next one probably will.) Thanks to the AirPlay update, this Roku device is one of the least expensive ways to connect your iPhone or other Apple device to your TV. Read our Roku Express 4K Plus review.
A combination soundbar and 4K HDR streamer, the Roku Streambar is an excellent way to "smartify" a bedroom TV with improved sound and streaming in one fell swoop. This compact speaker will outperform the sound in just about any television, and is especially good at elevating hard-to-understand dialogue. Even if you don't need the (excellent) streamer, the soundbar itself is a great deal at this price.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is $5 off at Amazon and $25 less than the newer and very similar $69 Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus. The difference between the two? The newer 4K Plus device comes with Roku's new Voice Remote Pro that offers three things you don't get with the older Voice Remote: a headphone jack for private listening, a rechargeable battery, hands-free voice controls and a clever find-my-remote feature.
The Roku Ultra, the company's flagship, standalone streamer, offers more conveniences than some of Roku's other models. It features Dolby Vision video, faster responses, improved Wi-Fi and a wired Ethernet port -- particularly welcome if your home Wi-Fi is overloaded. And while it comes with a good remote, including one that corresponds to a physical remote-finder button on the body of the Ultra, it's still not quite as impressive as the Voice Remote Pro. To complicate matters, the Express Plus 4K works with wired Ethernet dongles too, and adding a dongle and a Voice Remote Pro to the Express Plus 4K still typically costs less than an Ultra 4K UHD.
However, the Ultra is easy to set up and might be worth the upgrade for anyone interested in a fast streaming device with Dolby Vision and a wired Ethernet port.
The Roku Express is compact and comes with an HDMI cable for easy setup. It supports Apple AirPlay and is compatible with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant. Note, however, that this version does not come with a smart remote, meaning you'll need a smart speaker or other receiver to use voice controls.
Walmart's exclusive version of the Roku Ultra is almost identical to the main Ultra and features a similar box design, an Ethernet port and support for 4K HDR with Dolby Vision. It comes with a remote that has a headphone jack for private listening.
As for the differences between the Ultra and the Ultra LT? With this cheaper option you'll be giving up Dolby Atmos support, a USB port, personal shortcut keys on the remote and the (very useful) remote finder feature.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus packages the exact same Roku Streaming Stick 4K listed above with the new, usually separate, Roku Voice Remote Pro. The Voice Remote Pro, which typically goes for $30, largely keeps the look and feel of the company's other remotes, but notably comes with a midfield mic for voice control, a headphone jack for private listening and a rechargeable battery. Perhaps the best thing about the new remote is you can simply say, "Hey, Roku, find my remote," to make the clicker beep from wherever it is -- a game-changer for those who are constantly scouring the couch cushions. And Roku remotes can chew through batteries quickly, so using rechargeable ones means you no longer need to keep a stash of AAs on hand.
Roku also has a remote finder that works with any Roku remote with a built-in speaker, but that type of remote is not included with the original Streaming Stick 4K. If you're the type of person who tends to lose TV remotes, the upgrade to the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus -- and the Voice Remote Pro that comes with it -- might be completely worthwhile.