Fire TV Cube vs Fire TV Stick 4K: Is Amazon's $90 Upgrade Worth It?
Fire TV Cube vs Fire TV Stick 4K — both Amazon, both Fire OS, but one costs $139 and one costs $49. We break down every difference and tell you who should pay more.
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The Fire TV Cube costs $139. The Fire TV Stick 4K costs $49. Both are Amazon devices. Both run Fire OS. Both stream 4K Dolby Vision. The $90 difference buys hands-free Alexa, Wi-Fi 6E, Ethernet, HDMI-in, and a significantly faster processor. The question is whether those upgrades are worth triple the price.
Quick Comparison
Streaming Quality: Identical
Both output 4K at 60fps with Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Atmos. The Cube's faster processor doesn't make Netflix look better. Video quality is the same.
What $90 More Buys
Hands-free Alexa: The Cube's built-in far-field microphones detect "Alexa" commands from anywhere in the room. The Stick 4K requires pressing the remote button.
Wi-Fi 6E: The Cube supports 6GHz Wi-Fi — higher bandwidth ceiling on Wi-Fi 6E routers. The Stick 4K is limited to Wi-Fi 5 (2.4/5GHz).
Ethernet: The Cube has a physical Ethernet port. Wired streaming eliminates buffering on congested networks. The Stick 4K is Wi-Fi only.
HDMI-in: Run a cable or satellite box through the Cube and control it with Alexa. Unique feature not available on any streaming stick.
Faster processor: The Cube's octa-core chip loads apps faster and navigates the interface more smoothly than the Stick 4K's quad-core.
Who Should Pay More
Upgrade to the Cube if: You want hands-free Alexa, have a cable box to integrate via HDMI-in, have a Wi-Fi 6E router, or need Ethernet for wired stability.
Stick with the Stick 4K if: You just want capable 4K streaming at the lowest price, are fine pressing the remote for Alexa, and don't need cable box integration.
Our Picks
Bottom Line
Buy Fire TV Cube if hands-free Alexa or HDMI-in cable integration is what you actually need. Those features have no equivalent on any streaming stick at any price.
Buy Fire TV Stick 4K if you just want capable Amazon streaming at $49. The streaming quality is identical — the only difference is in the premium features, not the content.
Also see: Fire TV Cube vs Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Fire TV Stick 4K Max vs Fire TV Stick 4K, and Fire TV Cube Review.
Editorial Team
Our editorial team consists of streaming experts who research and test products so you can make informed buying decisions.