The Amazon Fire TV Stick range enables you to access and stream a variety of content, including Amazon’s own, but also through apps such as Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, BBC iPlayer and Now. Amazon now has four HDMI streaming sticks and they all look similar – but which is best?

Each stick plugs directly into your TV via HDMI and comes with a power adapter, HDMI extender (but not an HDMI cable), and AAA batteries for the remote. There are a few to choose from, though, so if you’re wondering what the best Amazon Fire TV stick is, we’ve got them all accounted for below.

Amazon’s top TV stick is the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, taking the functions of the existing 4K model and boosting the power by 40 per cent, adding Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. That means it’s faster, while the new also enables picture-in-picture video, so your Ring Video Doorbell can be shown while you’re watching TV.

You get the same 4K HDR support, with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos audio as the Fire TV Stick 4K model that’s a step down, but everything on this model is faster.

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K represents great value for money – especially when compared to devices like the Apple TV 4K. It can output video up to 4K Ultra HD resolution at 60 frames per second. It also has high dynamic range (HDR) support including Dolby Vision. Dolby Atmos support is available, which goes alongside the general 5.1 and 7.1 Dolby surround audio output plus HDMI Audio pass-through. Basically, it will play the best format possible, depending on the AV receiver, home cinema system, soundbar or TV you plug it into.

An Alexa Voice Remote is included in the box. As with the main Fire TV Stick below, there are power and volume controls too, so you can control audio gear like a soundbar. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is more powerful, but for many, this 4K model will fit the bill.

An updated quad-core processor in the 2021 version of the Fire TV Stick offers a smooth experience on this streamer that supports 1080p quality – while it also includes support for Dolby Atmos audio alongside 5.1 and 7.1 surround audio output and HDMI audio pass-through. A full Alexa Voice Remote is included in the box and there are power and volume controls too, so you can control audio gear like a soundbar and your TV. The remote also has shortcut buttons for the main streaming services.

Amazon’s entry-level streaming stick, the Fire TV Stick Lite, sits below the main Fire TV Stick and supports Full HD, however, there is no onboard Dolby Atmos decoding. But the key difference is the less powerful remote control – called the Alexa Voice Remote Lite. There are no volume or mute buttons, so you can’t use it to control the sound of your TV and/or soundbar. There’s also no power button. It does, however, include Alexa voice control to help you find content.

How to choose a Fire TV Stick

All of Amazon’s Fire TV sticks work in the same way, connecting to your TV via HDMI, so it’s simply a case of plugging the stick in and then connecting to the power. Thanks to the Alexa Remote that comes with all the models above, you can easily find content by searching with your voice – or you can control your Fire TV Stick with an Echo device in the same room.

So the experience is very much the same – the UI is the same and the services supported are the same, so the question really comes down to what you’re connecting it to. If you have a 4K HDR TV then you’ll want that functionality from your Fire TV Stick, otherwise it’s not going to look its best – which is really important if your TV is 50-inches or larger, where you can really see the difference between 1080p and 4K. If you have a smaller TV, of course, saving money on one of the lower-positioned devices makes perfect sense – the 4K Max on a 1080p TV is just a waste.

The argument for the 4K Max model is just that it’s faster in all areas, making for a slicker experience, with less time spent navigating the UI and with faster connections.