Apple TV vs FireStick - Which One Should You Buy in 2024?

In this Apple TV 4K vs. All-New FireStick faceoff, I’ll compare the two streaming devices based on several factors. These include features, specs, user interface, app selection, and pricing, among others.

The Amazon FireStick and Apple TV are popular streaming devices. Choosing one over the other may be challenging. Therefore, we will compare them side by side and help you make an informed decision.

I will compare the top-end versions of both devices – Apple TV 4K and FireStick 4K Max 2nd Gen.

Attention, Read before you continue!

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Read: How to Install and Use a VPN on All Your Devices

Apple TV 4K Overview

Apple TV is a compact device that lets you stream digital content like movies, TV shows, live TV, and music on your TV. The media player comes in a sleek square box with curved edges. It also includes a voice-enabled remote control for your TV and other connected devices.

To start with Apple TV, you need an internet connection and a TV with an HDMI port. You connect the streaming device to your TV using an HDMI cable, instantly turning it into a smart TV.

The Apple TV 4K is the most advanced model in the Apple TV series and will compete with Amazon’s most advanced FireStick.

All-New FireStick 4K Max Overview

The Amazon FireStick is a compact streaming device that lets you stream movies, TV shows, music, live TV, and more on your TV. As the name suggests, this device is shaped like a stick. You plug the stick into your TV through the HDMI port, instantly transforming any non-smart TV into a smart TV.

The all-new FireStick 4K Max is the most advanced stick among the FireSticks. Its features and specs make it a deserving competitor for the Apple TV 4K. It has a voice-powered (Alexa) Fire TV remote that controls the Fire TV and other connected devices like sound bars.

Now that we have an overview of each device, let’s compare them to help you choose the best one for your streaming needs. Read this Apple TV 4K vs. FireStick 4K Max review to learn which device best suits you.

Apple TV 4K vs. All-New FireStick 4K Max: Features

Let’s see how the two devices compare based on features.

Apple TV 4K Features

Apple TV 4K is an easy-to-see black box with curved edges and a similarly black remote with distinct buttons. Unlike the FireStick, which disappears when attached to the HDMI port, it is a significant sight in front of your TV. You need HDMI cables to connect the device to your TV, which can clutter your TV stand space with wires.

One thing that makes the Apple TV better than the FireStick is that it has an Ethernet port to connect your internet cable for better internet speeds and seamless streaming in situations where the TV is far from the router. In addition, its remote has rechargeable batteries, which are ecologically sustainable, unlike the disposable batteries of a FireStick.

The Apple TV 4K remote is voice-enabled, letting you control your TV and other connected devices. It is also easy to use, with the following buttons: power, click pad, volume up, volume down, mute, back, play/pause, and TV Control button. However, the remote lacks direction buttons, making it hard to use at the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, the
experience is straightforward.

Apple TV 4K offers private listening through Bluetooth, like AirPods. Although the feature is not as perfect as in Roku, it lets you stream content privately without disturbing other people in the house, such as binge-watching a show late at night.

As for offerings, Apple TV 4K has everything you want in streaming devices: movies, TV shows, on-demand content, live TV, and games. In addition, the Apple Arcade makes this device a mini-gaming console, which is a big deal if you are a gaming enthusiast.

All-New FireStick 4K Max Features

The all-new FireStick 4K Max is a black USB-like stick you attach to your TV’s HDMI port to give your non-smart TV smart capabilities. The stick has an Alexa voice remote, HDMI extender, USB cable, and power adapter.

If you live in a small house and are squeezed for space on your TV stand, the FireStick compactness might be what you seek. The stick has two ports, the wider one to fit into your TV HDMI and the other narrower USB port to connect it to a power outlet. The TV can supply power to the stick, but I recommend always connecting to a power source independently for optimum performance.

The Alexa voice remote has distinct buttons, including dedicated Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and Disney Plus. These designated buttons enable you to navigate to the respective streaming platforms directly. Overall, the all-new FireStick 4K Max remote takes the crown compared to the Apple TV4K.

Unfortunately, Amazon does not focus on private listening when building FireStick. You may connect the device to Bluetooth headphones, but the experience is problematic, with delayed audio and occasional disconnection between the two devices.

Verdict

The two devices are similar in features, making it hard to choose. However, I will award this position to the all-new FireStick 4K Max for its compactness and intuitive remote.

Apple TV 4K vs. All-New Fire Stick 4K Max: Specs

The specifications are a critical factor to consider when buying a streaming device. Let’s compare the two devices and see which one wins in this category.

Apple TV 4K Specs

Apple TV 4K is compatible with UHD and HD TVs, with HDMI⁴. For video streaming experience, it supports 4K resolution, HDR10 with Dolby Vision, and HLG. In addition, the audio experience gives this device an edge over FireStick thanks to its support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby 5.1, Dolby 7.1, and Spatial audio.

Regarding the processor, Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip. This is considered one of the best processors for smooth gaming and app-exploring.

Another feature that makes Apple TV 4K better than the all-new FireStick 4K Max is storage. If you like downloading apps and offline content, you might want the 64GB or 128GB offered by Apple TV 4K, compared to only 16GB from the all-new FireStick 4K Max.

All-New FireStick 4K Max Specs

The all-new FireStick 4K Max is similar to the Apple TV 4K in specs. It is compatible with HD and UHD TVs and supports high-quality video formats, including Dolby Vision, HLG, and HDR10. In addition, FireStick 4K Max supports HDR10+, a technology that adds dynamic metadata to files to give bright and premium image quality. This added feature gives it an edge over Apple TV 4K.

The audio experience with FireStick 4K Max is excellent, with support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby 5.1, and Dolby 7.1 surround, HDMI audio pass-through, and a 2-channel stereo.

The FireStick 4K Max uses a quad-core 2.0 GHz processor. While this is an improvement over the previous FireStick models, it’s still steps behind the Apple TV 4K’s A15 Bionic chip.

The 2nd generation FireStick 4K Max offers an ambient experience that transforms your TV into an Alexa-supported smart display with themes, backgrounds, wallpapers, and unique widgets. This smart display comes into play when you’re not streaming, making your TV appealing.

Verdict

The two devices have similar specs, only differing in a few areas. However, Apple TV 4K wins in this category due to the additional Spatial audio support, which delivers an immersive sound experience that transforms your home into a mini-cinema. It also beats the FireStick 4K Max’s 16GB storage.

Apple TV4K vs. All-New FireStick 4K Max: User Interface

Apple TV and FireStick house hundreds of apps and games, and how these appear on the home screen and ease of navigation matters. Here is a comparison of the Apple TV 4K interface and the FireStick 4K Max.

Apple TV 4K Interface

If there is one area that the Apple TV 4K nailed, it’s the organization of apps on the home screen. The apps are distinctively arranged in spaced tiles, unlike in FireStick 4K Max, where the tiles sit closely together.

Apple TV 4K gives you the ultimate control of what you see on your home screen by letting you customize the menu. You can also group your favorite apps into folders for easy retrieval. In addition, Apple TV 4K does not bombard you with ads and promotions of Apple-related content. While you will come across sponsored Apple content, it is inside the Apple TV app, and you can hide the app in a folder to avoid the ads.

All-New FireStick 4K Max Interface

The FireStick 4K Max interface is decent but lacks some aspects. First, the upper section is laden with Amazon-sponsored content, including featured originals, movies, and TV shows. Sometimes, when you power on the FireStick, the sponsored content starts playing, which can be distracting.

FireStick’s interface may also seem a bit cluttered.

Finally, the Amazon pre-installed apps take up considerable space on the upper section of the window. You can’t rearrange these or hide them into folders.

Overall, the FireStick 4K Max’s user interface is responsive and easy to navigate. You can also access your favorite app or show by searching via the voice remote or entering a keyword in the search bar under Find.

Verdict

Apple TV 4K earns more points here because it lets you customize your home screen, create folders, and has limited ads.

Apple TV 4K vs. All-New FireStick 4K Max: App Selection

Streaming devices have become popular because of their wide selection of apps and games. So which device offers more apps, the Apple TV 4K or the All-New FireStick 4K Max? Let’s find out.

Apple TV4K App Selection

According to 42 Matters, a TV app intelligence solutions provider and researcher, Apple TV 4K has over 18,000 apps. Most apps are free to download and use, but some require subscriptions or purchases.

Apple TV 4K has a wide selection of apps for streaming content and playing video games. The big five apps are available: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and HBO Max. Other significant apps for home entertainment include Peacock TV, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, and Twitch for gamers.

Apple’s gaming collection is better than FireStick’s. These apps are hosted in the Apple Arcade, bringing all your favorite games together. Popular games include Rayman Adventures, Hello Kitty Island, Super Fruit Ninja, and Asphalt 8 Airborne.

The Apple TV 4K interface offers a better gaming experience than the all-new FireStick 4K Max. It has a better design and speed.

All-New FireStick 4K Max App Selection

The all-new FireStick 4K Max transforms homes into entertainment hubs through hundreds of apps, channels, video games, and other digital on-demand content. Currently, the Amazon Fire TV app store boasts 16,429 apps.

The leading streaming app giants include Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney Plus. Over 14,000 apps on the app store are free to download, with the remainder requiring a one-time payment to download and access. Some free apps, like Netflix and Spotify, need subscriptions and have in-app purchases.

Like its Apple TV 4K counterpart, the FireStick 4K Max has a dedicated gaming app called Luna. The app offers a rotating list of popular video games, including Resident Evil 7, A Plague Tale, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

You can play the games with your FireStick remote or pair the device with compatible game controllers. Some compatible game controllers that work perfectly with Luna include the Luna Controller, Xbox One, and PlayStation DualShock 4.

Verdict

The Apple TV 4K takes this cup for its more comprehensive selection of apps. The Apple Arcade also has a slight edge over the Amazon Luna, and the interface offers a better gaming experience.

Apple TV 4K vs. All-New FireStick 4K Max: Sideloading Apps

The sideloading ability of a streaming device is critical because you might want to install third-party apps that offer free or paid services unavailable on official apps. These third-party apps include IPTV services, media players, and video games.

Let’s see how the two devices compare based on sideloading apps.

Sideloading Apps on Apple TV 4K

Apple TV 4K allows you to install third-party apps that the tvOS App Store does not support. However, there are certain conditions you must meet, including:

Your Apple TV 4K should be running on the 4th generation tvOS version
A free Apple TV developer account
A Macbook with Xcode 7 installed
An installed Xcode project
A USB-A to USB-C cable

The steps to sideloading third-party apps on Apple TV 4K are long, complex, and require technical expertise. You must also connect your Mac and Apple TV 4K to the same network and connect the two devices with a USB-A to USB-C cable. See this article for more information about sideloading third-party apps on Apple TV 4K.

Sideloading Apps on All-New FireStick 4K Max

FireStick 4K Max is excellent for sideloading third-party apps, games, and IPTV services. The only prerequisites to sideload an app absent in the Amazon App Store are installing the Downloader app and allowing installation from unknown sources in the device’s settings. Check out our guide to sideloading apps on FireStick using the Downloader app.

Verdict

The all-new FireStick 4K Max wins in this category, hands down, due to the ease of sideloading apps.

Apple TV 4K vs. All-New FireStick 4K Max: Pricing

The price is crucial in an Apple TV4K vs. all-new FireStick 4K Max comparison because the two devices have a considerable difference in pricing. After comparing the two devices in terms of other aspects and features, you want to choose the device that suits your budget.

Apple TV 4K Price

Apple TV 4K offers two models with different pricing, depending on the storage and whether it uses Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi plus Ethernet. The two models include:

Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi with 64GB storage) at $129
Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi + Ethernet with 128GB storage) at $149

All-New FireStick 4K Max Price

The FireStick 4K Max is priced at $59.99. However, it is currently available at a discounted price of $39.99. It is the latest generation of this model and offers the best streaming experience among Amazon Fire TV Sticks.

Verdict

The all-new FireStick 4K Max takes the crown in this sector because it is more affordable while offering almost the same streaming experience as the Apple TV 4K. Although the Apple TV 4K offers some premium features and larger storage, the FireStick will offer the same experience at a fraction of the cost.

Which Device Is Better?

When it comes to Apple TV 4K vs. FireStick, it is impossible to determine which is the best. Both devices have excellent streaming capabilities, hundreds of apps, and games and offer similar user experiences.

Your choice will depend on your entertainment needs, preferences, budget, and whether you have an existing smart home ecosystem. For example, buying an Apple TV would make sense if you already have the Apple Home Kit, Apple Watch, iPhone, and Macbook.

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