The Roku Ultra wins here, clearly. Roku's home screen is a simple grid of your app tiles with one small banner ad at the top. Launch the interface and your apps are what you see. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max home screen is the opposite: Prime Video shows get a full rotating banner, the top rows are Amazon content recommendations, and your actual apps are pushed down. If you love Prime Video, this feels helpful. If you do not, it feels like being sold to every time you pick up the remote.
Roku Ultra vs Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2026)
Roku Ultra vs Fire TV Stick 4K Max compared in 2026. Roku wins ethernet and remote. Fire TV wins price and Alexa. Full breakdown inside.
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Prices change daily on Amazon. Check today's price on the Roku Ultra (2024) before reading the full review.
Roku Ultra (2024)
$92.99
VS
Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen)
$59
Quick Answer
Roku Ultra (2024) wins overall
Interface and Ads
Winner: Interface and Ads
Roku Ultra (2024)
Connectivity
The Roku Ultra has ethernet in the box. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max does not - you need a $15 adapter, and the stick form factor means it dangles off the back of your TV. On the other hand, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max has Wi-Fi 6E, which the Roku Ultra does not, so if your router supports Wi-Fi 6E and you are streaming over wireless, the Fire TV Stick has a theoretical speed advantage. In practice, 4K Dolby Vision only needs ~25 Mbps, and ethernet beats wireless for reliability every time. Roku wins if your streamer is near the router.
Winner: Connectivity
Roku Ultra (2024)
Remote
The Roku Voice Remote Pro is a better remote than the Alexa Voice Remote. It has a headphone jack for late-night viewing without waking the household, a lost-remote finder that beeps when you press a button on the box, rechargeable batteries, and hands-free voice when plugged in. The Fire TV remote has solid Alexa integration and TV power/volume buttons, but no headphone jack and no remote finder. If you have ever lost the remote in the couch cushions, the finder alone is worth $34.
Winner: Remote
Roku Ultra (2024)
Price and Value
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max wins on raw value at $59. You get Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos passthrough, Wi-Fi 6E, and Alexa voice for less than half the price of an Apple TV 4K. If you do not care about the Amazon ecosystem push and you want the cheapest genuine 4K HDR streamer, this is it. The Roku Ultra at $92.99 is worth the premium for the ethernet, the remote, and the cleaner interface, but the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is not a compromise on video quality. It is only a compromise on vibes.
Winner: Price and Value
Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen)
Final Verdict
The Roku Ultra Wins on Experience, Fire TV Wins on Price
Both devices support Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and every major streaming app. The picture quality and app selection are a tie. The Roku Ultra is the better buy for most people because ethernet is built in, the Voice Remote Pro has a headphone jack and a remote finder, and Roku does not shove Amazon Prime Video into your face every time you turn the TV on. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the smart choice for Amazon Prime households who watch mostly Prime Video, already use Alexa, and want the cheapest genuine 4K Dolby Vision streamer on the market. The $34 gap buys you a calmer interface and an ethernet port.
Frequently Asked Questions
On the specs listed here, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (often called the Fire Stick Max) has the newer Wi-Fi standard, Wi-Fi 6E, while the Roku Ultra (2024) lists Wi-Fi 6 and adds a built-in ethernet port. Both list Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos support, so neither is ahead on picture formats.
No. Both devices output Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos passthrough correctly on every major app. Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Max, and Prime Video all look identical on both devices when connected to the same 4K TV. The differences are software, interface, and remote, not picture quality.
Yes. Amazon sells an official Ethernet Adapter for Fire TV at around $15 that plugs into the micro-USB power port and provides both power and ethernet. It works well and is worth buying if you are using Fire TV in a room with poor Wi-Fi. With the adapter, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max matches the Roku Ultra on wired reliability.
Both have every major streaming service - Netflix, Disney+, Max, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and all the live TV services. The app catalog is effectively tied. Fire TV has more niche Amazon-exclusive apps. Roku has slightly better support for small independent streaming services and free ad-supported channels via The Roku Channel.