This is the only streaming box worth your money in 2025

There are many streaming devices on the market in 2025, and it’s an overwhelming decision to make for many people who haven’t picked one up yet. Fortunately, I have spent much of the past year trying out all sorts of streamers, and my experiences have been wildly up and down. I’ve tried out everything from sticks to boxes, so I know my way around the block.

If I had to do it all over, one device stands above the rest. Although the Apple TV 4K is my favorite of everything, it’s not what I’d recommend first. Instead, I would grab a Roku Ultra. It’s not because it’s the greatest at what it does, but if I’m perfectly honest, it comes close enough. Performance isn’t what drives my decision, though. Value is the key here, and I believe the Roku Ultra provides the most because of its cost. At $100 MSRP, it’s already a good deal, but you can often find it lower than that, and when you can, it’s a practical no-brainer.

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Roku Ultra takes the crown

There’s unmatched value here

Roku Ultra is the high-end Roku streaming device, and if you can get the 2024 model, it’s the best the company has to offer. It’s snappy, has access to every app you could need, and has a relatively small footprint that doesn’t make it an eyesore to put on your entertainment stand. There’s so much to like here, and that’s not even getting into its low price. Even if it’s an older model, it’s still worthwhile. It’ll be slower than the 2024 version, but you can still install the same apps.

Although the Apple TV 4K might be the best-performing streaming box, I don’t believe it’s worth the cost of admission in most cases. It has two versions available that cost either $130 or $150, and if I had to pay that price initially, I don’t think I would’ve bought one. That’s a high price to pay for something that’s just going to be running streaming apps for most people. The Roku Ultra retails for $100, but you really shouldn’t settle for that price. You can often find sales that drop it down to a lower price, and it can get even lower for a refurbished unit. I got mine from Best Buy back in February for $80, and then I used a $35 reward certificate on top of that to get it down to about $50 with tax, so I got quite a steal. In comparison, that’s three Roku Ultras for the price of one high-end Apple TV 4K. To make matters even worse, the $150 Apple TV 4K is the only model that comes with an Ethernet port built into the device, something the Roku Ultra has at no extra cost.

Even at full price, I think the Roku Ultra has more value than the Apple TV 4K, but it’s worth being patient if you can. Getting it for $80 is a lot better than $100, as there’s just something nice about leaving that three-digit price range behind. On top of that, $80 is nearly half the price of the full-price Apple TV 4K, and I think it’d be difficult for anybody to come up with a true argument against the Roku Ultra at that point.

Of course, more factors come into play for many people, and there’s no question the Apple TV 4K integrates better into an Apple ecosystem than the other streamers do. I can’t take advantage of anything since the Apple TV 4K is my only Apple product, so things like FaceTime don’t move the needle for me whatsoever. There’s no question about whether I’m leaving value on the table, because I definitely am, but in my situation, the Roku Ultra takes the cake. I know I’m not alone, so if I had to do everything all over again, the choice is quite clear to me. It also helps that Roku plays nicely with other smart devices, so the Google Homes I have around my house integrate perfectly, whereas that’s not the case with Apple TV.

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Other streamers are good, but Roku still wins

Roku just has the best bang for your buck

To be clear, I don’t have an issue with any streamers. I used a Fire TV Stick in my basement for a while, and I didn’t have any problems with it outside of personal preference. I use the Roku Ultra in my bedroom each night, and I love that it’s there. The Apple TV 4K is in my living room since it was the first device I bought, and while I replaced it with my Roku Ultra for a little bit, I eventually swapped it back.

The Apple TV 4K is the best performer of them all, but when you factor in the price, I don’t think it’s a clear winner. Sure, if you don’t have a budget you have to stick to, by all means, go for an Apple TV 4K because I believe it is the best streamer on the market today. Most people don’t have unlimited budgets, however, so you have to weigh all sorts of things. This is why I pick the Roku as the streamer I’d buy today, because it comes close enough to the Apple TV 4K, and you can get it for much cheaper.

I really don’t think you can go wrong with any of the purchases because each company makes a good product. If you grabbed an Amazon Fire TV Stick, and you’re happy with it, that’s great news. I like what mine has to offer, and you even get the bonus of being able to play Xbox Game Pass games on it, provided your internet is good enough. I just believe the best blend of value, productivity, and ease of use comes from the Roku Ultra. It’s as simple as plugging it in, installing your apps, and watching. There’s plenty of onboard storage to install everything you like, it has an Ethernet port, and there’s even a dedicated button on the device you can hit in case you lose your remote. There’s nothing to dislike, at least from my point of view, and if you can get one on sale, the Roku Ultra is a steal.

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