Google Chromecast vs Amazon Fire TV Stick – Which is the Best Streaming Device?

Nowadays, streaming players like Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Plex, and Roku have become cheaper and they can deliver thousands of channels at high resolution. Out of them, Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick are the most versatile and reasonably priced streaming devices used around the world. While both devices are streaming sticks which are designed to stream videos or movies to your TV, they are fundamentally different in functionalities. So which is the right one for you?

Before jumping into the article, check out What is Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick?

Google Chromecast vs Amazon Fire TV Stick: Design and Specifications

Both Google Chromecast and Amazon Firestick will stick into the HDMI port of your TV and both require an additional cable to power them. Amazon Fire TV Stick has a simple rectangular design and there is no physical button in that. The device itself looks thick and it may block the other HDMI port on your TV. On the other side, second-generation of Chromecast or Chromecast 2 looks circular in design and it also has a micro USB port. It also has another button which let you reset the Chromecast. Both the streaming devices need power, so you have to plug them into the USB port on the TV or on the wall outlet.

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Specs	Google Chromecast	Amazon Firestick
Output	HDMI	HDMI
Processor	Single-core	Dual-core
RAM	512MB	1GB
Storage	2GB flash	8GB flash
Maximum Output Video Resolution	1080p	1080p
Dimensions	72 x 35 x 12mm	85 x 25 x 11.5mm
Weight	34 g	25g
Connectivity	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n	Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi, 802.11 b/g/n
Power	USB	Micro USB
Supported Devices	Android, iOS, Windows PC, Mac PC, Chromebooks	N/A

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Google Chromecast vs Amazon Fire TV Stick: Setup

Both Amazon Fire TV Stick and Google Chromecast are easy to set-up. Once you plugged the Firestick, all you need to do is use the bundled remote control and follow the onscreen instructions. After the setup, you can download other streaming apps like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and more. Check out here for detailed article on how to Setup Amazon Fire TV Stick?

To setup Chromecast, you need to download the Google Home app on either Android or iOS device. Then, all you need to do is to follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process. Check out here for detailed article on how to Setup Google Chromecast?

Google Chromecast vs FireStick: UI & Interface

Amazon Fire TV Stick runs a custom Android OS and it runs on decent hardware. The UI in Firestick is fairly designed, but the home screen is restricted to Amazon services. It has a glorified Amazon App store offering various movies, TV Shows, games, apps and much more. On the other hand, Chromecast doesn’t need apps, as it acts as a hub between you and your TV. You can use Google Chromecast 2 just like a web browser with a TV UI which you can control with your smartphone or any other device. You will have a basic opening screen which cycles through some screensaver images until you started to cast media from your device.

Related: Apple TV vs Fire TV

Amazon Firestick vs Google Chromecast: Remote Control

Google Chromecast doesn’t come with any remote control. You can use your mobile phone or tablet as a remote to control the Google Chromecast.

On the other side, Amazon Firestick comes with a voice-enabled remote control. At the top of the remote, you will have a voice button accompanied by the microphone. Below that button, you will have enter button nestled between the directional buttons. Below the directional keys, you will have a standard play, pause, forward and rewind buttons.

Related: Apple TV vs Chromecast

Amazon Firestick vs Google Chromecast 2: Value of Money

While comparing the price, Amazon Fire TV Stick is a better value for money proposition, especially when you consider the fact that you get one year of Prime membership bundled with the package. The only reason you may want to consider the Google Chromecast is that if you are one of the 0.2% of people that have purchased movies on Google Play and prefer that over the content on Prime Video. If streaming content from apps like BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Netflix, etc. is your only objective, then you can’t go wrong with either. Just remember, you can’t cast Prime Video content from your smartphone to the Chromecast.

Google Chromecast vs Amazon Fire TV Stick: Conclusion

The choice is very simple. If you want to stream a lot of movies and videos from online services, then go for Amazon Fire TV Stick. However, if you want to stream your device to the bigger screen of a TV, then go for Google Chromecast.

Related: How to Setup Google Chromecast on Mac?

We hope, the article on Google Chromecast vs Firestick is helpful to you. Drop your thoughts and feedback in the comment box.