The short version
- Of the 50 bestselling streaming devices on Amazon UK on 15 September 2026, 12 listings say how long the device will get security updates. All 12 are Amazon’s own Fire TV and Echo devices. None of the other 38 gives a date, and one lists its update support as “unknown”. We call this the update-date blank.
- The UK has required makers of connected products to publish a minimum security update period since 29 April 2024. The rule covers what the maker publishes, not what a seller puts on an Amazon listing.
- Fire TV and Roku both carry adverts on their own home screens, by their makers’ own account. None of the 15 Fire TV and Roku listings in the top 50 says so; the Fire TV ones mention only free ad-supported apps.
- The stick is the cheap part. A TV Licence is £180 a year if you watch live TV or BBC iPlayer on any device, and NOW Entertainment is £7.99 a month. Over three years those two come to £827.64.
- Nineteen of the top 50 are generic “Android TV box” or stick listings. One of the 19 says it is Google certified.
A streaming stick is one of the cheapest things you can plug into a television. The costs that matter come after: the licence, the subscriptions, the adverts on the home screen, and how long the maker keeps the software safe.
So this guide looks past the price tag. For each pick we checked what the maker says about security updates, adverts and picture formats, and what the box needs before it shows you anything.
The short answer
For most homes, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select at £49.99 is the best value: 4K with HDR10+, and Amazon publishes a security update date. If you want Dolby Vision, Ethernet and the clearest update and power figures, the Google TV Streamer at £99 has five years of security updates on Google’s store page and a published standby draw of 0.6W. On a tight budget, the Roku Streaming Stick at £29.99 plays HD only and Roku gives no update date.
How this guide was made: desk research, not a hands-on test. We have not used these devices. Prices are Amazon UK on 15 September 2026. Specifications, update periods and advertising terms come from Amazon, Roku, Google, Freely, NOW and TV Licensing’s own pages, read on the same day. Electricity uses the Ofgem cap of 26.32p per kWh from 1 October 2026.
Prices and specs last checked 15 September 2026 · next check 1 December 2026 · how we picked
How they compare
| Device | Amazon price, 15 Sep 2026 | Best picture | Dolby Vision | Security updates, as the maker states | Adverts from the maker | Needs a subscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roku Streaming Stick (2025) | £29.99 | 1080p, no HDR | No | Not found for this model | Yes, home screen and screensaver | No, Roku account needed |
| Roku Streaming Stick Plus (2025) | £38.00 | 4K, HDR10+, HLG | No | Not found for this model | Yes, home screen and screensaver | No, Roku account needed |
| Amazon Fire TV Stick HD (2026) | £39.99 | Full HD | No | Until at least 31 December 2030 | Yes, home screen and screensaver | No |
| Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select | £49.99 | 4K, HDR10+, HLG | No | Until at least 31 December 2030 | Yes, home screen and screensaver | No |
| Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max | £69.99 | 4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ | Yes | Until at least 31 December 2030 | Yes, home screen and screensaver | No |
| Google TV Streamer | £99.00 | 4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ | Yes | Five years (Google store); at least five years from US launch (Google’s UK statement) | Not assessed | No |
| PLEIO Freely streaming device | £99.00 | 4K | Not stated | Not stated on the listing | Not assessed | No, Freely is free |
Amazon’s update dates come from its help page for Fire TV devices, which lists 31 December 2030 for current Fire TV sticks and promises at least four years from purchase if that is later. The Fire TV listings themselves say updates run until at least four years after the device was last sold new on Amazon’s websites.
“Adverts from the maker” means adverts placed by Amazon or Roku in their own menus, not adverts inside apps. Amazon’s advertising pages describe sponsored screensavers and home-screen ad placements on Fire TV, with the UK among the screensaver locales. Roku’s UK support page says ads appear on the home screen and screensaver. We did not assess Google or Freely home screens for adverts, so those cells say so.
The update-date blank
We read the 50 bestselling streaming devices on Amazon UK on 15 September 2026, the whole listing page, and searched each one for a security update statement.
Twelve listings carry one, and all twelve are Amazon-made: new and refurbished Fire TV sticks, the Fire TV Cube and an Echo Show. Roku, Google, Freely, Xiaomi, Formuler and the unbranded Android boxes carry none on the listing. One set-top box listing fills Amazon’s own field with “Software Update Supported to Date unknown”.
That gap is the update-date blank. It matters because a streaming stick is on your home network for years. Since 29 April 2024 UK law has required makers of connected products to publish a minimum security update period with an end date. Google and Roku do publish statements on their own sites: Google gives five years for the TV Streamer, and Roku’s UK statement for the older Streaming Stick 4K runs to March 2028. We could not find one for Roku’s 2025 sticks.
Adverts you do not pay to remove
Fire TV and Roku are cheap partly because their home screens sell space. Amazon’s advertising pages list a full-screen “Sponsored Screensaver” and home-screen formats including a feature rotator “above the fold”. Roku’s UK help page says its non-video banner ads appear in menus and screensavers, and Roku’s UK advertising page sells a “home screen marquee ad”.
Of the 11 Fire TV and 4 Roku listings in the top 50, none mentions this. The Fire TV listings do mention “free ad-supported content”, which is adverts inside streaming apps, a different thing. On Roku, you can manage ad personalisation in settings, but not switch the ads off.
What the stick does not include
A TV Licence costs £180 a year from 1 April 2026. TV Licensing says you need one to watch or record live TV on any channel or streaming service, or to use BBC iPlayer, whatever device you use. If you only watch on-demand programmes from services other than iPlayer, you do not.
Subscriptions are separate. On 15 September 2026 NOW Entertainment was £7.99 a month and NOW Sports £34.99. Three years of a TV Licence and NOW Entertainment comes to £827.64, about 20 times the price of a Fire TV Stick HD.
Freely is the exception. It streams live channels over broadband with no subscription, needs at least 10Mbps, and runs on certified devices such as the PLEIO. You still need a TV Licence for live TV.
What a stick costs to run
Almost nothing, but only one of our picks publishes enough to price it. Google says the TV Streamer uses 0.6W in networked standby over Wi-Fi, which is about £1.38 a year at 26.32p per kWh if it sits in standby all day. Its power adapter is rated at 7.5W, so four hours a day at full adapter output would be about £2.88 a year, a ceiling rather than a measurement.
Amazon and Roku did not publish a watts figure on any page we could read. A stick powered from the TV’s USB port is off when the TV is off, which is the cheapest standby of all. Roku warns that some TV USB ports cannot power its sticks.
The picks
Ranked from cheapest to dearest. Prices are Amazon UK on 15 September 2026 and move often, especially around Prime Big Deal Days.
Roku Streaming Stick (2025)
Cheapest£29.99 for a simple HD stick with a voice remote. Roku’s developer page lists 1080p playback and no HDR, so it suits an older or smaller HD television.
The catch: Roku shows banner ads on its home screen and screensaver, and we found no security update date for this model. The UK listing leans on a Canadian market claim.
Up to 1080p, no HDR. Roku account needed; Roku says it charges no activation fee.
Evidence: Roku developer hardware page and Roku UK support pages, read 15 September 2026. Roku publishes no power figure, and says its remote may not control volume and power on every TV.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Roku Streaming Stick Plus (2025)
Cheapest 4K£38.00 for 4K at 60 frames with HDR10+ and HLG. For a 4K television on a budget it covers the formats most streaming apps use.
The catch: No Dolby Vision, so Netflix and Disney+ titles mastered in it play in HDR10 instead. Same Roku adverts and the same missing update date.
4K, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG. Voice remote. Roku account needed.
Evidence: Roku developer hardware page and Roku UK support pages, read 15 September 2026. We could not find a UK security update statement for Roku’s 2025 sticks.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Amazon Fire TV Stick HD (2026)
Cheapest with an update date£39.99. Full HD with Wi-Fi 6, according to the listing, and Amazon lists the Stick HD among devices getting security updates until at least 31 December 2030.
The catch: Amazon sells sponsored screensavers and home-screen ad slots on Fire TV. Pay £10 more for the 4K Select if your TV is 4K.
Full HD, Wi-Fi 6. Alexa voice remote. Security updates until at least 31 December 2030.
Evidence: Amazon UK listing and Amazon’s Fire TV security updates help page, read 15 September 2026. Amazon’s developer page did not show a resolution row for this model, so we rely on the listing’s Full HD.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select
Best value£49.99, which matches Amazon’s UK launch price. 4K at 60 frames with HDR10+ and HLG, and the same 2030 security update date as the rest of the range.
The catch: No Dolby Vision on this model, and it runs Amazon’s newer Vega OS rather than Fire OS, so check your apps are listed before you buy. Home-screen adverts as on all Fire TV.
4K, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG. Dual-band Wi-Fi 5. Vega OS.
Evidence: Amazon developer specifications, Amazon UK launch news and the Fire TV security updates page, read 15 September 2026. Amazon publishes no power figure for the 4K Select that we could read.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
Best Fire TV£69.99 for 4K with Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos, Wi-Fi 6E and 16GB of storage, double the other sticks by Amazon’s account.
The catch: The extra £20 over the 4K Select buys Dolby Vision and faster Wi-Fi. If your TV lacks Dolby Vision, you are paying for nothing you will see.
4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG. Wi-Fi 6E. Fire OS 8. Security updates until at least 31 December 2030.
Evidence: Amazon developer specifications and UK listing, read 15 September 2026. Amazon’s sustainability fact sheet for the 4K Max mentions a low power mode but gives no watts.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Google TV Streamer
Most open about updates£99.00, the same as Google’s own store. 4K with Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG, an Ethernet port, and five years of security updates on Google’s store page. Google also publishes its standby draw: 0.6W on Wi-Fi.
The catch: It is a box that sits by the TV, not a stick, and it costs twice as much as the Fire TV 4K Select. Google’s UK update statement counts the five years from the US launch, not from when you buy.
4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG. Wi-Fi 5, gigabit Ethernet, 32GB. Remote controls TV power, volume and input by infrared.
Evidence: Google Store GB specifications and Google’s energy and UK product security statements, read 15 September 2026. Google’s product environmental report, which would give the power used while streaming, was blocked to us.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
PLEIO Freely streaming device
Live TV with no subscription£99.00, the same as on Freely’s own site. It is Freely certified, so it streams live channels over broadband with no aerial and no subscription, alongside the usual apps.
The catch: Freely needs at least 10Mbps. A TV Licence is still required for live TV, and the listing gives no security update period.
4K. Freely certified. Needs broadband of 10Mbps or more.
Evidence: Amazon UK listing and Freely’s own device and service pages, read 15 September 2026. We could not find the maker’s HDR formats, power figures or update period.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Related on Look Into: soundbars priced per hour of TV, mesh Wi-Fi and what it costs to run, and the subscription tax index for doorbell and alarm plans.
Questions people ask
Which streaming stick is best in the UK?
For most homes, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select at £49.99 on 15 September 2026: 4K with HDR10+ and a published security update date. The Google TV Streamer at £99 adds Dolby Vision and Ethernet.
Do Fire TV and Roku sticks show adverts?
Yes. Amazon’s advertising pages describe sponsored screensavers and home-screen ad slots on Fire TV, and Roku’s UK help page says ads appear on its home screen and screensaver.
How long do streaming sticks get security updates?
Amazon lists 31 December 2030 for its current Fire TV sticks. Google gives five years for the TV Streamer. We could not find a date for Roku’s 2025 sticks, and none of the non-Amazon listings in Amazon’s top 50 gave one.
Do I need a TV Licence to use a streaming stick?
Only if you watch or record live TV on any service, or use BBC iPlayer. On-demand viewing on other services does not need one. A licence costs £180 a year from 1 April 2026.
How much electricity does a streaming stick use?
Very little. Google says its TV Streamer uses 0.6W in standby, about £1.38 a year at the October 2026 price cap. Amazon and Roku did not publish figures we could read.
Sources
- GOV.UK, UK product security regime (PSTI), read 15 September 2026
- TV Licensing, check if you need one, read 15 September 2026
- GOV.UK, TV licence fee for 2026/27, read 15 September 2026
- Amazon, Fire TV software security updates, read 15 September 2026
- Amazon developer, Fire TV stick specifications, read 15 September 2026
- Amazon UK news, Fire TV Stick 4K Select launch, read 15 September 2026
- Amazon Ads, Fire TV sponsored screensaver, read 15 September 2026
- Amazon Ads, Fire TV ad formats, read 15 September 2026
- Roku developer, hardware specifications, read 15 September 2026
- Roku UK support, manage ad preferences, read 15 September 2026
- Roku UK advertising, ad types, read 15 September 2026
- Roku support, setting up a Streaming Stick, read 15 September 2026
- Roku, UK statement of compliance for Streaming Stick 4K, read 15 September 2026
- Google Store GB, TV Streamer specifications, read 15 September 2026
- Google, TV Streamer energy information, read 15 September 2026
- Google, UK product security statements, read 15 September 2026
- Google, TV Streamer remote set-up, read 15 September 2026
- Freely, streaming devices, read 15 September 2026
- Freely, what Freely is, read 15 September 2026
- NOW, membership prices, read 15 September 2026
- Ofgem, energy price cap unit rates, read 15 September 2026
- Amazon UK, Best Sellers in Media Streaming Devices (the 50 listings audited), read 15 September 2026
Prices are guides and change often. Check the current price before you buy. As an Amazon Associate, Look Into earns from qualifying purchases; that never changes a pick or a figure.