Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick are two popular streaming devices. While they offer similar features, there are a few key differences between them.
The Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick are both popular streaming devices that allow you to stream content from popular streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. Here are some differences between the two:
- Operating system: The Chromecast uses Google’s own operating system, while the Amazon Fire TV Stick uses a modified version of Android.
- Content selection: Both devices offer access to a wide variety of streaming services, but the Amazon Fire TV Stick offers more options for purchasing and renting content through Amazon Prime Video.
- Remote control: The Amazon Fire TV Stick comes with a physical remote control, while the Chromecast relies on your smartphone or tablet for control.
- Voice control: Both devices offer voice control options, but the Amazon Fire TV Stick has a built-in voice remote and can be controlled using Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.
- Price: The Chromecast is generally cheaper than the Amazon Fire TV Stick, with prices starting at around $30 compared to the Fire TV Stick’s starting price of around $40.
- Compatibility: The Chromecast is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, as well as laptops and desktops with Google Chrome installed. The Fire TV Stick is compatible with Android and iOS devices, as well as Amazon devices such as the Echo and Fire tablets.
Ultimately, the choice between the Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV Stick may come down to personal preference, with factors such as operating system, content selection, and price playing a role in the decision-making process.
Related: Android TV vs. Google TV – What Are The Key Differences?
Table Of Contents
Chromecast
The Chromecast is a small, circular device that dangles from a short HDMI cord. It plugs into the back of your TV and generally requires a power cord that you can either plug into your television’s USB port or the wall.
The Chromecast was initially designed to control your smartphone via a casting feature. Casting requires you to open the app you want to play on your TV, like Pandora or Hulu, and then tap the casting icon on the top right of the screen. From there, you select your Chromecast, and you’re in business. Chromecast supports casting from many favorite apps like Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, etc.
Related: Chromecast Ultra vs. Chromecast With Google TV – A Comparison
Pros
Because Google has a mind for simplicity, Chromecast does many things well and quickly. It fits discreetly behind most televisions and requires no remote other than the smartphone you probably already have.
You can use your smartphone, but Chromecast allows you to communicate with the Chromecast using your voice. It does this through Google Home, Google Home Mini, ​​or Google Home Max. Tons of practical voice features make the Chromecast a pleasure to you, and you may forget that you ever needed a remote for your TV, to begin with.
Connects To the Google Home app
One great thing about Chromecast is that it is set up with the Google Home app. This means it ties into your smart home and doesn’t require additional apps or space on your device. Set up is a breeze; once you set it up, it can be controlled by any smartphone or voice, just like Google Home ​​can be operated by anyone.
Easy Setup
Owning a smart home can be daunting for many families, and setting up new gadgets can be a terrible experience. Because there are so many companies that sell products for smart homes, from Philips Hue ​​to August, the setup can vary, and you aren’t always sure how it will go.
The Google Chromecast is pretty easy to set up and requires zero maintenance. Simply plug the Chromecast into the TV, and it will prompt you to download and open the Google Home app and display a code to use that helps you verify that you are connecting to a suitable device.
Once you have the device set up, you can choose which room it belongs to and assign it a name so that you can control it with your Google Home ​​and begin performing voice commands.
Control Seamlessly With Your Smartphone
The best thing about Chromecast, in my opinion, is the fact that you can use your smartphone to stream nearly any media app to your TV just as quickly as you would play it on your phone. That’s not all that your phone can do either.
You can control the volume with your smartphone, play, pause, fast forward and rewind with your Android or iOS device. The experience is so flawless that even if streaming with your mobile device, you can still control the show through your Chromecast device. You can cast Netflix from your phone and still tell Google Home ​​to pause the show.
Cast Tabs From Your Laptop Or Desktop
Tab casting, another unique feature of Chromecast, is a great feature that allows you to use your television as a monitor for your laptop or desktop. In the top right corner of your Chrome browser are three dots that open Chrome’s settings. Just click cast from that screen, and you can cast your Chrome browser to the TV like Netflix on your phone.
This feature is versatile in that you can use it for work or play. You can stream media from your browser, read articles and even use it as a larger monitor for type work.
Related: Best Web Browsers for Your FireStick – Streaming Beyond Limits
Control With Your Voice
As mentioned previously, Chromecast is compatible with Google Home. This pairing extends Chromecast’s functionality in a few ways. Firstly, you can control the TV with your Google Home if you have an HDMI CEC television.
You can turn the television on and off and change the volume, meaning that you could tell your Google Home to play Stranger Things on Netflix, and even if your TV is off, it will still turn on and play the show. From there, if it gets too loud, you can tell Google to turn the volume down, and it will.
View Your Camera On Your TV With Your Voice
Are you into security? Google Home and Chromecast have the perfect solution. With Google Home, a Chromecast, and a camera like Arlo, you can view your camera on your TV just by asking Google to display the camera to the Chromecast.
This can be done from any room, so whether you are watching TV in the living room or lying down in bed, you will always be able to check who is at the door or what is happening outside.
Check Chromecast Price On Amazon
Cons
You may think, “wow this is the perfect device for my smart home.” If you’re the average consumer looking for a whole-home solution, Google Home and Chromecast are great options. However, there may be some other things to consider for some people before purchasing.
Big
The Chromecast, while small compared to most electronics, is pretty significant compared to goes-behind-your-tv standards. It can be a tight fit, depending on your HDMI situation. Additional to the general size of the Chromecast, you may need to use the included micro USB charger to power it via either AC or a free USB port on your TV.
Connects To TV With An Attached Cord
If there’s one thing I hate in devices, it’s built-in cables. They aren’t replaceable if something happens to one end, and if the cable dies, the device dies. I’ve avoided lots of things I’d typically buy just because they have flimsy-looking cables built into the device. Portable batteries are a prime example.
To Google’s credit, the cord is incredibly durable; honestly, your Chromecast probably isn’t banging around attached to your TV.
No Optional Remote
The Chromecast is an excellent device, but it’s not perfect for everybody. The Chromecast also serves as a primary television source for many people, and if you aren’t tech-savvy or good with a smartphone, this device might present a learning curve.
Compared with devices like the Amazon Firestick, which has a remote included, there is no seamless transition from using a remote to control your cable service to controlling your favorite apps like Netflix and Hulu. Since more and more people are cutting cable and switching to apps, having an optional remote would be nice to see.
Check Chromecast Price On Amazon
Related: How to Sideload Peacock on Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Fire TV stick
The Amazon Fire TV stick is a device similar to the Chromecast in that you plug it into the HDMI port on the back of your TV, making it a standard TV smart. On a side note, you can Find out how to connect Firestick to a TV. Also, like the Chromecast, the Firestick connects you to the rest of your smart home for added voice functionality or input from the included remote. The Alexa voice remote functions as a standard remote for switching back and forth through apps and is capable of voice input like an Amazon Echo.
Pros
The Amazon Firestick is the only true competitor to Google Chromecast. It offers an entertainment and media device and a portal to some smart home features.
From its simple setup, voice remote features, and the ability to view your security cameras, there’s a lot to love with the Firestick.
Easy Setup
The setup on the Amazon Firestick is pretty simple. You’ll need to insert the batteries into the Alexa remote as the entire setup takes place on the TV, unlike the Chromecast.
After a few prompts to connect to your WiFi and log into your Amazon account, you will be ready to go. You will be introduced to the Firestick UI, and that’s it; you’re ready to stream.
Alexa Remote
As time progresses and the way we watch TV and the quality of the TVs we watch change, pretty much one thing has stayed the same. Since they were introduced, remotes have been the go-to way to interact with our TVs.
Sure the way that remotes operate has changed through the years. Some remotes have a billion buttons. Some have just a couple of buttons, like the Alexa remote or the Apple TV remote. Logitech has even introduced the Harmony remote, a touchscreen, and more. See how you can watch Apple TV on firestick.
Having a remote to control your Firestick means less of a learning curve for more technologically challenged people. The elderly in your home or those who aren’t really into the smart TV deal won’t have extra stuff they have to learn, and everything is much easier for those who might not have smartphones.
The Alexa remote also has built-in Alexa voice assistant, meaning you can ask her to open apps, play shows, and more.
Play Content From Your Smartphone
The Chromecast is almost exclusively controlled through your smartphone, so it makes sense that the process is intuitive. The Firestick also supports streaming through a smartphone, although in a more awkward capacity.
Through your smartphone, you can mirror your screen to your TV, displaying whatever content you have open. While it’s not as feature-rich or intuitive as Chromecast is with tab casting and streaming individual apps while allowing you to do whatever you want on your phone, the Firestick’s mirroring feature is still an excellent addition.
View Your Camera On Your TV With Your Voice
Like the Chromecast, the Firestick is tied to your smart home and has a few nifty tricks, like displaying your security camera on your TV.
Using either the Alexa remote or your Echo device, you can ask Alexa to bring up your camera. Your camera will then display whatever it’s looking at on your screen. This will allow you to see what’s happening in the living room or any other room with a Firestick.
Check Amazon FireStick Price On Amazon
Cons
While the Firestick is cool and convenient in many ways, it also has flaws. It has solid hardware, but the Firestick’s downfall lies in its software.
Restrictive Ecosystem
One of the problems I’ve always had with the Amazon ecosystem is that it both relies on and competes with Google. Fire tablets, for example, use Android. They also restrict the operating system pretty heavily so that instead of the true Android ecosystem, you are locked into Amazon apps. Unless you are tech-savvy, you cannot do much about it.
You won’t find the Play store on Fire devices, nor will you find several other standard features of Android. The Firestick is no different. The Firestick is no different. While it runs Android, it has an unfamiliar UI for those who have never seen an Amazon product.
Clunky UI
The Chromecast interface seamlessly integrates with the apps you use daily. It’s a simple design that makes it intuitive to use, and it disappears into the background where you don’t have to think about it.
Compared to Chromecast is lacking. The user interface of Firestick is slow and confusing, and the way they organize apps is not very customizable.
Check Amazon FireStick Price On Amazon
Related: How to Restart Firestick When Frozen – An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide
Our Conclusion
If you have a smart home, it’s only natural that you’d look into integrating your TV at some point. The best options are the Firestick and the Chromecast, so which one should you get? Well, there are two ways to answer this question.
Firstly, you have to consider which system you are bought into. If you are invested in a Google system, for example, a Firestick isn’t had all of the functions it would with an Amazon ecosystem.
Second, you have to consider the functionality of the device itself. The Chromecast is excellent. Even without Google Home, Chromecast has a bunch of great features. It integrates with the apps you already use, making it simple for anyone using media apps like Netflix.
The Amazon Firestick has a great remote with Alexa built-in. It’s really easy to use, although it can be frustrating to use the interface, and it doesn’t have as many features as Chromecast.
If you don’t have a system yet, Chromecast will make Google an excellent ecosystem to get into if you are really into media. If you already have an amazo​​​​n echo, I’d go with the Chromecast unless you primarily want to use it with your voice. Now it’s your turn. Do you have a Chromecast or Firestick? If so, make your case in the comments.
4 comments
These two products really haven’t much in common in that you would buy one rather than the other.
Chromecast is just that. It’s for casting
You can do lot more with Amazon but Amazon doesn’t cast very well. In fact it casts about as poorly as the first Google Chromecast which was always breaking connection.
Ideally you use both together because of the strength of Chromecast and the complete superiority of Amazon with all other functions
Essentially the Firestick replaces your cable system. Something Chromecast doesn’t attempt to.
Also using your phone for a remote is as obnoxious as using it for a camera.
I’m now on my 4th (or 5th?) Firestick. I love them. So many because I’ve one on 3 TVs and upgraded a stick to steam the audio to my echo dot. While that use needs work, since it’s a newer feature I’m pretty certain it’ll improve. I love the portability of it. I can take it when I travel and watch my favorites without missing a beat. No worries if the cable available has the channels i watch. I also love that it connects to my Amazon photos ( uploaded automatically from my phone AND I pay for the space with my Prime account). I can have pictures of my family or immediate views of my vacation pics on the screensaver. It’s always improving though some apps take longer to show up than I’d like. It took years for them to make audible an app – which seemed just ridiculous. All in all, with access to Prime shows (and some are fantastic!) and personal video collection, I rate it as a 9 out of 10 only because there’s always room for improvement.
I have been using firestick for a while it’s okay most of the time but once the remote goes bad and you have to change the things it’s very very difficult as settings can only be changed with its remote not app. Switching to Chromecast finally.
After owning this firestick for a little over a year, its become almost completely unuseable. The only apps I have installed on it are ESPN and Twitch and I am constantly having to clear cache data to allow me maybe up to an hour of expected use. After that, it starts taking anywhere from 5-30 seconds for a single input to render a response and if it’s really bad, audio will most likely cut out and the only way to get it back is to hard reset both the firestick and my TV. TV audio is fine in every other regard and this has happened on 3 separate television sets. I thought Amazon integrations would beat out the ease of use of my old chromecast that I’ve had for over 5 years now. Never again.
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