Roku’s are some of the most popular streaming devices in the U.S. And while I have seen them for sale in Australia, I wouldn’t recommend buying a Roku. Here’s why:
Does the Roku Streaming Stick Work in Australia
While you’ll be able to plug in a Roku streaming stick and it will power on, most of the apps on it won’t work in Australia. The Roku streaming stick doesn’t work in Australia and requires a VPN connection to get apps working. In our opinion it’s just not worth buying, especially as there are similar streaming stick alternatives that work much better in Australia.
Does the Roku Streaming Stick have Australian Catch Up TV
The Roku does not support any local Australian catch up TV apps. This means if you want to watch channels such as ABC iView or 7Play, it just work. You’ll be much better served getting a streaming device that works in Australia.
The Best Roku Stick Alternatives
These are the best Roku Alternatives that support Australian streaming apps:
Apple TV
In my opinion the best streaming device in Australia is the Apple TV. It has both a great interface and it also the widest range of streaming apps. It’s one of the few streaming devices to support Kayo Sports and Binge. It also has apps for all the popular TV stations in Australia and it supports all the standard streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, Youtube etc.
The Apple TV is also powerful enough to play 4k HDR content smoothly and without any issues. I’ve found that some of the smaller streaming sticks can struggle with high quality content.
Amazon Fire Stick
If you’re looking for an inexpensive streaming device then the Amazon Fire Stick is a great choice.
Unlike the Roku, the Fire Stick supports Australian streaming apps. The only notable exception is it doesn’t have Kayo Sports.
The Fire Stick has a number of variants. If you have a 4k compatible TV I would recommend getting the 4k version.
Google Chromecast
The Google Chromecast is a popular streaming device that works perfectly in Australia. The Chromecast has some of the widest support for Australian streaming apps. You’ll find all the popular apps and it also works with Kayo Sports and Binge.
If you have an android device, the Chromecast will integrate well with your device. You’ll be able to cast content from your phone.
I recommend getting a Chromecast that has a remote. It makes browsing content much faster than using your phone.
