6 Best Firestick Apps For Every Purpose (2023)

Last Updated on February 6, 2023

Portable streaming devices, including Rokus, Apple TVs, and FireSticks, have increased in popularity as streaming services seem to emerge daily.

These portable devices are popular because they allow users to sideload and download apps that Amazon FireStick hosts a range of apps for entertainment streaming, including apps for movies, shows, and sports. Some streaming services even allow users to watch live TV without subscribing to a contract cable service.

In the past few years, streaming services have become the primary way for people to watch entertainment content. These cord-cutters do not have to dole out extra money to cable or satellite TV services.

Instead, they can choose the select content they want to pay for and receive their money’s worth. This method is also cheaper than investing in a cable or satellite service. You do not have to sign a contract, and you can cancel anytime if you are unhappy. Satellite and cable can not promise those rules.

If you have a FireStick or are thinking of purchasing Amazon’s portable device, this article is for you. We will cover all the best apps to download to FireStick to meet your movie, Live TV, show, and sports needs. Spoiler alert, there are a lot of them. Keep reading to see which ones we selected.

Contents

Shows and Movies

1. Netflix

In 1997, Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph created an American production company out of Scotts Valley, California. When the company was formed, it focused on delivering DVD movies and shows to its customers.

It operated like a mail system, but today the service is one of the most popular Over the Top (without a cable or satellite contract) servers in the world.

Netflix is most popular in the United States, but it reaches up to 190 countries. Plus, the language options on Netflix range from Russian to German to Finnish.

You can watch a program with German subtitles and Spanish audio, even if it is originally in English. The platform is very inclusive to populations around the world.

For content, the server hosts a variety of short films, movies, original television series, older television series, and documentaries.

You can watch anything from short films to feature-length films and series.

Product Specs:

Content in multiple languages
High definition resolution, Ultra HD with a premium plan
Available in most countries
Downloads available on multiple devices for offline enjoyment

Pros:

Large content library including original shows and movies, and documentaries
Can watch on multiple devices, which benefits the whole family
Affordable
No ads. Netflix does not offer any plan with ads. The cheapest option comes ad-free.
Great user interface. It is one of the easiest to use out of all the servers that exist today.

Cons:

Besides original content, it has older content compared to other platforms. You never know when the server will remove or replace content.
No sports coverage. Netflix does not have live sports channels, so if you are a huge sports fan, you might want to seek out other options.
Content availability depends on where you live. You can get around this limitation with a VPN. More on that later.

2. Amazon Prime Video

In 2005, Jeff Bezos created Amazon Prime. The platform came eleven years after the institution of Amazon in 1994. The server allows users to get discounts on shipping prices, groceries, everyday items, toys, and games. The platform also introduced a video and movie server connected to the service.

So, if you enroll in a Prime account, you pay one annual price and reap the benefits of free shipping, Prime Day deals, discounts at Whole Foods, and access to a library of content.

Amazon Prime Video has original, critically acclaimed movies and television shows on its server, older shows and movies, and documentaries. Today, Amazon Prime Video amasses 200 million subscribers and grows daily. Let’s see if you will partake in subscribing to Amazon Prime Video.

Product Specs:

A subscription to Prime Video coincides with a subscription to Prime
Thursday Night Football
Lets users rent or purchase movies

Pros:

A wide range of original and newer content compared to other streaming services
Great quality of streams. HD and Ultra HD available to users
The platform has newer content compared to other platforms
Has live coverage of sports
A subscription comes with an Amazon Prime subscription

Cons:

You won’t know if you need to pay extra for a movie or a show until you click on the content.
The server doesn’t always have content in order meaning you might want to watch season one of a show, but the server only has some episodes from season three.
Complicated user interface
Lots of self-promotion

3. Crave

The Canadian service Crave belongs to Bell Media. Founded in 2014 by Bell Media, the over-the-top subscription service provides a con-contractual way to watch content on channels like HBO, Showtime, Warner Bros. Content, MTV, Paramount, and Comedy Central.

When the service originated, it only offered one plan which included the above-mentioned content. As it serves as a competitor for major streaming services, Crave stepped up its game in 2018 to include a premium plan complete with The Movie Network and other French-Canadian programming.

The program is not the first of its kind to merge on-demand content with live coverage and live TV channels. However, if you live in Canada, it is one of the best programs blending the genres together.

You can choose Crave Mobile, which is perfect for those who want to watch content on their phones and do not share their subscription with other people, or Crave Total is more expensive and streams in higher quality for those who share their subscription and want to watch content on different devices.

Product Specs:

Two separate plans, mobile and total
High-quality video-on-demand and live channel coverage
Allows downloads
Cast to TV
Compatible with most game consoles and streaming devices

Pros:

Great content selection, including Crave Originals like Letterkenny and Shoresy
Can stream and download content onto multiple devices
Works for single users or multiple consumers
Content for the whole family
Allows high-definition streaming

Cons:

More expensive than other servers
Only has content available in English and French
Subtitles are not always reliable
HD quality can cause the platform to buffer and lag
A limited amount of devices you can register

4. HBO MAX

In 1972 Charles Dolan invented HBO as a premium addition to cable services that offered explicit shows and programs revolving around taboo subjects. HBO used to be a place for people to go when they couldn’t find what they were looking for on regular cable channels.

Due to its portrayals of previously uncovered topics or topics that needed a higher rating than regular TV allowed for, HBO charged users with extra fees to watch the programs.

With the access to this additional channel of programming, network TV and the general public took notice of the growing fascination with HBO content.

Responding to the streaming service surge, HBO GO dropped in 2010 as a one-stop app for all your HBO needs. Today, HBO kind of circles around that same premise, but it is more widely accepted and relevant than it was in the 70s-2000s.

The popularity of the network grew over the years, and in 2010, HBO GO came about. This app allowed subscribers to indulge in content on the go. Like most apps, it was a competition for Netflix and had pros and cons but gained more popularity and Warner Media decided to enhance its development and introduce users to a brand new version of HBO.

HBO MAX came out in 2020 which hosts original content, HBO content, and sometimes Starz or Showtime content through premium subscriptions.

The HBO MAX subscriptions are much cheaper than accessing HBO channels on cable or satellite programs, and you get the content without ads.

The sister program is only two-years-old, but it has a large following of loyal customers.

Product Specs:

Library of original movies, older movies, newer releases, shows, and documentaries
High-quality definition streaming
Can choose a cheaper version with ads

Pros:

Can stream on multiple devices. Perfect for the whole family.
Has most of the Warner Bros. Media content on the server, including all the Harry Potter films. Also, if you are a fan of Studio Ghibli, this is the subscription for you.
Warner Bros. movies come out the same day on HBO MAX that they do in theatres. You get to mimic the movie-going experience.

Cons:

HBO MAX tends to be on the pricier side of subscription services, coming in at $14.99 a month or $149.99 a year. Depending on your preference of content, the price tag might sway you from indulging in HBO MAX and going for a cheaper option. If you get the plan without ads, it costs $9.99 a month, you cannot download content for offline viewing, and the max quality to view movies and shows is 1080p.
Just like Netflix, HBO MAX’s catalog depends on your location. You can switch your location with a VPN to access programs available in different countries, but it will cost extra money.
Again, like Netflix, HBO MAX did away with their one-week free trial subscription because too many people were signing up for the free trial and then canceling before they were asked to make a payment. This did not make any revenue for the service, but it also turned away subscribers who weren’t sure if they wanted to invest in the program until they tested it out.

5. Paramount Plus

Paramount Plus originated as CBS All Access in 2014, and just recently in 2021, the site converted to Paramount Plus. It started in New York City, and since it began, the site has reached several countries and spans multiple languages, including Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Spanish, and English.

Paramount Plus is a video-on-demand service hosting content from CBS live coverage, original shows and movies, live sports, and older cartoons such as Beavis and Butthead.

The server is cheaper than other platforms clocking in at $4.99 a month for a subscription with ads. You can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which is still cheaper than other platforms. An ad-free Paramount Plus subscription is $9.99. A yearly subscription with ads is $49.99.

Some platforms struggle with hosting live sports content, but not Paramount Plus. This platform has football, basketball, and soccer among its coverage.

Product Specs:

Paramount Plus has an ad-free option as well as an ad-supported option for less money a month.
CBS owns Paramount Plus, so the content on CBS broadcasts to the platform.
Has original content as well as older content from various outlets
Allows offline downloads
Has live TV channels

Pros:

Paramount Plus is a cheaper option compared to most streaming networks. Even the subscription with ads comes in at $9.99. Netflix also asks for a payment of $9.99 a month for the basic plan.
Paramount Plus has a wide selection of content from original classic movies, original Paramount Plus shows and movies, reboots of favorite content including iCarly and Beavis and Butthead, live access to CBS channels, and some long-running crime shows such as Criminal Minds.
Paramount Plus is available in a lot of countries in a lot of different languages, although it still has room to grow.
Has a free trial. As we know, most subscriptions used to have a free trial but did away with them because potential subscribers never paid for content after their free trial ran out. Paramount Plus is a fairly new subscription plan and it does still offer a one-week free trial. If you don’t end up liking it, you can cancel at no additional charge. They might do away with this in the future if the same trend occurs.
Has live sports. A lot of negative reviews of subscriptions mention the infrequent access to live sports. Paramount Plus does not have this issue. It offers access to NFL games, NCAA, soccer leagues, etc. It is a great low-cost option for those interested in live sports coverage.

Cons:

Paramount Plus offers viewers original content with movies, reboots, and TV shows. However, it does not have as much original content as servers such as Hulu or HBO MAX. This doesn’t affect those who indulge in the service to rehash memories from their favorite 2000s reality shows or sitcoms, but for those looking for new content, paramount Plus might not be the place for you.
Has ads. Even if you want to enroll in the ad-free option, it costs extra, and some people do not want to upgrade to an ad-free subscription. For the ad-supported subscription, the ads do not refresh that much during the program, so you will probably watch the same laundry detergent commercial over and over again. The ads also can interrupt the program at random intervals, so a silly commercial might arise during a tense action scene in a movie and disrupt the viewing experience.
Paramount Plus does have CBS broadcasted through it, but you can only watch CBS channels with the premium subscription.

6. Tubi

Farhad Massoudi and Thomas Ahn Hicks invented Tubi in 2014. The San Francisco-based streaming service took a while to garner the attention of the mass following it has today, but it now amasses over 50 million viewers.

The ad-supported, free streaming service hosts content from Paramount, MGM, Lionsgate, Fox, and Disney. Tubi has an enormous selection of free content, but the content it does offer tends to be a bit older than programs found on paid subscription servers due to licensing restrictions.

While it boasts older content, Tubi still offers a great selection of movies, shows, and documentaries for the great price of $0 a month. Plus, you do not have to input any credit card information ever. All you need to do to watch Tubi is visit the app, browse the selection, and click on the program you wish to watch.

Product Specs:

Free
Never have to input card information
Lower quality than paid streaming services
Boasts older content
Has ads

Pros:

Tubi is free. You get a great content selection for the great price of $0. You never have to input any payment information because you don’t need an account to watch Tubi. If you want the server to help curate content, you make a free account, but you still don’t need to ever enter credit card information to use the platform.
The content selection offers a great choice of movies, television shows, and documentaries.
Tubi has a great selection of kids’ content
Reaches Canada, Mexico, U.S.

Cons:

Has ads. Even though Tubi needs to have ad-sense to support its free server used by millions, the ads pop up at random intervals during the show. This disrupts the viewing experience and can turn a person away from using the service.
The content selection is older than other paid subscription services due to licensing restrictions. It is up to the user if they would rather pay for newer content or browse a selection of great, older content.
It streams in SD or 720p content. Again, because Tubi is free, it does not offer the same HD or Ultra HD streaming quality that other paid subscriptions offer. It is up to the viewer which direction they choose to go with streaming.

Best Sports Apps for FireStick

1. ESPN+

Scott Rasmussen, Bill Rasmussen, and Ed Egan introduced the world to ESPN so they could broadcast coverage of the University of Connecticut and other local New England Sports in 1979.

Since 1979, the platform has grown and expanded its reach to the entire US and countries around the world. ESPN is a high-grossing sports platform owned mostly by Disney.

Some sports ESPN broadcasts include tennis, golf, baseball, hockey, horse racing, NASCAR, cricket, UFC, and rugby.

ESPN still exists today, but so does its sister server, ESPN+. This additional branch of ESPN came out in 2018 and offered extra content not found on the original ESPN platform.

ESPN+ introduces users to behind-the-scenes content, additional live coverage of sporting events, movies, and television shows. Plus, you can tune into additional live coverage of PGA, MLA, NHL, and tennis tournaments, associations, and organization content.

ESPN+ is ad-free, and plans cost $7 a month. You can also buy a bundle package that puts ESPN+ with Disney+ and Hulu for a low cost of $12.99 a month.

Product Specs:

Live sports coverage
No ads
Shows and movies not included on ESPN
College sport coverage
Price
Original content library

Pros:

ESPN+ offers a slew of original content programming not seen anywhere else. This includes movies, shows, behind-the-scenes coverage, and replays.
The app does not have any ads, so you can watch live coverage and movies or TV series without interruptions disrupting your viewing experience.
ESPN+ has a lot of college sports coverage which not many sports apps can attest to.
The price is relatively cheap for what the platform has to offer. For just $7 a month, you can watch live coverage, college sports coverage, documentaries, original series, and original films.

Cons:

Although ESPN+ has a wide range of sports coverage, there are some sports it does not cover, including live coverage of football and basketball.
You cannot watch the ESPN live channels through this platform.

2. fubo TV

fubo TV is an American -based streaming service revolving only around live sports. It offers access to DVR cloud recordings on each of its subscription plans.

This means if you are out of town when your favorite sports teams battle each other, you can record the game and watch it later with no extra charge to your plan.

This server allows users the ability to watch up to 100 live channels and live coverage of sports.

The price costs $69.99 a month with a one-week free trial. The service reaches the US, Canada, and Spain with 720p resolution instead of higher quality 1080p or HD resolution. You will watch content in SD with fubo.

But, if you do not mind lower-quality streaming resolutions, you can enjoy play-by-plays, replays, live-action coverage, and the ESPN channel.

Product Specs:

720p resolution
Higher price
Cloud DVR recording
One plan

Pros:

High range of content
Live coverage of sports
Live channel access
Free trial for one-week

Cons:

Low-quality resolution
High-price

3. Sling TV Blue and Orange

In 2015 Dish Network created Sling TV. The video-on-demand platform hosts content from TV to movies to coverage of sports. Each user has the opportunity to pick between Sling TV Orange or Blue or both packages when they enroll.

The blue package has Olympic, NFL, and Golf channels, and the orange package has ESPN, NBA, and channels such as Disney and Freeform.

Sling is $35 per month and allows users to cater their content to their preferences. If you want to purchase both packages, you can bundle them for $50 a month rather than $70.

Product Specs:

Two options to choose from
Can bundle the two plans for a good deal
Sports
Has HD resolution

Pros:

Lots of content to choose from
Affordable price
Gives viewers plans catered to their preferences

Cons:

Can buffer frequently
No free trial

Using a VPN

VPNs or virtual private networks allow users to circumnavigate geological restrictions by encrypting IP addresses and hiding their identities. Not only can VPNs allow you to access content not readily found in your country, they prevent hackers from getting into your software, and they protect your viewing history when it comes to governments.

A government will have a much more difficult time accessing your internet records and tracking your history or location. VPNs are a safe way to use the internet.

Here are some of the best VPNs to use with Firestick.

1. Surfshark

This Netherlands-based VPN came out in 2018, and it provides users with protective services, including data leak detection, a private network, and additional private search tools to protect IP addresses and identity.

Surfshark’s high-speed plans allow users to connect to the internet via 2×10 gigabits per second without a lot of buffering or lagging.

The VPN offers three plans for users:

$12.95 a month for one month of service
$3.99 a month for 12 months of service
$2.49 a month for 24 months of service

Product Specs:

Protective data leak detection
Private network
Private search tools
2×10 gigabits per second high-speed connection
Limited buffering

Pros:

Some VPNs lag or buffer significantly, but not Surfshark. This high-speed operation lets subscribers navigate the internet safely and quickly.
Affordable price
High-speed connection
Available most places

Cons:

No live customer service 24/7. You might have to wait a long time if you experience any trouble with the server.

2. Express VPN

This British Virgin Islands server came out in 2009 and provided subscribers with encryption software, IP protection, and extra privacy measures at high-speed connections.

Express VPN operates at speeds up to 135 megabits per second with elevated privacy measures to ensure users never have to worry about hackers infiltrating their software or the government copying their data.

This server offers a few payment options for subscribers to choose from:

A one-month plan for $12.95 a month per month
A six-month plan for $9.99 a month per month
12-month plan for $8.32 a month per month

Product Specs:

Encrypted software
Extra safety measures
Higher cost than other VPN servers

Pros:

Super-high speed connections
Very safe encryption software
Elevated privacy measures to ease users’ minds about hackers

Cons:

High price
Fewer settings than other servers

3. NordVPN

NordVPN originated in Panama in 2012. It offers users the ability to visit internet-based content without the risk of hackers or others leaking their data.

NordVPN is compatible with FireSticks allowing you to access it on your TV. Plus, it comes with a 30-day free trial, so if you don’t favor the app, you can cancel your subscription at no additional cost.

Plans for NordVPN range from Complete, Plus, and Standard:

Complete: $13.99 a month per month when purchasing one month at a time, $6.99 a month per month when purchasing a year of service, and $5.99 a month when purchasing two years of service.
Plus: $12.69 a month per month when purchasing one month at a time, $5.69 a month per month when purchasing a year of service, and $4.69 a month when purchasing two years of service.
Standard: $11.99 a month per month when purchasing one month at a time, $4.99 a month per month when purchasing a year of service and $3.99 a month when purchasing two years of service.

Product Specs:

Free trial
Three different plans per plan
Data encryption

Pros:

Free trial. If you don’t know if you will like NordVPN enough to stay subscribed, that is okay! You can test out the service for 30 days before your payment goes through.
Many different plans
Browse the internet safely

Cons:

Slower connections than Surfshark and other VPNs cause buffering or lagging when accessing the internet.
The user interface is not as easy to use as other servers.

Conclusion

With the popularity of cord-cutting growing daily, more and more apps pop up on the App store and the Google Play Store. Picking the apps you want to subscribe to can be a difficult task, but this guide lists the best ones compatible with Amazon’s FireSticks.

Which ones will you choose?

6 Best FireStick Apps For Movies, Shows and Live Channels

Shows and Movies

1. Netflix

People Also Ask

2. Amazon Prime Video

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3. Crave

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4. HBO MAX

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5. Paramount Plus

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6. Tubi

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Best Sports Apps for FireStick

1. ESPN+

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2. fubo TV

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3. Sling TV Blue and Orange

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Using a VPN

1. Surfshark

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2. Express VPN

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3. NordVPN

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Conclusion