Best Android TV box 2019: The best Android TV devices for Plex, Kodi, Showbox and more

Buying an Android TV box can be baffling. Chances are you've ended up here because you either know what an Android TV box is and want some buying advice – or you've been advised by others that an Android TV box is the solution to your streaming problems but you have no idea what that means. If it's the latter, I have some bad news: no-one really knows what an Android TV box is. There's no generally accepted definition of what constitutes one of these streaming boxes, and many don't even run Android TV.

Confused? You should be: the Android TV box market is a confusing place. However, with our guide, you can safely navigate your way to the right Android TV box for you.

How to choose the best Android TV box for you What is an Android TV box?

An Android TV box is a small set-top box, roughly the size of Apple TV, running either Google's Android TV software or – more frequently – a re-skinned version of standard Android. In theory, this makes an Android TV box an incredibly flexible device for streaming content to your TV from the internet or a NAS drive, or playing back media stored locally on the device itself.

Many market themselves as Kodi devices, and in the wilder parts of eBay you'll find devices calling themselves Android TV boxes that claim to come unlocked or preloaded with what would normally be subscription channels or free content. Don't buy them – these may be illegal and you could be breaking the law if you use them.

However, there are dozens of perfectly legal devices out there and there's nothing illegal about the Kodi platform itself, provided you don't use it with piracy-enabling add-ons.

If you're concerned about your ISP being able to see your Kodi activity, we highly recommend using a VPN for your Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. A good VPN will hide your traffic from your ISP and let you virtually change your location so your Kodi addons will work from anywhere.

ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN we've tested, and it's our top pick for Fire TV Stick and Kodi. Right now, you can take advantage of a special deal and save 49% off the annual plan.

What should you look for in an Android TV box?

Frankly, it's a chaotic market, and the specs, features and boxes themselves change on a near-weekly basis. If you're buying one of the myriad Chinese-made boxes, we'd advise looking for a quad-core or eight-core processor, at least 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage (often misnamed ROM) plus dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi and 4K support for future-proofing.

The other thing to watch out for is software. Only a handful of Android TV boxes actually run what Google calls Android TV; most simply run a version of Android with the manufacturer's own TV-focused interface. The latter may or may not have access to the Google Play store and may run preinstalled versions of Kodi and popular video-streaming apps.

Generally speaking, boxes running genuine Google Android TV are easier to use and more reliable, although even on these you might have problems running Netflix or Amazon Prime without employing esoteric workarounds. If you don't like to get your hands dirty with sideloaded apps or reconfiguration, we'd suggest sticking with an Amazon Fire TV device or Nvidia Shield TV. If you're happy to tinker, though, you'll find some bargains – and fun – to be had.

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1. Amazon Fire TV Stick (2017): Flexible, stable and easily available

Price: £40

Okay, so the Fire TV Stick is a stick, not a box, and it doesn't look like an Android device, either. Yet under Amazon's custom interface you'll find Google's operating system, plus Kodi and a range of other TV-friendly apps sitting in the Amazon app store. You can easily sideload any other apps you want to install.

The entry-level Fire TV Stick is slightly underpowered by Android TV box standards, with just 1GB of RAM. However, Amazon is about to launch a new 4K version with 1.5GB and support for 4K video through YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime. The old 4K Fire TV box is also worth getting if you spot one on eBay. This has a slightly slower processor but twice as much RAM.

Key specs – Core spec: Quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Operating system: Fire OS 6.2.1 Core apps: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, Demand 5, Plex; Voice-enabled remote: Yes

2. Nvidia Shield TV (2017): The gamer's choice

Price: £190

Nvidia's 2015 Shield TV was already the best dedicated Android TV device around. The 2017 model crams in even more features while reducing its size, bundling a remote and overhauling its Bluetooth gaming controller. What was once the king of the Android TV boxes has now become the only device worth looking at if you want games, HD and 4K streaming with ultimate Android flexibility.

Many of the software additions have also appeared on the original Nvidia Shield TV, so you shouldn't need to upgrade if you already own one. It's still powered by the Tegra X1 mobile chip – the same chip you'll find in the Nintendo Switch – and it's capable of outputting silky-smooth 4K video and rendering Wii and Gamecube games (provided you have an emulator). If you have a gaming PC in the house and a fast enough network, you can also stream your favourite games to this device and enjoy them console-style. The 16GB of storage space is limiting but you can easily plug in a USB 3 external drive and format that to work as though it was internal storage. Nvidia sells the Shield TV with remote and games controller or as a remote-only bundle, though you'll only save £10 by ditching the excellent gamepad.

Key specs – Core spec: Quad-core Tegra X1 processor, 3GB RAM, 16GB storage, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Operating system: Shield TV 7.1.0; Core apps: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Kodi, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, YouTube, Google Play Movies, Plex; Voice-enabled remote: No

3. Easytone T95S1 Android 7.1 TV Box

Price: £28

Amazon and eBay are stuffed with compact Android TV boxes built around the same basic spec: an Amlogic S905W chipset, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of flash storage. Most ship with an identical remote control and run a variant of the same reskinned Android 7.1 software. Easytone's box doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the pack, but it's reasonably speedy, stable, and easy-to-use with Netflix and Kodi preinstalled, as well as access to the Google Play store.

The box itself is well-designed and surprisingly solid, and while the remote has cheap-feeling buttons they are laid-out more logically than they are on the remotes you get with some bargain-basement boxes. As with all these cheap Android TV products, you might have to sideload some software or tweak it to get things working, but this is an inexpensive way into Android TV and fine for running Kodi.

Key specs – Core spec: Quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 802.11n Wi-Fi; Operating system: Android 7.1.2; Core apps: Netflix, Kodi, YouTube, Google Play Movies, Plex; Voice-enabled remote:No

4. Xiaomi Mi Box S: The best budget alternative to the NVIDIA Shield TV

Price: £70 | Buy now from Amazon

Xiaomi's updated Android TV box isn't perfect – it's had some on/off issues with lag and stability – but it does a few things better than the average no-brand Android TV box. For a start, it runs the proper, Google version of Android TV, meaning you get an interface designed from the ground up for use with a remote control from a sofa, plus a good range of apps from the Google Play store. For another, it has the Google Assistant and a remote with voice controls, so you can search for content or launch an app using voice alone – and it actually works. Until you've played with a few Android TV boxes, you won't know how unusual this is.

The Mi Box S also has built-in Chromecast functions, so you can cast web pages and apps direct from your tablet or smartphone, though you'll have to check that the box and your screen are on before you start as it won't turn on your TV. What's more, it'll play 4K material from supporting apps. It's not widely available in the UK and, at times, it can feel slightly underpowered, but if you want a cheap, no-nonsense alternative to the Shield TV, the Mi Box S is the only Android TV box that fits the bill.

Key specs – Core spec: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor, 2GB RAM, 8GB storage, 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Operating system: Android TV 8.1; Core apps: Netflix, Google Play Movies and TV, YouTube, Google Play Store; Voice-enabled remote: Yes

5. M8S Pro L

Price: £60

The M8S Pro L is one of the new kids on the Android TV block, running 'proper' Android TV 7.1.2 on an 8-core Amlogic S912 chipset with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Throw in dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi and you're looking at a slightly higher-end Android TV box, capable of streaming 4K video with HDR10. It's certainly smoother and more stable than the competition, and the familiar Google interface, simplified settings and solid app support make it an attractive option, even if the normal UK catch-up TV apps are still missing from the Google Play store. You'll also need a workaround to get Netflix working.

As with the Abox, the other big selling point is the ability to use Google Assistant to find info, films and programmes via the Fire TV-style remote with built-in mic. Video quality is excellent, and Kodi is very easy to set up and install. With good hardware and solid software, this is a better sort of Android TV box.

Key specs – Core spec: Eight-core processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Operating system: Android TV 7.1.2; Core apps: Netflix, Kodi, YouTube, Google Play Movies, Plex; Voice-enabled remote: Yes

6. A95X Max: A powerful, 4K-ready Android TV box for Kodi

Price: £99 | Buy now from Amazon

There are plenty of cheap Android TV boxes that run Kodi, but if you want something with a bit more welly, look no further than the A95X Max. It's based on Amlogic's new S905X1 processor, with four ARM Cortex-A53 processors running at up to 2GHz and an ARM Mali G31MP2 GPU, and it's more than beefy enough to cope with H.265 4K video and the majority of Android apps. What's more, while this box is bulkier than most there is a reason. Beneath a plate in the base of the unit there's space and connectivity for a standard 2.5in HDD or SSD – ideal if you have a lot of non-streaming video and want to access it directly instead of from a NAS device.

The interface is based on smartphone Android rather than Android TV, but it's relatively slick and easy to use, with two rows of big, square icons to take you to your favourite apps. A preconfigured build of Kodi, TVMC, comes pre-installed, but you can uninstall this and add the latest official release if you wish. The downsides are the same as for most Android TV boxes – like the lack of official apps for Amazon Prime and Netflix with long-term support – and there's no voice or Google Assistant. What you're getting instead, though, is a powerful Kodi box with room to grow.

Key specs – Core spec: Quad-core Amlogic S905X2 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Operating system: Android 8.1; Core apps: TVMC, Google Play Movies and TV, YouTube, Google Play Store; Voice-enabled remote: No

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