Is Roku or Starz better?

Neither clearly leads. Roku starts at Free and Starz at $6.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Roku or Starz?

Roku has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Roku and $6.99/month for Starz.

Does Roku or Starz run on more platforms?

Roku runs on Roku-devices, Smart-tv, Ios, Android. Starz runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.

Can I use Roku for free?

Yes. Roku has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Starz starts at $6.99/month.

What is Roku best used for?

Roku is most often used for tv streaming, content discovery, free entertainment. Of those, tv streaming and content discovery are not what Starz is typically brought in for.

What can Roku do that Starz cannot?

Roku covers Streaming aggregation, Free content, Voice search, Private listening. Starz covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Exclusive content. Both handle Parental controls, Smart-tv support, Ios support, Android support.

Entertainment · head to head

Roku vs Starz

Roku

Entertainment

Streaming made simple

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Starz

Entertainment

Premium originals and hit series

From: $6.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Roku has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Roku roku takes a 20 percent cut of all revenue channel publishers receive through Roku Pay (purchases, subscriptions, ads), paying out the remaining 80 percent no later than 60 days after the end of the month the payment was received, with non-US partners restricted to PayPal or wire transfer (ACH/direct deposit is US-only) and bank fees applying to wire and ACH payouts (archived developer documentation, 2 May 2021); Starz standard monthly rate after 3-month promotion not disclosed on landing page; requires signup to see renewal pricing
They diverge on capability: Roku covers Streaming aggregation, Starz covers Streaming.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Roku and Starz actually diverge.

Attributes where Roku and Starz differ
Attribute	Roku	Starz
Starting price	Free	$6.99/month
Pricing model	freemium	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Roku-devices, Smart-tv, Ios, Android	Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv
Founded	2002	1994

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Entertainment).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Roku

Streaming aggregation
Free content
Voice search
Private listening
All major streaming apps
Smart home
PIN protection
Roku-devices support

Only in Starz

Streaming
Original series
Movies
Exclusive content
Downloads
Smart TVs
Streaming devices
Account security

Both cover

Parental controls
Smart-tv support
Ios support
Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Roku

TV streamingnot Starz
Content discoverynot Starz
Free entertainmentnot Starz

Starz

Drama streamingnot Roku
Original series watchingnot Roku

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Roku

Roku takes a 20 percent cut of all revenue channel publishers receive through Roku Pay (purchases, subscriptions, ads), paying out the remaining 80 percent no later than 60 days after the end of the month the payment was received, with non-US partners restricted to PayPal or wire transfer (ACH/direct deposit is US-only) and bank fees applying to wire and ACH payouts (archived developer documentation, 2 May 2021)

Starz

Standard monthly rate after 3-month promotion not disclosed on landing page; requires signup to see renewal pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Roku

Free

FreeFree
- The Roku Channel
- Free content
- Ad-supported

Starz

$6.99/month

Standard$6.99/month
- HD
- Ad-supported
Premium$12.99/month
- 4K
- Ad-free
- Downloads

Which should you pick?

Choose Roku if

You need streaming aggregation.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Roku-devices, Smart-tv, Ios, Android.
You also want free content.

Roku review

Choose Starz if

You need streaming.
You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
You also want original series.

Starz review

Questions people ask

Is Roku or Starz better?: Neither clearly leads. Roku starts at Free and Starz at $6.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Roku or Starz?: Roku has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Roku and $6.99/month for Starz.
Does Roku or Starz run on more platforms?: Roku runs on Roku-devices, Smart-tv, Ios, Android. Starz runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
Can I use Roku for free?: Yes. Roku has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Starz starts at $6.99/month.
What is Roku best used for?: Roku is most often used for tv streaming, content discovery, free entertainment. Of those, tv streaming and content discovery are not what Starz is typically brought in for.
What can Roku do that Starz cannot?: Roku covers Streaming aggregation, Free content, Voice search, Private listening. Starz covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Exclusive content. Both handle Parental controls, Smart-tv support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Starz: What is the current STARZ subscription cost?

STARZ offers a limited-time promotional rate of $4 per month for the first three months. The standard monthly rate after this period is not displayed on the website and appears during signup.

Source

Starz: How many devices can stream simultaneously on STARZ?

STARZ subscriptions allow streaming on up to 4 devices at the same time, with unlimited HD streaming and downloads included.

Source

Roku vs Starz

Roku

Starz

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Roku

Only in Starz

Both cover

What people use each for

Roku

Starz

Where each one falls short

Roku

Starz

Pricing, plan by plan

Roku

Starz

Which should you pick?

Choose Roku if

Choose Starz if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Roku

More on Starz

Keep looking

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