The cheapest way to make any TV smart in Australia
You do not need a new TV. A streaming stick from $45 turns any old telly into a smart one. Here is which to buy and what it costs.
By Cartwise · 17 July 2026 · 5 min read
Your old TV is probably fine. If it turns on and the picture looks good, you do not need to spend a thousand dollars to get Netflix, Disney+ and Prime on it. You need a streaming stick, and the good ones start at forty-five dollars. Here is exactly what to buy.
How it works, in one paragraph
A streaming stick plugs into a spare HDMI port on the back of your TV, connects to your Wi-Fi, and puts all the apps on screen with its own remote. Your TV does not need to be smart, or new, or anything. If it has an HDMI port, which every TV from the last fifteen years does, you are set. Setup takes about five minutes.
The budget pick: Fire TV Stick Lite ($45)
For a second TV, the bedroom, a caravan or a rental, this is all you need. Full HD streaming, an Alexa voice remote so you can just say what you want to watch, and every major app. The only thing you give up versus the pricier stick is 4K, which a smaller or older TV cannot show anyway.
Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite
| Seller | Price | Shipping | Delivery | Delivered total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amazon AUBest value ★ 4.5Lowest priceFastestFree shippingLocal stockTop rated | $45 | Free shipping | 2–4 days | $45estimate | Go to store |
Amazon AU is the best value at $45 delivered and it ships in 2 to 4 days from an Australian warehouse.
Lowest of 1 sample sellers: $45 delivered. These are indicative figures showing how the comparison works, not current quotes, so check the seller's site before buying.
The one for your main TV: Fire TV Stick 4K
If your main telly is 4K, get this instead. You get the sharper picture, faster Wi-Fi 6 and a processor that will not feel slow in a couple of years as the apps get heavier. The extra twenty-odd dollars is worth it on the TV you actually sit in front of every night.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
| Seller | Price | Shipping | Delivery | Delivered total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amazon AUBest value ★ 4.5Lowest priceFastestFree shippingLocal stockTop rated | $69 | Free shipping | 2–6 days | $69✓ checked 2 Aug | Go to store |
eBay AU ★ 4.1FastestFree shippingLocal stock | $79.88 | Free shipping | 2–6 days | $79.88✓ checked 2 Aug | Go to store |
Amazon AU is the best value at $69 delivered, which is $10.88 less than the dearest seller, and it ships in 2 to 6 days from an Australian warehouse.
Lowest of 2 sample sellers: $69 delivered. These are indicative figures showing how the comparison works, not current quotes, so check the seller's site before buying.
Add voice control for a few dollars more
If you want to turn the TV on and off, or dim the lights, with your voice, drop a cheap Echo speaker nearby. The Echo Pop is under sixty dollars and doubles as a bedroom speaker and alarm.
Amazon Echo Pop
| Seller | Price | Shipping | Delivery | Delivered total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amazon AUBest value ★ 4.5Lowest priceFastestFree shippingLocal stockTop rated | $59 | Free shipping | 2–4 days | $59estimate | Go to store |
The Good Guys ★ 4.4FastestFree shippingLocal stock | $64 | Free shipping | 2–6 days | $64✓ checked 2 Aug | Go to store |
eBay AU ★ 4.1FastestFree shippingLocal stock | $77.18 | Free shipping | 2–6 days | $77.18✓ checked 2 Aug | Go to store |
Amazon AU is the best value at $59 delivered, which is $18.18 less than the dearest seller, and it ships in 2 to 4 days from an Australian warehouse.
Lowest of 3 sample sellers: $59 delivered. These are indicative figures showing how the comparison works, not current quotes, so check the seller's site before buying.
The bottom line
Do not buy a new TV to get smart features. A $45 stick does the job on any screen you own. Get the Lite for a second TV, the 4K for the main one, and you are done. Prices above are indicative, ranked cheapest first, so check the seller before you buy. We may earn a commission on the links, which never changes your price, details here.