Chromecast vs Apple TV (2026): What Google’s Discontinuation Actually Means

Quick Answer: Google’s Chromecast dongles were discontinued in 2024 and removed from the Google Store by early 2025. If you’re shopping today, the real comparison is Apple TV vs. Google TV Streamer. Apple TV delivers faster performance and tighter Apple ecosystem integration, while Google TV Streamer offers a more affordable, Google-focused experience with broad smart home support.

Here’s something most “Chromecast vs Apple TV” guides won’t tell you upfront: Chromecast doesn’t exist anymore. Google discontinued the entire Chromecast dongle line in 2024, and by early 2025, it had vanished from Google’s own store, both the 4K and HD versions.

If you search for one today, you’re buying secondhand hardware or old retail stock, not a current product.

That doesn’t make this comparison pointless. It makes it more useful because the real decision in 2026 isn’t Chromecast vs Apple TV, it’s Google TV Streamer vs Apple TV 4K, and the philosophies behind those two devices have actually pulled further apart since Chromecast was around.

This guide covers what happened to Chromecast, what replaced it, and how that replacement stacks up against Apple’s current Apple TV 4K, so you can make a decision based on what you can actually buy today.

What Happened to Chromecast?

Chromecast launched in 2013 as a $35 HDMI dongle with one job: let your phone “throw” content onto the TV screen.

Over eleven years and multiple generations, it sold more than 100 million units and eventually added a remote and a full interface with the “Chromecast with Google TV” models in 2020.

In August 2024, Google announced it was ending the Chromecast product line once existing stock ran out. By February 2025, both the Chromecast with Google TV 4K and HD models were listed as “no longer available” on Google’s store in the US and UK.

Existing devices still work and continue getting security patches, but Google isn’t manufacturing or selling new ones.

In their place, Google now sells a single device: the Google TV Streamer (4K), priced at $99.99 (as of now), roughly double what the outgoing Chromecast with Google TV cost.

It isn’t just a faster dongle. It’s a larger, wedge-shaped box designed to sit in front of your TV rather than hide behind it, and it’s built to double as a smart-home hub with built-in Thread and Matter support, letting it control locks, lights, and thermostats alongside streaming video.

What this means practically: if what you actually want is a cheap, no-frills way to cast content from your phone, Google no longer sells that as a standalone product. The company has effectively exited the budget streaming category, leaving that space to Walmart’s Onn devices, Roku’s Streaming Sticks, and Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks.

Related: Apple TV vs Google TV: Which Is Right for You?

Apple TV in 2026: Where Things Stand

Apple’s approach has stayed far more consistent, a standalone box, no casting-first design, and a slow, deliberate update cycle.

The current model is the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation), released in October 2022 with an A15 Bionic chip, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support, and a USB-C Siri Remote.

It’s now over three years old, and Apple typically refreshes the Apple TV roughly every three years, so a new model is expected, though it’s reportedly been delayed while Apple finishes a more personalized version of Siri.

One change that matters a lot for this comparison: Apple raised the price of the Apple TV 4K in June 2026, from $129 to $199 for the base model. That’s a significant jump, and it puts real distance between Apple TV and Google’s $99.99 Streamer on price alone.

Apple TV comes with tvOS 26, Apple’s latest operating system. The update introduces a fresh design called Liquid Glass. It gives the interface a cleaner, more modern look that feels smooth and responsive.

The TV app also features larger, cinematic-style poster art. This makes it easier to browse movies and TV shows while creating a more immersive viewing experience.

Apple has also simplified profile switching. Family members can quickly access their personalized recommendations without everyone needing a separate Apple Account.

Another standout feature is improved AirPlay support. You can now permanently pair compatible third-party speakers, including select LG and Samsung soundbars. Once paired, these speakers stay connected, making everyday use more convenient than the temporary AirPlay connections offered in earlier versions.

As of mid-2026, Apple has pushed the platform through several point releases (tvOS 26.5), adding smaller refinements like HDMI audio stability improvements and a personalized “Genius Browse” recommendation feed.

tvOS 27 is expected in fall 2026 with faster app launches and Hi-Res Lossless Apple Music support.

Related: Where Should You Place a TV Soundbar for the Best Listening Experience?

Google TV Streamer vs Apple TV 4K: Full Comparison

Related: How to Quickly Fix an Apple TV Light Blinking Problem

Casting-First vs Standalone: The Philosophy Gap Just Got Wider

This is really the core of the comparison, and it hasn’t changed even though the hardware has.

Google’s devices, Chromecast historically, and the Google TV Streamer now, are built around Google Cast, meaning your phone, tablet, or laptop can still act as the remote and content source at any time, even if you also have a full on-screen interface and physical remote.

Apple TV has never worked this way; it’s a standalone platform with its own interface, and while AirPlay lets you mirror or send content from an iPhone or Mac, it’s a secondary feature layered on top of a self-contained box, not the core design principle.

Common mistake to avoid: don’t assume “Google TV” and “casting” are interchangeable. The Google TV Streamer has a full home screen and remote, just like Apple TV does. You don’t need your phone to use it day to day. Casting is still supported, but it’s an option, not a requirement, on the current device.

If you’re looking for ways to cast content from an Android device to Apple TV, here’s our detailed guide: Easy Apps to Cast Android to Apple TV.

Price and Value: The Math Has Changed Significantly

This is where the 2026 landscape looks nothing like it did when Chromecast was $35 and Apple TV was $129. Today:

• Google’s cheapest first-party streaming device is $99.99; there’s no sub-$50 Google option anymore.
• Apple TV 4K starts at $199, a $70 increase from its previous price.
• The actual budget category, devices under $50, is now covered almost entirely by Walmart’s Onn streamers (which run Google TV software, the same platform as the Streamer) and Roku and Amazon Fire TV Stick models, not by either Google or Apple directly.

Tip: If your main goal is simply turning a non-smart TV into a streaming-capable one on a tight budget, neither device covered in this comparison is actually the cheapest path anymore. A Fire TV Stick 4K Plus (view on Amazon) or a Walmart Onn 4K streamer (view on Amazon) will get you there for a fraction of the Google TV Streamer’s price, with a very similar Android TV-based experience.

If you’re set on either Google’s or Apple’s own hardware specifically, for ecosystem, smart home, or software-support reasons, the $100 gap between them is the real number to weigh, not the old Chromecast-era pricing you might remember.

Content, Apps, and Ecosystem Lock-In

Both platforms cover the essentials: Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube, and Max are supported natively on both. Where they diverge is in ecosystem pull:

• Google TV Streamer integrates tightly with YouTube, Google Photos, and Google Home, and its Android TV foundation gives it access to the largest smart TV app catalog of any major platform, since it can run the broad library of Android TV apps rather than a smaller curated store.
• Apple TV integrates tightly with Apple Music, iCloud, and Apple TV+, and its App Store, while smaller, is well-curated and includes App Store games playable with a controller, plus Apple Arcade access.

Myth vs. fact: It’s a common myth that you need an iPhone to use Apple TV or an Android phone to use a Google TV Streamer. In reality, both work as standalone streaming boxes without any phone at all. The ecosystem integrations are conveniences, not requirements.

Smart Home: A Genuine New Differentiator

This wasn’t really part of the conversation in the Chromecast era, but it’s a real factor now. The Google TV Streamer includes a built-in Thread border router and full Matter support, meaning it can act as a hub for smart locks, lights, and thermostats.

This is a capability that independent reviewers have specifically called out as the strongest reason to pick it over cheaper Google TV alternatives.

Apple TV supports Matter and works within Apple Home, but it isn’t marketed the same way as a dedicated smart-home hub; that role is more typically filled by a HomePod mini or HomePod on Apple’s side.

Decision point: if you don’t own or plan to buy Thread/Matter smart home devices (smart bulbs, locks, sensors), this advantage won’t mean much to you in practice, and you’d be paying for a feature you’ll never use.

Gaming: Neither Is Built to Be a Console Replacement

Cloud gaming support has become a talking point for smart TV platforms generally, and it’s worth being clear-eyed here: Google TV Streamer supports GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming for casual cloud gaming with a Bluetooth controller.

Apple TV supports Apple Arcade and controller-compatible App Store games, but Apple has been notably slow to bring a unified Games app to the Apple TV hardware itself, reportedly due to processing limitations compared to iPhone and iPad.

If serious gaming is a priority, neither device is a real substitute for a console or a dedicated gaming-focused smart TV platform like Samsung’s Gaming Hub.

Related: Tizen vs Google TV: Which Platform Takes the Lead?

Decision Guide: Which One Should You Actually Buy?

• You use an iPhone and other Apple devices daily → Apple TV 4K, despite the price increase, will feel far more integrated; Handoff, AirPlay, shared Apple Music, and iCloud photo libraries all work seamlessly.
• You use Android and Google services daily, or already have Google Home devices → Google TV Streamer is the natural fit, especially if you want one box handling both streaming and smart home hub duties.
• You just want cheap, reliable streaming and don’t care about ecosystem → Neither of these devices is actually the budget choice anymore. Look at a Fire TV Stick 4K or a Walmart Onn streamer instead.
• You specifically want to cast from your phone rather than use an on-screen interface → Both platforms now default to a full interface and remote, but Google Cast is still the more casting-native experience if that’s genuinely how you prefer to control your TV.
• You care about smart home hub features (Thread/Matter) → Google TV Streamer has a real, built-in advantage here that Apple TV doesn’t directly compete with.

Final Thoughts

The honest version of this comparison isn’t “Chromecast vs Apple TV” anymore. It’s a story about two companies moving in different directions.

Google walked away from the cheap, casting-first dongle that made Chromecast famous and replaced it with a pricier device built to double as a smart home hub.

Apple kept its standalone box strategy intact but made it noticeably more expensive heading into 2026, while continuing to polish tvOS with steady, incremental updates.

If you’re deep in either company’s ecosystem, that ecosystem is still the right tiebreaker. Apple TV for iPhone households, Google TV Streamer for Android, and Google Home households.

But if you’re shopping purely on price and don’t care whose logo is on the box, neither of these is actually the budget pick anymore; that role now belongs to Roku, Fire TV, and Walmart’s Onn lineup.

Frequently Asked Questions