The 6 Best Smart TVs of 2025

The days of old “dumb” TVs are largely over. If you’re shopping for a new display in 2025, smart TVs are the norm. This kind of television connects to the internet, so it can serve as a central part of any smart home. The best smart TVs let you watch all your favorite streaming services and offer features like voice search.

I’ve been reviewing tech products for over a decade, and I’ve used my expertise to compile a list of the best smart TVs available. My recommendations include models that use each of the most popular smart TV interfaces on the market: Roku OS, Samsung Tizen, Vizio Home, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, and LG webOS. For instance, if you want a TV with Samsung’s Tizen operating system, I recommend the Samsung S90D OLED, which offers excellent picture performance and seamless integration with other Samsung products. Meanwhile, if you want a more affordable display that uses Roku’s user-friendly interface, I suggest checking out the Roku Pro Series QLED.

Below, you can find all of my best smart TV picks. Our team of product reviewers tested every TV, and each display represents my recommendation for the top value available with that specific interface. Models are sold in multiple screen sizes, so be sure to select the size you want from each retailer’s page.

Top picks for the best smart TVs

Best Tizen model: Samsung S90D OLED TV – See at Amazon

Best Roku TV: Roku Pro Series QLED TV – See at Amazon

Best Vizio Home set: Vizio Quantum Pro QLED TV – See at Walmart

Best Google TV: TCL QM7 QLED TV – See at Amazon

Best webOS display: LG C4 OLED TV – See at Amazon

Best Amazon Fire TV: Amazon Omni Mini LED TV – See at Amazon

Best Tizen model

People who want an excellent Samsung TV should look no further than the S90D OLED. Like all of the company’s displays, the S90D uses the brand’s proprietary smart TV interface, which is powered by the Tizen operating system. Though Samsung sells more expensive OLEDs that can get a bit brighter, the S90D’s picture quality is unmatched for the money, and it offers a robust set of smart features.

The Tizen OS offers access to popular streaming apps, seamless integration with other Samsung smart devices, and a few extra perks you won’t find on most TVs from other companies. The homepage has a top row with an icon for your most recently used service/connected device next to icons for popular content searches. This is followed by a row of icons for your favorite TV apps and then various rows of recommended programs. It’s a fairly standard layout that gets the job done, but I prefer the more streamlined approach used by Roku and the superior recommendations offered by Google.

On the Tizen sidebar, you can access dedicated pages for search, ambient mode, Samsung Daily+ (where you can find health, work, and smart device control apps), and a gaming hub. The gaming hub is particularly noteworthy since it offers access to cloud services like Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Game Pass.

Samsung is one of two brands that offer the Xbox streaming app on their smart TVs, and this feature lets Game Pass members play Xbox games without a console. In my experience, performance can be hit or miss since playability is highly dependent on your internet speed. Likewise, games played this way are limited to HD resolution, standard dynamic range (SDR), and stereo sound. So, while not the ideal way to experience high-end titles, it’s still a cool perk.

When it comes to voice search, users can choose between Alexa or Samsung’s own Bixby assistant. As a whole, Tizen is fairly reliable across all Samsung TVs, but it’s prone to slight lag, particularly when first booting up a display. Likewise, I’ve run into a few small quirks. For instance, when I tested the S90D, the OS automatically opened the last app or device I used, despite having this behavior disabled in the settings menu. I also encountered frequent update notifications about Samsung’s privacy policies despite turning notifications off. Thankfully, these types of glitches should be easy to fix with firmware.

But while the OS has some drawbacks, the S90D’s image quality leaves nothing to complain about. The TV’s OLED panel enables pixel-level contrast with deep black levels that disappear into a dark room. The S90D also uses quantum dots, offering a brighter and wider range of colors than you’d get on competing LG OLEDs in this price range. The results are spectacular, with a peak brightness of around 1,240 nits. This leads to vivid HDR images that wow with bold, precise highlights.

Samsung does sell a newer 2025 edition of this TV, the S90F, which has some improvements. That said, it costs about $1,000 more, so the S90D remains a better value. In fact, when it comes to balancing price and picture performance, the S90D is my top pick for the best TV period.

Note: The 42-, 48-, and 83-inch versions of the S90D don’t use quantum dots, so their color performance can’t match that of the 55-, 65-, and 77-inch models.

Check out our guide to all the best Samsung TVs.

Best Roku TV

The Roku Pro Series is the best smart TV available that uses Roku’s simple and intuitive OS. As the company’s top QLED model, it delivers impressive midrange picture quality with advanced features like quantum dots, a Mini LED backlight, and one of the most user-friendly interfaces I’ve tested.

The Roku OS is my favorite system for accessing apps since it presents a clean, no-fuss design that puts all your favorite streaming services up front and center. Unlike other operating systems, which have homepages cluttered with content recommendations, Roku cuts out all the fat and focuses on the essentials with big icons for your apps and connected devices. Navigating through menus and services is quick, and our reviewer didn’t run into any glitches or lag when testing the display.

The included Voice Remote Pro 2 is also a joy to use. It features an integrated battery that recharges via USB-C and can last for around three months per charge. It supports voice search by pressing a button or through a hands-free “wake” word. (A dedicated microphone mute switch is included for privacy.) And though Roku TVs don’t come with integrated support for Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, they can pair with smart speakers that use those digital assistants.

Our reviewer especially loved the remote’s backlit keys, which make it easy to use when watching movies in a dark room. That’s a feature that even high-end Samsung and LG remotes lack, so it’s great to see on a midrange model like this. Another cool perk is the “lost remote finder,” which you can activate via a button on the TV or through the Roku app. This feature plays a chime through the remote so you can locate it.

Beyond smart TV conveniences, the Roku Pro Series delivers great picture quality. The display can reach over 1,000 nits of brightness, which is the standard for a lot of high-dynamic-range (HDR) content. Specular highlights, like explosions, pop from the screen with realistic intensity. And though black-level control isn’t on par with pricier TVs or OLED models, the Pro Series’ Mini LED backlight and local dimming enable solid contrast. Our reviewer only noticed small instances of light bleed in dark environments.

That said, the display’s picture processing isn’t as clean and smooth as options from other brands. Some blocky colors and jerky motion showed up here and there during testing. Likewise, the screen is prone to reflections, and colors distort a lot if you sit to the side of the panel. However, these flaws are common for QLED displays in this price range.

Despite a few drawbacks, the Pro Series is one of the best-looking TVs available with Roku’s operating system, and in that context, it’s an excellent option for anyone who favors the brand’s streamlined smart TV experience.

Read our Roku Pro Series 4K TV review.

Visit our guide to all of the best Roku TVs.

Best Vizio Home set

Like Samsung and LG, Vizio uses its own smart TV system rather than licensing one from Google, Roku, or Amazon. The brand previously used an OS called “SmartCast,” but its latest TVs use a revamped interface called “Vizio Home.” The Quantum Pro (VQP65C-84) was one of the first displays to launch with the new design, and it remains the top model in the company’s lineup.

The Vizio Home layout is most reminiscent of Google TV, with features like a “Trending Now” section and a prominent row for your favorite apps. Navigation speed is responsive and smooth, which isn’t always a given on TVs in this class. The interface also has a well-organized layout for various settings, which is less cluttered than other options like Samsung’s Tizen OS.

However, our reviewer didn’t love the Home interface’s heavy emphasis on Vizio’s Watch Free+ TV service. Other brands include similar ad-supported internet TV apps, but Vizio pushes its content a bit more, and the selection isn’t exactly top-caliber. One of the homepage’s biggest pieces of on-screen space is dedicated to recommendations of forgotten movies like 2005’s “Bewitched” reboot. There’s also no “Continue Watching” section on the homepage, which is a convenience that most smart TV interfaces include.

The Quantum Pro does include a voice remote that works well, but like Roku TVs, the system doesn’t feature integrated support for Alexa or Google Assistant. Thankfully, you can still pair the TV with a separate smart speaker from those brands. The remote itself is compact and ergonomic, with a simplified set of controls that’s similar to Roku’s design.

With a bright image that peaks at about 1,000 nits, the Quantum Pro offers solid picture performance, especially when watching TV during the day. It has quantum dots to produce a wide range of colors and local dimming to darken specific portions of its screen. That said, the TV uses regular-sized LEDs rather than Mini LEDs, and it has an IPS-style panel rather than a VA-type panel. VA panels are used on many competing QLEDs since they provide a higher contrast ratio.

These two factors lead to a slightly washed-out look when watching the Quantum Pro in a dark room. Vizio released a firmware update to improve contrast, but if deep black-level performance is a priority, I still recommend going with a Mini LED model instead, like the Roku Pro Series or TCL QM7.

On the plus side, the IPS-style panel does help in one area that those other QLEDs struggle with: viewing angles. Colors and contrast shift a bit when you sit to the side of the display, but the loss of quality is far less severe than it is on QLEDs from Roku, Hisense, and TCL. So, while not the best smart TV for critical viewing in a home theater environment, the Quantum Pro is a solid option for people who favor more casual viewing in a lighter living room with seats in various spots around the TV.

Read our Vizio Quantum Pro QLED review.

Best Google TV

The Google TV operating system is used on displays from multiple brands, including models made by TCL, Hisense, and Sony. But when it comes to overall value, the TCL QM7 stands out from the competition. This midrange QLED features some of the best image quality I’ve seen in its price range, and it offers a smooth smart TV experience. It’s also available in lots of sizes, including a massive 98-inch model that’s perfect for big-screen movies and sports.

The Google TV interface has a homepage with a row for top-pick curations, followed by your favorite apps, a continue-watching section, and additional rows of recommendations across various categories. It’s not exactly a unique design, but it’s more user-friendly than similar layouts from Amazon, LG, and Samsung. I’ve also found its content recommendations to be more in line with titles I’d actually want to watch.

As you might expect, the system also seamlessly integrates with an existing Google account, so you can sync your photos for screensavers, share account data with the display, and pair with other Google smart devices. For instance, I can view my Google Nest camera feeds right on the TV’s screen.

Google TV navigation speed and app stability can vary a lot depending on which model and brand you buy. For instance, our reviewers have encountered slower performance on some Hisense Google TVs compared to options from Sony. Thankfully, the TCL QM7 is one of the fastest Google TVs I’ve used. During my testing, I didn’t encounter any lag outside some minor slowdown when pulling up settings or while streaming HDR videos on YouTube. Voice control with Google Assistant works great, and you have the option of using it hands-free or via a button on the remote. The remote is also backlit, which is a nice touch.

Though the QM7’s picture performance can’t match that of a high-end set from LG, Sony, or Samsung, the display punches way above its class. It’s actually the brightest TV on this list, with an impressive peak of around 1,700 nits. As a result, it produces bold and rich HDR images. Its contrast is also high thanks to the QM7’s Mini LED backlight and local dimming. That said, I did notice some light bleed when watching movies in a dark room. Likewise, the display’s picture processing isn’t as clean as pricier sets, so lower-quality sources don’t look as sharp, and motion can stutter slightly in some streaming content.

Buyers who want a premium Google TV with better black levels and processing should consider the Sony A95L OLED or Bravia 8 II OLED, which are two of the best high-end TVs available. However, those TVs cost about four to six times as much as the QM7. There’s also a new 2025 version of this set available, the QM7K, that offers some improvements, but is also more expensive. For the money, few Google TVs can match this set’s overall performance.

Read our TCL QM7 4K TV review.

Check out our guide to all the best sports TVs.

Best webOS display

All of LG’s TVs use the brand’s webOS system, and the LG C4 OLED is the best smart TV value of the bunch. The C4 also has some perks you won’t find on Samsung OLEDs, like Dolby Vision support and a remote with motion controls.

LG’s webOS has undergone several iterations over the years. The interface used to work purely as a pop-up menu that appeared at the bottom of the display, but LG now offers a full-screen homepage like competing platforms. The organization is similar to other systems, with rows of icons for apps and content recommendations, as well as specific pages that focus on categories like home office, games, and music. As is the case with many smart TV systems, some ads are visible by default, but you can disable the top ad from showing up on the home screen.

However, even when the main ad banner is disabled, I still don’t like how the home screen emphasizes sponsored content and shopping options so high on the page. You have to scroll further down to find useful recommendations that are placed higher up on competing systems like Google TV. Our reviewer also ran into a glitch with a software update that caused some apps and services to stop working, but this was eventually fixed.

Thankfully, navigation speed is solid across LG’s entire lineup, and you can choose between using LG’s assistant or Amazon Alexa through hands-free controls or the remote. The remote itself stands out from other brands since it supports motion controls. In addition to navigation with standard buttons and a click wheel, you can point the remote at the screen to move a virtual cursor around, similar to a Nintendo Wii controller. This is a love-it or hate-it feature, but it’s there for those who want it.

The LG C4 is a winner when it comes to image performance, with picture quality that almost matches the Samsung S90D as the best-looking TV in this guide. Its OLED panel provides wide viewing angles and an infinite contrast ratio with pixel-level dimming, so black levels truly disappear in a dark room. But, unlike Samsung’s OLED, the C4 doesn’t use quantum dots. As a result, the C4 has a slightly narrower range of colors and can’t get quite as bright, with a peak of around 1,000 nits versus 1,240 on the S90D. Even so, it still has fantastic HDR performance, and it has the added bonus of including Dolby Vision support, which Samsung TVs lack.

Dolby Vision can give the TV more detailed guidance on how to render colors and contrast to best match the capabilities of its panel. The differences between Dolby Vision and other HDR formats are subtle, especially on high-end TVs, so I don’t consider it a must-have feature. But it’s still a nice perk. Check out our HDR TV guide for more details.

LG also sells a 2025 version of this TV, the C5, which can get a little brighter and has a couple of new AI-powered features. That said, it costs substantially more, so I still recommend the C4 as the better buy.

Read our LG C4 4K TV review and our LG C5 4K TV review.

Best Amazon Fire TV

Amazon has been licensing its Fire TV operating system to budget-friendly manufacturers like Insignia and Toshiba for many years, but the company didn’t start making its own smart TVs until 2021. The brand’s latest flagship 4K offering is called the Fire TV Omni Mini LED. This model offers some improvements in picture performance compared to the company’s cheaper options while still providing an extensive suite of Alexa-powered features.

The Fire TV OS is used across all of the company’s smart TVs and streaming devices, including its Fire TV sticks. The interface has received a few welcome refreshes over the years to help alleviate some of the clunkiness of earlier iterations, but it’s still one of my least favorite layouts.

My main gripe is that Amazon only puts a handful of app icons up-front and center at the top, so you have to go through some extra steps to access your entire lineup of downloaded streaming services. I also don’t love how ads, sponsored recommendations, and picks geared toward Prime Video are emphasized so heavily on the home screen.

However, those drawbacks aren’t dealbreakers. Functionally, the interface works fine and offers all of the basic features found on competitors. Amazon even has an “Ambient Experience” mode with screensavers and widgets for the time and weather. One of the Omni Mini LED’s main selling points is support for hands-free Alexa voice control. In practice, this allows the TV to perform a lot like an Echo speaker.

The Omni Mini LED also delivers good image quality for an upper-midrange TV, and its performance is close to that of similar Mini LED models from TCL and Hisense. However, it can’t quite match rivals like the TCL QM7 in overall value for your dollar.

Our reviewer measured a peak brightness of about 1,400 nits in HDR, which is a respectable number and more than double what the brand’s step-down Omni QLED model offers. Black levels were also solid during testing, but the TV measured a bit under expected brightness levels for low-to-medium shades of gray.

Though the Omni Mini LED is the best smart TV in Amazon’s lineup, I don’t recommend it if picture quality is your top priority. Viewers who want a Fire TV display with truly premium image performance should venture outside Amazon’s lineup and check out one of Panasonic’s Fire TV OLED models. Panasonic’s collection includes the flagship Z95 OLED and midrange Z85 OLED. Though more expensive than Amazon’s Omni Mini LED, these Panasonic models are the most high-end smart TVs available with Amazon’s interface.

Read our Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini LED review.

Check out our guide to all the best Amazon Fire TV devices

How we test smart TVs

To choose the best smart TVs, our team tested various models from every major brand. We focused on selecting displays that represent the best overall value across each of the main smart TV platforms available. We’ve been reviewing TVs for over a decade and have used that experience to develop our testing methodology. Our review process involves evaluating key performance areas, including operating system speed, smart features, picture clarity, contrast, brightness, color capabilities, and viewing angles.

We use a colorimeter to record a TV’s peak brightness. Various test patterns from the Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray disc are also used to check other objective metrics.

But grids and color bars can only reveal so much, so we place a big emphasis on real-world content and day-to-day viewing in our testing. We use a curated selection of scenes from movies and TV shows specifically chosen to demonstrate a TV’s HDR performance, black levels, color, and fine detail. Demo material includes a mix of native 4K resolution (Ultra HD), high definition (HD), and standard definition (SD) programs through streaming, Blu-ray disc, and cable. This helps us see how a display’s processing handles both high- and low-quality sources. Testing is done in both dark and bright conditions.

When reviewing the best smart TVs, we also focus on putting each display’s operating system to the test. Navigation speed is evaluated to see how long it takes for apps to load and to determine how smooth and consistent each interface is when adjusting settings and moving between menus. We note if any major TV apps are missing and take into account extra perks, like Alexa or Google Assistant support, ambient modes, smart home integration, and cloud gaming support.

Learn more about our tech product review process.

Smart TV FAQs

Which smart TV system is best?

The best smart TVs all have built-in operating systems, but different brands use different platforms. Here’s a breakdown of popular smart TV systems and the brands that use them:

Android TV: Older models from Sony, TCL, and HisenseFire TV: Amazon, Panasonic, Hisense, Toshiba, Insignia, PioneerGoogle TV: Sony, TCL, HisenseRoku TV: Roku, TCL, Hisense, SharpVizio Home: VizioTizen: SamsungwebOS: LG

Though app selection and general functionality are similar across each OS, their interface style, personalization options, digital assistants, and extra features vary. Ultimately, which smart TV system is best for your needs largely comes down to personal preference and whether you’re already invested in a specific smart home ecosystem.

For instance, a Google TV or Fire TV will pair more seamlessly with existing Google or Amazon accounts, and they’re built to work well with other devices from those brands.

When it comes to overall interface design, I generally favor Roku’s system the best since it’s the most straightforward and reliable. However, its design is a little outdated compared to other platforms that offer a slick, content-focused style.

For more TV recommendations across various smart TV systems, check out our full suite of display guides:

Are 2025 TV models available to buy?

TCL, Hisense, LG, Samsung, and Sony have released several new 2025 TV models. Meanwhile, new sets from Panasonic and Roku are coming later this year.

Though many 2025 TVs offer improved specifications and new features, 2024 models will remain available for the better part of the year, and they cost a lot less than their successors. With that in mind, we’ll continue to recommend 2024 TVs for as long as they remain in stock and provide the best value.

Learn more about new smart TVs in our 2025 breakdowns:

Are there smart TVs that use Apple’s tvOS interface?

Apple does not license its tvOS interface to display manufacturers. As a result, there are no smart TVs with the Apple interface built in. The only way to get the tvOS interface on your display is to purchase a separate Apple TV streaming device.

Do all smart TV platforms offer access to the same streaming apps?

Just a few years ago, app selection varied a lot between different smart TV systems. Certain popular services — like HBO, Peacock, and Apple TV Plus — were only available via select smart TV systems. However, this is no longer the case. Generally speaking, all smart TV systems now offer access to the same core selection of video apps.

For instance, all of our picks for the best streaming services are available across all of the main TV operating systems, from the Roku OS to Samsung Tizen. That said, there are still exceptions when it comes to smaller services and niche offerings. For example, LG’s webOS lacks access to the Criterion Channel app, while the Fire TV and Google TV OS don’t support the Spectrum app to stream live TV if you have a Spectrum cable plan.

If you’re shopping for a new smart TV and you frequently use a specific streaming app, check that service’s device support page to ensure that it’s available on the model you choose. But thankfully, even if you do end up with a smart TV that’s missing one of your favorite apps, you’re not out of luck. Chances are that the service in question is available via a stand-alone streaming device, which you can purchase separately.

How do smart TVs compare to stand-alone streaming devices?

The best smart TVs all deliver solid streaming performance, and most buyers will be satisfied with their built-in interfaces, app catalogs, and features. However, navigation speed and overall app stability tend to be a bit snappier when using a separate streaming device. Likewise, some people may prefer a different interface or digital assistant than the ones that come built into their TV.

If you’re unhappy with your smart TV’s navigation speed, service selection, or visual design, check out our guide to the best streaming devices. Picks include set-top boxes and streaming sticks from Amazon, Google, Roku, and Apple. Reliable entry-level options are frequently on sale for under $20, while flagship models tend to cost between $70 and $150.