You can also use the internet on Roku; however, it does not have a built-in browser, it is only available as a third-party channel. They do not give you the privilege to directly browse the internet, but they do use some channels that will act like web browsers.

Below are some of the better alternative ways and browsers for your Roku platform:

Web Video Caster

Apart from it having costing charges to try out most of its features, it has incorporated tons of TV shows and movies, giving Roku itself a stern competition.

Here are some of its notable features:

• All the popular video formats are supported
• It automatically captures the subtitles file from the corresponding movie being played
• It also supports the most popular streaming devices, allowing your TV to stream videos directly from the web.
• Using integrated OpenSubtitles website, you get the option to download subtitles of your choice
• Casting your videos stored on your Android and iOS devices to this browser is also supported, hence you get the same browsing experience as on your mobile devices, but on a bigger screen.
• Bookmarking your favorite sites, viewing your Watch History, creating a Home Screen shortcut for easy access gives it a user-friendly interface too.

Browser X

With Browser X, you can surf the internet from your Roku device and access a number of websites and links such as Google, CNN and many more.

Unlike the older browsers that only deliver text or static-image screenshots of web pages, Browser X actually delivers fully rendered pages with clickable links.

Even more, you can add websites to your “favorites”, and also make the current page your start page.

However, the downsides include inability to fill in website forms, and you cannot use it to play videos such as on YouTube.

Also, it is not free to use as it requires a $4.99/month subscription.

To use Browser X on Roku TV, you have to add the channel on your Roku device first.

To navigate a web page, use the left and right buttons on your remote to cycle through the links on a page, and use the up and down arrows to scroll through the text.

There are some pre-saved favorites (such as Google News, CNN, and ABC News), but you can visit any site by entering the URL. You can also add your own frequently visited sites to your list of favorites.

Poprism

It is the one of the only browsers that you could directly get a hold of from the Roku store.

Easily navigable pages that could be browsed directly from the Remote itself. It can only read text— there are no images, no GUIs, no CSS, no JavaScript, and so on. Whichever site you visit, you’ll just see a mass of unformatted text. It’s among the fastest browsers for Roku device as it is entirely text-based.

It’s a minimalist and barebone browser thus you could expect an impressive performance score, but with the cost of It is bereft of GUIs/CSS/JavaScript, and only a few Google searches and going through the RSS feeds is the most that it could handle.

Emby Media

Formerly known as Media Browser, Emby media is a suite of applications that will allow you to stream media from your computer to your Roku-connected TV (and other devices) through your local network. It is one of the best Roku web browser apps out there, with a really beautiful, user-friendly interface.

Here are some of its features:

• Compatibility with most data files including videos, audio and images, you can use it to access media files on your local storage, listen to music, stream videos live.
• Its availability in Roku Store is a plus
• Live TV streaming functionality which requires your own tv tuner card
• A Photo Slideshow feature to relive all your memories.

The only downside is you need to install the Media Browser Server on your network which might prove a little tedious for non tech savvy users.

To use it, you will need to download the Emby Media server and configure it. They also have a forum for a community of people that use the browser for Roku.

Xfinity

It’s mostly focused on media streaming services rather than the browser. Thus, it has tons of features mostly set in the entertainment industry.

Some of its highlights are:

• The option to stream videos, songs, and movies of your choice spread across varied genres.
• Likewise, you could add more channels to your collection by spending out a few bucks.

The Roku Channel

It has incorporation of various media services like news, sports, music or live TV, all of them available for viewing.

Some highlights of the Roku Channel are:

• The ability to effortlessly stream all your favorite shows.
• The contents are directly taken from Yahoo, which gets regularly updated.
• As a result, you could expect the up-to-date provision of its services.

The downside is the payment you incur in order to enjoy the full potential of this service.

Screen Cast via Android

Roku’s mirroring feature allows you to wirelessly send anything from your Android phone to your TV. This allows you to send music, photos, videos, web pages, and more. Enable this option on your smartphone or tablet and connect it to your Roku automatically.

The advantages of casting smartphone’s screen directly include;

• Pairing is quite easy
• No installation processes.
• You could use any of your browsers installed in the smartphone

Safari Browser

Safari is a graphical web browser that is developed by Apple, popularly found on Apple products such as Macs and iPhones. 

Safari browser is available on the Roku store and can be added to your Roku TV to surf the internet with the downside being its developed by a developer named Adrian using Roku Direct Publisher,thus it doesn’t offer features close to those of the well-known Safari browser by Apple.

Web Browser X is the best you can get from the Ruko Store, while a third-party provider is the Web Video Caster app. The POPRISM is more of a text-based alternative and doesn’t support most of today’s websites.