Netflix is the king of streamers, however as of late it has no scarcity of rivals coming for its crown. One of the largest rivals is Amazon’s Prime Video, which has been spending severe sums on unique content material and on sports activities streaming too.Â
Netflix and Prime Video are two of the largest paid-for streaming providers to most individuals. Netflix launched the idea of in-home streaming of premium content material to a variety of us, whereas Prime Video is seen as the primary profit to signing as much as the net retailer’s membership plan.
In a really perfect world, we would be able to subscribe to all the very best streaming providers directly, however sadly this is not an possibility for lots of us and meaning we must be extra selective with our subscriptions. Many have taken to subscription hopping as a solution to lower down their streaming payments however it may be troublesome to know when to cancel or signal as much as a service.
To assist you resolve which service is price preserving or leaving, we have put collectively this useful information that compares the costs, plans, options, app experiences and content material of every beneath. Be certain to verify our breakdown of the very best motion pictures and exhibits on every platform too, as that may often be the deciding issue for a lot of. So which is the higher purchase, Netflix or Prime Video? Let’s discover out.
Netflix vs Prime Video: Price and plans
In the US, Netflix presents three tiers – Netflix began eradicating its Basic plan in lots of areas in 2023 earlier than fully axing it in mid-2024, forcing new subscribers to enroll to its Standard With Ads plan as a substitute – whereas Prime Video has two.Â
Want to search out out which Netflix plan is for you? The most cost-effective Netflix plan, Standard With Ads, is $6.99 / £4.99 / AU$7.99 per 30 days. That’s $2 / £1 / AU$2 per 30 days cheaper than Prime Video’s customary with-ads service, which prices $8.99 / £5.99 / AU$9.99 per 30 days.Â
Prime Video’s ad-supported model can also be included free in a typical Amazon Prime subscription, which prices $14.99 / £8.99 / AU$9.99 per 30 days. It additionally presents a Student membership possibility at $7.49 per 30 days within the US and £4.49 per 30 days within the UK, nevertheless, this isn’t out there for these in Australia.
Going ad-free is costlier for those who’re a Netflix subscriber. Netflix Standard with out adverts is $15.49 / £10.99 / AU$18.99 per 30 days. Meanwhile, Prime Video, which solely launched the next payment for streaming with out adverts in January 2024, prices $11.98 / £8.98 / AU$12.98 per 30 days for its ad-free possibility.Â
There are some essential variations in what the rival streamers ship. Netflix Standard streams in 1080p HD and does not provide spatial audio or Ultra HD except you go for the costlier Premium plan at $22.99 / £17.99 / AU$25.99 per 30 days. Prime Video delivers as much as 4K HDR with spatial audio the place motion pictures or exhibits help it.
Unlike Prime Video, Netflix limits viewing to a “family”, which it defines as one roof. You cannot share a Standard With Ads plan with individuals who do not share your own home – this is how one can take away Netflix Household if you must know – however you may add them to a Standard (ad-free) or Premium Plan. You can add one extra individual to Standard and two to Premium. Each individual is an extra $7.99 / £4.99 / AU$7.99 per 30 days.Â
There are additionally variations in what number of streams you may have. Prime Video permits three simultaneous streams on the identical Amazon account and downloads to 2 completely different units. Netflix Standard provides you two simultaneous streams and downloads to 2 units. Netflix Premium provides you 4 simultaneous streams and downloads to 6 units.
Netflix vs Prime Video: What are you able to watch?
While no streaming service absolutely discloses its actual catalog figures, there are some analysis companies which have launched evaluation to assist in giving us a tough concept. According to Reelgood knowledge from 2023, Netflix has a a lot wider choice of unique exhibits than Prime Video; as of late final yr, it was second solely to Hulu within the sheer variety of exhibits it supplied.Â
However, Prime Video has roughly 3 times extra motion pictures – the truth is, it has the largest library of flicks than some other paid-for service – and in addition presents glorious add-ons such because the free ad-supported TV service Freevee, which is likely one of the finest free streaming providers, and stay sports activities streaming together with Major League Baseball and Thursday Night Football.
As the information from Reelgood exhibits, Prime Video’s catalog of flicks is considerably bigger than Netflix’s, however Netflix’s catalog of exhibits is bigger than Prime Video’s (the information is in reference to each platform’s US providers). Netflix additionally spends proportionately extra on unique content material, similar to comedy specials, documentaries, anime and unique drama. Some of Netflix’s largest exhibits of 2024 to date embrace Bridgerton season 3, Cobra Kai season 6, Avatar: The Last Airbender and the hotly anticipated Squid Game season 2, though that final one is not streaming till December.Â
Best motion pictures and exhibits on Prime Video
Although it does not fee practically as many exhibits as Netflix, Prime Video has been spending large this yr on large hitters similar to The Boys season 4, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power season 2 and Fallout. It additionally has some nice stay sports activities protection together with Thursday Night Football.Â
Amazon’s buy of MGM Studios means it is significantly good for Hollywood motion pictures, and its ad-supported Freevee has a wide selection of basic TV in addition to just a few originals similar to Bosch Legacy – take a look at these three free motion pictures on Amazon Freevee in September with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes for extra of an concept of what to anticipate on the platform.Â
It’s price declaring the draw back of Netflix’s fixed commissioning of unique content material: the Netflix Curse, the place exhibits seize individuals’s consideration after which do not get renewed for extra seasons – listed below are 5 exhibits canceled by Netflix in 2024 to date that you must nonetheless watch.Â
But Netflix is just not alone on this, Prime Video and different rivals are more and more cautious too and are not afraid to cancel large exhibits – for instance, Prime Video has canceled My Lady Jane and Outer Range to date this yr. Although each streamers do not fee as a lot new content material anymore, it signifies that a variety of new exhibits are right here for time however not a very long time.
Thankfully, each streamers are additionally always including new content material, however they do it in numerous methods: Netflix front-loads its new releases in the beginning of the month but additionally provides much more over the next weeks, whereas Prime Video provides nearly all of its new content material on the primary of each month.
How usually do Netflix and Prime Video refresh content material?
Prime Video new additions
Netflix vs Prime Video: Features
| Standard with adverts: | Ads, 2 simultaneous streams, Full HD decision and obtain to 2 units. |
| Standard: | No adverts, 2 simultaneous streams, Full HD decision, obtain to 2 units and possibility so as to add 1 member who lives elsewhere. |
| Premium: | No adverts, 4 simultaneous streams, 4K HDR, Dolby Atmos and Netflix Spatial Audio, obtain to six units, and possibility so as to add 3 members who stay elsewhere. |
When you entry these providers, the largest distinction between the content material you see is that the entire motion pictures and exhibits on Netflix are included in your subscription. Many of the stuff you’ll see on the Prime Video house display screen usually are not: Amazon additionally contains leases, purchases and extra subscriptions too. Some of those providers, similar to Amazon’s personal Freevee, are free. But most provide quick free trials earlier than requiring an extra subscription.
Netflix’s high quality choices are fairly easy: it is 1080p HD except you pay extra for Premium, which delivers 4K and HDR with Spatial Audio (the place applications help it). Prime Video is extra advanced, so for instance the app delivers as much as 4K and Dolby Atmos on Android, on Fire TV tablets and on Fire TV sticks, nevertheless it’s HD and stereo on iOS and Windows.Â
Both providers help a number of profiles for various members of the family, however Prime Video does not presently limit account sharing to 1 constructing – so if the children are off to varsity they’ll nonetheless entry their Prime Video accounts. With Netflix, you will want a Standard or Premium subscription to try this, and also you’re restricted to 1 additional individual for Standard and two for Premium.Â
| Standard with Ads: | Ads, 3 simultaneous streams, UHD 4K, HDR10 and HDR10+ decision on choose titles and obtain to 4 units. |
| Ad free: | Limited adverts (some titles may have skippable trailers), 3 simultaneous streams, UHD 4K, HDR10 and HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and obtain to 4 units. |
| Amazon Household: | Ads (except every Amazon account indicators up for advert free), 3 simultaneous streams, UHD 4K, HDR10 and HDR10+ decision on choose titles, obtain to 4 units, and possibility so as to add 2 adults and 4 kids within the family to obtain choose Prime advantages. |
Netflix vs Prime Video: Design
The design of streaming providers is effectively established now, largely by Netflix, and meaning there aren’t important variations between the consumer interfaces or their accessibility: each present audio descriptions for individuals with poor or low imaginative and prescient. That stated, Prime Video’s X-Ray is a intelligent addition, enabling you to see extra particulars concerning the present present or film similar to who’s on display screen or what’s on the soundtrack.
In our expertise, Netflix has the higher suggestion algorithm, particularly over time: it is superb at displaying stuff you’ll truly like based mostly in your viewing habits. It’s within the means of one other enormous overhaul to make it even simpler to search out exhibits and flicks you will like. In response, Amazon has added AI-powered suggestions to its personal service.
Netflix vs Prime Video: Verdict
The large distinction between the 2 streamers is that with Netflix, the entire firm is constructed round streaming; for Amazon, Prime Video is simply a part of its wider retail empire. How you’re feeling about that is dependent upon how you want to observe: some individuals love the truth that Prime Video presents extra than simply subscription content material by additionally providing leases and purchases, whereas I hate enjoying weekend video games of “can I watch this with out reaching for my pockets?”.
In purely monetary phrases, Prime Video is the higher deal: for 4K ad-free it is significantly cheaper and it has plenty of Hollywood motion pictures in addition to the choice so as to add good stay sports activities protection and extra channels. But its catalog of unique TV exhibits is far smaller, and Netflix’s funding in abroad creators, in anime and in large exhibits has been significantly productive.
Ready to change streaming providers? Here’s how to enroll to Netflix, or for those who’ve determined you’d slightly wait until Stranger Things returns subsequent yr, then this is how one can cancel Netflix. Â Alternatively, verify if the Amazon Prime Video free trial remains to be out there or how one can cancel your Amazon Prime membership.Â
