Amazon Prime vs Netflix: Which Gives More Value for Your Money?

Introduction

Streaming has transformed how we watch television and movies. What started as DVD mailouts has become a global marketplace where services compete to offer the biggest libraries, the best original series and even live sports. Two of the largest players—Netflix and Amazon Prime Video—are available in US and around the world. Choosing between them isn’t just about monthly price; it’s about value: content quality, additional benefits, user experience and personal needs. This guide provides a data‑driven comparison using recent statistics and expert sources, shows how each service works in real‑world scenarios and offers steps to help you decide which option suits your lifestyle.

Understanding the Streaming Landscape

The growth of video streaming

Video streaming is big business. Forbes Home notes that the global video streaming market was valued at $674.25 billion in 2024 and is forecast to surpass $610 billion in the U.S. alone by 2032forbes.com. The same report highlights how streaming subscription costs are increasing—45 % of survey respondents canceled a subscription in the past year due to rising prices. With consumers becoming more selective and services introducing hybrid ad‑supported tiers, understanding where your money goes matters more than ever.

Popularity and market share

A 2025 streaming survey compiled by Forbes found that 55 % of respondents use Netflix, while 51 % have Amazon Prime Videoforbes.com. Netflix’s interface is preferred by 36 % of respondents compared with Prime Video’s 14 %, indicating a user‑experience advantage for Netflix.

On a global scale, research from Global Web Index (GWI) shows that 37 % of internet users watch Netflix each month, whereas 20 % watch Amazon Prime Videogwi.com. In North America, 61 % of users stream Netflix compared with 25 % for Prime Video. These figures illustrate Netflix’s larger reach but also highlight the regional strength of Prime Video in countries such as the U.S., U.K. and Germany.

Subscriber numbers

Netflix reported more than 300 million subscribers worldwide at the end of 2024, up from 260.28 million in 2023forbes.com. While Amazon does not release exact Prime Video subscriber counts, FrediTech’s deep‑dive on Prime benefits notes that the overall Amazon Prime membership exceeds 250 millionfreditech.com. Not every Prime member watches Prime Video, but the number highlights the service’s broad potential audience.

Content Libraries and Quality

Library size and quality ratings

The streaming service that offers the most content isn’t always the best value—but quantity matters. Prime Video boasts the largest library, with 25,349 IMDb‑rated movies and shows available on its basic planself.inc. In contrast, Netflix offers 7,367 titles. The same study, conducted by Self Financial using IMDb ratings, ranks titles based on quality (8 + considered “excellent”). Prime Video offers 1,035 excellent titles compared with Netflix’s 403, giving Prime a clear numerical edge.

When looking at value per dollar, the differences become starker:

Metric	Netflix	Prime Video
Excellent titles per $1	50	115
Good titles per $1	491	1,105
Total titles per $1	222 (OK) + 25 (Poor)	914 (OK) + 252 (Poor)
Excellent movies per $1	20	65
Excellent TV shows per $1	30	50

These figures show that Prime Video delivers more content—and more high‑quality content—per dollar spent. Netflix still ranks second in most categories, indicating a robust library even if it’s smaller.

Genre strengths

The Self Financial study also analyzes genre ratings. Apple TV+ tops many categories due to high average IMDb scores, but Netflix shines in the “Technology” genreself.inc. Despite its enormous library, Prime Video doesn’t rank first in any particular genre. This suggests that while Prime has quantity, Netflix still secures niche excellence, especially with its original documentaries and tech‑focused series.

Original content

Netflix’s brand is built on original programming. Hits such as “Stranger Things,” “The Crown” and “Bridgerton” draw global audiences. The DealNews pricing guide notes that Netflix offers exclusive content like The Boys (on Amazon) and The Crown (on Netflix) to differentiate its servicedealnews.com. Prime Video, meanwhile, produces high‑profile series like “The Boys,” “Reacher” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”aboutamazon.com. Although Netflix invests more heavily in original content, Amazon’s output is growing and benefits from synergy with other Prime perks (e.g., cross‑promotion with e‑commerce and gaming).

Pricing and Plans

Price is often the starting point when comparing services. However, the details—including the presence of ads, video quality and device limits—affect overall value.

Netflix plans (2026)

According to NerdWallet’s 2026 breakdown, Netflix offers three main plansnerdwallet.com:

• Standard with Ads – $7.99/month: Streams on two devices simultaneously in full HD with commercial breaks.

• Standard – $17.99/month: Ad‑free streaming on two devices, downloads on two devices and the ability to share your account with one extra member for an additional $6.99–$8.99.

• Premium – $24.99/month: Ad‑free streaming on up to four devices in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision, downloads on six devices and spatial audio.

Netflix no longer offers a basic plan in many regions. Additional “extra member” slots can be purchased for $7.99 (with ads) or $8.99 (ad‑free) per month.

Amazon Prime Video plans (2026)

Prime Video pricing is more complex because it can be purchased either as a stand‑alone streaming service or as part of Amazon Prime. DealNews outlines the options:

• Stand‑alone Prime Video – $8.99/month: Provides access to the full Prime Video library. Subscribers can pay an extra $2.99 per month to remove ads.

• Prime Membership – $14.99/month or $139/year: Includes Prime Video (with ads), fast shipping on hundreds of millions of items, Prime Music, Prime Reading, Prime Gaming and other perks. Paying annually saves $41.88 versus monthlyfreditech.com.

• Ad‑free option: All Prime members can upgrade their streaming to ad‑free for $2.99 per month, bringing the effective monthly cost to $17.98 (or $174.88 per year).

Standalone Prime Video is cheaper than Netflix’s standard plan, and a full Prime membership costs about the same as Netflix’s standard ad‑free tier once you account for the ad‑free upgrade. However, Amazon includes many non‑streaming benefits that may justify the higher cost.

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Discounted plans

Amazon offers discounted memberships for specific groups. Students can subscribe to Prime Student for $7.49/month after a six‑month free trialfreditech.com/, while low‑income households can join Prime Access for $6.99/month. Netflix does not provide comparable discounts but sometimes bundles its service with telecom packages.

Additional Benefits and Value

Amazon Prime’s ecosystem

The value of Amazon Prime extends far beyond streaming. FrediTech’s guide on hidden Prime benefits explains that a membership includes fast shipping, photo storage, reading perks, gaming and morefreditech.com. Prime delivered over 13 billion items worldwide in 2025 and more than 8 billion items in the U.S., saving members an estimated $550 annually in shipping costs. Many of these items arrived the same day or next day.

Here are some standout perks—each with a step‑by‑step example showing how to use them:

Buy with Prime

• What it is: Buy with Prime lets you use your Amazon account on participating third‑party websites. You receive fast shipping and Prime‑style checkout when you see the Prime logo on a merchant’s sitefreditech.com.

• Why it matters: It brings Amazon’s trusted checkout and free shipping to smaller brands. For example, lifestyle retailer HEYDUDE allows customers to purchase shoes on its own website while enjoying free Prime delivery.

• How to use it: Look for the Prime logo on a product page, choose Buy with Prime at checkout, sign in with your Amazon account and confirm your shipping address.

Amazon Photos

• What it is: Unlimited full‑resolution photo storage and 5 GB of video storage.

• Why it matters: It can replace paid cloud storage services. A parent in Accra used Amazon Photos to back up thousands of school pictures, free up phone space and create slideshows.

• How to use it: Download the Amazon Photos app, sign in with your Prime account, enable automatic photo backup and create albums to sharefreditech.com.

Prime Reading and First Reads

• What it is: Access over 3,000 e‑books, audiobooks, comics and magazines at no extra cost. Members also receive one early‑release e‑book each month via Amazon First Reads.

• How to use it: Open the Kindle app, browse the Prime Reading catalog and select Read for free. Visit the First Reads page monthly to pick an early‑release book.

Prime Gaming

• What it is: Free PC and console games, exclusive in‑game content and a free monthly Twitch subscription.

• How to use it: Visit gaming.amazon.com, sign in, claim games and link your Twitch account to support your favorite streamerfreditech.com.

These perks illustrate that an Amazon Prime membership is a multimedia ecosystem rather than just a streaming service. If you take advantage of shipping and other benefits, the cost may be offset by savings on deliveries, cloud storage and gaming.

Netflix’s ecosystem

Netflix focuses primarily on streaming and does not bundle additional services. Its advantages come from high‑quality original programming and a simple user interface that 36 % of survey respondents preferforbes.com. Netflix also allows offline downloads and offers ad‑free viewing at higher tiers. However, there are no additional perks like free shipping or music streaming. This singular focus can be beneficial if you simply want to watch shows without being tied to a larger commercial ecosystem.

User Experience and Interface

Survey data indicates that Netflix’s user interface (UI) is highly regarded: 36 % of people like Netflix’s UI the most, while 14 % favor Prime Video’s UIforbes.com. Netflix’s interface is known for its algorithmic recommendations, genre categories and seamless autoplay. Prime Video’s interface has improved but still requires navigating separate tabs for channels, rentals and included content. However, the integration with Amazon’s e‑commerce platform means your watch list is accessible from the same account used for shopping and reading.

Step‑by‑Step: How to Decide Which Service Fits Your Lifestyle

Choosing between Netflix and Amazon Prime Video (or deciding whether to subscribe to both) involves more than comparing prices. Follow these steps to make an informed decision:

1. Determine your viewing habits.

• Track how often you stream movies or TV shows and which genres you prefer. If you love Netflix originals like Stranger Things, weigh that heavily. If you prefer a wide library of classic movies and TV shows, Prime Video’s massive catalog may suit you.

2. Assess additional benefits.

• Consider whether you will use Amazon’s shipping perks, Prime Reading, Prime Music or cloud photo storage. If these features would replace existing services (e.g., paying for cloud storage), a Prime membership might save money.

3. Compare cost per user in your household.

• Netflix restricts sharing outside your household and charges for extra member slots. Prime Video allows multiple household profiles and includes other perks. If you live alone or with a partner, Netflix’s Standard plan may suffice; if you have a larger family and want free shipping on purchases, Prime may be more economical.

4. Decide on ad‑free vs. ad‑supported.

• Netflix’s cheapest plan includes ads; Amazon includes limited ads but allows an ad‑free upgrade for $2.99. Weigh your tolerance for commercials against the cost difference.

5. Evaluate payment frequency.

• Subscribing annually saves money on Prime membership. Netflix does not offer annual payments. If budgeting monthly is important, choose the plan that fits your cash flow.

6. Check for bundled offers.

• Telecom providers sometimes bundle Netflix or Prime memberships with internet or mobile plans. Verify whether you already have access through other subscriptions before paying separately.

7. Plan for future price changes.

• Analysts predict that Amazon may raise its annual fee from $139 to $159 in 2026, while Netflix has steadily increased prices. Keep potential hikes in mind when budgeting for multiple streaming services.

Following these steps will help you align your streaming choices with your entertainment needs and financial situation.

Real‑World Examples and Case Studies

Example 1: A tech-savvy family in suburban Dallas, Texas (Prime wins on bundle value)

A family of four uses streaming services for entertainment and relies on e‑commerce for household purchases. They choose Amazon Prime because it provides fast delivery on school supplies and groceries, free Grubhub+ subscription, unlimited photo storage and hundreds of excellent films per dollarself.inc. The parents use Prime Reading and First Reads to access books without paying separately. The kids enjoy Prime’s exclusive series like The Boys and the ability to watch Thursday Night Footballdealnews.com. Even though they occasionally subscribe to Netflix for specific shows, Prime’s all‑in‑one value means they renew annually.

Example 2: A college student in Boston, Massachusetts (Netflix wins on entertainment-only value)

A student loves binge‑watching but has a limited budget. They subscribe to Netflix’s Standard with Ads plan at $7.99 to watch popular anime and Korean dramas. Because the student rarely shops online and already uses a free photo‑backup service, paying for Amazon Prime would be unnecessary. Netflix’s lower cost provides access to the shows they want without extra perks they wouldn’t use. When exam season arrives, the student pauses Netflix for one month—an option Netflix offers to avoid continuous billingnerdwallet.com—and resumes later.

Example 3: A small business owner in Phoenix, Arizona (Prime wins when shipping speed is part of the business)

A business owner sells handmade crafts online and frequently purchases supplies. They join Prime Video as a stand‑alone subscription for $8.99 to catch occasional movies and pay an extra $2.99 for ad‑free viewing. However, they primarily rely on Buy with Prime to streamline checkout on third‑party supplier websitesfreditech.com. The shipping benefits and exclusive discounts from a full Prime membership more than offset the cost difference, so they upgrade to the annual $139 planfreditech.com. This integrated approach helps them manage inventory while enjoying entertainment.

These examples demonstrate how personal circumstances—family size, shopping habits and budget—affect the perceived value of each service. Use them as inspiration when applying the step‑by‑step decision guide.

Conclusion

So which service offers the best value for your money? Netflix remains the most popular streaming platform worldwide and delivers high‑quality original content with a polished user interface. If you primarily care about exclusive series and movies and don’t need additional perks, Netflix is an excellent choice—even if its cost per title is higher. Its Standard plan without ads is more expensive than Prime Video’s stand‑alone subscription, but many viewers find the curated content and interface worth the premium.

Amazon Prime Video, on the other hand, offers the largest content library, the highest number of excellent titles per dollar and access to live sports like the NFL. When bundled within a Prime membership, it becomes part of a comprehensive ecosystem that includes fast shipping, music, gaming, photo storage and shopping discounts. If you shop regularly on Amazon or need the additional benefits, the membership can provide tremendous value and save you money in other areas. Even as a stand‑alone service, Prime Video is cheaper than Netflix’s ad‑free plans.

Ultimately, there is no universal winner. The best choice depends on your viewing habits, budget and whether you will use Amazon’s non‑streaming perks. Many households subscribe to both services at different times of the year, alternating based on desired content. Use the steps outlined above to evaluate your needs and consider trying each platform during free trials to see which feels right for you.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is Amazon Prime Video cheaper than Netflix?

It depends on which tier you compare. In the U.S., Prime Video as a standalone service is $8.99/month (ad-supported). Netflix’s lowest plan (Standard with ads) is $7.99/month, so Netflix is slightly cheaper at the entry level.

However, if you want ad-free, Prime Video typically costs $8.99 + $2.99 (about $11.98/month), which is still cheaper than Netflix’s ad-free plans (starting at $17.99/month).

Also note: full Amazon Prime costs $14.99/month (or $139/year) and includes Prime Video plus shipping and other perks.

Which service has more content?

Catalog size varies by country and changes often. In many markets, Prime Video tends to offer a larger overall library, and it also lets you rent/buy extra titles and add premium channels.

Netflix’s catalog may be smaller in raw numbers, but it’s known for frequent releases and a strong lineup of exclusive originals. If you care most about “something new every week,” Netflix often feels more active; if you want more total browsing options, Prime Video often wins.

Does Prime Video include ads?

Yes. Prime Video’s base experience includes limited ads. If you prefer ad-free streaming, Amazon offers an ad-free add-on for $2.99/month (pricing can vary by region).

Does Netflix allow password sharing?

Netflix accounts are intended for one household. If someone outside your household needs access, Netflix typically requires either a separate account or an Extra Member add-on (available on certain plans).

In the U.S., Extra Member slots are priced at $6.99/month (with ads) or $8.99/month (without ads), depending on your plan and option selected.

Are there free trials?

Amazon commonly offers a 30-day free trial for new Prime members (availability can vary). Netflix does not routinely offer free trials in many regions today.

Tip: If you’re unsure, it can be cheaper to subscribe for one month, binge what you want, then cancel (or rotate services month-to-month).

Which service has better original content?

It’s subjective. Netflix generally releases a higher volume of originals across many genres and countries. Prime Video releases fewer originals, but some are major hits and it often supplements its library with licensed movies/TV plus optional channels.

If you’re choosing based on specific exclusives, check which platform has the shows you actually want to watch right now.

Should I subscribe to both Netflix and Prime Video?

If your budget allows and your household watches a lot, having both can cover more exclusives and genres. But many people save money by rotating—subscribe to one service for a month or two, watch what you want, cancel, then switch.

If you already shop on Amazon frequently, a full Prime membership can be a better value because you get shipping perks alongside Prime Video.

Author credentials

Wiredu Fred is a digital content strategist and founder of FrediTech, a technology and lifestyle blogger. With over a decade of experience reviewing gadgets, software and streaming services, Fred specializes in translating complex tech topics into accessible guides. His work has been featured on FrediTech’s Amazon deals section and has helped thousands of readers choose the right tech products and services. Fred regularly collaborates with industry experts to provide fact‑checked, up‑to‑date information.