Netflix Vs. Amazon Prime Video: Which Streaming Service Is Better?

• Netflix

  The Original

  notable shows BoJack Horseman, Stranger Things, Squid Game notable movies Extraction, Bird Box, The Irishman

  Netflix may have started as a DVD rental company, but it has grown into a premier streaming service that offers access to many different movies, TV shows, and documentaries.

  Pros & Cons
  • A lot of original content
  • Great documentaries
  • Price keeps going up
  See at Amazon Expand Collapse

• Amazon Prime Video

  The Best Part Of Amazon Prime

  notable shows The Boys, Invincible, Fallout notable movies Palm Springs, Road House, Coming 2 America

  Prime Video is one of the biggest parts of Amazon Prime these days. The service includes many different movies and TV shows, some of which are new originals and others are old classics.

  Pros & Cons
  • Contains some excellent shows, such as The Boys and Invincible
  • 4K viewing is capable on any membership
  • Not a huge amount of original content
  Subscribe at Amazon Expand Collapse

Streaming services are all the rage these days. In fact, for some people, they’ve essentially replaced DVDs and Blu-rays. Even when a major holiday comes up, like Christmas or Valentine’s Day, they look for what’s on Amazon Prime or Netflix to celebrate the occasion instead of looking at their DVD collection. These services have really changed the way people consume media.

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Netflix was the first streaming service to really achieve mainstream success, and it felt a bit like a monopoly for a while. Yet, others soon joined in, such as Amazon Prime. There are so many now that it’s expensive to get them all. So, you may have to make some tough choices. For example, perhaps you don’t need both Netflix and Prime, but which is the best one to have? Here is a comparison of the two.

Content

Much of the content on Netflix or Amazon Prime is only temporarily available, as movies and TV shows join and leave the service regularly. Therefore, it's hard to compare them. However, both streaming services include a collection of exclusive movies and shows that always stay on the service.

When it comes to exclusives, Netflix has the edge, mainly due to depth. Amazon does have some big hitters, such as The Boys and Invincible. However, Netflix has the likes of Stranger Things, Squid Game, Bojack Horseman, Narcos, Black Mirror, and plenty more that are popular enough to inspire collectibles. Neither service has really excelled when it comes to original movies thus far. Yet, Netflix has had some fantastic documentaries.

Both services, however, do a good job of catering to various tastes, as many genres are represented.

Pricing

One of the critcisims of Netflix is its pricing, as it seems to increase fairly regularly. Here are the current prices:

Plan

Price

Features

Standard With Ads

$7 a month

• Includes ads.
• All but a few movies and TV shows are included.
• Unlimited mobile games.
• Watch on two devices at once.
• Download on two devices at once.
• Watch in 1080p.

Standard

$15 a month

• Ad-free.
• All movies, TV shows, and games are included.
• Watch on two devices at once.
• Download on two devices at once.
• Watch in 1080p.
• Option to add one extra member who doesn't live with you for an extra $8 a month.

Premium

$23 a month

• Ad-free.
• All movies, TV shows, and games are included.
• Watch on four devices at once.
• Download on six devices at once.
• Watch in 4K.
• Option to add two extra members who don't live with you for an extra $8 a month each.
• Netflix spatial audio.

Amazon Prime doesn't have as many membership plans as Netflix. Here are your options, though:

Plan

Price

Features

Prime Video Membership

$9 a month

• Includes ads.
• Access to all movies and TV shows included in Amazon Prime Video.
• Ability to download movies and TV shows to watch offline.
• Watch in 4K.
• Three people can stream content at the same time (only two can watch the same exact content simultaneously).

Amazon Prime Membership

$15 a month

• Includes ads.
• Access to all movies and TV shows included in Amazon Prime Video.
• Ability to download movies and TV shows to watch offline.
• Watch in 4K.
• Three people can stream content at the same time (only two can watch the same exact content simultaneously).
• Free one-day shipping for shopping.
• Prime music.
• Prime gaming.
• More non-streaming-related features.

Comparing the prices of the streaming services isn't too easy. After all, a full Amazon Prime membership is of far better value than a standard or premium Netflix plan. Yet, much of what makes it better isn't tied to the streaming aspect of the deal. So, if you have no interest in the shopping benefits or Prime music, then the standard Netflix plan is very similar to the Prime one, except without 4K.

The most affordable packages offer similar value. The Netflix one is slightly cheaper, but it doesn't offer 4K viewing and doesn't include all the content Netflix has to offer. The Prime Video Membership offers everything you could want from Amazon's video streaming service, but you miss out on the other Prime benefits.

Features

Both streaming services have several of the same features, such as the ability to download content, multiple concurrent streams at one time, and the inclusion of watchlists.

Even the interface of both streamers isn't that different. The front page features different sections that you can scroll through. However, because you can also buy movies and TV shows through Prime Video that aren't part of your Prime subscription, they sometimes clutter things up a bit and force you to dig to find the content that's included in your subscription. With Netflix, everything you can see is part of your subscription. So, finding things on Netflix is often easier.

The interface does differ slightly depending on what device you're using.

The fact you can watch things on Prime in 4K no matter your membership is a welcome feature. By contrast, you need a premium subscription to watch Netflix content in 4K. Yet, at least, the standard and premium versions of Netflix have no ads. You have to pay extra to remove them from Amazon Prime.

Another nice little feature for Amazon Prime is the ability to see which actors are in each scene of what you're watching. It isn't a major feature that completely changes the viewing experience, but it's a nice little add-on. It even shows you some of the other work they have featured in, so it is a lot more effective than a simple credits scroll.

Overall, it's hard to say which platform has the better features. The inclusion of 4K in all memberships is the biggest difference. That said, if you don't have a 4K TV, that means little. In that case, Netflix's ease of use may give it the advantage.

Bottom Line

There isn't a huge gap in quality when it comes to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. They have similar features, and pricing isn't too dissimilar if you're only interested in the streaming aspects of Prime.

Netflix's larger collection of original content may be enough to make it superior. That said, if you also order things from Amazon often and are interested in Amazon Music, then the whole Prime package might suit you better.

FAQ

Who Has More Subscribers, Netflix Or Amazon Prime?

According to Forbes, Netflix had the most subscribers of any streaming service by the end of 2023, and there is no evidence to suggest that its standing has dropped since then. It had a whopping 247 million subs, which was 47 million more than Amazon Prime.

Is Netflix Worth Keeping Anymore?

Netflix is continually getting more expensive. However, it still contains plenty of great content and is easy to use, so it still certainly has value. Yet, if you aren't interested in many of the shows and movies on there, then there's no point keeping it.

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