The ability to stream movies and videos completely ad-free has many users considering Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. Netflix features a larger library of content and an impressive list of apps. While Amazon Prime Video doesn’t have as many titles, it offers plenty of recent selections that many users crave. With either service, users can opt for a free trial to test the waters before committing. Netflix currently has 158 million-plus subscribers around the world. Amazon Prime Video has more than 100 million. The greater number of subscribers may be because once you subscribe to Netflix, what you see is what you get—unlimited streaming of all content. On the other hand, some Amazon Prime Video users complain they occasionally have to pay for movies that are supposedly included in their subscription. Because Netflix offers access to everything you see, the user experience is more straightforward.
Compare Amazon Prime Video vs. Netflix plans
| Netflix Basic | Netflix Standard | Netflix Premium | Prime Video | Prime Student Membership + Prime Video | Prime Membership + Prime Video | |
| Monthly price | $8.99/mo. | $13.99/mo. | $17.99/mo. | $8.99/mo. | $6.49/mo. | $12.99/mo. |
| Free trial length | N/A | N/A | N/A | 30 days | 6 months | 30 days |
| Number of titles | 5,000+ | 5,000+ | 5,000+ | 17,000+ | 17,000+ | 17,000+ |
| Original content available? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Number of simultaneous streams | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Offline viewing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Which streaming service has the right experience for you?
Amazon Prime Video and Netflix offer subscribers similar experiences in terms of mobile apps, original content and customization. However, each providers’ desktop experience is unique.
User experience
Both Amazon Prime Video and Netflix have an app you can use to watch on smartphones, smart TVs, tablets and other devices. These interfaces feature a scrollable screen packed with thumbnails displaying available titles. Users can scroll up or down to see rows of content. Shows and movies are organized according to both genre and user taste.
If you want to watch Amazon Prime Video or Netflix on your desktop, you can access content through each provider’s website. Amazon Prime Video is compatible with several devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Blu-ray players and more. You can watch Netflix on a variety of devices as well, including game consoles, laptops and several others.
Customization
Both Amazon Prime Video and Netflix offer customers a personalized experience designed to make accessing content easier.
With Netflix, you can create profiles for each member of your household. Once logged in, each user sees choices that have been specifically prepared in anticipation of their tastes. Suggested selections depend on what the account holder has watched in the past, as well as how they’ve rated previously viewed selections. Netflix also has a recommendation feature that suggests titles according to each person’s viewing history and tastes.
Amazon Prime Video allows subscribers to manage anything they’ve purchased or rented, as well as which devices they want to use to watch their movies and shows. Each user has their own video library that contains titles they’ve bought or borrowed. There’s also a game and software library as well as a section where you can customize your advertisement preferences.
Amazon Prime Video offers users access to select streaming entertainment channels with additional monthly subscriptions starting at $2.99/mo.
With both Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, parents can set controls to prevent kids from watching inappropriate material. With Amazon Prime Video, you can install age restrictions on each streaming device. Netflix allows parents to establish accounts for their kids with password-protected settings. Users can also use the Netflix maturity rating system to filter out inappropriate content.
Extras
Viewers can access sub-genres on Netflix using special URL codes, which can also be used to see activity reports, sign out of all devices at once and filter results according to downloadable material.
Amazon Prime Video gives users access to extra information about actors, music, filmmakers and trivia associated with movie scenes. It also allows users to share accounts and download movies for offline viewing. Amazon Prime Video subscribers can add subscriptions from other streaming services like HBO and Starz. This extra feature lets users watch all associated content conveniently inside one app.
Disadvantages
Even though Netflix users enjoy tons of content for a flat fee, much of the premium, non-Netflix original content isn’t available until long after its release. This means users may have to pay extra via another streaming service to see the latest movies.
Amazon Prime Video limits the number of content users can access with a subscription. This means much of the content that pops up is merely a tease—to access it, you’ll have to pay more on top of your monthly subscription.
The takeaway
Netflix and Amazon Prime Video both give users a deep collection of high-quality content with some limits on recent, premium content. With Amazon, however, you can pay to watch titles that aren’t available on Netflix. For customers that don’t mind waiting to watch newer movies, Netflix may be the way to go because it offers films about a year after they come out. If you want access to newer, premium content and don’t mind paying extra, you may prefer Amazon Prime Video.
