Although having so many streaming platforms at our disposal does mean we have plenty of content to choose from, the cost can add up quickly.
Considering Netflix currently sports a 4.5-star rating from us, while Amazon Prime Video has a four-star badge, which streaming service should you go for? Is one better value than the other?
We explain the differences between the two in Netflix vs Amazon Prime Video to help you decide which streaming service might be better suited for you. Alternatively, our Disney Plus vs Netflix guide is also here to help to choose.
Pricing and free trials
Netflix has three plans to choose between: Standard with Ads, Standard and Premium. Standard with Ads is the cheapest at £5.99/$7.99 a month, while Standard is £12.99/$17.99 a month, and Premium will set you back £18.99/$24.99 a month.
There’s also the option to add one extra member to your account, which will cost an additional £4.99/$6.99 monthly with ads or £5.99/$8.99 without ads. For Premium subscriptions, you can add up to two extra members for an additional £4.99/$6.99 with ads or £5.99$8.99 without.
Amazon Prime Video can get a bit confusing. You can subscribe to Amazon Prime, which includes additional benefits like one-day and same-day delivery on eligible orders, exclusive deals, Deliveroo Plus Silver and more, and is either £8.99/$14.99 a month or £89.99/$139 a year.
For an additional £2.99/$2.99 a month, you will also benefit from ad-free streaming (which doesn’t include live TV) and receive Dolby Vision and Atmos support for compatible content.
Alternatively you can choose to subscribe to Amazon Prime Video alone, which is £5.99/$8.99 a month. We’d argue that it’s more beneficial to opt for the total Amazon Prime package.
At the time of writing, Netflix doesn’t offer any free trial although it’s worth keeping an eye out for limited time promotional offers. Amazon, on the other hand, does offer a 30-day free trial of its entire Prime service, as long as you haven’t been a member in the past 12 months.
Amazon also offers a six month free trial for students and those aged between 18 and 22 years old (or up to 24 years old in the US). Once this trial is up, Prime is just £4.49/$7.49 a month or £47.49/$69 annually.
Supported devices
Both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are readily available. Naturally Prime Video, and Netflix, are available on Amazon’s own Fire TVs, Fire Tablets and Echo devices, plus they can be found on systems like Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, Sky Glass, Sky Q, Sky Stream and compatible smart TVs.
Prime Video can also be found via its dedicated Mac, iOS, Android and Windows apps and through most web browsers too. While this is similar for Netflix, it doesn’t boast a Mac app.
Finally, Netflix and Prime Video can also be found on games consoles like PlayStation and Xbox Series S and X.
Interface
- Amazon Prime Video encourages idle scrolling with over 200 titles listed in some rows
- Prime Video has many options to add multiple subscriptions, whereas Netflix is more succinct
- Both have rows of different TV and movie categories
If you’re familiar with Fire TV then you’ll recognise Prime Video as it sports a similar carousel that cycles through spotlighted content from across the platform and its partnered channels, like Paramount Plus. This is somewhat similar to Netflix, which also has floating rows and a spotlight section at the top.
Scroll down Prime Video and you’ll see rows for various categories such as Continue Watching, Top 10 and a useful “Titles expiring in the next 30 days.” Despite being a subscription in itself, you will scroll past a lot of rows which require an additional price, such as MGM Plus, which can be a bit annoying. Netflix doesn’t have this and instead you’ll find expected rows for different genres, New Released, Recently Added and Watch It Again.
All Prime Video and Premium Netflix subscribers will also benefit from an Ultra HD 4K content row too, however this does tend to reappear and disappear at random so best not to rely too much on this.
We found that Netflix can see up to 76 titles listed in a single row which may seem a lot. However, we noted that Prime Video saw well over 200 in a single row which undoubtedly encourages endless idle scrolling.
Winner: Netflix
Curation
Both Netflix and Prime Video offer personalised recommendations based on your viewing history, however Netflix does boast the edge as it provides percentage matches which indicate just how closely a title aligns with your profile.
The two also allow users the option to rate series and films which should feed into their respective algorithms. Netflix presents its findings in a Your Next Watch row while Prime Video has separate rows for Subscriptions You Might Like, Movies You Might Like and TV You Might Like.
Winner: Netflix
Library
- Prime Video has a seemingly larger library than Netflix but this is because it includes content from additional channels
- Netflix has a better reputation for original content
- Prime Video shows live sports
It’s hard to pinpoint just how many titles Netflix and Prime Video include as content constantly arrives and leaves their platforms. Prime Video also licenses a huge amount of content from studios, while Netflix has a particular focus on its original content with shows like Adolescence, Black Mirror, Stranger Things and Squid Game to name a few.
That’s not to say Prime Video doesn’t have original content either. In fact, Prime Video is behind shows like Daisy Jones and the Six, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and A League of Their Own.
Otherwise, Prime Video tends to mix its included streaming titles with content that you need to rent, buy or subscribe to an additional Video Channel to receive, which can make matters both confusing and frustrating. These additional channels include the likes of Paramount Plus, Hayu, Apple TV Plus, Mubi, Discovery Plus, Hallmark Plus and many more, and all require an additional fee.
However, as Prime Video allows you to access content from other subscriptions via its own interface, this can actually help to make streaming easier. Just be wary you don’t accidentally sign up to an unwanted subscription.
All of the titles listed on Netflix, on the other hand, are available to all subscribers and we hope this doesn’t change.
Finally, if live sports is of importance to you then you’ll likely have already considered a Prime Video subscription, as this allows access to certain Premier League matches, ATP tennis and more. While Netflix does show the occasional live boxing match and WWE, it’s nowhere near as regular as Prime Video.
In terms of quantity, we’d argue that Prime Video is the winner here as it simply has more shows to choose from, albeit with some needing an additional expense. However, to help you gauge more of what Netflix and Prime Video have on offer, we’ve listed their top shows below:
Netflix:
- Adolescence
- Black Mirror
- You
- Wednesday
- Bridgerton
- Squid Game
- Stranger Things
- Selling Sunset
Amazon Prime Video:
- The Bondsman
- Last One Laughing
- Reacher
- Neighbours 2024
- The Wheel of Time
- Clarkson’s Farm
- Daisy Jones and the Six
Winner: Amazon Prime Video
4K HDR and Features
- 4K HDR quality depends on your home entertainment set-up and membership type
- Prime Video enables up to 100 users to stream together in Watch Party
- IMDb X-Ray tool on Prime Video is perfect for film trivia fanatics
It’s worth noting that for all streaming platforms, the quality of the content will depend on your home entertainment set-up, including the TV and speaker system. For Netflix too, the quality will depend on your membership too as its cheaper Standard (both with and without adverts) only offers up to 1080p picture while Premium supports 4K, HDR and Dolby Atmos sound.
Amazon Prime Video, on the other hand, includes 4K and HDR content as standard although there is the option to pay an extra £2.99/$2.99 to benefit from Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Again, like Netflix, the exact quality will depend on your TV and stereo and remember that not all content will be compatible with 4K either.
Prime Video supports up to six profiles while Netflix only offers up to five. However, Netflix allows for six devices to keep downloads whereas Prime Video only allows for a measly two.
Prime Video also supports group viewing with Watch Party. Akin to Disney Plus’ GroupWatch, Watch Party allows up to a whopping 100 participants to watch something together, as long as they all have Prime Video and are based in the same country.
Another string on Prime Video’s bow is its IMDb X-Ray feature which offers detail of the cast, trivia and facts based on what you’re watching.
Winner: Amazon Prime Video
Performance
- The exact picture and audio quality depends on your set-up and membership
- Both Netflix and Prime Video offer reliably good all-round quality
As we’ve mentioned before, performance will depend on the TV and sound system you have, although even with that in mind, we still found both Netflix and Prime Video reliably good. While Netflix offers a brilliant viewing and immersive listening experience, Prime Video also boasts enough content to take advantage of UHD resolution, HDR and Wide Colour Gamut.
Not only that but we also found its sound quality to be admirable, although its Dolby Atmos support isn’t quite as wide as we’d have liked.
Overall, we’d recommend checking out our best TV guide to benefit the most from Netflix and Prime Video. Otherwise, you can expect to make do with your current set-up, granted it’s not a very old TV and sound system.
Verdict
If you enjoy watching live sports, want as many titles as possible to choose from and don’t mind the option of adding more channels at extra costs, then Amazon Prime Video is undoubtedly for you. In fact, it’s arguable that the ability to keep all your additional channels under the Prime Video umbrella is a more streamlined method.
However, if you prefer more original titles, an easier-to-use interface and the ability to cut your monthly cost with an ad-enabled plan, then Netflix will likely suit you better.
