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8.0/ 10
SCORE
Prime Video
Pros
Included with Amazon Prime subscription
Wide variety of movies and shows, including many critically acclaimed originals
Large collection of 4K UHD shows and movies
Offline downloads and user profiles
Cons
Can't watch shows as they air on other networks
Search results could use improvements
Epic fantasy series, theatrical film releases, live TV, MLB and football all share space on a common platform: Amazon's Prime Video. It's where you can watch the latest Savage X Fenty fashion show, originals such as Air and The Boys or live concerts from artists like Carrie Underwood and Snoop Dogg.
The service tends to come behind Netflix, Disney Plus and Hulu in discussions about streaming, yet the tech and retail giant's streaming arm is muscular in its own right. The platform is heavily equipped with high-quality original shows and movies, an impressive back catalog of older favorites (and B-movies you haven't heard of), Yankees games on Fridays and NFL on Thursday nights.
If you already subscribe to Amazon Prime for the free shipping, the video offering is a really great included perk. And if you don't, it may still be worth paying $9 a month for, especially if you're interested in any of its Amazon Originals or its large movie selection.
On the other hand, Prime Video is more of a companion service to Netflix and Hulu and weaker overall than both. It can't replace Netflix's massive catalog of originals and hit shows and can't compete with Hulu's vast collection of TV, both old and newly aired. If you don't already have a Prime subscription, we'd definitely recommend choosing one of those two first -- but chances are you already get Amazon's video part for free.
Read more: Best Streaming Services of 2024
How to get Prime Video
The setup works in two ways. If you're one of the 200 million-plus people worldwide who subscribe to Amazon Prime for the free two-day shipping ($15 per month or $140 per year), ad-based Prime Video is included with the service. If you don't have an Amazon Prime account, you can still subscribe to Prime Video with ads for $9 a month, which is two dollars more than Netflix's Standard with ads plan, and one buck less than Hulu's base ad-supported plan. Prime Video subscribers can add on subscriptions to HBO, Showtime, Starz, Paramount Plus, Apple TV Plus and other channels for an extra monthly cost as well. However, if you want to stream Prime Video without ads, you'll need to upgrade by paying an extra $3 per month.
Streaming services compared
Prime Video Hulu Netflix Max Disney Plus Starz
Monthly price $9 (or included with $140/year Prime membership) Starts at $8 Starts at $7 Starts at $10 Starts at $8
Ads No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Top titles Fallout, The Boys, Rings of Power ShÅgun, The Bear, Only Murders in the Building Stranger Things, Queen Charlotte, Squid Game Succession, House of the Dragon, Titans The Simpsons, The Mandalorian, Bluey
Mobile downloads Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
4K HDR available Yes Yes Yes (on Premium plan) Yes Yes
Number of streams: 2 2 2 for standard, 4 on Premium 2 (4 for Ultimate) 4
Content: Critically acclaimed TV, and loads of movies that are... less so
Prime Video lists more than 300 Amazon Original series and movies on the site -- larger than Hulu's 100 or so originals and smaller than Netflix's collection of 2,000. Amazon's Original series stand out for the amount of critical acclaim they've received: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, Fleabag, Good Omens, The Man in the High Castle, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and Mozart in the Jungle all were nominated for or won Emmy awards in the past few years. These shows are typically made available on the platform a full season at a time.
In 2022, Amazon's Lord of the Rings prequel series debuted on Prime Video. Amazon reportedly paid nearly $250 million for the rights, and it's estimated to cost up to $1 billion overall, making it the most expensive TV series ever. You'll also find exclusive original comedy specials, documentaries and reality shows.
Butcher and The Boys look cool lounging on cars in front of a private jet.
The Boys is one of Prime Video's most popular series. Prime Video
The service has original movies, too, including Being the Ricardos, Road House, Coming 2 America, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania and a slew of Blumhouse co-productions. This is in addition to an extensive catalog of B movies that are pretty terrible but superfun to watch. If you prefer to watch films of better quality, though, some of those exist, too. Just check out some of the platform's sci-fi, fantasy or horror flicks.
When it comes to children's entertainment, Prime Video offers a selection of kids' TV shows and movies, but the lineup isn't as vast as those of some of its competitors. You'll find favorites like Clifford the Big Red Dog, Teen Titans, Shaun the Sheep and Thomas and Friends, along with originals like Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny. You can also find popular non-Prime Video kids' titles on the platform. However, it's common for these programs to have only some seasons available to view, instead of an entire episodic run.
While Prime Video is great for binge-watching original shows and older favorites, one downside is that there's no option to keep up with current shows like you can on Hulu, unless you subscribe to one of the channels for an extra cost.
Not all Prime Video content belongs to the platform
Unlike Hulu and Netflix, Amazon sells TV shows and movies separately from its Prime subscription content for rental and/or purchase, including newer releases like Deadpool & Wolverine.
These pay-to-rent (or buy) titles are now featured in specifically curated menus so you can parse through which titles you can stream for free and which ones will cost extra to view. This is one of the features that got a much-needed upgrade when the service rolled out its new look in July 2024. The mingling of content, up until then, was confusing and seemed like another incentive to buy something.
The changes to Prime Video's layout further differentiate titles included in Prime (which feature the streamer's branding in the bottom right corner of each tile) and what's paid for (which has a gold shopping bag icon on the bottom left of each tile). The movies and TV shows available through add-on subscriptions have their specific branding on their titles, as well. But this appears differently across different devices.
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Prime Video has specific branding depicting Prime Video Originals, titles available through add-on subscriptions and programming options you can purchase or rent. Screenshot by Aaron Pruner/CNET
Prime Video's search function got a necessary upgrade, too. Previously, if you typed in a specific title, the results would sometimes be mystifying. For instance, before the upgrade to Prime Video's viewing experience, I searched for Deadpool, and though five Deadpool movies popped up, so did Venom: Let There be Carnage, Cocomelon, Sonic the Hedgehog, Trolls, Jurassic World, Baywatch, Date Night and a bunch of other unrelated fare. This was one of Prime Video's sore points.
Now when you type a specific title into the search bar -- like The Boys -- the app will surface results that reflect your search (with relevant titles like spinoffs Gen V and The Boys Presents: Diabolical, also appearing). It'll also bring up content titles similar in genre and tone that are included with Prime Video (like its Originals), as well as unrelated content that's available to rent from the service or access via a third-party streamer like Discovery Plus.
Prime Video displays results that are mostly within the same genre of a title you're searching for. You can also search by actor. For example, when I typed in Ryan Reynolds, I was given results that included a bunch of Ryan Reynolds movies, as well as titles like Warehouse 13 and Reacher. Neither of those two titles features Reynolds at all.
Then there's Freevee. The free, ad-supported streaming service, which was formerly known as IMDb TV, has been phased out by Amazon. Now, instead of finding Freevee titles on their own specified channel, these movies and TV shows will be housed under Prime Video branding.
Navigation upgrades boost sports and AI power
Prime Video's TV interface is pretty similar to those of Netflix and other streaming services. At the top, you'll see tabs for Search, Home, Movies, TV shows, Live TV, Prime and Subscriptions. The addition of the Sports button to the navigation bar highlights the streamer's streamlined focus on getting eyes on games and events like Thursday Night Football, WNBA, women's soccer and a growing library of on-demand games.
As you scroll, you'll see personalized categories based on your individual viewing habits. Prime Video has implemented generative AI to make this viewing experience a uniquely personal one. When clicking on the Movies and the TV Shows tabs, you'll find collections like the Made for You category, which includes genre-specific titles tailored to your interests.
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Prime Video's updated AI interface curates categories personalized to the unique viewing habits of each member of your household. Screenshot by Aaron Pruner/CNET
Now titles are broken down by category, which can get quite specific. Currently, my Prime Video home page features categories like "Haunted horror TV," "Complicated romance movies" and "Teenage turmoil movies." Needless to say, the interests in my household are wide-ranging.
Prime Video's nested menus operate similarly to those on Netflix. Click a title and you'll see a description, an IMDb score and the ability to Watch Now if it's included with Prime, as well as check out other rental or purchase options. If the title you choose isn't included with Prime, this page will show you how much it would cost to rent or buy on the platform.
Prime Video's best features
A character from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power looks serious
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cost an estimated $1 billion to produce. Amazon Prime Video
One cool feature that differentiates Prime Video from other streaming services is called X-Ray. Thanks to Amazon's ownership of IMDb, you can scroll up while playing a given show or movie and see information on cast members, the music playing and trivia in real time -- helping you avoid "wait, don't I know that guy from somewhere?" syndrome.
Another perk: Prime Video is generally ad free. You may see a short promo for an Amazon Original before a show. But Prime Video doesn't run regular advertising, so you won't see ads for things like soda or trucks during any commercial breaks in your programming.
To aid your binge planning, Prime Video does tell you what new shows are coming up for the month. Hulu and Netflix have this feature, as well.
Most Amazon Original movies and shows, along with several others, are available to stream in 4K Ultra High Definition with HDR. This is great news, since in our experience, HDR actually delivers a more noticeable picture quality improvement, especially on a good TV, than 4K resolution. You'll need a 4K UHD display and a streaming device that supports the format.
Prime now allows you to create separate user profiles like Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus do, with users being able to add up to six different profiles, including kids' profiles, on one account. A kids' profile comes with content suitable for ages 12 and under, and the purchase/rent function is automatically disabled. Parents can also set up additional parental controls -- like PINs -- for any device by navigating to Prime Video Settings > Parental Controls on a web browser.
You can download Prime Video titles to watch offline if you have a Fire tablet, or the Prime Video app for iOS or Android. One note though: Any of your downloads will be still accessible on kids' profiles, regardless of rating.
Is paying for Prime Video worth it if you don't have Amazon Prime?
Depends on what you're looking for in a streaming service. If you're a big fan of movies (good, bad and everything in between), a Prime Video subscription might be worth it for the extensive film catalog -- especially if you can use it to replace pricey digital rentals. The growing collection of quality Amazon Originals is also a big draw -- especially since there are no ads in any shows. And the large number of 4K HDR offerings is a plus for folks with 4K TVs.
But if you're more of a TV show binge-watcher and the Amazon Originals don't spark your interest, you may be just fine with your Netflix or Hulu subscription. Either way, you can try out Prime Video free for 30 days -- just make sure you cancel before it auto-renews.