Netflix and Amazon Prime Video lead the video-on-demand (VOD) streaming market. Netflix is first followed by Amazon Prime.
Both of these services have won awards for their original content and provide access to a variety of popular licensed content. It is difficult to decide which one is a better streaming service, but here are some facts to help you decide.
Brief History – Netflix & Amazon Prime Video
Netflix is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media to subscribers across the world. Amazon Prime Video is an internet video-on-demand (VOD) service offered by Amazon in the U.S.
Amazon Prime was launched a year before Netflix in 2006 as “Amazon Unbox” and was rebranded in 2008 to “Amazon video-on-demand.”
In 2011 it became known as Amazon Instant Video.
Netflix vs Prime Video – A complete Comparison
With Netflix and Amazon Prime Video leading the streaming market in terms of their market share.
Let’s find out which streaming service is better and worth the investment.
Number of subscribers
Netflix currently has about 222 million total subscribers, but it fell short of its targets for new subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2021. It projects it will add fewer subscribers in Q1 of 2022 than it did last year.
This is probably due to the entry of many new streaming services.
Most Amazon Prime subscribers are in the U.S. It has 157 million American subscribers out of about 200 million total subscribers.
Winner: Netflix
User experience (UX)
Netflix has a well-optimized user interface that’s easy to use on a variety of platforms and devices. It also offers subtitles (closed-captioning) for more TV shows and movies than Amazon.
Amazon’s interfaces are a little more complex and less integrated so the overall navigation and browsing are more difficult.
Both services stream with HDR support and Dolby Atmos sound quality if this is supported. Netflix only offers these features with its most expensive subscription.
Winner: Netflix
Size of the content library
Netflix has around 100,000 movies and T.V. shows, whereas Amazon Prime Video has a little over 40,000 streaming movies and T.V. shows.
While Amazon Prime Video has a smaller library, it tends to offer more of the latest movies and TV shows.
Prime Video has more movies than Netflix, although many of them are B-grade oldies.
Winner: Netflix
Quality of shows
Some of the most well-known Netflix originals include The Witcher, Orange is the New Black, Queer Eye, Squid Game, BoJack Horseman and Stranger Things. However, syndicated shows like Friends are most popular on the platform.
Netflix can be a bit slow when it comes to licensing shows and is typically a season behind but it is the clear winner in the amount and quality of TV shows it offers.
Amazon Prime Video streams some popular TV shows such as Sherlock, The Wheel of Time and Downton Abbey. It also streams its own originals like the Man in the High Castle, Betas, and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel.
Prime Video gives you the option of renting or buying episodes of new content following its initial broadcast.
Netflix in-house shows are usually in high demand and have a habit of going viral, like the way Squid Game went viral for the show’s originality. While Prime Video has its own original shows, but the variety of original shows are extremely limited.
Winner: Netflix
Device compatibility
With so many streaming devices available today, all with different operating systems, features and limitations, you will need to subscribe to a service that offers the best compatibility with your devices.
At this point, both Netflix and Amazon Prime support most of the major platforms, but Netflix probably supports slightly more devices than Amazon Prime.
Netflix supports Chromecast and has a native app for Apple TV, while Amazon Prime Video does not. Amazon Prime’s app works very well with other Amazon devices.
Winner: Netflix
Pricing
Netflix offers a three-tier pricing structure and at the lowest monthly price, you don’t have access to HD and you can only stream on one device. You can upgrade your account to access HD streaming and stream on two devices.
At the highest monthly price, you get access to ultra HD, which offers the best resolution and you can stream on as many as four devices at once.
With the Netflix monthly fee, you do have the flexibility of joining, stopping the service, and rejoining when you want to.
Amazon Prime has Prime Membership that offers various benefits if you pay upfront for a year. For instance, it offers free two-day shipping on many Amazon products and free Kindle content.
Your annual Amazon Prime subscription fee allows you to watch any content in 4K Ultra HD video quality and you can watch an unlimited amount of Prime Video content that includes Amazon original shows.
You can also opt to purchase a standalone monthly video membership on Prime Video.
Winner: Amazon Prime Video
Streaming abilities
As mentioned before, the amount of devices on which you can stream with a Netflix subscription depends on what you pay. Paying the most allows you to stream on four devices.
Netflix doesn’t have a limit on streaming the same media at once. Amazon Prime members can stream on up to three devices at once but can only stream the same media on two devices simultaneously.
While Netflix is costly as a yearly subscription, the streaming capabilities improve the more you pay for the service. With Prime Video’s cheaper yearly plan and other features offered with the plan, Amazon Prime Video wins in its streaming abaility.
Winner: Amazon Prime Video
The final verdict
Netflix and Amazon Prime are both amazing VOD streaming services. If you are already part of the Amazon universe, it may make the most sense to go with Amazon Prime Video.
Otherwise, Netflix may offer you the most user-friendly experience.
Both services have some great original, prize-winning content and while Netflix has a larger library, Amazon Prime is constantly expanding its selection.
They also both offer a 30-day free trial so why not try them out before making a decision.
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