Netflix vs. Amazon Prime Video In 2024

Signing up for a bunch of streaming services is all fun and games until it starts to break the bank. Then it’s time to give up a service or two. But what if you can’t decide which one? Here, we take two of the biggest streaming giants in the game and break them down by everything from prices and plans to user interfaces—all so you don’t have to.

Winner for this category: Amazon Prime Video + Membership

Both services have a respectable amount of competitive feature options.

On one hand we have Netflix, which offers the ability to stream on two to four different devices all on one plan. This is probably best for families who have separate media interests and multiple streaming devices like TVs, phones, computers or tablets. In addition to a number of simultaneous streams, you can download content for offline view through Netflix.

On the other hand, we have Amazon Prime Video, which includes a number of features that are hard to pass up if you add on that extra Membership status. With a Membership, you get access to Amazon Prime features like FREE two-day shipping and discounts for seniors and students. New movies are frequently released on this platform and are usually available for rental or purchase. In comparison, Netflix does not have a rent or purchase option…but that’s because if it’s on Netflix (and available to the country you’re in), it’s available. So, once again, the winner here is a bit subjective. If you care about access to titles which are not specific to Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, you might be more interested in a Prime Membership. If the titles coming from Netflix appear interesting to you, then having new titles to rent may not matter.

Winner for this category: Amazon Prime Video + Membership

It is important to create a service that is diverse and personalized to enhance how people experience it. Both services have their strong points on these fronts.

As far as personalization goes, Netflix easily takes the cake. They have a delicately curated algorithm designed to show content collections just for you. Categories and films displayed at the top of your title view window are promoted by what you’ve been watching lately. For example, if you were on an anime binge last week, your Netflix feed will likely be filled with Japanese cartoons and television for at least the next few days. They allow you to keep a “queue” of films you want to view later, and a “skip intro” feature that makes things go a lot faster if you’re watching multiple episodes in a row. As far as language diversity goes, Netflix offers subtitles in tons of different international languages.

Amazon Prime Video has some personalization features that fit the individual user, but the best part about the user interface is the fact you can extend your Prime subscription with Amazon Prime Video Channels and get channels like SHOWTIME for an additional monthly fee. Additionally, you can have access to parental controls and customizable captions for the ultimate viewing experience. (That said, Netflix also includes some parental control options. If you’re interested in finding out which streaming service is more beneficial for young viewers, take a look at our guide to streaming services for kids.)

Streaming quality is also a crucial factor of customer enjoyment. Something to note here is that not all streaming services or tiers offer 4K Ultra HD programming, which is wonderful but notorious for needing lots of bandwidth. For Netflix’s Basic tier, standard definition quality is the highest you can go. Their Standard plan reaches up to high definition and their Premium plan can roll out full 4K ultra high definition. Amazon Prime Video, on the other hand, does not have tiered definition qualities. If you have sufficient bandwidth and a device that supports 4K, you can play content in 4K. However, if you’re not a 4K buff, you may not care about seeing every wrinkle on the face of your favorite character or every leaf on the tree that character is sitting under.

No matter which service you go with, here are the minimum speed recommendations for each platform:

Amazon Prime Video has about five times as much content as Netflix, but those shows are not yet as widely acclaimed as those on Netflix, especially in original content. Although they have the Emmy-Award winning show, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” their library of critically praised content has yet to catch up to Netflix. However, the new award-winning releases that are not original to Amazon Prime Video can still be rented or bought through this platform. They are also pretty good at launching whole film series at a time, as they did with the “Twilight” series.

Evidence suggests, however, that Amazon Prime Video’s wealth of content contributes more towards quantity instead of quality. According to the American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) results for video streaming services in 2021, Netflix beat Amazon Prime Video by one point. Although it is a narrow win, the gap between title listings for these two services still makes this score significant. Some of the metrics the ACSI considers when they dole out scores are number of titles, quality of original programming, new title availability, variety of titles, user experience and more. That one extra point, therefore, indicates plenty about the content provided on the platform.

Winner for this category: Netflix (any plan)

Sorry to do this, but in looking at these streaming services holistically, we’ve got a tie. Once Netflix increased their starting prices from $8.99 to $9.99 in January of 2022, Amazon Prime Video edged them out in the price comparison category. Before that, Netflix was our clear winner.

That said, this breakdown does not account for personal taste or needs. If you want a few more outside-of-streaming perks and you want to save a few bucks, then Amazon Prime Video is a solid choice. However, if you value a more personalized user experience and higher customer satisfaction regarding content availability, then Netflix is your winner.