Netflix and Prime Video are two of the biggest streaming services. Both boast an impressive content catalog featuring tons of movies and TV shows. If you’re looking to decide between the two, here’s everything you need to know to make an informed decision.
Netflix Has a Better Catalog
Netflix and Prime Video have spent billions of dollars acquiring and producing content for you to watch. As a result, you have access to thousands of documentaries, movies, and TV shows on both streamers.
While it’s common for both to rejig their catalog every month by adding or removing titles acquired from other production houses and studios, their original programming only grows. And this is one area where Netflix has an advantage over Prime Video.
Netflix was among the first streamers to create its own content to reduce its reliance on other production houses, and it has continued to invest heavily in the same. As a result, it arguably has the biggest catalog of originals outside of streamers associated with traditional production houses.
While the quality of the content is subjective, Netflix has no dearth of great fiction and non-fiction titles. Besides the award-winning and popular movies and shows it licenses from other production houses, many of its originals have won various accolades. For example, Netflix led all networks and platforms with 107 nominations in the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards, out of which it won 24, behind only FX’s 36 wins. Similarly, Netflix secured 18 nominations in the 2025 Oscars, winners of which will be announced on March 3, 2025.
As mentioned, Prime Video also produces its own originals, but it falls short of Netflix in terms of quantity. The selection of critically acclaimed originals is also relatively limited on the Amazon streaming service. That said, Prime Video has its share of popular titles, including award-winning shows and movies.
Besides English-language content, both streamers also house a lot of content in other languages from around the world.
Keep in mind that Netflix and Prime Video catalogs differ from country to country because of licensing restrictions.
How Much Do You Need to Pay for Netflix or Prime Video?
You have to pay to access both Netflix and Prime Video. However, you can choose from a variety of plans to meet your budget. As of February 2025, Netflix offers three monthly plans in the US: Standard with ads, Standard, and Premium.
- Standard with ads: $7.99, 1080p video streaming, watch on up to two simultaneous screens, commercial ad breaks in most TV shows and movies, and ads in live events
- Standard: $17.99, 1080p video streaming, watch on up to two simultaneous screens, no ads (except in live events)
- Premium: $24.99, 4K video streaming, HDR support, spatial audio support, watch on up to four simultaneous screens, no ads (except in live events)
Access to Prime Video is available as a part of Amazon’s Prime membership, which costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually. But if you don’t want all of Prime’s benefits, you can subscribe to Prime Video separately for $8.99 a month. However, both of these plans include limited ads. So, if you want to eliminate the ads, you’ll have to shell out $2.99 extra per month. Even with the ad-free upgrade, you will still get ads as part of the live events.
In addition to the regular Prime membership price, Amazon offers a discounted price for eligible students. It’s $7.49 per month or $69 per year.
So, on the pricing front, Prime Video certainly has an edge as you get tons of additional benefits as part of the Prime membership, including free Same-Day, One-Day, or Two-Day Delivery.
Which Devices Are Supported by Netflix and Prime Video?
Netflix and Prime Video support most devices with a screen. Both have apps for Android, iOS, iPadOS, Android TV, Apple TV, webOS, Tizen, Windows, Fire TV, Roku, Sony PlayStation, and Microsoft Xbox. The two streamers also have apps for popular Blu-ray players. Plus, you can use both services on most devices with a proper web browser.
However, Prime Video pips Netflix by providing native apps for macOS, Meta Quest VR headsets, Android Automotive, and Echo smart displays.
In terms of screen limits, Prime Video allows you to stream it on up to three devices simultaneously. However, you can stream the same title on only up to two devices. Netflix, as mentioned, supports up to two screens on its Standard and Standard with ads plans and up to four devices on its Premium plan.
Fairly Similar Interface and Features
Whether you use an app or the web version of Netflix and Prime Video, the user experience is similar, and both services are easy to use. Their interfaces feature various available titles in a tile format, separated into different featured sections. Some sections are curated, whereas others are generated by the algorithms based on your viewing history.
Both streamers also support profiles for different members of the household. Plus, you can add content to your watchlist for the future.
In other highlights, Netflix and Prime Video allow you to download select content for offline viewing. But while Netflix limits download support to its Android and iOS apps, Prime Video lets you download content on its macOS and Windows apps in addition to the mobile apps. However, Netflix’s Smart Downloads feature is a nifty bonus. It allows you to trigger an automatic download of the next episode of a show you’re watching or an automatic download of stuff that Netflix thinks you may like.
Other features of the two streamers include support for subtitles, audio tracks, and search. Moreover, Netflix and Prime Video use different labels to highlight new content. However, while Netflix also labels any content leaving its service, no such labels seem to be present on Prime Video right now.
Stream Netflix or Prime Video Pretty Much Anywhere
Although Netflix and Prime Video started their journey in the US, the two streaming services are now accessible in most parts of the world, except China, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. Prime Video is also unavailable in Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Belarus, and Vietnam.
The subscription prices, plans, and content catalog differ by country. For example, you can get a mobile plan for both streamers in some markets that’s significantly cheaper than the Standard plan. Similarly, apart from most original programming, the catalog for both can be vastly different in different countries.
While one way to circumvent geographical restrictions for content is a virtual private network or VPN, streamers have been clamping down on VPN use.
Although Netflix and Prime Video have a lot of similarities, there are some features you won’t find on the other. For example, Netflix offers dozens of mobile games its subscribers can access on Android and iOS. While some of these games are based on movies and TV shows offered by the service, such as Squid Game Unleashed, others are free premium versions of popular mobile games, such as Monument Valley 2.
Similarly, Prime Video allows you to subscribe and access other streaming services on its platform. So you don’t have to pay for multiple services separately or have multiple apps to access their content. Some of the popular streaming services available via Prime Video include Apple TV+, AMC+, Crunchyroll, Max, and Paramount+.
Another helpful feature of Prime Video is X-Ray, which uses IMDB data to tell you about the actors, songs, and more in the scene playing on your device. You can also use it to know about a movie or show’s cast.
Moreover, you can rent new movies on Prime Video. These movies are not part of Prime Video’s regular streaming catalog and require an additional payment.
Better Catalog or a More Versatile Platform?
Netflix and Prime Video are both pretty good streaming services. Both are easy to use and offer thousands of movies, shows, and documentaries. There are also extras like games on Netflix and digital rentals on Prime Video. However, the most important differentiator for any streamer is its content catalog. This is one area where Netflix has the edge, thanks to its insane investment in producing original programming and acquisitions. While much of Netflix’s content can be hit or miss, it has plenty of quality movies and shows.
That said, Prime Video also has a good content selection and can be more versatile than Netflix, thanks to its digital rental support and subscriptions. It allows you to build your one-stop streaming destination that has apps for pretty much all platforms. Moreover, it can be excellent value as part of the Prime subscription. Even without Prime, it’s competitively priced.
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Netflix
When it comes to original shows and movies, no service comes close to Netflix. New original content is released weekly, so you’ll never run out of shows to watch.
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Amazon Prime Video
Thanks to Prime Video’s open policy about uploads, this streaming service has a sheer volume of content to watch. The other Amazon perks are a bonus, as well.
