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The freedom of watching a movie or TV show any time you want, the flexibility of playing your favorite content across multiple devices, and the sheer variety of titles are enough to win anyone over to the streaming services’ side. However, the diversity of streaming options tends to have an overwhelming effect on the average consumer, leading to the impossibility of making a choice.
Should you go for Netflix, the media service giant with 60 million subscribers as of 2020? Or, should you get Prime Video, the popular video-on-demand service owned by Amazon, with more than 150 million users around the world? How can you make sense out of the noise of advertisements? Let this post serve as your guide, helping you weigh your options wisely and reach a verdict after a detailed comparative analysis. Read on to find the perfect streaming service for yourself this season.
Netflix vs. Amazon Prime Video: Device Compatibility
An ideal streaming service should have the highest compatibility score; so much so, that you should be able to watch its content on whatever device should you choose. Netflix wins here. Not only is it compatible with PC, Mac, Apple TV, Google Chromecast & Chromecast Ultra, Roku, Amazon Fire TV & tablets, Xbox One & Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 & 4, Android phones & tablets, iOS phones & tablets, Blu-ray streaming players, smart TVs, and Nintendo Wii U, but also with Nintendo 3DS, Windows phone and other devices which Amazon Prime Video misses out on.
You can watch Netflix even through your TWC TV box. All you would need to do is launch the app on the TV using your remote control. Amazon Prime Video is still expanding its reach, but it is coming closer to matching Netflix’s flexibility with each passing year.
Netflix vs. Amazon Prime Video: Pricing & Packages
Cost is one of the foremost deciding factors when you are shopping for a video subscription service. Netflix has a simple and straightforward pricing scheme. Its entry-level ‘Basic’ plan offers a single stream in SD for $9 per month. The ‘Standard’ plan costs $13 per month and allows two simultaneous streams in HD quality. Netflix’s highest tier package, known as ‘Premium’ has a price tag of $13 per month and enables you to play four simultaneous streams in 4K Ultra HD quality, enhanced by HDR and Dolby Atmos. All three packages give you access to the entire library of Netflix. The only difference, besides the price, is the level of streaming quality.
On the other hand, Amazon gives you two choices. Either you can subscribe to the Prime Video service alone for $9 per month or you can get the Amazon Prime Membership (with the entire catalog of Prime Video, Prime Music, shipping benefits, and shopping discounts) for $13 per month or $119 for an entire year. The best thing about Amazon Prime Video service is that you can stream up to three movies in 4K quality (depending on the title) at the same time.
So, which is the more affordable option? For $9 per month, Amazon gives a better content streaming quality than Netflix does, which sticks to only SD (480p) in the ‘Basic’ plan.
Netflix vs. Amazon Prime Video: Streaming Requirements
Streaming services rely on internet connection and network speed to function properly. Netflix gives internet speed recommendations on its site that you can easily follow to have a smooth streaming experience. Here are the details:
Required internet connection speed = 0.5 Mbps
Recommended internet speed for SD quality streaming = 3 Mbps
Recommended internet speed for HD quality streaming = 5 Mbps
Recommended internet speed for 4K UHD quality streaming = 25 Mbps
While Netflix is specific and particular about its speed requirements, Amazon Prime Video suggests only one speed for streaming in high quality, i.e. 15 Mbps. Some might call this recommendation vague, while others might appreciate it for its simplicity. It’s relative.
Netflix vs. Amazon Prime Video: Content Selection
Let’s come down to the variety of streaming content which each service delivers. Netflix is home to not only licensed content but original programming as well. You can watch everything from the latest blockbusters to classic Hollywood movies, documentaries, TV series, and comedy specials. Besides these, Netflix original TV series like “The Umbrella Academy,” “The Witcher” or “Stranger Things,” and original movies like “The Kissing Booth,” “Fractured,” and “Marriage Story” manage to steal the limelight from other providers.
In contrast, Amazon Prime Video has probably the largest selection of timeless content, which overshadows even Netflix. Prime Video library consists of more than 22,876 movie titles (Netflix has around 3,751) and 1,984 TV shows (Netflix has 1,569). However, this number usually consists of old-timey movies and TV shows. Though it tries with titles like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “The Man in the High Castle,” Amazon Prime Video does not compete well with the level of original programming that Netflix owns.
The Final Verdict
Though both services have their own merits and demerits and correspond to the needs of viewers differently, Netflix surpasses Prime Video by a large margin, as shown in this post.
