Amazon Prime Video Review: Who’s it Best For in 2024?

The streaming landscape has changed a lot over the past few years and the jury’s still out on which will survive for the long term. But backed by one of the world’s largest companies, it’s a safe bet that Amazon’s streaming service will be around for years to come.

However, with so much competition—and a recent price hike—is Prime Video still worth it in 2024? Our Prime Video review takes a close look at the streaming service to help you make an informed decision.

How much does Prime Video cost in 2023?

Let’s cut to the chase and get the money out of the way. Prime Video is one of the most straightforward streaming services when it comes to pricing. For most people, there are 2 options – you can get it included with a regular Amazon Prime membership or Prime Video on its own as a standalone streaming service. 

However(!), if you’re a student or a recipient of qualifying government assistance, there are 2 more plans available. The details are more geared toward Amazon Prime, but we’re listing the benefits and conditions here for those who are eligible.

Prime Video (standalone): $8.99/month

• Unlimited access to Prime’s ad-free, on-demand library
• Add 100+ premium channels à la carte
• Ads: Yes
• User profiles: 6
• Downloads: 15 to 25 downloads on 2 devices
• Simultaneous screens: 3
• Quality: Up to 4K
• No annual plan

Prime Video ad-free: $11.98/month

• Everything in Prime Video (standalone) minus the ads

As part of Amazon Prime: $14.99/month

• Unlimited access to Prime’s ad-free, on-demand library
• Add 100+ premium channels à la carte
• User profiles: 6
• Downloads: 15 to 25 downloads on 2 devices
• Simultaneous screens: 3
• Quality: Up to 4K
• Annual plan: $139

Prime Student: $7.49/month

• Discounted plan for students enrolled in 2 or 4-year college programs
• Same benefits as a standard Amazon Prime membership
• Discounts on school essentials
• Perks from StudentUniverse, Calm, Course Hero
• Annual plan: $69

Prime Access: $6.99/month

• For people receiving SNAP, Medicaid, or other select assistance
• Same benefits as a standard Amazon Prime membership
• Pay with SNAP EBT on Amazon

Prime Video vs. the alternatives

Its recent addition of ads and the creation of an ad-free plan for an extra $3/month has hurt it value-wise compared to last year. But it’s ad-free plan is still less expensive than all other major streamers other than Apple TV+. Here’s how Prime Video compares to other major streaming services out there:

As you can see, Prime Video is one of the most expensive ad-supported plans, second only to Max.

But among the ad-free plans, it’s second cheapest after Apple TV+. (Let’s not get into comparing it to the ridiculous “ultra-premium” options by Max and Netflix that exist to lock 4K content behind over-priced plans.)

What kind of content does Prime Video have?

Prime Video offers a decent range of on-demand content. However, while it’s continued to grow, its library isn’t as large as other on-demand streaming services. If you’re looking for a wide variety of TV shows and movies, Hulu, Paramount+, or Peacock might better suit your needs.

Original content

One standout feature of the Amazonian streamer is its original programming. The service has produced several critically acclaimed shows, such as Bosch, Transparent, and The Boys. It also has its flagship Lord of the Rings series which happens to be the most expensive TV show ever made.

Additionally, you’ll find a fair number of original movies, including Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Sound of Metal, and Being the Ricardos.

Here are some of the best Prime Video original TV shows so far:

• Bosch (2015–2021)
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023)
• Jack Ryan (since 2018–2023)
• Them (since 2021)
• The Devil’s Hour (since 2022)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (since 2022)
• Outer Range (since 2022)
• Reacher (since 2022)
• The Terminal List (2022)
• Dead Ringers (2023 miniseries)
• Fallout (since 2024)

Movies

Prime’s movie library should have something for everyone, but if you can’t find something you’ll likely be able to rent it for a few bucks. And that’s an option that not all streamers give you. (At least not yet.)

A lot of rentals or add-on-required titles can show up when browsing Amazon, so here are some of the most popular movies included with Prime Video right now:

• The Burial
• Cocaine Bear
• The Covenant
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• Fast X
• Role Play
• Sound of Freedom
• Totally Killer
• X

TV shows

Prime Video doesn’t have as many network TV shows as other streamers, especially those owned by TV networks – like Paramount+ and Peacock. Although you’ll find some seasons of old classics like Starsky & Hutch, Charlie’s Angels, and Newsradio, plus more recent shows like Psych and Billions.

Here are some of the most popular shows on Hulu right now:

• Blood & Treasure
• The Expanse
• Monk
• Mr. Robot
• The Night Manager
• Utopia (original British version)
• Vikings

Live TV

Amazon has 100+ linear channels, which it (mistakenly or disingenuously) labels as “Live TV”. These channels are not live in the same sense as traditional broadcast television. However, Prime Video does have live events that appear in its Live & Upcoming section.

Kids content

Prime Video has a dedicated kids content hub and the selection has improved since 2023. You’ll find Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob Squarepants, Thomas & Friends for younger kids and Batman, Teen Titans, and Sonic X for those a couple of years older. There are plenty of original titles as well as.

However, if you’re looking for kids content you can do better than Prime Video. Disney+ is the obvious choice, but Peacock and Paramount+ also have good selections, depending on what your kids enjoy. And FYI: Max is the streaming home of Sesame Street.

Sports

Amazon signed an 11-year deal in 2022—for a cool $1 billion per year—for the rights to the NFL’s Thursday Night Football. Its first broadcast—a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers—raked in the most new Prime subscribers in a 3-hour period ever.

Prime Video also lets you add on sports networks like MLB.tv and NBA.TV, which you can’t do with other on-demand services.

Prime Video interface and usability

Navigation

Prime Video has had the worst user interface on the market, but it’s improved over the years. Although it is better in a web browser than on a streaming device like the Fire TV or Roku. 

The top-level navigation is divided into Home, Store, Live TV, Categories, and My Stuff. Except for Live TV, which takes you directly to the channel guide, they all have dropdown menus with choices like Movies, TV Shows, and Sports.

The main page has rows of content suggestions. Clicking See More takes you into a row and more dropdown menus appear to fine-tune your browsing experience with: Ways to Watch, Channels, Genre, Subtitles & Closed Captioning, and Content Type.

The overall experience is still a bit messy compared to most other streaming services. Furthermore, a lot of the titles shown require an additional subscription or rental fee.

Language settings

Amazon might have noticed Apple TV+’s extensive language options because it added a lot more subtitle options. You can also filter your browsing by subtitle language. But thanks to Prime’s usability, you need to click 2 categories deep to get to the menu that does that.

Parental controls

Prime Video’s parental controls are fairly basic. You can create kid profiles, with the option to lock them behind a PIN. There are no age range settings for parents who have kids in different age groups.

If parental controls are of key importance, consider Apple TV+, Netflix, or Peacock.

Prime Video account sharing and simultaneous screens

Prime Video allows 2 adult accounts to link to a single plan. However, you can share your login details with others, but you’ll be giving them access to your entire Amazon account.

How many people can watch Prime Video at once?

Prime Video lets you watch 3 screens simultaneously. However, only 2 of those screens can be watching the same content at the same time. There is no option to upgrade to watch on more screens.

How many profiles can you make on Prime Video?

You can create up to 6 profiles, including the main account.  These can be a mix of adult and kid profiles and, unlike some streamers, an email address or account is not required for each profile. Simply hover over your profile pic and click Add new or Manage Profiles and you’re good to go.

Prime Video supported devices

Prime Video is compatible with a wide range of devices, including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and streaming devices. Naturally, it works best with Amazon’s Fire TV devices. Check Amazon’s Supported Devices page for specific versions requirements.

• Streaming devices: Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, NVIDIA, Xiaomi, TiVo
• Phones & tablets: Android, iOS, Fire Tablet
• Cable & satellite boxes: Cox Contour, Xfinity, Dish Network
• Smart TVs: Android, LG, Samsung, Sony, Vizio and many more
• Smart home devices: Echo Show
• Game consoles: PlayStation, Xbox, Oculus
• Desktops & laptops: Windows, Mac, All major browsers
• Blu-ray players: LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony

Is there a free trial for Prime Video?

Prime Video has the best free trial out there. You can try all of Amazon Prime’s benefits—which includes Prime Video—free for 30 days. And even better than that? You just need to wait 12 months and you can sign up for another 30-day free trial.

Verdict: Who is Prime Video good for in 2023?

If you’re a regular online shopper, then Amazon Prime is an absolute no-brainer. (Which is precisely what it’s designed to be.) But what about Prime Video as a standalone service?

NFL football fans will want Prime Video for 17 weeks of the year as it’s the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football. However, the local TV stations with broadcast rights to the 2 teams playing also air the games live. Therefore, people with a live-TV streaming service might be able to watch every game with a VPN.

It’s a great option for people trying to keep their subscriptions under one roof. You can’t add all streaming services—there’s no Netflix or Hulu—but you can add Paramount+, Max, and AMC+, as well as BritBox, Acorn TV, and Cinemax. You can even get combo deals, such as Starz & MGM+ at a discounted price. and others through Amazon. During events like Black Friday or Prime Day, you can find deals such as 2 months of Paramount+ at 99 cents.

What Prime Video excels at is flexibility. It’s an excellent choice for people who like the option to rent or buy shows and movies without being restricted to what’s in a streamer’s library. When you take rental and purchasing options into account, Amazon’s online library is virtually endless.