The days of cable and Satellite TV are quickly surpassing us and those who are resisting the transition to streaming services will soon find that they’ve been left behind. Video-on-demand platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime afford their users the luxury of watching what they want when they want, and as many times they want. These streaming services allow users to watch shows on multiple devices at the same time, to download content that can be watched later and they are accessible on devices other than the traditional television set.
So, when it comes to Netflix versus Amazon Prime, the margin is thin and there a few factors to consider. These factors are price, content and compatible devices.
See also: HBO Go vs. Netflix
Netflix vs. Amazon Prime
Price
Let’s first take a look at Netflix’s three-tier pricing packages. Depending on your wallet and the number of people who want to benefit from the account, you can settle on one of three packages.
The first package is the Basic which goes for $8.99 per month, you can view your content in SD (480p) resolution and it only allows one stream at a time.
The second package is the Standard with a price of $12.99 per month. The content is available in HD (1080p) resolution and it allows 2 users to stream simultaneously.
The last package is the Premium which price is $15.99 per month. Some of the content is available in 4K resolution and as many as 4 users can stream from one account simultaneously.
With those three options, it is easy to make a decision just for you.
Next, we have Amazon Prime which is convenient for people who already have accounts with Amazon. One account allows for three users to stream from different devices at the same time for a fee of $12.99 per month.
A one-time annual fee of $119 for Amazon Prime membership allows you full admission into the entire Amazon Prime Video catalog. Not to mention a few other benefits when you shop on Amazon Prime, like free shipping.
Content
Although both Netflix and Amazon Prime each have their original shows that cannot be found anywhere else as well as outsourced programs, Netflix has a wider catalog overall. So, choosing between the two comes down to you as an individual and your taste in programming. Whereas Netflix offers TV shows like Titans and Narcos, Amazon Prime has The Grand Tour and The Man in the High Castle.
When it comes to movies, Amazon Prime has a wider library than Netflix.
A major advantage that Amazon Prime has is its ability to get rights to new releases faster than Netflix or any other streaming service for that matter. Nonetheless, a lot of these new releases on Amazon Prime are not included in the annual subscription package. Understandably, this can confuse a lot of their subscribers but the gist of it is that Amazon Prime has two groups of premium content not included in the annual package of $119.
One of the groups is the Storefront and the second is Amazon Channels. The Storefront contains the newly acquired releases and to watch them, you either have to purchase or rent them for as little as $4. Amazon Channels, on the other hand, allows you access to content from third-party suppliers such as HBO, Starz, and Epix.
Now that we’ve established the matter of who has more content and in what quantity, let’s delve into the two streaming services themselves and look at their interfaces. Netflix has standardized its design across all gadgets and this allows you to resume your playback from your smartphone if you were watching on your TV before. It also uses your past watching habits to tailor a recommended list for similar shows that you might like. The user-friendly and intuitive interface also allows you to maneuver your way through the catalog to search and scroll for shows that you might like with little to no difficulty.
Amazon Prime isn’t bad also when it comes to the interface although it isn’t as seamless as that of Netflix. A unique feature that Amazon Prime has on its interface is called ‘X-ray’. Located at the top left of the screen, this feature allows you to get some general trivia about the show that you’re watching, as well as biographies of the cast and their past work. Also, by clicking on the ‘Music’ icon, you get a list of all the music used in that particular episode or movie, complete with a time stamp. That way, you don’t have to use an app like Shazam to identify the songs used.
Compatible devices
With the wide range of devices that we can use to stream these services, it is rarely a problem for most users. Netflix is compatible with almost every device out there, from your computers to your smartphones and your smart TVs. It has the widest compatibility list of any streaming service.
Amazon Prime is also compatible with a good number of the devices out there. These include Roku, Apple TV, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and 4, Nintendo, Chromecast and of course Amazon Fire TV.
