Netflix or Amazon Prime?

[Rural]

Does anyone have an opinion on which has a better movie selection? We're paying $7.99 a month for Netflix streaming only, and Amazon Prime would be $4 more at $99 a year. I don't want to switch to something worse and find myself paying more,  especially since I can't go back to Netflix at that price.


Here's the thing with the free shipping component of Prine: We don't buy much at all from Amazon because neither FedEx nor UPS can get to our house, so deliveries are a pain and involve our post office box. But we do use it a lot at Christmas, so we'd benefit from the free shipping then -- my usual method is to group the presents so I get free shipping anyway. So, would having Prime get me access to free shipping on a wider range of things? That would make Christmas shopping easier and maybe a little cheaper.


I guess I'm trying to determine if either the movie selection is better enough or the free shipping perk is valuable enough to justify the slightly increased cost or the trouble. We dont use it much, so I'd been thinking of just cutting it out completely, but then this month we've watched movies on three different nights.


For what it's worth, the Netflix is our only entertainment subscription, and we watch the movies on a laptop. We don't own a TV.

[windypig]

I have both, If I were to choose one based solely on the merits of their streaming content it would be netflix. Amazon is catching up though and they did just get a large selection of HBO content, which netflix has none of.  I believe you can do prime month to month, maybe give it a shot for one month and see if you like it better.

[galliver]

Nice thing about Amazon prime is you can search/browse it without being a member. And since you're already on Netflix, you know what they have. I know that Netflix has a *larger* content selection, but which has better ones for your tastes isn't really something others can answer. :) Also, if 3x/month is a lot of watching for you, maybe renting movies individually makes more sense?

[Daley]

Why not just do the free Amazon Prime trial, see what's there and how you like it while still subscribing to Netflix? If you think it can replace from that point, then replace... if not, no money lost.

[Sunflower]

I love my amazon prime account. They do indeed have a huge HBO selection and I've always found a good selection of movies. Haven't had netflix in several years though so I can't compare the two.

[lr]

You're not in the sweet spot for either product, given that you don't get better shipping and don't benefit from Netflix's generally better cross device support.

Basically, Netflix does TV for a living, while Amazon doesn't really. So old HBO shows and older music are really all Amazon has going. Is that worth the $4 to you?  The Amazon model is also more dependent on upselling, so the really fresh content costs extra, membership or not.

[WiseGuy]

I've found that Netflix and Amazon Prime have a different selection of content.  Both don't have a ton of the latest movies, but both do have some of the popular tv series.

Personally I'd rather be spending my time on more productive things.  But it's your choice.

[usmarine1975]

We have tried both and our opinion is Netflix is the better option.  We don't pay extra for any of the content.  Granted it's not always the newest and does seem to have lost some of their options in the last year or so.  Amazon cost more but also charges more for any of the shows most recent content and in our situation we would be paying extra for anything we were interested in.

[ketchup]

We have both (my Prime, roommate's Netflix) but use Netflix 95% of the time.  Haven't cracked into the HBO stuff on Prime yet though, which I will probably do somewhat soon.  I'd agree with checking it out with a trial and seeing which selection you prefer.

[galliver]

OP, I just realized Hulu hasn't been mentioned at all...and it's free if you're willing to watch a few ads.

We have tried both and our opinion is Netflix is the better option.  We don't pay extra for any of the content.  Granted it's not always the newest and does seem to have lost some of their options in the last year or so.  Amazon cost more but also charges more for any of the shows most recent content and in our situation we would be paying extra for anything we were interested in.

Netflix's content selection constantly changes as they sign new deals for distribution rights as others expire. It's mostly a perk (I just wish they'd label when things are up for expiration/renewal!) As for Amazon, it's not that the new stuff includes an extra fee on top of your Prime membership, it's that it's not included in the free streaming deal and you have to pay for it like any other customer...

[usmarine1975]

Netflix used to put in small letters at the bottom how long you had left to watch a show if it were in your list.  Now that you say that I haven't seen it in a while will have to look.

[Phil_Moore]

I have to say I thought they were both much worse than expected for movies when I tried them, it was like rummaging in a DVD bargain bin at a petrol station. If I had actually paid money for them I would have felt a bit aggrieved.

But I understand we have a smaller selection over here than the US so maybe it was just that.

[4alpacas]

We have both.  BUT we have Amazon Prime solely for the shipping.  We do watch a few streaming items every once in a while, and the new music option should be solid. 

I would recommend putting your Netflix account on hold for a few months and trying out Amazon Prime (for free).

[Cromacster]

Currently I have both.  I am considering not renewing my prime when it next comes do.  I enjoy the free shipping and I am able to take advantage of some of the streaming options.

One thing to consider is what medium you choose to watch streaming on.  I mostly use an Android based phone when I watch.  Amazon prime video is not available on the android OS (through standard methods).  the Ipad does have an app, though I am not sure about the Iphone.  Roku and Appletv both support Prime.

[labrat]

I've used both and prefer Amazon Prime.  The content is on par with Netflix in my opinion (they even rotate it from time to time), and FWIW they just started offering a streaming music service with Prime that works great and doesn't cost any extra.  If you're a music lover, it's probably worth it to spend the extra $4.

[Rural]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies, everyone.

I hope you'll forgive me if I don't reply to everyone; I think that would be tiresome for all of us. I had not realized that there was a month free trial for Prime (thanks again, I.P.), so that may be my solution – just try it out.


We're probably not interested in the music option, at least not for more than a thing or two here and there. It is good to know that it exists, but; didn't know that either.

We're not worried about new television; most of what we watch is older movies, as a matter of fact. I started looking for an alternative because Netflix has so few Sydney Poitier movies, for example.


4alpacas: I didn't realize I could put the Netflix account on hold, thanks. I'll investigate that.


Galliver: I'll look into Hulu, too. I'd thought it was only for television?

[Icecreamarsenal]

You can put 5 people on a netflix account; I'm on a friend's $9/month plan and he has all 5 slots taken. So it works out to $2/month, if you split costs.
However I do watch most of my programs on a free service called viki.com. Lots of ads, but free!

[Noodle]

There is a very handy website called www.canistream.it. You can put in any particular thing you want to watch and it will tell you which services carry it. Might be handy for researching your purchase!

For me, there is no obvious winner yet. One of the strikes against Prime for me is the user interface. I find Netflix's interface much more intelligible and easy to use, partly because they are not trying to sell you content beyond the monthly fee as Amazon does. But, yes, I would try it and see what you think.

[gimp]

I have prime. I like it. I like netflix, too, but had to choose one.

[Rural]

There is a very handy website called www.canistream.it. You can put in any particular thing you want to watch and it will tell you which services carry it. Might be handy for researching your purchase!

For me, there is no obvious winner yet. One of the strikes against Prime for me is the user interface. I find Netflix's interface much more intelligible and easy to use, partly because they are not trying to sell you content beyond the monthly fee as Amazon does. But, yes, I would try it and see what you think.

Thanks for that link! It also led me to Redbox Instant, which I didn't even know about. That one comes with four DVD credits a month, which we'd never use, but we might use one every few months; we have a couple of times this year, and Redbox is the only rental option we have access to. Something else to consider.

[greaper007]

I have both, but the real beauty of prime is that it saves me a trip to target or the mall for something stupid like earbuds with 2 children under 6.    The prices of items on amazon are cheaper than retail establishments and I save money on gas (can't trailer 2 kids and my son can't ride that far).    Really though, I'm paying for my sanity.

[thepokercab]

We're not worried about new television; most of what we watch is older movies, as a matter of fact. I started looking for an alternative because Netflix has so few Sydney Poitier movies, for example.

I'll go there and say, how about none of them? 

I've use to have both, bot got rid of them about 9 months ago when I realized my local library had a ton of great options.  My library is great for getting older movies, and even new releases.  I can also put holds and access interlibrary loan on all kinds of different titles. New releases we'll usually take multiple weeks, but for an older movie, I can put a hold on something and get it within a few days. 

Granted I live in an urban area, so realize this might not be feasible in a rural area. 

[Rural]

We're not worried about new television; most of what we watch is older movies, as a matter of fact. I started looking for an alternative because Netflix has so few Sydney Poitier movies, for example.

I'll go there and say, how about none of them? 

I've use to have both, bot got rid of them about 9 months ago when I realized my local library had a ton of great options.  My library is great for getting older movies, and even new releases.  I can also put holds and access interlibrary loan on all kinds of different titles. New releases we'll usually take multiple weeks, but for an older movie, I can put a hold on something and get it within a few days. 

Granted I live in an urban area, so realize this might not be feasible in a rural area.

As I noted in my original post, I'd been on the verge of canceling, and we've had the service for only a few months; prior to that we'd had no entertainment subscription for eight years. So we could do that.


But to substitute the library for Netflix would cost more in gas at the rate of three times a month because of the distances involved. Not that we'd do it three times a month; we didn't before. It's too much trouble trying to get there when the library's open. I'm a definite fan of the library, and I download a lot of ebooks and audiobooks there. But it's not something we can do on the spur of the moment, and I'm not going to keep movies sitting around because then I think we might feel like we "should"watch them since we went to all that trouble. There's also the potential for late fees; movies can't be dropped in a return box.


The issue of movie selection is a separate but real one. The closest library has a couple of hundred movies that aren't kids' movies and aren't on VHS, and media doesn't interlibrary loan here, just books.


It may turn out that "none of the above" is our best option. But for now it's a minor cost we've discovered we enjoy occasionally. I'm just trying to optimize it.

[Noodle]

This may not apply to your library system now, but my system has subscribed to a service called "Hoopla" through which you can borrow streaming movies. For people where the library is a trek (I lived in a small rural town for some years, I sympathize) that might be another choice to keep an eye out for.

Personally, the library isn't a great choice for DVDs here, and I do live in a major urban area. They only buy movies and honestly, I really prefer television most of the time these days. Only spending two hours with a story seems really abrupt after watching shows like "Justified" or "Sherlock" unfold more slowly. When I have gotten movies, a lot of the time they are damaged from heavy use. On the other hand, they buy books very generously and I rarely have to wait more that a few weeks even for the very popular books (at my previous library, it could be many months on the list). So it comes out in the wash.

[Rural]

This may not apply to your library system now, but my system has subscribed to a service called "Hoopla" through which you can borrow streaming movies. For people where the library is a trek (I lived in a small rural town for some years, I sympathize) that might be another choice to keep an eye out for.

Personally, the library isn't a great choice for DVDs here, and I do live in a major urban area. They only buy movies and honestly, I really prefer television most of the time these days. Only spending two hours with a story seems really abrupt after watching shows like "Justified" or "Sherlock" unfold more slowly. When I have gotten movies, a lot of the time they are damaged from heavy use. On the other hand, they buy books very generously and I rarely have to wait more that a few weeks even for the very popular books (at my previous library, it could be many months on the list). So it comes out in the wash.

Yes, we have tons of ebooks and downloadable (not streaming) audiobooks. The money is very limited (well, has been limited; this fiscal year it's nonexistent),  but what I suspect, given the number of VHS still on the shelves, is that the library director is hoping to jump straight over DVD and blu-ray to streaming video if there's ever any collection money again.