Two of the biggest names in the business. But which is the best for you?
Why you can trust Pocket-lint (Pocket-lint) – Streaming services have become ever more important in our daily lives, with linear TV sharing our viewing hours with paid video subscription platforms. Two have sticked out the most over the years: Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. They offer similar functionality, with TV shows and movies on tap for you to watch at your leisure, and they both offer 4K HDR content and offline viewing. It makes the choice between them difficult, therefore. That’s why we’ve put them head-to-head to find out. Which is best for you, Netflix or Amazon? Netflix vs Amazon Prime Video: Price Netflix prices $9.99 / £6.99 / €8.99 a month – 1 screen at a time in standard definition $15.49 / £10.99 / €13.49 a month – 2 screens at a time, Full HD available $19.99 / £15.99 / €17.99 a month – 4 screens at a time, Full HD and 4K HDR where available Amazon Prime Video prices $8.99 / £7.99 / €7.99 a month – 2 screens at a time, includes 4K HDR $139 / £79 / €69 a year – 2 screens at a time, part of the Amazon Prime membership that includes other benefits, also includes 4K HDR streaming squirrel_widget_237190 Netflix has a three-tiered pricing system that starts at £6.99 a month, but that’s for its basic package. We’re just giving the UK prices for comparison, but $ and € prices are above. For that fee, you get access to standard definition streams of its films and TV content and can only watch on one device at a time (you can register more). The next package costs £10.99 a month and gives access to HD content – presented in up to 1080p – and can be viewed on two devices at the same time. The priciest plan costs £15.99, adds simultaneous viewing for four devices and gives access to Ultra HD 4K content (2160p) with HDR picture tech and Dolby Vision, depending on your TV. Amazon Prime Video, on the other hand, is part of an Amazon Prime subscription, which costs £79 a year. As well as give access to the entire range of SD, HD and 4K HDR content, you also get free next-day delivery (on millions of items on Amazon), unlimited cloud storage space for photos, access to Prime Music – Amazon’s audio streaming solution – and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, which gives you the chance to borrow an eBook to read on a Kindle or Fire device and a lot more. Alternatively, if you don’t require the rest of the Prime benefits, you can sign up for £7.99 a month. There is no restriction on how many devices can be registered, you can stream to three separate devices at the same time, but only two can watch the same show at the same time. Amazon also offers paid-for content alongside the « free » subscription offering, whereas on Netflix you get everything for the subscription. Which is the best movie streaming service in the UK? Netflix vs Amazon Prime vs Now TV and more Netflix vs Prime Video: Streaming quality Both services support 4K – or ultra-high definition – as well as HDR technologies. Netflix offers a wide range of 4K HDR content, with some offered in Dolby Vision, as well as offering HDR10. To view Dolby Vision content you will need a Dolby Vision-compatible TV and to view HDR10 content you’ll need a TV that supports HDR, which is much more common than Dolby Vision. There’s a range of content supporting these formats, with a lot of the Netflix Originals in 4K Dolby Vision. Amazon also has plenty Dolby Vision content – but Amazon has also backed HDR10+, a rival format to Dolby Vision in addition to standard HDR10. Again, you’ll need to have a TV to support these formats to be able to watch them. Both services also support 5.1 audio and Dolby Atmos on some titles.
