These two services are more different than they appear at first glance. Their content strategies, pricing structures, and ideal users don't really overlap. Once you understand what each is actually built for, the choice gets a lot clearer.
Quick Overview
Amazon Prime Video is a massive general-purpose streaming library bundled with an Amazon Prime membership. It has a little of everything — originals, licensed content, live sports, and a built-in marketplace for add-on channels. It's been around since 2006 and has one of the largest catalogs of any streaming service.
Apple TV+ is the opposite approach. It launched in 2019 with a small, intentionally curated library of Apple-original programming. No licensed content, no huge back catalog — just Apple's own shows and movies, made with significant production budgets and a strong emphasis on quality over quantity.
Both cost money, but the pricing structures are very different.
Pricing
Amazon Prime Video comes bundled with Amazon Prime at around $14.99/month (or $139/year). If you already pay for Prime — for the free shipping, grocery discounts, and other benefits — you're getting Prime Video essentially for free as part of that package. A standalone Prime Video plan without full Prime is available at a slightly lower price, but most people access it through the full Prime membership. One important caveat: Amazon's ad-supported tier has expanded, meaning Prime Video now includes ads by default unless you pay an additional $2.99/month to remove them.
Apple TV+ is $9.99/month as a standalone subscription. It's also included in Apple One bundles, which combine multiple Apple services at a discount. Apple has historically offered free trial periods with new Apple device purchases, so if you recently bought an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you may have a free Apple TV+ subscription you haven't activated yet. At $9.99, it's one of the more affordable standalone streaming options available right now.
Bottom line on pricing: If you're already an Amazon Prime subscriber, Prime Video costs you nothing extra (unless you want the ad-free tier). Apple TV+ is a separate, additional cost at $9.99/month — but it's lower than most competitors.
Content Library
This is where the two services diverge most dramatically.
Prime Video has a sprawling library that includes Amazon Originals, a large selection of licensed movies and TV shows (though the licensing catalog changes regularly), and the Prime Video Channels add-on marketplace where you can subscribe to dozens of additional services like Paramount+, Starz, Discovery+, and others, all billed through Amazon. The channel add-on feature is genuinely useful — it can simplify your billing and navigation into one place, though the add-on channels cost extra on top of Prime.
Standout Prime Originals include The Boys, Reacher, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Fallout, Rings of Power, and a strong library of international titles through Prime Video's global content. Prime Video also holds live sports rights including Thursday Night Football in the US and select Premier League matches in the UK — which is a meaningful differentiator for sports fans.
Apple TV+ has a much smaller catalog but a genuinely impressive hit rate on its originals. Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Slow Horses, Silo, Bad Sisters, For All Mankind, and Foundation have all been critically acclaimed and, importantly, have actually found audiences. Apple funds its shows with a level of production budget that rivals HBO, and it shows in the visual quality and talent involved. The weakness is volume — binge-watchers will run out of Apple TV+ content faster than almost any other service, particularly if you've already watched the flagship hits.
Apple TV+ also releases content weekly rather than all at once for most series, which is a deliberate choice that works against it if you prefer to marathon a show in one weekend.
User Experience and Device Support
Prime Video works on essentially every device that exists — smart TVs, Roku, Fire Stick, Chromecast, gaming consoles, phones, tablets, computers. The interface is functional but cluttered. Amazon mixes its own Prime content with rentals, add-on channel content, and purchase options in the same browsing experience, which means you'll regularly click on something that turns out to be a rental, not included in your subscription. It's a real frustration and worth knowing about before you commit.
The app has improved over the years but still lags behind Netflix and Disney+ in terms of clean, intuitive browsing. Search works well, and the recommendation algorithm is decent, but the monetization overlay throughout the interface is hard to ignore.
Apple TV+ has one of the cleanest, most polished streaming interfaces available. The Apple TV app on Apple devices is genuinely well-designed. On non-Apple devices — smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire devices, game consoles — the experience is slightly more basic but still functional. The small catalog actually works in its favor here: there's no noise to filter through. Every title on Apple TV+ is a production Apple chose to greenlight and fund itself.
If you're in the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple TV box), the integration is seamless — you can hand off between devices, use Siri for search, and everything syncs effortlessly. Outside the Apple ecosystem, the experience is good but not dramatically different from other services.
Downloads and Offline Viewing
Both services support offline downloading on mobile devices, which is important for travelers and anyone with an unreliable or metered connection. Prime Video allows downloads on iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire tablets. Apple TV+ supports downloads on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Neither service allows downloading on third-party smart TVs or Roku-type sticks, which is standard across the industry.
Who Each Service Is Best For
Amazon Prime Video is best for: People who are already Amazon Prime subscribers and want to get more value from that membership. Families or households with varied tastes who want a broad library rather than a curated one. Sports fans in markets where Prime holds live sports rights. People who want a one-stop add-on channel hub to manage multiple streaming services in one place.
Apple TV+ is best for: People who want quality over quantity and are happy watching one or two excellent shows at a time rather than having an endless library to browse. Apple device users who value ecosystem integration. Anyone who has a free trial sitting unused from a recent Apple device purchase. Viewers who specifically want to watch acclaimed prestige TV — Severance, Slow Horses, and similar shows — that aren't available anywhere else.
The Case for Having Both
These two services don't really compete for the same use case, which means for many households having both makes sense. Prime Video handles the broad-library, occasional-rewatch, and sports-viewing role. Apple TV+ handles the "I want to watch something genuinely excellent tonight" role. Together they cost $24.98/month (or less if you have an Apple One bundle or are already paying for Prime), which is less than a single Netflix Standard plan.
If you have to pick one, the answer is almost always Prime Video if you're already paying for Amazon Prime. The incremental cost is zero. Apple TV+ becomes the better standalone choice if you're paying for both from scratch and care more about quality than volume.
What to Watch Out For
Prime Video's rental trap. The blended interface makes it easy to accidentally select a title that requires an additional rental fee. Always check whether a title is "included with Prime" before clicking. The filter options in search can help, but the default browsing experience is designed to surface purchase options prominently.
Apple TV+'s content pace. If you're a heavy binge-watcher who finishes a series in a weekend and immediately needs the next thing, Apple TV+'s catalog will run out fast. Plan for this by treating it as a complement to another service rather than a primary source.
Prime Video ads. The default plan now includes ads unless you pay extra to remove them. If you're sensitive to mid-episode interruptions, budget for the ad-free upgrade or factor it into your cost comparison.
Apple's device ecosystem bias. Apple TV+ works on non-Apple devices, but the experience is optimized for Apple hardware. If you're entirely on Android and Windows, you'll get the content but miss some of the integration benefits that make Apple TV+ particularly smooth for Apple users.
FAQ
Can you get both for less than full price? Yes. Apple One bundles include Apple TV+ alongside Apple Music, iCloud, and other services at a combined discount. If you're already paying for other Apple services, Apple One often works out cheaper. Amazon Prime bundles are occasionally discounted during promotional periods, and student discounts are available for Prime.
Is Prime Video worth it without the rest of Prime? The standalone Prime Video plan (without the shipping and other Prime benefits) is available and costs slightly less than full Prime. Whether it's worth it depends on your viewing habits — the originals library alone justifies it for many people, especially at the lower standalone price.
How often does Apple TV+ release new shows? Apple greenlights around 30–40 original titles per year, which is a fraction of what Netflix or Prime produces. The release cadence is slower but more consistent in terms of quality. Major shows typically drop new episodes weekly. Expect 2–4 significant new titles per quarter.
Does Prime Video have 4K content? Yes. A significant portion of Prime Video's catalog is available in 4K HDR, and most Prime Originals are produced natively in 4K. Apple TV+ also delivers 4K HDR across its full original catalog, with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support on compatible devices.
Can I share accounts between family members? Both services have household sharing options. Amazon Prime includes account sharing features for household members. Apple TV+ allows sharing through Family Sharing for up to five family members at no additional cost — this is one of Apple TV+'s underrated advantages for families.
📚 Sources
Amazon Prime Video – Plans and Pricing – https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/settings/ref=atv_hm_settings
Apple TV+ – Subscription Overview – https://tv.apple.com/channel/tvs.sbd.4000
The Verge – Amazon Prime Video Ad-Supported Plan Explained – https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/29/24054714/amazon-prime-video-ads-upgrade-fee-how-it-works
TechRadar – Apple TV+ Review 2024 – https://www.techradar.com/reviews/apple-tv-plus
CNET – Best Streaming Services Compared – https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-streaming-service/
PCMag – Amazon Prime Video Review – https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/amazon-prime-video
