Despite fresh competitors, industry giants Netflix and Prime Video are still going strong. The 2 platforms have been continually improving over the last few years, expanding their content libraries, adding features and pricing options all designed to entice potential subscribers to give them a shot.
But if you had to only pick one, which streaming service should you go with? Our thorough Netflix Australia vs Prime Video comparison will help you make a better choice.
| Netflix | Prime Video | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch date | 24 March 2015 | 14 December 2016 |
| Price | $6.99–$22.99 a month | $9.99 a month |
| Library titles | 2,750 TV shows, 4,532 movies | 2,522 TV shows, 9,687 movies |
| Top titles | Stranger Things, Bridgerton, The Gray Man, The Witcher, Squid Game | The Boys, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Jack Ryan, Reacher, Coming 2 America |
| Simultaneous streams | 1–4 | 3 |
| 4K | Premium plan only | Yes |
Prime Video and Netflix do things a little differently with package pricing. Prime Video has a 30-day free trial that rolls into your payment when your trial is up. Netflix meanwhile dispenses its services in 4 separate tiers with no free trial available.
In Netflix's case, you can get its Standard with Ads tier for $6.99 a month. It gets you high definition (HD) quality, 2 streams at a time and you have to sit through ads with your viewing experience as the name implies.
Netflix's Standard plan gets you HD and 2 concurrent streams for $16.99 a month. Meanwhile, Premium will get you the crème de la crème: 4K streaming and 4 concurrent streams for $22.99 a month. Netflix also has a Basic plan that features 1 stream and SD quality, but it is no longer available to new or rejoining customers.
Prime Video is free with Amazon Prime, which offers a generous 30-day trial. Once your free period is up, subscriptions cost only $9.99 a month. Prime Video offers titles in 4K video quality where available and supports 3 simultaneous streams as long as you're watching different content. For the same title, you can watch on 2 devices at the same time.
Prime Video also offers an annual option at a discount for $79 a year, which Netflix does not.
Both services come with no contracts, so you can cancel anytime. However, Prime Video is the clear winner on price if you don't want ads, even after a price rise in May 2023.
Prime Video also lets you easily share your password around friends and family members, whereas Netflix recently introduced fees to share your Netflix account outside of your household. It will cost $7.99 a month to add an extra member to watch your Netflix account that doesn't live with you. You can only add extra members on the Standard and Premium plans.
Let's start by looking at raw numbers. Pure library totals.
Prime Video has 2,522 TV shows and 9,687 movies. Netflix Australia has 2,750 TV shows and 4,532 movies.
While Prime Video wins that contest overall, it's worth noting the vast difference in content specifically. Netflix has spent a lot of money investing in original productions. On the other hand, Prime Video bulks out its library with a greater range of older and lesser-known movies and international titles.
On the same note, quantity isn't everything. What you like to watch will influence which service you choose, so it's worth taking some time to explore each library and to figure out which looks more appealing.
Netflix is known for international TV hits such as Stranger Things, Squid Game, Ozark, Money Heist, The Witcher and Sex Education. On the movie front, it offers critically acclaimed titles such as The Power of the Dog and crowd-pleasers such as Red Notice or The Adam Project. Explore its library and you'll find a lot of documentaries and reality shows, so there's truly something for the entire family.
The streaming giant has lost a big deal of licensed content given the rise of other platforms, but its originals make up for that. The only problem is its titles greatly vary in quality, so you'll occasionally stumble upon stuff you don't like.
Prime Video has been accelerating its original content too in the past few years, which ranges from docos to reality shows and movies to TV series. The service doesn't offer as many new monthly releases as Netflix, but there's still plenty to watch.
Highlights include shows such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Boys, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Terminal List, The Wilds, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Reacher and The Wheel of Time, as well as movies such as Samaritan, Thirteen Lives and The Tomorrow War.
Its library of licensed content is more extensive than Netflix's, something to keep in mind if you want to watch older series like Supernatural, for example.
The upside of both services being around for a while is that they work on almost any device you can think of. Whether you prefer to watch content on the go via your smartphone or do your binge-watching on the big screen, both Netflix and Prime Video come with excellent device compatibility.
| Device | Netflix | Prime Video |
|---|---|---|
| PC/Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows tablet | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smart TV (selected models) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Apple TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Telstra TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Amazon Fire TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chromecast | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blu-ray players | ✓ | ✓ |
| PlayStation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Xbox 360 | ✓ | ✖ |
| Set-top box (Foxtel, Fetch) | ✓ | ✓ |
They work on laptops, iOS and Android mobile devices, a wide range of smart TV models, selected Blu-ray players and set-top boxes, game consoles and streaming media devices such as Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV and Amazon Fire TV.
All in all, both services are winners in this department. The only point of difference between the 2 services on major devices is if you mainly stream through an older Xbox 360, Prime Video isn't supported there while Netflix is. The other thing to think about is to check the make and model of the device you stream with as some models might work for one service but not the other.
Chances are if you have a device that has the ability to stream and was bought in the past few years, you'll be fine to watch either service.
Netflix and Prime Video share features meant to make streaming accessible and seamless.
Both services offer subtitles and closed captions, audio descriptions on selected titles, a watchlist feature, multiple profiles and offline viewing. Netflix is better regarding looks. The interface is more user-friendly and easier to navigate than Prime Video's, which looks a bit clunky. Prime Video did undergo a redesign so is looking to improve this. Both offer Watch Parties where you can watch the same title at the same time with family and friends in different locations.
A feature unique to Netflix is Play Something, which will automatically start a title from the library when you can't settle on something to watch. The platform also hosts a few interactive titles and is slowly expanding into mobile games, which are available to subscribers for no additional fee.
Meanwhile, Prime Video gives you the option to subscribe to Prime Video Channels, albeit for an extra cost. Channels give you access to even more content through the Prime Video app so you don't have to constantly switch between services to enjoy your favourite shows and movies.
Available Prime Video Channels in Australia include Paramount Plus, Hayu and Acorn TV, meaning you can access multiple streaming services in the same place.
Both providers leverage technology that's more or less industry standard at this point. Automated bit-rate adaptation technology allows a movie or TV show to stream in line with your internet speed.
You can also get HD and ultra HD (4K) with Netflix, depending on which package you choose. The basic Prime Video membership lets you stream 4K content where available, no extra fees required. That's quite the deal.
Prime Video is also part of an Amazon Prime membership, which gets you added benefits such as free delivery on eligible products, plus free music, podcasts, games and more. A Netflix subscription isn't quite as packed with extras, but you do get access to games as well as fitness workouts for no extra cost.
Both services offer a premium streaming experience, so it ultimately comes down to what you want to watch. Do you want endless choices, a steady influx of new titles and a lot of kids content? Go with Netflix. Do Prime Video's originals make your heart flutter? Then the choice is clear.
No matter which service speaks to you, you can take advantage of Prime Video's 30-day free trial to go hands-on without spending a cent. With Netflix, there's no free trial. To begin your Prime Video trial, simply click the link below:
30 DAYS FREE: Sign up to Amazon Prime Video's free trial today
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