Wondering if an Amazon Prime membership is worth it? In this post, we break down the key benefits of Amazon Prime – from fast, free shipping and easy access to Amazon deals to streaming and storage – to help you decide if Prime delivers real value for your money.
I asked my listeners this question. As you can imagine, I’ve gotten mixed responses – some from Amazon Prime fans, some from those who think it’s a complete waste of money, and some from people who hit the middle and think it could be a money-saving option or something that’s not worth the cost.
In this article, I’ll share some of the answers I’ve heard over and over again to help you decide whether or not Amazon Prime is worth the cost.
What Does Amazon Prime Cost?
First, let’s talk numbers. A regular Amazon Prime subscription is $14.99 per month (plus taxes) or $139 per year (plus taxes). Every once in a while, they offer a discounted price for a few days, but I haven’t seen a discount for a long time.
If you’re a college student, you can get a Student Prime Membership that gives you the first 6 months for free and $7.49/month after that. If you’re an eligible federal assistance recipient, you may also qualify for a reduced rate of $6.99 per month on Amazon Prime. (Foster families: If you have a child on WIC, you will be eligible too!)
What are the Benefits of Amazon Prime?
For a long time, most people thought of Amazon Prime as “free two-day shipping.” Which can be very beneficial if you order a lot from Amazon. However, in the last year, some items are no longer shipped in two days or less (although some of them depend on what you order and how far you live from the Amazon warehouse) BUT they offer many other benefits for those who are Amazon Prime members.
Interested in trying Amazon Prime? You can get a free 30-day trial here.
Here are some of the benefits that everyone has mentioned that they love the most:
1. Amazon Prime Membership Fee – Less than $12 per month with free shipping
“The main fee is only $139 a year, which comes out to less than $12 a month for free shipping (no matter how much you spend, and most of the time it’s here next day!), Amazon Prime TV, and Amazon music. Totally worth it!” -Vanessa
Speaking of free shipping, Joy says, “For our family, the shipping alone makes Prime worth it. And sometimes they offer digital streaming credits that we use to rent or buy movies.”
There’s also a practical aspect to consider, as Erin wrote: “I live in the middle of nowhere and can find a ton of things I can’t find easily.
2. Benefits of Amazon Prime: Get Amazon Deals easily
Tracy said: “If I get a deal on something for $5, I can take advantage of the free shipping and grab the deal and get free shipping and have it delivered in two days.
(Note: While this may be a plus, it may also be a downgrade – because Amazon makes it so easy to spend!)
An Amazon Prime membership allows you to easily use Subscribe & Save, which can save you even more on regular purchases, since you won’t have to meet the $35 threshold for free shipping.
3. Essential Music
Katie says: “We love the free shipping, Prime Music, and Prime Video options. Prime Music gives you access to about 2 million songs you can listen to without ads, and thousands of playlists and channels. I also use advanced reading options with my Kindle app. My kids love great music. They all have a playlist of their favorite songs.”
(Note: You can also find a lot of free streaming music on Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or other places. Of course, you may have to deal with other marketplaces if you don’t have a paid account, but there are many ways to access free music online.)
4. Free Kindle Books
If you’re a reader, access to free Kindle books can be a huge plus. As Sharon wrote, “The biggest thing for me though is my Kindle books. I read 5-6 books a week and would run out of reading material if I didn’t have Prime.”
This is one of the most limited benefits, especially if you love books or have children who read chapter books. With Prime Reading, you get access to a rotating library of ebooks, magazines, short reads, and some audiobooks at no additional cost. You don’t need a Kindle device to use it as you can read everything right in the free Kindle app on your phone or tablet. Many moms in our community say this helps them save money on books and keep their kids with new reading material during recess or long car rides.
(Note: You can get many Kindle books for free even without a Prime membership. Also, check your local library to see if they offer free ebooks and audiobooks on the Hoopla or Libby apps.)
5. Unlimited Photo Storage
With an Amazon Prime subscription, you’ll get unlimited full-definition photo storage and 5 GB of video. Jessica said: “For us, it’s worth the photo storage. It’s a very cost-effective way to store full-size photo files for the photographer’s backup purposes.”
6. Amazon Household
Amazon Household is one of the easiest ways to extend the value of your Prime membership, especially if you share a home with a spouse, partner, or children. It allows you to share many Prime benefits with one other adult and up to four youth (added before April 7, 2025) and four child profiles at no additional cost.
Each person keeps their Amazon login, personal recommendations, and browsing history, but everyone gets access to core benefits like free delivery, Prime Video, Prime Reading, and eligible digital content through Family Library. This means you can share benefits without sharing passwords or mixing up your shopping carts and watch lists.
7. It can save you time
If you have a really busy life, being able to easily order online can be really helpful! As Danae wrote, “For me, it’s a quality of life thing…
8. Provides an alternative to cable
If you have an Amazon Prime account, you will have access to many movies and games for free. (Many aren’t free, but many are free with your Amazon Prime subscription.) Reader Jennifer said, “We don’t pay a monthly cable or satellite bill so we save a ton of money on entertainment, even though we pay for Prime, Netflix, and Frndly.”
By the way, Prime Video is cheaper than Netflix. So if you have Netflix, you might want to check whether switching to Amazon Prime might be a better option – as you get more than just streaming!
Clare said: “I’m not sure if it’s worth shipping alone but Prime Video is cheaper than Netflix (and looks cleaner). As a homeschooling mom, I get a lot of documentaries for my kids on that platform. It’s also great for downloading movies to the toddler’s phone or tablet in the car.”
9. Ability to Download Shows and Movies to your device
If you subscribe to Amazon Prime, you can download shows and movies from Prime and watch them later. Deidre shared how this has been such a help for their family: “You can download shows and movies from Prime and watch them on your tablet or phone without having internet service. We use this for car rides, airplanes, when the power goes out and to scare restless toddlers, and when I know we’re going to have a long wait at the dentist, doctor, etc.”
Does Amazon Prime really save you money?
While there are many benefits to Amazon Prime membership, several people have told me that they feel it actually encourages them to spend more money and find that they can easily wait until they have $35 in their cart to get free shipping.
As Nicole says: “I had Prime for YEARS, and I quit a few years ago. And go see…I don’t miss it! It’s not worth the subscription to me. I’d wait $35 for free shipping. And I don’t want to buy small things. And I used to watch Prime videos all the time – never miss a beat. I easily fill that time with other things.”
Benefits of Amazon Prime FAQs
The current membership price is $14.99 per month or $139 per year.
Yes, you can get a free 30-day trial before payment is due. If you’re a college student, you can get 6 months free!
Amazon is the parent company; Amazon Prime is a service that offers. Amazon is an online shopping opportunity for anyone – offering regular delivery of items ordered through its website. Amazon Prime is a subscription with the benefit of free, standard, or 2-day delivery, and additional benefits such as Prime Video, Prime TV, Prime Music, Kindle eBooks, etc.
No, Netflix is not associated with Amazon Prime – but Prime Video and Prime TV are included with Amazon Prime.
Also check out our latest Amazon deals here!
I’d like to hear from you: Is Amazon Prime worth the cost? Why or why not?
