What Amazon Prime Video is and who can get it
Amazon Prime Video is a streaming service that lets you watch movies, TV shows, and original series on demand. You can watch on phones, tablets, computers, and smart TVs. Amazon offers it as a standalone subscription or bundled with Amazon Prime, which also includes free shipping on Amazon purchases and access to Prime Music.
Anyone with an Amazon account and a valid payment method can sign up. There is no age restriction, though Amazon Prime Video's parental controls let you set viewing limits by content rating. You do not need to be a U.S. resident, but the content library and pricing vary by country.
If you already have an Amazon Prime membership for shipping benefits, Prime Video is included at no extra cost. If you want Prime Video alone without the full Prime membership, Amazon offers that as a separate subscription.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon Prime Video costs either $14.99 per month as a standalone subscription or is included free with Amazon Prime membership, which costs $139 per year or $14.99 per month.
- The standalone Prime Video subscription includes ads by default; an ad-free version costs $2.99 more per month.
- You can watch on up to three devices at the same time with one account, though simultaneous streams on the same show or movie are limited to two.
- Prime Video content includes licensed movies and TV shows plus Amazon's original series, and the full library changes monthly as titles rotate in and out.
- You can pause or cancel your subscription at any time through your Amazon account settings with no cancellation fee.
Pricing: standalone versus bundled with Prime membership
Amazon offers Prime Video in two ways. The standalone Prime Video subscription costs $14.99 per month and includes ads during playback. If you want to remove ads, you pay an additional $2.99 per month for a total of $17.98 per month.
Amazon Prime membership includes Prime Video ad-free and costs $139 per year or $14.99 per month on a monthly plan. Prime membership also covers free two-day shipping on most Amazon purchases, Prime Music (a music streaming service), and Prime Reading (access to a rotating library of books and magazines). If you use any of these other benefits regularly, the bundled membership often costs less than paying for Prime Video alone plus other services separately.
Both subscriptions renew automatically. You can switch between the ad-supported and ad-free versions of Prime Video at any time, and the change takes effect when ready.
What you can watch and how the content rotates
Prime Video's library includes licensed movies and TV shows from studios and networks, plus original series and films produced by Amazon Studios. The originals include drama, comedy, documentaries, and children's programming. Some titles are included with your subscription; others are available to rent or buy separately.
The full library changes regularly. Amazon adds new titles throughout each month and removes others when licensing agreements expire. There is no published schedule showing which titles will leave or arrive on specific dates. If you want to watch a particular movie or show, you can search for it in the Prime Video app to see whether it is currently included, available to rent, or available to buy.
Prime Video also offers live sports and events through add-on subscriptions. For example, you can add Paramount+ or other services directly through Prime Video's interface, though these cost extra and are billed separately.
How many devices you can use at once
One Prime Video account can stream to up to three devices at the same time. However, you cannot watch the same movie or TV episode on more than two devices simultaneously — if a third device tries to play the same title, it will be blocked.
You can read titles to your phone or tablet and watch them offline, which does not count against your simultaneous stream limit. Downloads remain on your device for a set period (usually 30 days for most titles, though this varies), and you must have an active subscription to watch them.
If you share your account with family members in different locations, each person can use their own device without affecting the others, as long as the total number of simultaneous streams does not exceed three and no more than two people are watching the same title.
Parental controls and content ratings
Prime Video uses content ratings to label movies and shows. In the United States, these follow the Motion Picture Association ratings (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17) for movies and TV Parental Guidelines (TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14, TV-MA) for television.
You can set up a PIN-protected profile within your account and restrict viewing by rating level. Once you set a maximum rating, anyone using that profile cannot watch content rated higher without entering the PIN. You can create multiple profiles for different household members and set different restrictions for each.
Parental controls are set up in your account settings under "Parental Controls" or "Profiles and Parental Controls," depending on which device you are using.
How to start and stop your subscription
To start a Prime Video subscription, go to amazon.com, sign in to your account, and navigate to the Prime Video section. You can choose either the standalone subscription or add Prime Video to an existing Prime membership. Amazon will ask for a payment method and will charge you when ready for the first month or year, depending on which plan you choose.
To cancel, sign in to your Amazon account, go to "Manage Your Prime Membership" or "Your Prime Video Membership," and select "End Membership" or "Cancel Prime Video." Your access ends at the end of your current billing period. If you cancel mid-month, you keep access until the next billing date; Amazon does not issue refunds for partial months.
If you pause instead of canceling, Amazon offers a "Pause Membership" option that temporarily stops billing for up to three months. After the pause ends, billing resumes automatically unless you cancel.
Comparing Prime Video to other streaming services
Prime Video competes with Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Max (formerly HBO Max), and others. The main differences are the content library, price, and whether ads are included.
| Service | Monthly Cost (Ad-Free) | Simultaneous Streams | Offline Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Video (standalone) | $17.98 | 3 devices (2 same title) | Yes |
| Netflix Standard | $15.49 | 2 devices | Yes |
| Disney+ | $10.99 | 4 devices | Yes |
| Max | $19.99 | 4 devices | Yes |
If you use Amazon's shipping and other Prime benefits, the bundled Prime membership ($139 per year) often provides better value than paying for Prime Video alone. If you only want to stream video, the standalone subscription or another service may be a better fit depending on which shows and movies you want to watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I watch Prime Video on my smart TV?
Yes. Prime Video is built into most modern smart TVs, including those from Samsung, LG, Sony, and others. You can also use a streaming device like Fire TV Stick, Roku, Apple TV, or Chromecast. read the Prime Video app on your device, sign in with your Amazon account, and start watching.
What happens to my shows if I cancel my subscription?
Your access to Prime Video ends when ready when your subscription cancels. You cannot watch any titles, including ones you started watching. If you resubscribe later, you can resume watching, but your watch history and saved titles may not carry over depending on how long you were unsubscribed.
Can I share my Prime Video password with someone outside my household?
Amazon's terms of service state that Prime Video is for personal use within your household. Sharing passwords with people outside your home violates the terms. Amazon has begun cracking down on password sharing and may require additional verification or block access if it detects sharing across different locations.
Does Prime Video work internationally?
Prime Video is available in many countries, but the content library, pricing, and features vary by region. If you travel, you can usually watch downloaded titles offline. Streaming while outside your home country may be restricted depending on licensing agreements. Check the Prime Video app in your country for current availability.
How do I remove ads from Prime Video?
If you have the ad-supported standalone subscription, you can upgrade to the ad-free version by going to your account settings and selecting "Upgrade to ad-free." The change takes effect when ready, and you will be charged the additional $2.99 per month. If you have Amazon Prime membership, Prime Video is already ad-free.