One streaming service isn’t quite enough for me—I have to have Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. The two streaming services complement one another well—the only problem is figuring out where
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When I Want to Watch Content With My Kids
Cartoons and kids’ shows are a staple in my home, and that goes for my wife and me, too. We love revisiting some of the cartoons and shows we watched growing up, sharing them with our kids, and being surprised that they still hold up today. We bounce back and forth between Netflix and Amazon Prime Video because both have equally good available content.
Netflix, for instance, has a nice mix of newer and older kids’ shows, like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Pokémon, Drake & Josh, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, and Dragon Ball: Daima. Amazon Prime Video also has a great mix of shows like SpongeBob, Wild Kratts, and PBS available on Prime for free.
However, I do like that with Netflix, my kids and I can just pick something to watch, whereas with Amazon Prime, I’m more likely to run into a problem with renting an episode or movie. That latter isn’t as big of a deal if it’s a new movie we want to watch or if it’s a cartoon Netflix doesn’t have access to.
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Netflix Is More Consistent With New Content
When it comes to quality content, I have consistently fallen in love with Netflix’s original movies and shows as opposed to Amazon Prime’s Originals and exclusives. Don’t get me wrong, Prime has a couple of great hits—Invincible, Good Omens, The Legend of Vox Machina, Secret Levels, and I hear Reacher is really good—but I find myself passing on original content more often than I do with Netflix.
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With Netflix, I find the platform’s new content much more interesting and diverse. There is Stranger Things, Castlevania, The Fall of the House of Usher, Midnight Mass, Space Force, Maniac, The Sandman, Beef, Blood of Zeus, and more. That consistent high-quality content is the biggest reason I keep paying for Netflix.
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If I Want to Relax, I Go With Netflix
As much as I like the content on Amazon Prime Video, it is notably harder to relax with. For one, Prime Video’s UI is murder on my eyes. It’s much harder for me to see what I’m looking at with a quick glance because the small icons have squashed the elements of the show or movie into a mess of colors. On Netflix, the icons are much bigger, making it very easy to pick something without even reading the title.
And those tiny yellow icons indicating a show or movie isn’t free on Prime Video? I miss those 50% of the time, and that’s if it isn’t blending in with the poster. That means I’m disappointed half the time when I select something and discover it has to be bought, rented, or isn’t part of Prime. I have to go out of my way to find Prime-only content.
With Netflix, I can sit in my comfy chair, find something to watch at a glance, and know I’ll be able to enjoy whatever I pick. I don’t have to filter anything or toggle a setting—none of that. Netflix has the user experience down, and it goes a long way in reducing friction between me and my relaxation time.
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Amazon Prime Video Is Where I Go to Rent Movies
As much as I would love to catch every movie in theaters, I don’t have that kind of time. Renting is the next best thing, and since I already pay for Prime, it only makes sense to rent from there. It used to be Netflix, but that hasn’t been an option since 2023.
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Not only is Prime Video one of the few streaming services that has rentals, but the prices are usually fair, and sometimes, I can rent movies while they are still in theaters. Otherwise, it’ll come out a couple of weeks after the movie’s premiere. In fact, there’s an entire category—it’s called “In-theater”—I can check in on for new films. It’s how I was able to watch Mickey 17 (after waiting an agonizingly long time).
Netflix is still the king in my eyes. It’s where I do most of my streaming, but Amazon Prime Video still offers some niche features and content that sweetens my subscription to Prime. I get the benefits of Prime deals and streaming must-see TV shows and movies.
