Is Amazon Prime worth it?

Wondering if an Amazon Prime membership is worth it? In this post, we outline the key benefits of Amazon Prime – from fast, free shipping and easy access to Amazon deals to streaming and storage – to help you decide whether Prime really offers value for money.

I surveyed my audience and asked them this question. As you can imagine, I got a wide range of responses: some from diehard Amazon Prime fans, some from those who think it’s a complete waste of money, and some from people who are in the middle of it and think it could be a money-saving option or something not worth the cost.

In this article, I’ll share some of the responses I’ve heard over and over so you can decide whether or not to Amazon Prime is worth the cost to you.

What are the costs of Amazon Prime?

Let’s talk numbers first. A regular Amazon Prime subscription costs $14.99 per month (plus taxes) or $139 per year (plus taxes). Occasionally they offer a discounted rate for a few days, but I haven’t seen a discount in a while.

If you’re a student, you can take a student Prime Membership where you are free for the first 6 months and after that it’s $7.49/month. If you are an eligible recipient of government assistance, you can do that too qualify for a reduced rate of $6.99 per month for Amazon Prime. (Foster families: If you have a child on WIC, you are also eligible!)

What are the benefits of Amazon Prime?

For a long time, many people thought Amazon Prime was “free two-day shipping.” That can be a big advantage if you order a lot from Amazon. However, in the past year, some items no longer ship in two days or less (although some of that depends on what you order and how close you live to an Amazon warehouse), BUT they offer so many other benefits for those who do Amazon Prime members.

Are you interested in trying Amazon Prime? You can have one free 30 day trial here.

Here are some of the benefits you all appreciate most:

1. Amazon Prime Membership Cost – Less than $12 per month with free shipping

“Prime only costs $139 per year, which works out to less than $12 per month for free shipping (no matter how much you spend, and it’s usually there the next day!) Amazon Prime TVand Amazon Music. Definitely worth it!” -Vanessa

Speaking of free shipping, Joy says, “For our family, shipping alone makes Prime worth it. Plus, they sometimes offer digital credits for slow shipping that we use to rent or buy movies.”

The convenience factor must also be taken into account, as Erin wrote, “I live in the middle of nowhere and can get a lot of things that I can’t easily get. I can make a bulk order of those things and also get Amazon online. Is it perfect? ​​No, but for my family it works.”

2. Amazon Prime Benefits: Get Amazon deals easily

Tracy said, “If I get a deal on something that costs $5, I can take advantage of the free shipping and get the deal and get free shipping and have it delivered in two days. This also saves on gas because I can order knowing when my order will arrive! Amazon Prime pays for itself several times a year!”

(Note: While this can be a pro, it can also be a con – because Amazon makes it SO easy to spend money!)

An Amazon Prime membership also makes it easier to use Subscribe & Save, which allows you to save even more on items you buy regularly because you don’t have to meet the $35 threshold for free shipping.

3. Prime music

Katie says: “We like it because of the free shipping, the Prime Music and the Prime Video options. Prime Music gives you access to about 2 million songs you can listen to ad-free, plus thousands of playlists and stations. I also use the main reading options with my Kindle app. My kids love top-notch music. They all have a playlist of their favorite songs.”

(Note: You can also stream plenty of free music on Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or other places. Yes, you may experience ads 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 big plus. As Sharon wrote, “The most important 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 underrated benefits, especially if you love books or have kids who devour chapter books. With Prime Reading, you get access to a rotating library of ebooks, magazines, short reads, and even some audiobooks at no extra cost. You don’t need a Kindle device to use it, because you can read everything directly in the free Kindle app on your phone or tablet. Many mothers in our community say this helps them save money on books and provides their children with fresh reading material during school breaks or long car rides.

(Note: You can get many of the Kindle books for free even if you don’t have a Prime membership. Also check your local library to see if they offer free ebooks and audiobooks through the Hoopla or Libby app.)

5. Unlimited photo storage

With an Amazon Prime subscription, yes get unlimited full resolution photo storage and 5 GB for video. Jessica said this: “For us, it’s worth it for the photo storage. It’s a very cost-effective way to store full-size photo files for backup for someone who loves photography.”

6. Amazon Household

Amazon Household is one of the easiest ways to increase the value of your Prime membership, especially if you share a home with a spouse, partner, or children. This lets you share many Prime benefits with one other adult and up to four teens (added before April 7, 2025) and four child profiles at no additional cost.

Everyone keeps their own Amazon login, personal recommendations and browsing history, but everyone gets access to Prime benefits like free delivery, Prime Video, Prime Reading and eligible digital content through the Family Library. This means you can share the benefits without sharing passwords or mixing up your shopping carts and watchlists.

7. It can save you time

If you have a very full life, it can be very useful to be able to order online easily! As Danae wrote: “For me, it’s a quality of life issue… it saves me a lot of time if I can order something small that I need and receive it in a few days without having to go to the store, which means I can use that time for my family, my home or work.”

8. Offers an alternative to cable

If you have an Amazon Prime account, you do free access to many movies and shows. (Many aren’t free, but there are many that 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 subscriptions to Prime, Netflix, and Frndly.”

Incidentally, Prime Video is cheaper than Netflix. So if you have Netflix, it might be worth seeing if switching to Amazon Prime might be a better option, as you get a lot more than just streaming!

Clare said: ‘I’m not sure it’s worth it just because of the shipping costs, but Prime Video is cheaper than Netflix (and seems cleaner). As a homeschooling mom, I have found so many documentaries for my kids on that platform. It’s also great for downloading movies to phones or tablets for the toddler in the car.”

9. Ability to download shows and movies to your device

If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you can do that download shows and movies from Prime and watch them later. Deidre shared that this has been such a big help to their family: “You can download shows and movies from Prime and watch them on a tablet or phone without having an internet connection. We use this for car rides, flights, when the power goes out and I’ve scared restless toddlers, and when I know we’ll have to wait a lot at the dentist, doctor, etc.”

Does Amazon Prime Really Save You Money?

Although there are many benefits to having one Amazon Prime subscriptiona number of people told me that they felt like it actually encouraged them to spend more money and that they found they could easily wait until they had $35 in their cart before getting free shipping.

As Nicole says, “I had Prime for YEARS, but gave it up a few years ago. And you bet… I don’t miss it! Not worth the subscription for me. I can wait until $35 for free shipping. I don’t buy small things on impulse either. And I used to look Prime videos always – don’t miss it at all. I can easily fill that time with other things.”

Benefits of Amazon Prime FAQ

And check out our latest Amazon deals here!

I’d love to hear from you: Is Amazon Prime worth the cost? Why or why not?

Never miss a HOT deal again!

Sign up below and I’ll only email you when I come across a really great deal!