Amazon Prime is the main subscription Amazon offers, and it bundles shipping, video streaming, and other perks into one monthly or annual payment
Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year as of 2024, though prices have risen in the past and may change again. The subscription includes free two-day shipping on most items, access to Prime Video (movies and TV shows), Prime Music (a music streaming library), and cloud photo storage. Students pay half price through Prime Student. If you have a low income, you may be able to get Prime for $6.99 per month through the Prime Discount Program, though availability varies by state.
The main reason people keep Prime is the shipping speed — two-day delivery on millions of items without a minimum purchase. Prime Video has become a secondary draw, with original shows and movies plus licensed content. The music and photo storage features exist but are rarely the reason someone subscribes.
Amazon also offers smaller, single-purpose subscriptions: Prime Video on its own ($14.99 per month or $139 per year, or $2.99 per month with ads), Kindle Unlimited (unlimited e-book borrowing for $11.99 per month), and Amazon Music Unlimited (ad-free music streaming for $11.99 per month). These are separate from Prime and do not require a Prime membership.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon Prime at $14.99 per month includes two-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, and photo storage, and is the subscription most people think of when they hear "Amazon subscription."
- Prime Video, Kindle Unlimited, and Amazon Music Unlimited are separate subscriptions you can buy without Prime, each serving a single purpose.
- Students and low-income households may pay less through Prime Student or the Prime Discount Program.
- Most subscriptions auto-renew monthly or annually, so you need to cancel before the renewal date to stop being charged.
- You can pause Prime Video or other subscriptions for up to three months without cancelling, which stops charges but keeps your account active.
How to manage or cancel an Amazon subscription
To change or cancel any Amazon subscription, go to Your Account on Amazon.com, select Memberships and Subscriptions, and find the subscription you want to change. From there you can pause it, cancel it, or change the billing frequency (monthly to annual or vice versa). Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period, so you keep access until then.
If you cancel Prime, you lose two-day shipping immediately, but you keep access to Prime Video and other benefits through the end of the month you paid for. If you want to stop being charged but keep some benefits, you can downgrade to Prime Video only instead of cancelling Prime entirely.
Amazon does not charge a cancellation fee. You can resubscribe at any time, and your watchlist, library, and other saved content will still be there.
Prime Video with ads versus without ads
Amazon offers Prime Video in two ways: included free with Prime, or as a standalone subscription. The standalone subscription has two tiers — $14.99 per month ad-free, or $2.99 per month with ads. The ad-supported version shows ads before and during shows and movies, though Amazon says the ads are fewer than traditional TV.
If you have Prime, you get the ad-free version included. You cannot downgrade Prime Video to the ad-supported tier while keeping Prime itself; you would have to cancel Prime and buy Prime Video with ads separately. Some people do this to save money if they only want video streaming and do not use Prime's shipping benefit.
Kindle Unlimited and what it covers
Kindle Unlimited costs $11.99 per month and lets you borrow up to 20 e-books at a time from a library of millions of titles. You can return a book early and borrow another one immediately. The subscription works on Kindle devices, tablets, and phones through the Kindle app.
Kindle Unlimited does not include audiobooks — that is a separate service called Audible. It also does not include print books or textbooks, only digital e-books. Many traditionally published books are in the program, but some authors and publishers opt out, so not every book you want will be available to borrow.
If you read several books per month and would otherwise buy them, Kindle Unlimited can save money. If you read slowly or prefer print, it is probably not worth the cost.
Amazon Music Unlimited versus Prime Music
Amazon Music Unlimited is a separate subscription at $11.99 per month for unlimited ad-free music streaming. Prime members also get Prime Music included with their membership, which is a smaller library of ad-free music but no cost beyond Prime itself.
Prime Music has millions of songs but not every artist or album. Amazon Music Unlimited has a much larger catalog and is closer to Spotify or Apple Music in scope. If you are a Prime member and listen to music casually, Prime Music may be enough. If you want access to everything or want to download music for offline listening, you need Music Unlimited.
Family sharing and household accounts
Amazon Prime can be shared with up to two adults and up to four children in the same household through Amazon Household. Both adults can use the same Prime membership and share the shipping benefit, Prime Video, and other perks. Children have their own accounts with parental controls.
To set up a household, go to Your Account, select Household and Family Library, and invite another adult or add children. The primary account holder pays for Prime, and the secondary adult can manage some settings but cannot change the payment method or cancel the subscription.
Kindle Unlimited, Audible, and Amazon Music Unlimited do not share across household accounts — each person needs their own subscription if they want access.
What happens if you share your password with someone outside your household
Amazon's terms of service say Prime is for household members only, and sharing your password with someone who does not live with you technically violates the terms. In practice, Amazon rarely enforces this for casual sharing, but the company has stated it may crack down on widespread password sharing in the future, similar to what Netflix did.
If you want to share Prime with someone who does not live with you, the safest option is to add them to your Amazon Household if you trust them with access to your account and payment method. Otherwise, they would need their own Prime subscription.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a free trial of Amazon Prime?
Amazon occasionally offers free trials of Prime, usually 30 days, but the offer is not always available and depends on whether you have had Prime before. The best way to check is to visit Amazon.com and look for a trial offer on the Prime sign-up page. If you are a student, Prime Student includes a six-month free trial.
Do I have to pay for Prime shipping on everything?
Prime two-day shipping is free on most items sold by Amazon or fulfilled by Amazon. Some items sold by third-party sellers do not may have access to, and some items are marked as ineligible. You can see which items have Prime shipping before you add them to your cart — look for the Prime badge on the product page.
What is the difference between Prime Video and renting or buying movies on Amazon?
Prime Video is a subscription that includes a rotating library of movies and shows. Renting or buying lets you pay per title — you can rent a movie for a few days or buy it permanently. Prime Video members can still rent or buy movies outside the included library if they want to watch something not in the subscription.
Can I pause my subscription instead of cancelling?
Yes. Most Amazon subscriptions, including Prime, can be paused for up to three months. While paused, you are not charged, but your account and saved content stay active. After three months, the subscription resumes automatically unless you cancel or pause again.
What if I was charged after I cancelled?
If you were charged after cancelling, contact Amazon Customer Service through Your Account. Explain when you cancelled and ask for a refund. Amazon usually processes refunds within a few business days if the cancellation was recent and the charge was a mistake.