Amazon's main video services and what each one offers
Amazon offers three separate video services, each with different content and pricing. Prime Video is included with an Amazon Prime membership and covers movies, TV shows, and original series. Amazon Freevee is a free, ad-supported streaming service with movies and shows. Prime Video with ads is a lower-cost tier of Prime Video that includes advertisements during playback.
The service you choose depends on whether you want to pay, whether you mind ads, and what content matters to you. Prime Video without ads costs the most but has no commercials. Prime Video with ads costs less but interrupts shows and movies. Freevee costs nothing but has more ads and a smaller library.
Key Takeaways
- Prime Video (ad-free) costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, or comes free with a $139 annual Prime membership that includes shipping and other benefits.
- Prime Video with ads costs $6.99 per month and includes the same content as the ad-free version but with commercial breaks.
- Amazon Freevee is completely free and includes movies and TV shows supported by ads, with no subscription required.
- You can add premium channels like Paramount+, MGM+, and Starz directly to Prime Video for an additional monthly fee per channel.
Prime Video without ads: cost and what you get
Prime Video without ads costs $14.99 per month if you pay month-to-month, or $139 per year if you pay annually. If you already have an Amazon Prime membership (which costs $139 per year and includes free shipping, Prime Music, and other perks), Prime Video is included at no extra cost.
The ad-free version gives you access to the full Prime Video library: thousands of movies, TV series, and Amazon Originals like The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Rings of Power. You can watch on up to three devices at the same time on one account. You can also download titles to watch offline on phones and tablets.
If you are not an Amazon Prime member but want Prime Video alone, the yearly option saves you about $30 compared to paying monthly. However, you do not get the shipping benefits or other Prime perks that come with a full Prime membership.
Prime Video with ads: the lower-cost option
Prime Video with ads costs $6.99 per month and gives you access to the same content library as the ad-free version. The difference is that you will see advertisements during movies and TV shows, similar to watching cable television. The ads are typically 15 to 30 seconds long and appear at natural breaks in the content.
This tier is useful if you want to save money and do not mind commercial interruptions. You still get offline downloads, simultaneous streaming on multiple devices, and access to all the same original series and movies. The only real trade-off is the ads themselves.
You cannot combine Prime Video with ads with a full Amazon Prime membership—if you have Prime, you automatically get the ad-free version. The ad-supported tier is only available as a standalone subscription.
Amazon Freevee: free streaming with ads
Amazon Freevee is a free, ad-supported streaming service that requires no subscription or payment. It includes a rotating library of movies and TV shows, plus some original content. The ads are more frequent than on Prime Video with ads, since Freevee has no subscription revenue to offset advertising costs.
Freevee is built into the Prime Video app if you have Prime Video, but you can also access it as a standalone app on most devices—phones, tablets, smart TVs, and streaming devices. The content library is smaller than Prime Video's, and titles rotate in and out more often. You cannot download Freevee content to watch offline.
Freevee works well if you want to browse free content without committing to a paid subscription, or as a supplement to Prime Video if you want additional options. Since there is no cost, there is no financial risk to trying it.
Premium channels you can add to Prime Video
Amazon allows you to add premium channels directly to your Prime Video subscription for an additional monthly fee. These channels include Paramount+, MGM+, Starz, Showtime, and others. Each channel costs between $5.99 and $11.99 per month depending on which one you choose and whether you want ads.
When you add a channel, its content appears in the Prime Video app alongside your regular Prime Video library. You do not need separate apps or logins for each channel—they all stream through Prime Video. You can add or remove channels at any time, and you are only charged for the ones you currently have active.
This approach is different from subscribing to those services separately. For example, you can add Paramount+ through Prime Video for $5.99 per month with ads, or $11.99 per month without ads. If you subscribed to Paramount+ directly, the pricing would be similar but you would use a separate app.
How to choose between these services
Start by deciding whether you want to pay at all. If you do not want to spend money, use Freevee. It is free and requires no commitment.
If you are willing to pay, decide whether ads bother you. If you hate commercials, choose Prime Video without ads at $14.99 per month or $139 per year. If ads are acceptable to save money, choose Prime Video with ads at $6.99 per month.
If you already use Amazon Prime for shipping and other benefits, Prime Video is included for free with the ad-free version, so there is no additional cost. In that case, you are already paying for it as part of your Prime membership.
If you want content from premium channels like Paramount+ or Starz, adding them through Prime Video is usually simpler than managing separate subscriptions, though the total cost adds up quickly if you add multiple channels.
Devices and simultaneous streaming limits
Prime Video works on phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, streaming devices like Roku and Fire TV, and gaming consoles. You can stream on up to three devices at the same time with one Prime Video account. If a fourth person tries to watch simultaneously, they will get an error message.
Amazon Freevee has the same device support as Prime Video but does not allow offline downloads. Premium channels added to Prime Video stream through the Prime Video app and follow the same simultaneous streaming limits.
If you need more than three simultaneous streams, you can create separate household profiles within one Prime account, but each profile shares the same three-stream limit across all profiles combined. There is no way to increase the limit beyond three streams on a single account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I watch Prime Video on multiple devices at the same time?
Yes, you can stream on up to three devices simultaneously with one Prime Video account. If a fourth device tries to play at the same time, it will be blocked. This limit applies whether you use the ad-free or ad-supported version.
Do I have to pay for Prime Video if I already have Amazon Prime?
No. Prime Video without ads is included free with an Amazon Prime membership. You do not pay extra for it. If you cancel Prime, you lose access to Prime Video unless you pay for it separately.
Can I download Prime Video content to watch offline?
Yes, both Prime Video (ad-free and with ads) allow downloads to phones and tablets through the Prime Video app. Freevee does not support offline downloads. Downloaded content expires after a set period, usually 30 days or less depending on the title.
What is the difference between Prime Video with ads and Freevee?
Prime Video with ads has a much larger library and fewer ads than Freevee. Freevee is completely free but has a smaller rotating library and more frequent commercials. If you want more content and fewer ads, Prime Video with ads is the better choice.
Can I add premium channels like Paramount+ through Prime Video?
Yes. You can add Paramount+, MGM+, Starz, Showtime, and other premium channels directly to Prime Video for a monthly fee. They stream through the Prime Video app without needing separate apps or logins, though you can also subscribe to these services separately if you prefer.