Wondering if an Amazon Prime membership is worth it? In this article, we’ll break down the main benefits of Amazon Prime (from fast and free shipping to easy access to Amazon sales, streaming and storage) to help you decide whether Amazon Prime offers real value for your money.
I surveyed my audience and asked them this question. As you can imagine, I received mixed reactions. Some reactions came from die-hard Amazon Prime fans, some from people who thought it was a complete waste of money, and others from half-hearted people who thought it might be a money-saving option or maybe not worth the expense.
In this article, I’ll share some of the answers I’ve heard many times to help you decide whether to do so or not. amazon prime It’s worth the cost for you.
How much does Amazon Prime cost?
First, let’s talk about numbers. A regular Amazon Prime subscription costs $14.99 per month (excluding tax) or $139 per year (excluding tax). Sometimes they offer discounted rates for a few days, but I haven’t seen any discounts in a while.
If you are a university student, you can do it. get students prime Free membership for the first 6 months After that, it’s $7.49 per month. If you qualify for a government grant, you can also: You’re eligible for Amazon Prime’s discounted monthly rate of $6.99. (Foster families: If you have children enrolled in WIC, you may also qualify.)

What are the benefits of Amazon Prime?
For a long time, many people thought of Amazon Prime as “free 2-day shipping.” This is a big advantage when ordering in large quantities from Amazon. But over the past year, some items no longer ship within two days (though some of that depends on what you order and whether you live near an Amazon warehouse). Amazon prime member.
Interested in trying Amazon Prime? You can get 30-day free trial here.
Here are some of the benefits that people said they liked the most.
1. Amazon Prime membership fee – less than $12 per month, free shipping
“Prime is only $139 a year, but with free shipping it’s less than $12 a month (no matter how much you spend, it almost always arrives the next day!). amazon prime tvAmazon Music. Definitely worth it! ” – Vanessa
Regarding free shipping, Joy says, “For our family, the shipping alone is worth the price of Prime. Plus, they sometimes give us digital credits to rent or purchase movies if shipping is slow.”
There’s also the convenience factor to consider, as Erin writes: “I live in a remote area and have access to a lot of things that aren’t readily available. I can order a lot of those things, and I can get Amazon online. Is it perfect? No, but it works for my family.”

2. Benefits of Amazon Prime: Get Amazon deals easily
Tracy said, “If you score a deal on a $5 item, you can take advantage of free shipping to catch the deal and get it delivered within 2 days with free shipping. This also saves you money on gas because you can place your order knowing immediately when your order will arrive. Amazon Prime pays for itself many times over a year!”
(Note: This can be a positive, but it can also be a negative, because Amazon is so easy to spend your money.)
Additionally, Amazon Prime membership makes it even easier to subscribe and save. This allows you to save even more money on regularly purchased items by not having to meet the $35 free shipping threshold.

3. Prime Music
Katie said: “Free Shipping, Prime Music, and prime video option. Prime Music gives you access to: About 2 million Includes songs plus thousands of playlists and stations that you can listen to ad-free. I also use the Prime Reading option on the Kindle app. My kids love Prime Music. They all have playlists of their favorite songs. ”
(Note: You can also get a lot of free streaming music at places like Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube. If you don’t have a paid account, you might have to deal with some commercials, but there are plenty of ways to access free music online.)

4. Free Kindle books
If you’re an avid reader, having access to free Kindle books can be a big plus. As Sharon posted, “Kindle books are the most important thing to me. I read 5-6 books a week, and if I didn’t have Prime, I wouldn’t be able to read enough.”
This is one of the most underrated perks, especially if you love books or have kids who read chapter by chapter. Prime Reading gives you access to a rotating library of e-books, magazines, short reads, and even select audiobooks at no additional cost. You can read them all right on your phone or tablet with the free Kindle app, so you don’t have to use your Kindle device. Many moms in our community say this saves them money on books and keeps their kids stocked with fresh reading material during school breaks and long car trips.
(Note: Many Kindle books are available for free without a Prime membership. Also, check your local library to see if they offer free e-books or audiobooks through the Hoopla or Libby apps.)

5. Unlimited photo storage
When you sign up for Amazon Prime, Get unlimited full-resolution photo storage and 5 GB for videos. Jessica says: “For us, it’s valuable for photo storage. For anyone interested in photography, it’s a very economical way to store full-size photo files for backup purposes.”

6. Amazon family
Amazon Households 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 allows you to share many Prime benefits with one other adult and up to four youth (those added before April 7, 2025) and four child profiles at no additional cost.
Each person keeps their own Amazon login, personal recommendations, and browsing history, but everyone has access to Prime benefits like free shipping, Prime Video, Prime Reading, and eligible digital content through Family Library. That means you can share benefits without sharing passwords or mixing up shopping carts or watch lists.
7. Saves time
If you really want to live a fulfilling life, being able to easily order online is very convenient. Danae writes: “For me, it’s about quality of life…I can order the little things I need and get them within days without having to go to the store, which saves me a lot of time. That means I can use that time for my family, home, and work.”

8. Provide cable alternatives
If you have an Amazon Prime account, Access tons of movies and shows for free. (Many aren’t free, but many are free with an Amazon Prime subscription.) Reader Jennifer says, “I don’t pay a monthly cable or satellite bill, so I save a lot of money on entertainment, even though I’m paying for Prime, Netflix, and Frndly subscriptions.”
by the way, prime video It’s cheaper than Netflix. So if you have Netflix, it might be worth checking if switching to Amazon Prime is a better option. Because you get more benefits than just streaming.
Claire said, “I don’t know if it’s worth just shipping it, but… prime video Cheaper (and looks prettier) than Netflix. As a homeschooling mom, I found a lot of documentaries for kids on this platform. Also great for downloading movies to your phone or tablet for toddlers in the car. ”
9. Ability to download shows and movies to your device
By signing up for Amazon Prime, you can: Download shows and movies from Prime to watch later. Deirdre shared how this has helped her family. “You can download shows and movies from Prime and watch them on your tablet or phone even when you don’t have Internet service. We use it for car rides or plane rides, when a power outage scares our restless toddler, or when we know we’re going to have to wait a long time at the dentist or doctor’s appointment.”
Does Amazon Prime really save you money?
Although there are many benefits to having Amazon Prime membership registrationmany people told me that they actually felt like they were spending more money and found it easier to just wait until they had $35 in their cart to get free shipping.
As Nicole says, “I had Prime for years but stopped a few years ago. And think about it…I don’t miss it! It’s not worth the subscription for me. I can wait $35 for free shipping. Also, I don’t buy small things on impulse. And I used to look a lot.” prime video Anytime – don’t miss it. It’s easy to fill that time with other things. ”
Amazon Prime Benefits Frequently Asked Questions
Current membership price is $14.99 per month or $139 per year.
Yes, you can take advantage of a 30-day free trial before payment is due. If you are a university student, you can do it. Get 6 months free!
Amazon is the parent company. Amazon Prime is a service provided by the company. Amazon provides online shopping opportunities for everyone and offers standard shipping on items ordered through its website. Amazon Prime is a subscription that offers free, standard, or two-day delivery, plus additional benefits such as Prime Video, Prime TV, Prime Music, and Kindle e-books.
No, Netflix is not affiliated with Amazon Prime. prime video and prime tv Included with Amazon Prime.
Related links:
- Make the most of your Amazon subscriptions and savings: Tips and tricks to maximize your savings
- Amazon Prime Student | 6-month free trial for ages 18-24 + new benefits!!
- Kindle Unlimited trial member benefits: 1 month free!
- Amazon Music Unlimited Sale | 1 month free! (Comes with a free audiobook every month!)
- Can I save money with a warehouse membership?
- 25 Benefits of Costco Membership
- Walmart+ membership benefits (+ 30-day free trial!)
- 25 creative places to buy groceries for cheaper
Check out the latest Amazon sales here too!
We’d love to hear from you: Is Amazon Prime worth paying for? Why or why not?
Source: Money Saving Mom® – moneysavingmom.com



