Are you ready to join million people who gave up cable and moved to a streaming service? These platforms offer many advantages, including watching from any location, managing devices used, etc. The market is full of premium providers, so how to pick a suitable one?
Our detailed guide focuses on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video. The experts we gathered analyzed every aspect of these services. We began with trials and pricing and moved on to the available content, DVR features and other details. Here is a comprehensive comparison to help you find a better service!
Quick Overview Paramount+ vs Amazon Prime Video
CBS is the company behind Paramount+. If you previously used streaming services, you might remember CBS All Access. Paramount+ is s its successor launched in 2021. It’s the latest attempt from this network to launch a streaming service that combines live channels and on-demand content.
Unlike this relatively new market addition, Amazon Prime Video has been around since 2006. The current statistics indicate it has over 175 million subscribers. The number is that high because the service is available in 100+ countries, and Amazon Prime members are subscribers by default.
The similarity of these two services is that they are primarily on-demand content providers. However, our focus will be on live TV in this article. Before we continue, here’s a quick overview of both platforms!
| Paramount+ | Amazon Prime Video | |
| Pricing | Essential: $4.99/month
Premium: $9.99/month Essential + Showtime: $11.99/month Premium + Showtime: $14.99/month |
Prime Video: $8.99/month
Amazon Prime: $12.99/month |
| Free Trial Length | 7 days | 7 days |
| Number of Channels | 20+ | 50+ |
| DVR Capacity | None | None |
| Device Support | Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Fire TV, Smart TVs, Roku, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 | Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Fire TV, Smart TVs, Roku, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 |
| Simultaneous Streams | 3 | 3 |
Best Pricing: Paramount+ vs Amazon Prime Video
| Amazon Prime Video 30-Day Free Trial $8.99 / month | 100+ Channels Award-winning content 2 simultaneous stream | SIGN UP |
If you only consider the lowest price per package, the winner is Paramount+. You can get its services at an affordable cost, but you’ll have to deal with commercials when watching on-demand content. The provider also has more expensive packages, depending on your preference.
As for Amazon Prime Video, its pricing delivers excellent value for money. If you use the online store’s services, you can get the APV with the Prime subscription. It’s a convenient addition and a way of rewarding loyal users.
Paramount+ Pricing
| Package | Price |
| Essential | $4.99 monthly |
| Premium | $9.99 monthly |
| Essential + Showtime | $11.99 monthly |
| Premium + Showtime | $14.99 monthly |
Paramount+ has two pricing plans. The first one contains commercial breaks and costs $4.99 monthly. If you go with a yearly subscription, you pay only $49.99, meaning you can save about 17% with a one-time payment. The commercials aren’t too long, but they can be annoying.
If you want to turn the advertisements off, you’ll need the Premium package. It increases the monthly subscription to $7.99 but secures a better experience. Another important addition is that this package unlocks your local CBS station in most US locations.
Another thing to note is that CBS offers Showtime channels. Live TV fans will appreciate this since they can get this package on the Paramount+ platform. The cost depends on the default pricing plan, so Showtime costs anywhere from $5 to $7. Check out our Paramount+ plan and pricing to discover more about these subscriptions.
Amazon Prime Video Pricing
| Package | Price |
| Prime Video | $8.99 monthly |
| Amazon Prime | $12.99 monthly |
Amazon Prime Video has simple pricing terms. You have a single subscription plan that costs $8.99 monthly. There are no advertisements, and you get access to the entire on-demand content plus live channels.
You have an alternative that can be a wise move if you use Amazon online store. If you become a Prime member, you get faster product delivery. The Prime subscription unlocks music streaming and unlimited reading on corresponding Amazon services. It also includes a free Prime Video subscription. You get all that at $12.99 monthly, making this a tempting deal. Check out this Amazon Prime Video guide to learn more about the platform’s pricing.
Best Free Trial: Paramount+ vs Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video wins here since it has two trial options. If you choose the default subscription plan, you receive a seven-day trial. An entire week is quite generous from the platform and gives enough time to test all features. If you subscribe to Amazon Prime, you are entitled to a 30-day trial. That means you’ll also get an entire month of Prime Video for free. It’s most than the majority of other platforms offer.
Paramount+ also comes with a generous 7-day trial. The provider understands the importance of offering users a chance to try their platform. So, although it comes as a close second, this service also does well in this category.
Best Channels and Add-Ons: Paramount+ vs Amazon Prime Video
If we observe only the live TV service, Amazon Prime Video is the winner. It has more TV channels, and it’s a bonus that the on-demand library includes exclusive content. The TV lineup is impressive for lovers of entertainment channels.
However, Paramount+ is tempting for NFL and sports fans. You can watch live football and soccer on this platform. If you get access to the local TV station, it’s also possible to keep up with the latest news. If that seems like a better fit, you can’t go wrong with this platform.
What to Watch on Paramount+?
Paramount+ focuses on the content produced by CBS. It’s a logical move since that’s the network behind this platform. The estimation is that Paramount+ contains over 30,000 TV show episodes and 2,500 movies. It’s an impressive on-demand library, but what about live TV?
If you pick the Premium plan, you unlock access to your local CBS channel. It streams live, so you can follow the latest news there. CBS also offers NFL games and UEFA Champions League on its streaming service. You can watch live games, depending on the subscription you pick. Other live channels focus on showing content from the library. It’s worth noting that the Showtime channel package is available but requires an additional subscription.
What to Watch on Amazon Prime Video?
Amazon Prime Video also impresses with a huge on-demand library. The selection includes originals that are exclusive to this platform, such as Being the Richards, Reacher, etc. Amazon is currently working on the new Lord of the Rings show that has everyone excited.
Apart from thousands of hours of on-demand content, you can enjoy about 50 live channels. Some require subscriptions, such as Starz and Showtime. The default list covers channels like Buzzr, Wipeout Xtra, FilmRise Family, etc.
Best DVR and Offline Viewing: Paramount+ vs Amazon Prime Video
Before we say anything else, let’s underline that neither service offers DVR. These are primarily on-demand content providers, so they don’t come with the DVR. It’s why we only compared offline viewing capabilities. It’s another area with a close call, but Amazon Prime Video comes out as the winner again. That’s because it offers support for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows 10, plus the option to use Amazon Fire devices. The only shame is you can’t record live football and other sporting events available on the platform. Check out this article to learn more about Amazon’s DVR options.
As for Paramount+, things are identical. It doesn’t offer DVR, but you can use offline viewing. That’s possible on Android and iOS devices. The library limit is 25 videos at a time, but if you play a movie or TV show, you have 48 hours to watch it. It then gets removed from the library automatically. Here’s a detailed guide on Paramount+ offline viewing.
Best Device Support: Paramount+ vs Amazon Prime Video
Both platforms do a fantastic job in this area. We go with Paramount+ since it seems to secure a bit smoother functioning across the devices. The platform has an app that works flawlessly on Smart TVs, including those with native operating systems like LG and Samsung. Streaming media players, gaming consoles, and mobile phones are all supported. Check out the detailed list here, and let us mention it also supports Amazon Fire devices.
You can also enjoy Amazon Prime Video on most devices. The compatibility is impressive and ranges from smart TVs and Blu-Ray players to Chromecast, Roku, and other media players. Check out for a detailed list of supported devices.this article
Best Simultaneous Streaming: Peacock VS Amazon Prime Video
Paramount+ is the clear winner in this category. You can use up to three devices for streaming content from this platform. It doesn’t matter whether you access on-demand or live TV content; you can enjoy it without limitations. Our guide will tell you more about Paramount+ simultaneous streams.
Amazon Prime Video also supports up to three devices simultaneously. The platform limits you to watching the same content on only two devices. If you’d like to learn more, check out our APV simultaneous streaming guide.
Which Is Better: Paramount+ vs Amazon Prime Video in 2022?
Amazon Prime Video takes the overall win, but by a close margin. The generous trial and the option to get APV for free with an Amazon Prime subscription sound attractive. You can access an impressive lineup of live TV entertainment channels. If you need some fun and high-quality movies and series, APV is there for you.
On the other hand, Paramount+ has a decent channel lineup, too. Its strongest suits include sporting events like UCL and NFL. You can also check local and national news with some packages. Ultimately, it all comes down to you. Identify the desired features and pick a streaming service accordingly!
Aneeca Younas is a graduated journalist with years of experience writing in different niches based in Oakland, CA. She is a huge movie fan that also enjoys watching sports. That's why she spends hours daily using various streaming services. Over the years, Aneeca profiled herself as an expert in cable-free and VOD platforms.
