India - the fastest growing market for smartphones in the world - has witnessed a massive surge in content consumption in the recent years. This includes the web world as well, with streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video contending to claim the top spot.
Since the entry of Jio into the telecom market and other telcos offering cheaper 4G data tariffs, the rate of content consumption has improved drastically, in turn helping the video streaming companies.
If you are looking to sign up for any one of these streaming services, we’re here to help you pick the best option suiting your needs, with an on-grounds comparison between Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Here’s how the two services compare:
Pricing
Both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video offer free trials for a limited period of time before they start charging for the subscription. Amazon offers a 30-day free trial while Netflix gives you a free month before the charges apply. The Netflix plans start from the basic Rs. 500 plan going up to Standard and Premium Subscriptions with higher pricing. On the other hand, Amazon is offering a one-year subscription for just Rs. 499 as a part of their introductory plan. However, there will be some paid content which you need to either rent or buy. If budget is a concern, then Amazon Prime Video is good, what with the extra benefits you get when you shop on Amazon India.
App Interface
One of the first things you might notice when you sign up for either of the services is the interface. While both Amazon and Netflix have a good interface, Netflix looks more refined than the Amazon Prime. Moreover, navigating through Amazon Prime Video’s content seems slightly complicated as opposed to that of Netflix. You have to type out the entire thing to search for a particular show or a movie, which is honestly a bit of a chore. Netflix, on the other hand, is quite user-friendly by showing instant real-time search results based on whatever is being typed.
Playback Experience
Although Netflix scores in the general user interface, Amazon Prime Video is much better when it comes to playback experience. Netflix offers options to choose video streaming quality as well as the availability of the entire episode list in that particular season. In Prime Video, you have the option of choosing the quality of the video streaming in addition to an estimate of how much data will be used by the hour. This is definitely a welcome touch. You also get the option of increasing or decreasing the size of the subtitles text on Amazon Prime based on your convenience, however, no such feature is offered by Netflix.
Content
The most important thing to probably consider while choosing between any two video streaming services is the content each of them offers. Netflix is known for a lot of its in-house shows that are widely acclaimed, the only catch being they are Netflix-exclusive and not available anywhere else. With some great shows such as House of Cards, Stranger Things, Narcos, and more, Netflix takes over Amazon Prime Video any day. Netflix also offers a huge catalogue of its originals in the country, with some limited Bollywood movies in its offerings as well.
When it comes to Amazon Prime Video, you get a list of good content there too with TV shows like Fear the Walking Dead, Transparent, The Grand Tour, and more. The number of Bollywood movies available here is limited as well, but you will find a few movies in regional languages here and there, which is a plus. Amazon Prime has recently added some exclusive content on stand-up comedy in India to help attract more subscribers. Also, Netflix does not censor any of its content while Amazon Prime has only censored media on their platform.
Video Quality and Downloads
In terms of video quality, Netflix always pushes the best possible resolution in line with the internet speed. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Amazon Prime Video. In spite of choosing the ‘best streaming quality’ option, Amazon Prime fails to play videos in good resolution. Even on a patchy connection, Netflix offers better streaming quality while Amazon Prime Video doesn’t perform that well on low-speed connections. On-app downloads are available in both streaming services.
Verdict
Although Amazon Prime video comes with more affordable plans than Netflix does, it seems redundant in the grand scheme of things as you still have to buy some content on top of the subscription fees. However, if you have a shoe-string budget and still looking to experience some good content online, Amazon Prime Video is not a bad choice.
Note: Views expressed above are the author's own.
