Amazon Prime is a tough one, as it's not just your everyday subscription, and covers almost every corner of the subscription market in 2024. From streaming services to shopping, groceries, music, photos, and probably more, Amazon Prime covers it in some form.
This all-in-one package is meant to entice you in with its multitude of benefits; it's expensive, but it's one price for a whole lot of good stuff. The number of times we've heard someone say "I was going to cancel Prime as I haven't been using Prime Video, but I kept it for the fast delivery" or vise-versa is staggering. But, if you truly are trying to escape the vice grip Jeffrey Bezos has on your life, then we've got the solutions right here. Here are all the best Amazon Prime alternatives in 2024.
Walmart+ (30-Day Free Trial)
Best Amazon Prime Alternative
Finding a good alternative to Prime can be tough, it's a convincing jack-of-all-trades subscription. But, in our humble opinion, Walmart+ is likely the best we're going to get when it comes to competing with Amazon Prime for our souls.
You're getting free fast delivery and shipping, easy returns, free access to video streaming with Paramount+, and exclusive deals with early access during big shopping events like Black Friday. Plus, as a bonus, there's a whole slew of extra benefits for signing up to Walmart+ right now -- including a considerable amount of freebies.
Just for taking up the free trial, this now entitles you to two free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, three months of YouTube Premium, five free months of Apple Music, four months of Calm, and more. This is a huge deal, and well worth just signing up for the free trial to take advantage -- three months of YouTube without ads? Say no more.
When's The Best Time to Buy a Walmart+ Membership?
So, the 30-day trial expires and you think to yourself, "You know what this is pretty much paying for itself, I'm gaining so many benefits at such little cost, and I don't even miss Amazon!" It's a dreamy feeling, we know. But what about the cost going forward? Walmart+ costs $12.95 per month, or $98 paid annually. That's cheaper than Amazon Prime, but if you time it right, you can get it for even less.
Walmart+ tends to drop in price during big shopping events, generally limited to the big summer sales (such as the rival Prime Day sale in July), or during Black Friday sales from October through November. Last year we saw the membership get a huge 50% off annually, dropping to just $44. This is a massive saving, and if you enjoy your 30-day free trial, it might be worth sticking around to secure the deal when it finally crops up again. Patience is a virtue, friends.
Hulu (30-Day Free Trial)
Best Streaming Alternative
If you're looking for a purely streaming alternative to Amazon Prime, Hulu is our recommendation. It's so flexible you can shape Hulu to be whatever you want, even if that's just a replacement for whatever cable is nowadays. From student deals to the most complicated of 'Disney Trio Premium' bundles that slap together Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu, you've certainly got options.
After exploring every nook and cranny that Hulu has to offer in this generous 30-day trial, there are a wide range of subscription options to opt into from $7.99 a month (with ads) all the way up to just over $100 a month–if you want to include live TV or premium add-ons such as Max, ESPN+, Disney+, Cinemax, Paramount+ with Showtime, STARZ, and more.
DirecTV Stream (5-Day Free Trial)
Best Live TV Alternative
While DirecTV is often associated with satellite TV, the company also boasts a robust streaming service called DirecTV Stream. Offering a diverse range of streaming options, including movies, series, and access to premier live TV streams, DirecTV Stream has something for everyone.
Although the trial period is brief, lasting only 5 days, DirecTV enhances the offer with premium content incentives upon subscription. Customers who opt for one of three packages, priced between $79.99 and $119.99 per month, can enjoy additional perks like Max, Paramount+ with Showtime, STARZ, MGM+, and Cinemax included in the first 3 months of their subscription. For more info on DirecTV, check out our full guide here.
Apple Music (1-Month Free Trial)
Best Amazon Music Alternative
Apple Music currently offers a one month free trial when signing up, but, there are also more than enough ways to secure even longer than a month (free trials are often included when buying AirPods for example), or even just signing up to Walmart+ and getting 5-months for free like we've already mentioned!
Plus, it's not all that hard to beat the basic version of Amazon Music, as it's not all that good until you pay an additional $9+ a month to listen to songs as you please. See our guide on everything you need to know about Apple Music for plenty more info.
Amazon Prime Student (6-Month Free Trial)
Best Student Alternative
Okay yeah -- we'll admit this is a bit of a cop-out. But do you want all the benefits of being a Prime Member without paying horrendous fees? Be a student! A lot of people don't know what the deal is with Amazon's Prime Student membership. But, as it turns out, Prime Student is an almost absurdly good deal, even if you only use the 6-month free trial.
For starters, it's the same benefits of a regular Prime membership. That means you get free two-day shipping on millions of items, full access to Prime Video, Amazon Music Prime, Amazon Photos, and Prime Gaming. All you need to do now is become a student (good luck), or convince one of your fellow student friends, family members, or kids to share an account with you. It might be a short term solution, but we'd be silly not to at least mention it.
Which Other Retailers Host Prime Day Sales?
While Prime Day remains exclusive to Amazon, several other retailers have started hosting their own sales in recent years. These events serve as a counterbalance to Prime Day, featuring enticing discounts typically only seen during Black Friday.
Best Buy
Best Buy has been hosting its 4th of July sale as a competitor to Prime Day for a while now, and we're expecting this year to be no different. This sale focuses on products like TVs, Apple devices, laptops, and more. You might even stumble upon discounted home theater systems, perfect for upgrading your living room or media space. Keep an eye out for this sale at the start of July.
Walmart
Walmart also runs a similar sale spanning the first week of July. You can expect discounts on items ranging from TVs and outdoor furniture to kitchen appliances and the latest headphones. Additionally, last year, Walmart introduced the "Holiday Kickoff" sale to coincide with Prime Day 2, offering customers a head start on their holiday shopping.
Target
Target consistently offers a Prime Day counter sale, previously known as Target Deal Days, during the same period as Amazon's event typically in July. This sale is primarily available to Target Circle members (free to sign up) and features discounts on tech, toys, and groceries. For more details, you can refer to last year's full ad.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
