Prime Video membership vs full Prime
The video-only plan is the one people choose to save money. If you are 18-24 or enrolled anywhere, it is the more expensive way to watch the same catalog.
The short answer
A Prime Video membership is $8.99 a month. Prime for Young Adults is $7.49 — $1.50 a month less — and it includes Prime Video plus delivery, music, photo storage, 5% cash back and Grubhub+. Over a year, video alone is $107.88; the young-adult annual plan is $69. The video-only plan only makes sense against regular Prime, where it saves $6.00 a month for people who never use the rest.
The searches this page answers — "Prime Video vs Prime membership", "Amazon Prime vs Prime Video only", "what is the difference" — usually come from someone who wants to watch and does not want to pay for shipping they will not use. That instinct is right against the full-price plan. It is wrong for anyone who qualifies for the young-adult rate, because the discount pushes full Prime under the price of video alone.
Prime Video membership is $8.99 per month
Figures on this page checked against Amazon’s own pages on — Amazon's Prime membership fee help page. How we check.
What each one costs
| Plan | Monthly | Twelve months | Prime Video | The rest of Prime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Video membership | $8.99 | $107.88 | Yes | No |
| Prime for Young Adults, monthly | $7.49 | $89.88 | Yes | Yes |
| Prime for Young Adults, annual | — | $69.00 | Yes | Yes |
| Regular Prime, monthly | $14.99 | $179.88 | Yes | Yes |
| Regular Prime, annual | — | $139.00 | Yes | Yes |
Read down the first column and the answer for a student is plain. Video alone costs $18.00 more over a year than the young-adult plan paid monthly, and $38.88 more than the young-adult annual plan — for less.
What the video-only membership leaves out
Amazon lists the Prime Video membership as a separate line on its fee page, next to — not inside — Prime. The benefits this site covers belong to the Prime membership, and none of them is described as part of a Prime Video membership. For a student that means giving up:
- Delivery. "Enjoy Same-Day, One-Day, and Two-Day Delivery on millions of items." Every delivery benefit.
- 5% cash back on eligible items — a young-adult benefit that regular Prime members do not get either. How it works.
- Grubhub+, which Amazon values at $120 a year. The perk.
- Amazon Music Prime, unlimited photo storage and Prime Gaming. What each one is.
What both plans share is the Prime Video catalog itself. The advertising question has its own page, because it is the one people ask most.
Do you need either one to watch?
Not necessarily. Amazon's help page is direct about it: "You don't need to have an Amazon Prime membership to use Prime Video." It goes on: "Customers are able to purchase or rent a selection of titles and Pay-Per-View events from the Prime Video catalog, without needing an Amazon Prime or Prime Video membership."
Figures on this page checked against Amazon’s own pages on — Amazon's Prime Video help page. How we check.
So if you watch one new release a month and nothing else, renting it may cost less than any membership. We do not quote rental prices — they vary title by title — but the comparison is easy to make on the title's own page. The membership pays off when you watch the included catalog regularly, and the young-adult one pays off faster because it is cheaper and carries everything else.
There is no student Prime Video plan
Searches for "Prime Video student discount" assume a student tier of the video membership. There is not one on Amazon's price list. The student discount on video is the young-adult Prime membership, which includes Prime Video — and the 6-month trial includes it too: Amazon lists "Unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows through Prime Video" among the things a trial member gets. Prime Video on the student plan covers channels, which are a $0.99 add-on rather than an inclusion.
Prime for Young Adults
Watch for less than video alone costs
6-month at no cost, then $7.49 a month — $1.50 under the Prime Video membership, with the rest of Prime included.
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Who should take the video-only plan
18-24 or enrolled
Not you
Full Prime at $7.49 is cheaper than video at $8.99. There is no scenario on Amazon's price list where video-only wins for you.
Over 24, not enrolled
Maybe
If you only watch, $8.99 beats regular Prime at $14.99. Over a year it is also $31.12 under the $139 annual plan.
Receiving assistance
Not you either
Prime Access at $6.99 is less than video alone and includes all of Prime.
Common questions
Can you get Prime Video without Amazon Prime?
Yes. Amazon sells a Prime Video membership at $8.99 a month, and you can also rent or buy individual titles with no membership at all.
How much is Prime Video without Prime?
$8.99 a month, per Amazon's membership fee help page, checked September 17, 2026. That is $107.88 over twelve months.
Is there a student discount on Prime Video?
Not as a separate plan. The student discount is the Prime for Young Adults membership at $7.49, which includes Prime Video and costs less than the video-only membership.
Does the six-month trial include Prime Video?
Yes. Amazon lists unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows through Prime Video among the benefits included during the trial.
What is the difference between Prime Video and Prime membership?
A Prime Video membership is video only. A Prime membership includes Prime Video plus delivery, music, photo storage and the other Prime benefits.
Prime for Young Adults
Ready to start?
Six months at no cost, then half the regular Prime price. Cancel anytime.
#ad — this is a tagged Amazon link. If you sign up through it we may earn a flat referral fee, at no cost to you. How this site is funded.