Should I keep Amazon Prime?
Calculate if your Amazon Prime membership pays for itself based on your shopping habits, streaming usage, and other Prime benefits.
By ShouldICalc Team
Updated January 2025 · See our methodology
Your Numbers
Your Results
Annual Savings
$0 – $0
per year
5-Year Savings
$0 – $0
Break Even
— months
Enter your numbers above to see personalized results.
Trade-offs to Consider
Every decision has pros and cons. Here's what to weigh:
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Money
Prime costs $139/year ($14.99 monthly). You need ~24 orders/year where shipping would cost $6+ just to break even on shipping alone.
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Time
2-day shipping saves waiting. Same-day or next-day in many areas. But you might buy more impulsively.
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Quality
Prime Video library is extensive but not as deep as dedicated services. Prime-exclusive deals are real but not always the best prices.
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Convenience
One-click ordering, easy returns, and fast shipping create friction-free shopping. This can be a pro or con depending on your self-control.
Related Products
Products that can help you save money. (Affiliate links)
Fire TV Stick 4K
Stream Prime Video on any TV
Echo Dot (5th Gen)
Voice control for Prime services
Kindle Paperwhite
Access Prime Reading library
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Amazon Prime cost?
How many orders to break even on Prime?
What's included with Prime besides shipping?
Is Prime Video worth it by itself?
The Complete Guide to Amazon Prime Value
With 200+ million subscribers, Amazon Prime is one of the most common recurring expenses. But is it actually worth $139/year for you?
Breaking Down Prime Costs
Prime Pricing Options:
- Annual membership: $139/year ($11.58/month)
- Monthly membership: $14.99/month ($180/year)
- Prime Student: $69/year ($5.75/month)
- Prime Access (low-income): $6.99/month
If you’re paying monthly, switch to annual. That’s $41/year in savings for the same benefits.
The Shipping Value Calculation
The core Prime benefit is free shipping. Here’s how to calculate if it pays off:
Standard Shipping Costs Without Prime:
- Orders under $35: $5.99-7.99
- Orders over $35: Usually free (but slower)
- Same-day/next-day: $9.99-14.99
Break-Even Analysis: If standard shipping averages $6 per order:
- $139 ÷ $6 = 23 orders/year to break even
- That’s about 2 orders per month
But wait—speed matters too: Even for orders that qualify for free shipping, Prime gets them in 2 days instead of 5-7. If faster delivery has value to you (last-minute needs, impatience, whatever), that’s additional value beyond just the shipping cost.
Prime Video: The Hidden Value
If you subscribe to any streaming service, Prime Video changes the math:
Prime Video Content:
- Thousands of movies and TV shows
- Award-winning originals (The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, etc.)
- Thursday Night Football
- Select live sports
- Freevee ad-supported content
Comparison:
- Netflix Basic: $6.99/month
- Hulu: $7.99/month
- Disney+: $7.99/month
- Prime Video standalone (estimated): ~$9/month
If Prime Video replaces one streaming service you’d otherwise pay for, that’s worth $84-120/year alone.
Combined value:
- Streaming value: $84-108/year
- Shipping needed to break even: $31-55/year
- Orders needed: 5-9 per year
That’s less than 1 order per month if you actually use Prime Video.
Other Prime Benefits Worth Money
Prime Photos (Unlimited Storage):
- Competitors charge $3-10/month for similar storage
- Annual value: $36-120/year
- Worth it if you take lots of photos
Prime Music:
- Limited catalog (2 million songs with ads vs Spotify’s 100M+)
- Not a full Spotify replacement
- Bonus value, not primary benefit
- Annual value: $0-24/year (depending on usage)
Prime Reading:
- Rotating selection of books/magazines
- Not as good as Kindle Unlimited ($9.99/month)
- Bonus value: $12-36/year
Whole Foods Discounts:
- Extra 10% off sale items
- Special Prime member deals
- If you spend $200/month at Whole Foods: ~$40-60/year in savings
Prime Day Access:
- 2 days of exclusive deals each year
- Savings vary wildly ($0-500+ depending on purchases)
- Only valuable if you’d buy those items anyway
Who Gets Maximum Value from Prime
Heavy Amazon shoppers: 3+ orders/month is an obvious yes. Your shipping savings alone justify the cost.
Cord cutters: If Prime Video is in your streaming rotation, the combined value is excellent.
Whole Foods shoppers: Regular shoppers save $40-100/year on discounts.
People who need things fast: If 2-day delivery prevents emergency store runs, that convenience has value.
Families: Everyone can share one Prime account. Split across 4 people, that’s $35/person/year.
Who Should Consider Canceling
Infrequent Amazon shoppers: Under 1 order/month means you’re not saving on shipping. Orders over $35 get free shipping anyway.
Don’t watch Prime Video: Without the streaming component, the math is tighter.
Impulsive buyers: If Prime’s convenience causes you to overspend, it might cost more than it saves.
Minimal order values: If most orders are $15-25, the free shipping threshold matters more. You might be better waiting and consolidating orders.
The Hidden Cost: Spending More
This is rarely discussed, but important: Prime might cause you to spend more on Amazon.
Studies suggest Prime members spend 2-3x more on Amazon than non-members. Is that because:
- They were already heavy shoppers? (Probably some)
- Prime makes buying easier? (Definitely)
If Prime causes you to make impulsive purchases you wouldn’t otherwise make, factor that into the true cost.
Alternatives to Prime
Not ready to commit? Consider:
Monthly Prime: $14.99/month. Cancel anytime. Good for heavy shopping months (holidays) without annual commitment.
Subscribe & Save: 5-15% off recurring orders. Free shipping on Subscribe orders regardless of Prime.
Amazon Outlet/Warehouse: Deep discounts on returns and overstock.
Competitor Shopping: Walmart+, Target Circle, and store loyalty programs offer similar benefits. Compare shipping costs.
Making Your Decision
Keep Prime if:
- You order 2+ times per month
- You watch Prime Video regularly
- You use at least 2-3 additional benefits
- The convenience of fast shipping has real value to you
Consider canceling if:
- You order less than monthly
- You don’t watch streaming content
- You can wait for free shipping
- Prime causes you to overspend
Try this experiment: Cancel Prime for 3 months. Track how much you spend on shipping and how much you miss the service. Real data beats speculation.
Optimizing Your Prime Membership
If you keep Prime, maximize value:
- Use Subscribe & Save for household essentials
- Actually watch Prime Video content
- Upload photos to Prime Photos to replace cloud storage
- Check Prime Day but only buy planned purchases
- Use Prime Reading to save on ebook purchases
- Shop Whole Foods for maximum grocery discounts
- Don’t forget Prime Gaming if you’re a gamer
Prime is worth it for most frequent Amazon shoppers. But don’t pay for benefits you don’t use—and don’t let the convenience lead to spending you’d regret.