Amazon Prime Video vs Kanopy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Amazon Prime Video
Stream hit movies, original series, live sports, and more. Discover personalized recommendations and download content for offline viewing. Access additional channels and rent or buy new releases within the app.
- Original series and movies
- Live sports streaming
- Offline downloads
- Personalized recommendations
- Rent or buy new releases
- Channel subscriptions
- X-Ray feature
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Prime Video is your all-in-one destination for hit movies, series and TV, live sports, and more. Stream the hit sci-fi adventure Project Hail Mary and the epic fantasy Masters of the Universe, now streaming on Prime Video. From gripping originals like Reacher, Every Year After, Spider Noir, and Off Campus to blockbuster films and live entertainment, there's always something worth watching. Personalized recommendations help you find your next favorite show or movie without the scroll. Prime Video brings the best of TV and film together with your favorite live sports. Your Prime membership includes Thursday Night Football, select WNBA & NBA games, and more. Watch even more of the movies, TV, and live sports you love when you choose from 100+ subscriptions like Starz and Apple TV+ — all in one app. Download videos for offline viewing, cast to your TV, and create profiles so everyone in the house gets a personalized entertainment experience. One app. Endless entertainment. Watch your favorite movies, TV, and live sports—all on Prime Video. TV and Series • Edge-of-your-seat originals like Reacher, The Boys, Fallout, and Spider-Noir streaming on Prime Video • Addictive series including Off Campus, Every Year After, and The Summer I Turned Pretty • Epic worlds brought to life on your TV with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and more • Go behind the scenes with exclusive X-Ray access, powered by IMDb Movies • Stream new hit releases like Project Hail Mary and Masters of the Universe, now on Prime Video • Watch hit Prime Video originals such as Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War, Your Fault: London and more • Rent or buy newly released films the same day they hit digital • Download videos and watch your favorite movies offline, anywhere, anytime Sports • Watch live NFL games with Thursday Night Football • Watch select NBA and WNBA games Enjoy Prime Video updates on your Apple TV or Mac by downloading the latest app from the App Store on your device. If you subscribe to Prime Video, payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase, and your membership automatically renews monthly unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the then current plan period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of each plan period at the rate of your selected plan. Manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal anytime by going to My Account. For customers located within the European Union, United Kingdom or Brazil: By using this app, you agree to the Amazon Conditions of Use and the Prime Video Terms of Use at primevideo.com/ww-av-legal-home. See our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-Based Ads Notice at primevideo.com/ww-av-legal-home. For all other customers: By using this app, you agree to the Amazon Conditions of Use, Privacy Notice, and the Prime Video Terms of Use at primevideo.com/ww-av-legal-home.
Kanopy
Access a vast library of films and documentaries for free with your library card. Enjoy ad-free streaming of award-winning movies, The Criterion Collection, and curated content for children, with new titles added regularly.
- Free film streaming
- Ad-free viewing
- Library card required
- Festival award-winning films
- Documentaries
- The Criterion Collection
- Kanopy Kids with parental controls
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Stream thousands of films for free without ads through your library. Sign up with your library card and start watching festival award-winning films, thought-provoking documentaries, The Criterion Collection, and more with new titles added weekly. Browse Kanopy Kids for unlimited age-appropriate shows and movies with access to parental controls. Available on mobile, web, and living room devices.
Screenshots
Verdict
Amazon Prime Video and Kanopy both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 72% of Kanopy's written reviews are positive against 17% of Amazon Prime Video's. Kanopy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Amazon Prime Video's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks) and ratings volume (3.1M vs 153K). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Amazon Prime Video sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Kanopy asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Amazon Prime Video against 4.8 for Kanopy. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Amazon Prime Video has 3.1M ratings behind it against 153K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 17% of Amazon Prime Video's written reviews are positive against 72% of Kanopy's.
Amazon Prime Video ships an update every 4 days, Kanopy every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 9, 2026.
| Parameter | Amazon Prime Video | Kanopy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (3.1M ratings) | 4.8 (153K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.0% of reviews | 71.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3.1M — better | 153K |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #7 — better | #173 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 357 MB | 103 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | AMZN Mobile LLC | Kanopy |
Customer experience
Amazon Prime Video
Kanopy
User reviews
Amazon Prime Video
From 3.1M App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great selection of movies and TV shows
- 💡 Useful X-Ray feature with trivia and cast info
- 👍 Smooth streaming experience
- 🎁 Good value as part of Prime membership
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inconsistent syncing of progress across devices
- 🔍 Cluttered and confusing user interface
- 💰 Excessive ads and upsells for additional content
- 🔍 Difficult to find and access purchased content
Kanopy
From 153K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎥 Eclectic and engaging selection of films and series
- 🎬 Great movies and documentaries
- 🏆 Excellent content and thoughtful entertainment
- 🌍 Wide selection of various international material
- 🧠 Fantastic educational content like The Great Courses
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes, freezes, and has stability issues
- 🔍 Difficult to search and navigate, poor user experience
- 🕰️ Losing credits just for resuming a movie
- 🔇 No way to turn off closed captions
- 📺 Chromecast and TV integration problems
Bugs and requests
Amazon Prime Video
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent playback issues and buffering
- Subtitles not working correctly
- App crashes and freezes on various devices
Requested features
4 requests- Improved search and browsing experience
- Ability to create user profiles and watchlists
- Seamless Chromecast/AirPlay integration
- Better organization of free vs. paid content
Kanopy
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Login issues, unable to sign in or access account
- Chromecast and TV streaming problems
- Video playback issues, including blurry or out of sync
- Inconsistent behavior when resuming or rewatching movies
Requested features
6 requests- Add ability to pause, rewind, and resume movies without using credits
- Improve search and browsing functionality
- Provide more content filtering and parental control options
- Add support for offline viewing and downloads
- Enhance Chromecast and TV integration
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- Improve video quality and playback stability
In-app purchases
Amazon Prime Video
- Ad free$2.991 Month
Kanopy
No in-app purchases
