(Credit: Walmart/Amazon/PCMag)
Amazon is synonymous with online shopping; as of May 2024, it had a 37.6% share of the US retail e-commerce market, according to Statista, thanks in large part to its popular Amazon Prime subscription service, which now has more than 200 million members.
In the No. 2 spot is Walmart with 6.4% of the market. Its Prime rival, Walmart+, launched in 2020 after the expensive failure of its $3 billion investment in Jet.com. But while it's the market share underdog, Walmart is a retail behemoth in its own right. Estimates put its subscriber count around 59 million as of October 2022.
If you're a regular online shopper, from home goods to groceries, which service is best for you? Here's a rundown of the differences between Amazon Prime and Walmart+.
How Much Do Amazon Prime and Walmart+ Cost?
Walmart+ will run you $12.95 per month or $98 per year. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. Prime got a price hike in 2022—its first in four years—from $12.99 per month and $119 per year. Both services offer a 30-day free trial.
Amazon has several discount versions of Prime, like Amazon Student, which offers a free six-month trial, after which it’s $69 per year or $7.49 per month for those enrolled at a two- or four-year college. Amazon Student perks are much the same as Prime, and Amazon throws in discounts to services like Grubhub+, Calm, StudentUniverse, and Course Hero.
Those with a valid Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) or Medicaid card, can also sign up for Amazon Prime for $6.99 per month. And Amazon lets you share Prime benefits with one other adult member of your household, plus up to four kids under the same roof.
The Walmart+ Assist program offers 50% off a monthly or annual membership ($6.47/month or $49/year) to those on government assistance. Eligible programs include SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, SSI, TANF, TTANF, NSLP, and LIHEAP.
It's not advertised very heavily, but Walmart's FAQ says it offers the same $6.47/month or $49/year price for students. Walmart verifies your student status via a company called SheerID.
Delivery Services
Initially, the main draw of Amazon Prime was free, two-day delivery. Free is relative, given that you’re now paying at least $139 per year (up from $79 back in the day), but over the years, Amazon has added a number of delivery-related perks to Prime.
Amazon now offers one-day delivery on over 20 million items, for example. Filter by "Get it tomorrow" when shopping, and it’ll arrive by 9 p.m. the next day. Depending on where you live, orders over $35 also qualify for free, same-day delivery. And if you're ordering groceries from Amazon Fresh (or Whole Foods), Prime members can choose a free, two-hour delivery window—if you spend at least $100. Ordering multiple things every week? Amazon lets Prime members pick a “delivery day” to get packages delivered all at once.
Walmart offers free, two-day shipping on orders of $35 or more for all customers. With Walmart+, there's no $35 minimum on next-day, two-day, and standard shipping. The catch: This does not apply to third-party sellers, so look for the Sold and shipped by Walmart.com label on product pages. (Click All Filters > Retailer on a results page and check the box next to Walmart.)
If you live near a Walmart store, you can have groceries and other items delivered to your home in a one-hour window. Here, there is a $35 minimum for free delivery ($6.99 if it’s under $35).
If grocery or same-day delivery is the deciding factor when choosing between Walmart and Amazon, go to each company’s website and make sure they deliver to your home. (Select Reserve pickup or delivery on Walmart.com or click Deliver to on the top-left of Amazon.com.) Walmart, for example, doesn’t currently do grocery delivery in New York City, but Amazon Fresh does. And Walmart+ supports grocery delivery in Houston, Texas, but Amazon Fresh does not.
Exclusive Deals
Every year, Amazon hosts its own deals extravaganza known as Prime Day. It was largely conceived as a way to gin up Amazon Prime subscriptions, but the quality of the deals has improved over the years. You have to be a Prime member to save, but it works even if you’re on a free trial. Recently, Amazon has hosted two Prime Days per year; in 2024, the next one, dubbed Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, is scheduled for Oct. 8-9.
Walmart typically offers Prime Day counterprogramming, and this year that starts at noon ET on Oct. 8, with Walmart+ members getting access to deals 12 hours early. Walmart+ also offers early access to special promotions and events for popular items or gadgets that may be in short supply. One caveat: You must be a paying customer, not on a free trial. To take advantage of a promotion or event immediately, scroll down to Early access on the Walmart+ sign-up page, and click the Start paid membership button. Enter your payment info, click Start Walmart+ membership, and you’ll bypass the 30-day free trial.
Video-Streaming Services
Amazon offers a robust video-streaming service with Prime Video. Its original programming dates back to 2013 and now includes award winners and guilty pleasures alike. Amazon has plenty of money to throw around, as evidenced by the reported $250 million it spent to acquire the rights to several Lord of the Rings prequel series. Amazon also signed a 10-year deal with the NFL to broadcast 15 Thursday Night Football games on Prime Video.
Amazon offers Prime Video as a standalone service for $8.99 per month, but it’s also included with the price of Amazon Prime, whether you have a monthly or yearly subscription.
Walmart tried its hand at video services in 2010 when it purchased Vudu. Streaming was still in its infancy at that point, so it largely focused on letting customers buy or rent movies via broadband-connected TVs and Blu-ray players, or accessing their physical media in digital form via the now-defunct Ultraviolet. There were rumors about a Walmart video-streaming service in 2018, but amid the onslaught of big-name streaming service launches—from Disney+ to Max—Walmart threw in the towel and sold Vudu to Fandango in 2020.
Instead, Walmart+ members get free access to the Paramount+ streaming service. The Paramount+ Essential Plan usually costs $7.99 per month and includes access to over 40,000 on-demand movies and TV show episodes, original programming, and NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League live.
Other Walmart+ Perks to Know
Scan and Go
Walmart's version of Amazon's now-defunct Just Walk Out tech is scan & go. Connect a card to Walmart Pay in the store's mobile app, and tap Services > Scan & go to scan items when you're in a store. Head to a self-checkout register to weigh any items sold by the pound and scan a QR code to finalize payment.
Fuel Discounts
If the cost of gas is stressing you out, Walmart+ customers can save up to $0.10 per gallon at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, and Murphy stations. You'll need the Walmart app; at the pump, select member prices on fuel from your Walmart+ membership page and follow the instructions.
Limited-Time Subscriptions
Walmart doesn't have its own music-streaming service like Amazon does, but it partners with third-party services for free trials. Current offers include a three-month trial of Peloton App One, a three-month Life360 Silver membership, and a 30-day free trial of Noom and 40% off a subscription plan.
Other Amazon Prime Perks to Know
Grubhub+
In 2022, Amazon and Grubhub teamed up to offer Prime members a free year of Grubhub+, which offers $0 delivery fees on orders over $12 and more. It's now a permanent perk for Prime members, who can also order from Amazon's website and app. Activate it via amazon.com/grubhub.
Prime Gaming
Prime Gaming offers in-game loot, free games, and other perks each month.
Prime Reading
Prime Reading offers free access to over 2,000 books each month. (A wider selection of books—plus a limited number of magazines and newspapers—are available with Kindle Unlimited for $11.99 per month.)
Amazon Photos
With Google Photos ditching free, unlimited storage in 2021, Amazon Photos is a good alternative for backing up your image library on the cheap. As long as you have Prime, you have unlimited photo storage and up to 5GB of free video storage. Here's how to manage those pics.
Prime Music
The base version of Amazon Music that comes with Prime offers access to shuffle-mode playlists. Upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited for $9.99 per month after a three-month trial and listen to whatever you want a la carte.
Prime Try Before You Buy
The downside of online shopping is not being able to try things on, but with Prime Try Before You Buy, you can load up your cart with select brands, try things on at home and return what you don’t want. Amazon won’t charge you until seven days after you receive your package.
Bottom Line: Walmart+ or Amazon Prime?
As you can see, there are a number of things to consider. If price is your main concern, Walmart is obviously cheaper; you'll save $41 per year going with Walmart+ over Amazon Prime. If you're already a regular Walmart shopper and have Walmart stores in your area, Walmart+ is probably worth your while for free shipping and one-hour grocery delivery windows.
But if you don't live near a Walmart store and are interested in grocery delivery, Amazon and its Fresh or Whole Foods deliveries may work out better for you. Not to mention the various "free" delivery options Amazon offers, depending on your location. And if you're a streaming fan, Amazon Video is a pretty nice Prime perk.
Still undecided? Don't forget that both services offer 30-day free trials, so you can try before you commit. Just don't forget to cancel one or both before those recurring charges kick in.
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