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Reviewed / Amazon Prime Video
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Prime Video subscribers and Amazon Prime users have dealt with ads for a few years now. The move to ad-enabled streaming came as little surprise, given the uptick in ad-enabled plans across the streaming space. If you prefer to watch Vox Machina or Off Campus without ads, however, you'll now need to subscribe to Prime Video Ultra, Amazon's rebranded ad-free tier.
We've broken down what the change means for Prime Video subscribers, including what you'll pay to avoid ads and which services are still ad-free.
How much does Amazon Prime Video cost?
Amazon Prime Video typically costs $8.99 per month, or $108 per year. If you pay for Amazon Prime and access Prime Video that way, you'll pay $14.99 per month, or $139 annually.
Which Prime Video subscription has ads?
The basic tier of Prime Video became ad-enabled in January 2024. Those who want to watch Prime Video without ads can subscribe to Prime Video Ultra, which costs $4.99 extra per month on top of your current subscription (either the $8.99 Prime Video standalone or the $14.99 complete Amazon Prime membership).
Along with an ad-free experience, Prime Video Ultra includes up to five concurrent streams, up to 100 downloads for offline viewing, and exclusive access to 4K/UHD streaming.
This change came after Amazon had previously operated Freevee, a free ad-supported streaming service that ran alongside Prime Video. Amazon shut down the Freevee app in late 2025, migrating its content—including series like Jury Duty and Bosch: Legacy—directly into Prime Video, where it remains available to watch for free without a subscription.
Amazon Prime Video pricing breakdown
It's a bit confusing, and it takes some math to figure out which plan makes the most sense for your needs. Here's the quick breakdown of what you'd get and how much it'll cost.
Can you get Prime Video ad-free?
Amazon initially claimed the ads would be few and far between. The company has since expanded its ad load and, as of March 2026, rebranded its ad-free option as Prime Video Ultra with a price increase.
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You can still watch movies and shows on Amazon Prime Video without ads.
How much does ad-free Prime Video cost? If you subscribe to Prime Video through an Amazon Prime membership, you'll need to add the Prime Video Ultra upgrade to remove ads, bringing your total cost to $19.98 per month. If you subscribe to Prime Video on its own, adding Prime Video Ultra increases the monthly cost to $13.98 for an ad-free experience.
What streaming services are still ad-free?
The lineup of ad-free streaming services has dwindled over the past several years. Seemingly, holdouts like Disney+ and Netflix now offer ad-enabled tiers as the cheapest option for subscribers, with more joining the ad-enabled ranks by the day. If you're looking for ad-free streaming, you'll find only a few real options in the space, and some of those will sneakily incorporate ads from time to time, depending on what you're watching.
Dropout
Dropout is an independent streaming service founded by former CollegeHumor staff. It costs $6.99 per month, and while it features only Dropout's array of comedy series, actual-play series, and more, it's also one of just a few popular streaming services without ads.
The service is paving the way for independent streaming, and aside from being worth the cost, is one to watch as other services homogenize.
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Dropout is an independent streaming service and one of the remaining ad-free options available to viewers.
Starz
If you sign up for a standalone Starz subscription through the Starz website, you'll be able to stream Starz shows and series without ads. Starz is home to series like Outlander and its latest spinoff, Blood of My Blood, and is available for $11.99 per month.
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You can still sign up to watch Starz content without ads under the service's traditional subscription model.
The Criterion Channel
The Criterion Channel is a curated streaming service for classic, international, arthouse, and independent films. It costs $10.99 per month or $99.99 per year, and it remains a strong ad-free option for viewers who want something more focused than the major all-purpose platforms.
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An ad-free streaming destination for classic, international, and independent films.
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