Best Alternatives to Amazon Prime Perks (2023): Two-Day Shipping, Grocery Deliveries
The annual cost from Amazon Prime is higher than ever. The annual cost is $139 per year, while monthly Prime subscriptions are $15 instead of $13. With the rising costs of almost everything and Amazon’s often unclear ethics, it might be time to reevaluate your subscription.
Amazon Prime is included a lot If you subscribe to other comparable services, you run the risk of paying more than Amazon. But you might not use every service Prime offers. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Amazon Prime alternatives here, from competitors with two-day shipping to other photo storage solutions.
Updated July 2023: We updated the links and prices.
Special offer for Gear readers: __Receive __WIRED for only $5 ($25 off)**. This includes unrestricted access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund our daily work.
Two day shipping alternatives
Today, almost every major retailer with brick and mortar stores offers the opportunity to get free and fast shipping, whether it’s by spending a certain amount or by joining a rewards program. The Covid-19 pandemic has also meant that the ability to shop online and collect in-store is more common than ever. As a reminder, Amazon offers non-Prime members free two-day shipping on orders over $35.
Courtesy of Target
Target offers free shipping on orders $35 or more and free two-day shipping on orders placed at a Aim Red Card. (Target also offers free curbside or in-store pickup — sometimes even same-day.) There are two versions of this Red card– one is a credit card and one is a debit card linked to a bank account. Both versions offer users a 5 percent discount and free two-day shipping. There are other benefits too, like exclusive offers and longer return periods. Formerly known as Cartwheel, target circle is a free rewards program that earns members 1 percent credit, a 5 percent discount coupon on birthdays, and a variety of other offers. Some of these discounts are better than others, but since the program is free, it’s worth participating in.
A big Prime benefit is that it gives you access to exclusive and deep discounts on Amazon Prime Day (a two-day event that usually takes place in the summer). Well, big retailers like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy all run their own bulk sales at the same time, and prices are often the same across all stores.
Runner up: Orders of $35 or more at Walmart Get free two-day shipping. Free next-day delivery is available for some items. Walmart also offers free in-store pickup. The dealer also has one Paid rewards program called W+ This gives members free two or next day shipping with no minimum order requirement. It costs $98 per year or $13 per month. There is a 30-day free trial.
An alternative to grocery delivery
Get your groceries by Amazon’s Whole Foods Marketplace? It’s an easy way to stock up on regular essentials without having to make a trip to the grocery store. With a Prime subscription, you get free grocery delivery (and other savings) when you reach an order threshold. But it’s not your only option.
Instacart Express offers free same-day delivery on groceries and convenience store items. It costs $99 per year or $10 per month, and members get free shipping and reduced service fees on orders over $35. Instacart accepted EBT as payment for groceries and allows membership-free shopping at stores like Costco (although prices are often higher than in-store). So, merchant options vary by location check here to see what’s available in your area.
There is a free two-week trial of Instacart Expressand usually at least one special offer for eligible credit card users. You also don’t need to sign up to use Instacart, but delivery fees start at $4 for same-day orders of $35 or more, and there may be some fees, such as when you order heavy items .
Prime Video alternatives
There are arguably too many options for streaming TV shows and movies. We’ve rounded up the best streaming services here. For totally complementary streaming, check out our list of the best free streaming services. When you just can’t give up The wide, Amazon Prime Video is available as a separate service for $9 per month.
Prime music alternatives
Amazon’s free, built-in music streaming service isn’t great unless you spend an extra $9 a month on it Amazon Music Unlimited (Without Prime, you can pay $11 per month for this). Sure, it offers lossless audio quality, but it has a poor user interface and subpar music detection tools. There are far better options out there. The obvious is Spotify Premium, but it has its own problems at the moment. Our second favorite is apple music, which includes lossless audio, curated playlists, and an extensive library for $11 a month. And yes, it works on Android phones too. Check out our guide to the best music streaming apps for more information.
Prime alternatives for reading
There are some book benefits for Amazon Prime members. You can select up to 10 titles at a time from more than 2,500 books, magazines and comics and read them via the Kindle app. You’ll also get access to First Reads, where you can download two books for $2 a month each before they’re released to the public. It’s tempting, but your local library is probably the best and cheapest way to read avidly. The other best alternative comes from Amazon itself.
Courtesy of Amazon
It might seem strange paying for an Amazon service after you’ve given up your Prime membership, but listen to us: Kindle Unlimited beats Prime Reading by a mile. It costs $12 a month and gives members access to more than a million free books (and audiobooks), compared to just 2,500 in the Prime Reading library. You don’t need a special e-book reader – there are free apps for iOS, Android, Mac and PC.
Runner up: Scribd is like a smaller, more diverse mashup of Audible and Kindle Unlimited. The Premium subscription for $12 per month grants access to unlimited e-books, audiobooks, magazines and podcasts. You also get access to MUBI, CuriosityStream, and a few other platforms. WIRED contributor Simon Hill subscribed to Scribd Premium when he parted ways with Amazon, and it’s been a positive experience. There is a 30-day trial version.
Prime alternatives to save on recipes
The Prime Prescription savings card works at both Amazon Pharmacy and other pharmacies. This can reduce the cost of prescription drugs or co-payments, and these drugs can also be delivered to your doorstep. Fortunately, such savings programs are easy to find and are usually free to join.
Photo: Inside RX
Amazon’s prescription savings program is managed by this company, which has its own savings card. Registration is free. The card is accepted nationwide in more than 60,000 pharmacies. Inside Rx does not offer delivery, but your local pharmacy may.
Runner up: GoodRx is another popular option for prescription savings cards and coupons. Registration is free and the card is accepted in pharmacies across the country. There are also GoodRx Gold, a premium subscription that allows for home delivery of eligible medications. It is accepted in fewer pharmacies, although there are still accessible options. Individual plans are $10 per month and family plans are $20.
Alternatives to photo storage
Amazon offers Prime members free, unlimited photo storage in the cloud, but only 5 gigabytes of video storage. There are many other options.
Courtesy of Google
