Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. Guides
  4. Products

Walmart+ vs. Amazon Prime

Michael Archambault
By

Both Walmart and Amazon stand tall as two of the world’s largest commerce stores, providing everything to shoppers from clothing and power tools to electronics and groceries. In the digital era, Amazon took a strong lead with its Prime offering, allowing consumers to enroll in a membership to obtain unique benefits such as free shipping. Walmart has introduced its competitor, Walmart+, which includes its own set of enhanced shopping benefits. But, which is better — Amazon Prime or Walmart+?

You can also compare Amazon Black Friday and Walmart Black Friday sales as the holiday deals begin to roll in all November long.

Related

Online shopping and delivery

amazon prime boxes
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If Amazon Prime is famous for anything, it’s fast shipping speeds. While most Amazon products sold with Prime offer free two-day delivery, Amazon has also introduced free one-day and same-day shipping for select items with a Prime membership. Walmart+ sets its sights on Amazon by offering unlimited free delivery as long as you spend at least $35 — Amazon has no such minimum. Walmart claims delivery as fast as same-day, but not all of its participating locations offer such speed.

Thanks to Amazon’s ownership of Whole Foods, you can opt for two-hour delivery on groceries, including fresh foods and produce. This beats out Walmart’s delivery time in most situations if food is what you are seeking. When it comes to shopping and delivery, Walmart+ is off to a great start with free same-day delivery. Still, Amazon’s vast selection, fast delivery options, and no minimum order total pull ahead for a win.

Winner: Amazon Prime

Digital membership benefits

Amazon Prime Video
Annie Spratt/Unsplash

This next fight almost doesn’t seem fair, as Walmart+ doesn’t offer any additional digital benefits beyond shopping at home — and Amazon Prime offers a boat-load of extras. We need to look closer.

On the entertainment side, a Prime membership includes access to Prime Video, Amazon’s digital video streaming service offering thousands of movies and TV shows, and Prime Music, which allows you to stream over 2 million songs on-demand at no cost. Prime members can also upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited with a more extensive music library for a 20% discount off the regular fee.

Amazon Prime also includes benefits in the world of video games with Prime offerings. One of them is FreeTime Unlimited, an add-on that costs $2.99 but gives children access to thousands of kid-friendly games, videos, and educational content. For the older kids and adults in the house who enjoy video games, Prime includes free downloadable game content every month and a free Twitch channel subscription.

If reading is more your forte, Prime also includes Prime Reading, a service that gives you unlimited access to more than a thousand e-books, magazines, comics, and more — all can be accessed on a wide array of devices thanks to the Kindle app. Prime members also receive a free book every month to keep via the Amazon First Reads program and choose from select four-month magazine subscriptions for only $1.

Amazon Prime doesn’t even possess a single scratch when it comes to digital benefits, and Walmart+ has forfeited by default due to its lack of any offerings within this category. It’s hard to deny that an Amazon Prime membership offers quite a few attractive digital benefits.

Winner: Amazon Prime

Physical locations

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Amazon does offer a few physical stores (with Amazon.com price-matching for Prime members) in the form of Amazon 4-Star, Amazon Books, Amazon Go, and Amazon Pop Up, but locations are limited. Prime members also receive exclusive savings when shopping at Whole Foods and receive 5% back when using the company’s Rewards Visa Signature Card.

Amazon also helps to offset its lack of physical stores by providing benefits such as Prime Wardrobe, where you can try on clothes, shoes, and jewelry, then pay only for what you keep, and Amazon Family, a benefit for families that gives you up to 20% off diapers and 15% off other eligible products.

Of course, with a Walmart+ membership, you can stop in at any local Walmart store and begin shopping, a task that is made easier with the included Mobile Scan & Go feature, allowing you to shop and check out with your smartphone. Additionally, if you’ve ever fueled up your vehicle at a Walmart or Murphy gas station, you’ll be happy to know that Walmart+ includes a 5-cents-per-gallon savings, with over 1,500 locations to access.

Amazon Prime is a strong contender, but when it comes to physical locations, Walmart wins out thanks to its arsenal of stores around the globe, making it easy to stop in and check out with your smartphone. Additionally, Walmart +’s inclusion of gas savings at select stations is an excellent benefit drivers will appreciate.

Winner: Walmart+

Pricing and availability

Walmart

Amazon Prime is currently available in over 17 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. An Amazon Prime membership will cost you $13 a month, with students receiving a discount down to $6.50 a month. Amazon also allows Prime to be charged annually at a rate of $120. While most Amazon Prime features are available despite location, some services such as same-day delivery and Whole Foods delivery may be unavailable in your area.

Walmart+ will cost you either $13 a month or $100 a year, depending on whether you wish to pay monthly or annually. Walmart notes that it has 4,700 stores in the U.S., and 2,700 will provide same-day delivery services.

Winner: Tie

Overall winner: Amazon Prime

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Thanks to Walmart’s physical presence, the commerce giant should have no trouble growing its membership offering, but Amazon Prime remains the champion for the time being. Not only do Amazon Prime members gain access to free shipping with as quick as same-day delivery, but the extra included digital benefits help to tip the scale.

As Walmart+ grows, we look forward to what it may offer, but if you’re looking to spend money on a shopping membership, we believe you’ll gain the most with Amazon Prime.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Michael Archambault
Michael Archambault
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael Archambault is a technology writer and digital marketer located in Long Island, New York. For the past decade…
Best Prime Day Amazon Echo Deals for October 2022
Prime Day 2022 Amazon Echo deals graphic.

Uh oh! Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale is almost over, as it's the final day of the event, so you'll want to shop those last minute Prime Day Amazon Echo deals while you can. This event served up a second Prime Day tailor-made for early holiday shoppers. These Prime Day deals offer some of the best bargains all year, and the discounts are just as good (if not even better) than Black Friday, spanning all sorts of tech, ahead of the holidays. Other retailers are joining the fun, such as Walmart with its October Rollbacks sale, which is basically just a Walmart Prime Day sale without all of the extra wrapping paper.

This event certainly includes some juicy Prime Day Amazon Echo deals, as the retailer loves to feature its own devices among these sale offerings. If you're jonesing for an Echo device, we've got everything you need to know about the Prime Early Access Sale -- including some of the best Prime Day Amazon Echo deals you can shop today -- below.
Today's best Prime Day Amazon Echo deals
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) -- $18, was $40

Read more
The Best Prime Early Access Amazon Echo Deals for 2022
Prime Day 2022 Amazon Echo deals graphic.

Today and tomorrow are exciting times for anyone keen to save big on technology, with the Prime Early Access sale officially underway. The two-day event is a lot like Prime Day but it's running right now, instead of earlier in July. You can do all your holiday shopping earlier than usual, while saving plenty of cash, too. When it comes to Amazon Echo devices on sale, we're already seeing a ton of amazing Prime Day deals, with more to come. It's the ideal opportunity to shop for any Amazon Echo devices you've been wanting, or would like to gift to friends and family for the holidays.

However you plan on shopping, we're here to help you figure it all out. That includes listing the early deals going on at the moment, as well as looking at whether you should buy now, and what to do if you don't currently have a Prime membership. You'll find all of the best Prime Day Amazon Echo deals you can shop today, listed neatly below!
Get a Prime Free Trial to Shop the Prime Early Access Amazon Echo Deals

Read more
Nest Mini (2nd-gen) vs. Amazon Echo Dot (5th-gen)
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock.

Smart speakers come in many sizes, and pitting the Amazon Echo Dot (now on the fifth generation) vs. the Nest Mini (currently on the second version) compares some of the smallest available. These tiny speakers are still loud enough to play music or perform other audio functions for people nearby, and they can make great desktop companions or even smart alarm clocks in some cases.

Which is the best? Despite their diminutive sizes, these little speakers have a lot of differences, starting with their design. Let’s take a look.
Design

Read more