Amazon is shaking up its streaming plans — and if you’re currently paying to watch Prime Video without ads, your monthly bill is about to change.
Starting April 10, Amazon replaces its existing ad-free option with a brand-new tier called Prime Video Ultra. The new subscription costs $5 per month. And while that’s $2 more than what current ad-free subscribers pay, Amazon is sweetening the deal with some notable upgrades.
Here’s everything you need to know before the change hits your account.
Prime Video Ultra Replaces the Old Ad-Free Plan
Right now, Prime Video subscribers can pay an extra $3 per month to remove ads. That option is going away.
In its place, Prime Video Ultra arrives on April 10 at $5 per month. Amazon confirmed the change in an email to existing ad-free customers obtained by CNET. So if you’re currently on the $3 ad-free plan, you’ll automatically become an Ultra subscriber and pay $2 more starting that day.
The good news? You’re not just paying more for the same thing. Ultra comes with a meaningful set of added features.
What Prime Video Ultra Actually Includes
The new tier brings some solid upgrades over the old ad-free experience.
Ultra subscribers get 4K UHD video quality, which wasn’t guaranteed before. You also get 100 downloads for offline viewing, up from just 25. Plus, five simultaneous streams are included, bumped up from three.
That last point matters a lot for households. If your family constantly hits the concurrent stream limit, Ultra quietly solves that problem.
What the Standard Plan Looks Like Now
Even without upgrading to Ultra, the default Prime Video experience is getting a small boost too.
Standard subscribers will have access to 50 downloads and four simultaneous streams, according to Amazon’s blog post. Previously, the default ad-supported plan offered fewer options on both counts. So the base experience improves slightly, even for those who skip Ultra entirely.
Of course, you’ll still see ads on the standard plan. That part doesn’t change.
How Much Does Prime Video Cost Overall
It helps to see the full pricing picture before deciding what to do.
A standalone Prime Video subscription runs $9 per month. A full Prime membership — which bundles streaming with free shipping and other perks — costs $15 per month or $139 per year. If you’re an annual Prime member and want Ultra, Amazon offers an annual Ultra plan at $46 per year, which works out to a bit under $4 per month.
One important caveat: even Ultra subscribers will still see ads in some situations. Live TV, live events, and certain ad-supported add-on channels are excluded from the ad-free experience. So “ad-free” isn’t completely ad-free depending on what you watch.
Is the Price Jump Worth It?
For solo streamers who mostly watch on-demand content, the $2 increase might sting a little without feeling transformative. But if you’re watching in 4K and frequently download shows for offline viewing, Ultra closes the gap quickly.
The bigger win is for families or shared accounts. Jumping from three to five simultaneous streams is genuinely useful, and 100 downloads is a significant step up from the old 25-download cap.
Honestly, Amazon structured this pretty cleverly. The upgrades are real enough that most ad-free subscribers won’t feel ripped off. But the price increase is also real — so it’s worth a few minutes to decide whether Ultra matches how you actually use the service, or whether dropping back to the standard plan makes more sense for your household.
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