In the past, people go to the theater to watch movies watch series on television. But, the scenario is completely different now. Internet and smartphones have changed everything and made everything easily available.
Online streaming has become common. Streaming platforms make it easy to watch either our favorite movies or the new episodes of a web series.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon Prime is a subscription service offering streaming, shopping benefits, and more, while Hotstar is a streaming platform focused on Indian content and live sports.
- Amazon Prime provides access to a vast global content library, whereas Hotstar specializes in Indian movies, TV shows, and live sports events.
- Hotstar is available in India and selects international markets, while Amazon Prime has a broader global reach.
Amazon Prime vs Hotstar
The difference between Amazon Prime and Hotstar is that Amazon Prime is owned by Amazon while Hotstar belongs to Walt Disney. Amazon prime has 11 million Indian users while the number of users of Hotstar is higher than amazon prime which is 350 million. Hotstar is working since 2015 while amazon prime was launched in 2016.
People who subscribe Amazon prime are given some special offers and services on Amazon and can stream videos on their streaming platform the Amazon prime videos.
It also provides an additional video subscription option by which, the amazon prime subscribers can access the videos of other content creators within this platform.
Hotstar now known as Disney plus Hotstar is an Indian streaming platform. Initially, it was called Hotstar at that time it was owned by Star India. It became famous within a short period in India.
It also featured content of third parties like HBO and Showtime. Hotstar got integrated with Disney in April 2020 and then started to stream the content of Disney as well.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Amazon Prime | Hotstar |
|---|---|---|
| Owned by | Amazon | Walt Disney |
| Launched on | December 2016 | February 2015 |
| Countries | USA, UK, Canada, India, Germany, etc | India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia |
| Content | Movies, Web series, TV shows | News, Movies, Live games, Web series |
| Examples of TV series | Big Bang Theory, Shark Tank, Seinfeld, etc | Game of Thrones, Homeland, Big little lies, etc |
What is Amazon Prime?
Amazon prime is a worldwide platform that offers services without a full subscription in countries like Germany, the US, and the UK. While people in France, Australia, Canada, India, etc must have a full Subscription to access Amazon Prime.
It was called Amazon inbox during initial times. Then they changed it in such a way that prime subscription is enough to stream the videos.
Then it was called Amazon Instant Video on Demand. Though it was started in 2006 the prime video access for prime subscribers was given only in 2014 for customers in Austria, the UK, and Germany.
In 2016 it was launched worldwide. But it is not available in China, North Korea, Syria, and Iran.
It can be streamed on mobile phones, smart TVs, digital media players, gaming consoles, and Amazon fire branded devices. It also has an Android TV app.
Amazon banned selling Apple TV on their platform because of their lack of support for Amazon prime videos. But in 2017 Amazon released an Apple TV with a prime video option.
In some countries, you can buy or rent movies and TV series on Amazon Prime. But in many other countries, it is not available. Amazon prime offers 4k video quality but it changes depending on the type of device.
The Amazon video of the UK was awarded Broadcaster of the year award by Diversity in Media awards in 2017.
What is Hotstar?
Hotstar was launched to stream the local networks of Star India. It included films, TV series, live sports, etc. They also streamed the shows of HBO and some other third-party services.
They united with Disney and started streaming the contents of Walt Disney Studios, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Marvel Studios, and National Geographic.
They have also extended their service to Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. In 2022 they will be available in the Philippines and Vietnam. In countries like the US, Canada, and Singapore they are targeting the Indians living there.
They gained the rights to stream The cricket World Cup and The Indian premier league in 2015.
In 2016 Hotstar leaped and started to stream quality international content. This initiative was started by streaming the premiere of the Season 6 of the famous HBO series Game of thrones.
Though US platforms like Netflix gained popularity in India, Hotstar remained the top platform.
Hotstar broke records for a maximum number of viewers for the Indian premier league and the cricket World Cup semi finale between New Zealand and India in 2019. A total of 25.3 million people streamed the match.
Hotstar can be streamed on browsers, mobile phones, tablets, and smart TVs. Users can stream Hotstar on a maximum of four devices. They also have the download option for some videos.
Maximum resolution of 1080p is available and for Smart TV 4k resolution is available. The Hotstar VIP or Premium subscription gives the users access to special content.
Main Differences Between Amazon Prime and Hotstar
- Amazon prime subscription include the streaming of videos, as well as other benefits on their shopping platform Amazon while Hotstar subscription-only involves access to video and live sports
- Amazon prime has a low number of subscribers in India but Hotstar has a huge number of users. But, Amazon prime beats Hotstar when this comes to an international level
- Amazon prime is known for providing international content at a normal price while Hotstar provides content loved by kids and other regional language contents
- Amazon prime offers live streaming of some games like NFL football but Hotstar is most preferred when it comes to streaming Cricket matches live
- The price of Subscription to Amazon prime is less compared to Hotstar. Hotstar has increased the price since it became Disney+ Hotstar.
References
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
