Key Takeaways
Amazon Prime Video has the most movies you can stream, followed by Netflix, HBO Max, and Paramount+.
There are dozens of streaming services to choose from, but which one is most likely to have the movies you want to watch? Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ seem like the top choices, but are they really? Let's find out.
Of course, numbers alone shouldn't be the end-all-be-all indicator of which service is the "best." A service could have thousands of Hallmark Channel movies you'll never watch. However, a healthy library is usually a good sign.
Streaming Movies By the Numbers
Finding an official number of how many movies are available on a streaming service is tricky. Most services lump TV shows and movies together in their stats, plus content is always coming and going.
With the help of JustWatch.com---a website that tracks where you can watch movies and TV shows online---we were able to filter by movies and services. The numbers (as of October 2022) are shown in the chart below:
- Prime Video: 8,700
- Netflix: 3,813
- HBO Max: 2,501
- Paramount+: 2,336
- Peacock: 2,313
- Disney+: 1,217
- Hulu: 1,198
- Apple TV+: 58
One thing to note is HBO Max will be merged with Discovery+ in 2023, and the new combined service may get a new name. Until then, the two services will operate independently.
Quality vs Quantity
As you can see, Amazon Prime Video has a healthy lead over Netflix in the first place spot. That doesn't neccessarily mean it has the best movies, though. For example, Apple TV+---which has less than 100 movies---produced CODA, a film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2021.
Another thing to consider is the studio that makes the movies. Disney+ may only have around 1,000 movies, but if you want to watch a Disney, Pixar, Marvel, or Star Wars film, that's basically your only option.
The good news is all these services offer free trials and you can pay on a month-to-month basis. There's nothing stopping you from paying for one month, watching what you want, then swapping for a different service next month.