Clark Howard

Amazon Prime vs. Walmart price comparison: Which is cheaper?

All year long, Clark.com's Michael Timmermann is sharing quick and easy ways to save money as part of our Michael Saves series. Check in every Monday as he puts new and familiar savings strategies to the test. Sign up for our newsletter to have these stories delivered to your inbox !

After Amazon announced that it's increasing the annual cost of Prime to $119, many people are taking a close look at whether a membership is really worth it.

If free two-day shipping is important to you, it’s also available from other retailers like Walmart and Target.

RELATED:  Is Amazon Prime worth it for you? Take this quiz to find out!

Both of those Amazon competitors offer free two-day shipping on select items when you spend at least $35 on your order — no membership fee required.

In most cases, Prime doesn’t require you to spend a specific dollar amount to get fast shipping.

I wanted to find out how the prices for Amazon Prime members compare to Walmart.com, so I made a list of items that I’ve bought online in the past and started shopping.

To make this price comparison as fair as possible, I set a few ground rules:

  • Non-perishable food items and household goods from Prime Pantry were excluded because there are additional shipping charges involved
  • Amazon prices are for one-time orders only, not Subscribe & Save
  • Add-on items, which ship free for Prime members on qualifying orders over $25, were included and are highlighted with an asterisk below
  • Walmart.com prices are for items with free two-day shipping only and exclude pickup discounts

One thing I noticed right away is that Amazon and Walmart are paying close attention to each other’s prices! Check out the comparison to see what I mean…

Amazon Prime vs. Walmart: 2018 price comparison

Item Amazon Prime price Walmart.com price
Swiffer Sweeper Dry+Wet Starter Kit $11.97 $11.94
Airborne Vitamin C 1000 mg Immune Support Supplement, Effervescent Formula, Orange, 30 Count $14.99
$14.99
American Tourister Luggage Fieldbrook II 4 Piece Set, Red/Black, One Size $69.99 $69.99
Dove White Beauty Bar with Deep Moisture, 4 oz, 2 Count $3.09* $3.30
Tide PODS Original Scent HE Turbo Laundry Detergent Pacs, 81 Count $19.97 $19.97
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 55, 3 fl oz $7.09* $7.97
Arm & Hammer Advance White Extreme Whitening Toothpaste, 6 oz Twin Pack $4.55* $5.44
Shark Navigator Lift Away Professional Upright Vacuum $179.99 $179.99
Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo, 25 fl oz $6.99* $5.97
Brita Standard Replacement Filters for Pitchers and Dispensers – BPA Free – 3 Count $14.88 $14.88
Crest 3D White Whitestrips Glamorous White, 14 Treatments $31.55 $34.88
Hamilton Beach Full-Size Durathon Iron, Model# 19800 $23.96 $23.96
Folgers Classic Roast Ground Coffee, Medium Roast, 30.5 Ounce $7.49* $7.48
Brawny Paper Towels, Pick-A-Size, 16 XL Rolls $28.99 $27.97
Canon 8279B004 PG-245 Black Inkjet Print Cartridge $17.99 $17.99
Monopoly Classic Game $14.79 $14.79
Kleenex Ultra Soft & Strong Facial Tissues; 50 Tissues per Cube Box; 4 Pack $5.00* $5.97
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Colors/Cheddar/Pretzel Baked Snack Crackers Variety Pack 30 Count Box $12.07 $9.98
Auto Drive 3 ft Lightning USB Cable $4.88 $4.88
Frigidaire 70 Pint Dehumidifier FAD704DWD $229.98 $229.98
Total   $710.21  $712.32

And the winner is… 

With a small sample size of 20 products, Amazon Prime’s prices were cheaper than Walmart.com by just over $2. When I excluded the Amazon add-on items, the difference was just 19 cents.

And notice that half of the items — from laundry detergent to a dehumidifier — had the exact same price!

If you’re a Prime member who doesn’t take advantage of all the entertainment perks, it may be worth doing your own price comparison to determine the true value of free two-day shipping.

Still on the fence? Read Clark's list of 12 things to consider before you renew Amazon Prime!

More Clark.com stories about Amazon: