Technologies
Best Budget Earbuds for 2025: Cheap Wireless Picks
Cheap wireless earbuds have come a long way. These true wireless earbuds, tested by CNET’s audio expert, are the best budget earbuds 2025 has to offer.
Our Experts
- Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer
What to consider
Budget
Determine how much you’re willing to spend on wireless earbuds and how that lines up with quality and functionality.
Fit
Your earbuds should offer a comfortable, secure fit. The seal will determine how noise-isolating they are, so keep an eye out for how tight of a seal they provide.
Return Policy
In case the earbuds aren’t a great fit for your ears, it’s important that the retailer offers a good return policy.
Durability
You want earbuds that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality. This is especially important for budget earbuds, which are more susceptible to damage because of their cheaper design.
Performance
You want the best-sounding earbuds with the best sound modes, call quality and features for whatever you’re able to spend.
Affordable true-wireless earbuds have significantly improved in recent years, with better sound, more features and performance that often exceeds expectations. I’ve tested all the budget earbuds on this list, including those that cost less than $100. If you’re looking for a wider selection of top earbuds, check out CNET’s list of best wireless earbuds of 2025, which I update regularly with the latest top earbuds. And if you’re willing to spend more, we also have a list of best-sounding earbuds.
What are the best budget earbuds overall?
With so many decent budget earbuds available, it’s hard to declare one model the best overall. That said, one has to sit at the top of this list, and that currently is the Soundcore by Anker P40i. Beats’ no-frills Solo Buds, QCY’s MeloBuds Pro and the Baseus MC1 clip-on buds are recent additions.
Best budget wireless earbuds for 2025
Best budget wireless earbuds overall
Pros
- Comfortable fit
- Decent sound quality and noise-canceling
- Solid voice-calling performance
- Good battery life
- Case converts into a stand for your phone
Cons
- Slightly bass-heavy sound may not appeal to everyone
Anker makes so many value earbuds it’s hard to keep track of all of them. Released in early 2024, its Soundcore P40i buds are arguably the company’s best budget earbuds, with a comfortable fit (they come with six sizes of ear tips) and very solid performance for around $50. Not only do they have decent active noise canceling as well as a transparency mode, but they offer multipoint Bluetooth connectivity and respectable voice-calling capabilities. As far as sound goes, they’re billed as «bass heavy» earbuds, and indeed, they deliver pretty powerful bass, though it’s not boomy or muddy and there is ample detail. They just lean a little warm You can tweak the sound a bit in the sound profile, but I mainly stuck to the earbuds’ «signature sound,» which I thought worked well with a wide variety of music genres. Worth noting: They have a pretty wide sound stage and low-latency modes for movie watching and gaming.
As a bonus feature, the earbuds’ charging case converts into a stand for your smartphone when watching video. That’s a feature more earbuds cases should have. Equipped with wireless and USB-C charging, battery life is rated for up to 12 hours at moderate volume levels, but the number dips to more like 8 hours with noise canceling on. The buds are IPX5 splash-resistant (they can survive a sustained spray of water).
Best budget earbuds from Apple
Pros
- Affordable
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Very compact case
- Good sound and voice-calling performance
- Strong battery life
Cons
- Few features
- No battery or LED charging indicator in charging case
Available in four color options, the Solo Buds are missing some key features found in more premium buds, including a battery in their very compact charging case, ear-detection sensors and active noise canceling. But they get the fundamentals right. They’re lightweight and not only offer decent sound quality and strong battery life but very good voice-calling performance that rivals what you get with the company’s more expensive Studio Buds Plus.
Best budget noise-canceling earbuds
Pros
- Relatively inexpensive
- Very good sound and overall performance for their price
- Decent noise canceling
- Support for AAC, AptX and LDAC audio codecs
Cons
- Touch controls and voice-calling performance could be slightly better
Earfun is one of our go-to brands for value earbuds. Its Air Pro 4 buds aren’t a major upgrade over the earlier Air Pro 3s, but they do have a few enhancements that make them slightly better earbuds. (Note: Please clip the on-page coupon to receive the full 20% off at checkout.)
Earfun has moved from Qualcomm’s QCC3071 to the newer QCC3091 that supports aptX Lossless Audio for a select few Android devices. The buds also support Sony’s LDAC audio codec, which is available with more Android smartphones, and the AAC and SBC codecs.
Like their predecessor, the Air 4 Pro are lightweight and comfortable to wear — I got a good seal with the largest ear tip size — and they feature slightly improved noise canceling and sound quality along with better battery life (up to 11 hours with noise canceling off and 7.5 hours with it on, according to Earfun). While the default sound leans slightly warm with a touch of bass push, you can tweak the sound in Earfun’s companion app for iOS and Android, and I did think the sound measures up well to earbuds that cost twice as much.
As I said, these aren’t a big upgrade over the Earfun Air 3 Pro, but once again Earfun has delivered a set of earbuds that deliver strong performance for their modest price. They also pack in a lot of features, including a wireless charging case and multipoint Bluetooth pairing (they’re equipped with Bluetooth 4 and LE Audio). I do think the voice-calling performance is slightly improved, but the background noise reduction during calls isn’t as good as what you get with higher-end earbuds like Apple’s AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, as well as Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. I also thought their touch controls could work a little better than they do.
Solid noise-canceling earbuds for less than $50
Pros
- Affordable
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Good sound for the price
- Ear-detection sensors and support for LDAC audio codec
Cons
- Generic look and feel
- Touch controls are a little finicky
Like Earfun, QCY makes a variety of budget earbuds and headphones that deliver good bang for your buck. The MeloBuds Pro looks a little generic, but they’re lightweight, comfortable, and sound suitable for what they cost, offering decent clarity and well-balanced audio (you can tweak their sound profile with the EQ settings in the QCY companion app). Also, their noise-canceling and voice-calling performance is better than average for sub-$50 earbuds. And finally, they have ear-detection sensors, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, a low-latency gaming mode and support for Sony’s high-quality LDAC audio codec (many Android devices support LDAC).
Battery life is rated at up to 7.5 hours at moderate volumes with noise canceling on, though it dips to around 4.5 hours if you’re using the LDAC codec for streaming over Bluetooth. Sweat-resistant and splash-proof with an IPX5 rating, the QCY MeloBuds Pro may not do anything exceptionally well — and I found their touch controls a bit finicky — but they’re overall a good value, especially when they go on sale for closer to $40.
Best budget noise-canceling earbuds from Anker
Pros
- More affordable and better than Liberty 4 buds
- Comfortable fit with upgraded sound and noise canceling
- Robust feature set and solid call quality
Cons
- Noise-canceling could be a little better
Released in 2024, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC earbuds carry a lower list price than 2022’s Liberty 4 buds and are arguably better. They have improved noise canceling and better sound quality, along with support for the LDAC audio codec for devices that support it. (Many Android smartphones do, and in theory, it offers slightly improved sound quality when paired with a music streaming service that offers high-res tracks.) They’re lightweight buds that should fit most ears comfortably with four sizes of ear tips to choose from.
The Liberty 4 NC buds have single custom drivers compared to the Liberty 4’s dynamic dual drivers — and a completely different case design — but I thought they delivered a more pleasant sound than the Liberty 4s. Their treble is a little smoother and they feature strong bass performance. They came across as fairly open, with a reasonably wide soundstage. You can tweak the sound profile in the companion app for iOS and Android.
The buds come in several color options and are IPX4 splash-proof, so they’re suitable for running and gym use. They feature excellent battery life — up to 10 hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels — and there’s also a transparency mode that lets ambient sound in and sounds pretty natural with only a very faint audible hiss. While the noise canceling is an improvement over the Liberty 4’s and is effective, it falls a bit short of what you get from Bose’s and Sony’s premium ANC earbuds.
Like the Liberty 4, the earbuds have six integrated mics for noise canceling and making calls, and callers said they thought the buds did a pretty good job of reducing background noise, with my voice coming through relatively clearly. They’re an all-around good-performing set of buds for the money, and they offer a strong feature set, including ear-detection sensors and wireless charging.
Best budget open earbuds
Pros
- Surprisingly good sound for inexpensive open earbuds
- Decent call quality
- Support Sony’s LDAC audio codec for Android devices
Cons
- The charging cases of lighter-colored versions show some grime
- Open design allows sound to leak in and out
What makes these Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS buds special is that they sound surprisingly good for open earbuds — they’re pretty close to what you get from Apple’s AirPods 3 for sound. On top of that, they support Sony’s LDAC audio codec for devices that offer it. Not too many cheap open earbuds have good sound but these Soundpeats have good bass response and clarity. They’re also good for making calls and have a low-latency gaming mode. Battery life is rated at five hours at moderate volume levels, and these are IPX4 splash-proof.
These are listed for $60 but are currently on sale with a 25% on-page coupon, that’ll bring your total down to around $35. This is a very good deal if you’re looking for open-style earbuds.
Top budget open earbuds from Amazon
Pros
- Well-designed inexpensive earbuds
- Good sound for open earbuds
- Strong feature set, including hands-free Alexa
Cons
- May not fit everyone’s ears comfortably
- Not a ton of bass
- No ANC (they’re open earbuds)
Amazon’s 2023 Echo Buds impressed me in a few ways that I wasn’t expecting. For starters, they sound good for inexpensive open earbuds, delivering decent clarity and ample bass. But they also have a robust feature set, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, hands-free Alexa and ear-detection sensors that pause your audio when you take one or both buds out of your ears.
Their sound falls short of that of Apple’s AirPods 4, which deliver better bass performance and overall fuller, cleaner sound (they’re better at handling more complicated music tracks with a lot of instruments playing at the same time). But the AirPods 4, even the entry-level model ($129), cost significantly more.
In short, if you’re looking for open earbuds — or «semi-open» as these types of earbuds are sometimes called — the Echo Buds are good value at their $50 list price and even easier to recommend when they go on sale for $30.
Affordable clip-on earbuds
Pros
- Affordable
- Comfortable, secure fit
- Decent sound
- Good battery life
Cons
- Somewhat generic design
- Distort a little at higher volumes
Baseus is known for its value earbuds, power banks and charging products. While its Bowie MC1 aren’t in the same league as Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds, they cost around a sixth of the price and sound pretty decent for this style of of clip-on earbuds, particularly with less demanding tracks that don’t feature heavy bass and a lot of instruments playing at the same time. On Amazon, you’ll find clip-on buds with a similar design, including the Tozo OpenEarRing ($30) and Amazfit Up ($50), so they’re a little generic. But I found the sound quality to be slightly better many competing clip-on value buds. I also liked that they have a single physical control button on each bud for controlling playback and adjusting volume levels.
Battery life is rated for up to 9 hours at moderate volume levels, which is good, but expect to get les than that because you do tend to have to listen to open earbuds at higher volumes, especially in noisier environments. With an IP57 certification, the buds are splash-proof and dust-proof, making them suitable for runners and bikers. Voice-calling capabilities are also decent though don’t expect business-class performance.
Best budget earbuds with ear hooks
Pros
- Upgraded design from X10
- Secure, comfortable fit
- Slightly better sound and noise canceling
- Improved battery life
- Fully waterproof and dust-proof
Cons
- Lack a bit of clarity
- Sound is degraded if you don’t get a tight seal
The Soundcore Sport X20 has some nice upgrades over Anker’s original Soundcore X10 earbuds. They include an improved design, adaptive noise canceling, superior battery life, slightly better sound and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. Like the previous model, these have an interesting design with rotating swiveling ear hooks. However, they don’t swivel as much as the X10’s ear hooks, which is a good thing (they stayed on my ears very securely). I also liked that the charging case has a smaller footprint than a lot of buds with ear hooks.
Fully waterproof and dust-proof with an IP68 rating, the X20 have slightly larger drivers than the X10 (11mm instead of 10mm). As long as you get a tight seal from the included ear tips (you get 5 sizes), they’re able to deliver good sound with punchy bass and good detail. They lack a bit of clarity, particularly at higher volumes (there was a touch of distortion), and the noise canceling isn’t as good as Sony or Bose’s noise canceling. But the buds are affordable and a good value overall. As for battery life, it’s rated at up to 12 hours with noise canceling off and 7 hours with it on. Voice-calling performance is also decent thought not exceptionally good.
New Anker Open Wireless Earbuds
Pros
- Comfortable, secure fit
- Improved sound with more bass
- Good battery life
- Well-priced
Cons
- A little heavier than Shokz models
Anker’s Soundcore AeroFit 2 open earbuds have been completely redesigned and look quite different from the original AeroFit buds, which also listed for $100. The second-gen Aerfit are not only more comfortable but look sleeker, sound significantly better and offer all-around improvements. The buds aren’t as light as the Shokz OpenFit 2 buds and don’t sound quite as good, but they cost quite a bit less and offer good all-around performance with augmented bass response. Available in multiple colors, they’re a good option for those looking for ear-hook style open earbuds with a fairly premium design and good sound quality without the high price tag of top-end models.
Factors to consider when choosing budget wireless earbuds
Budget
Before anything else, you’ll want to figure out just how «budget» your budget wireless earbuds should be. Value priced earbuds continue to improve, so you can find good «cheap» buds for not too much money, like many on this list. But if you’re looking for more premium budget earbuds from Sony, Apple and Bose, be prepared to upwards of $60.
Fit
It’s key that the earbuds you buy fit your ears well. They should offer a comfortable, secure fit. If you don’t get a tight seal with noise-isolating earbuds, sound quality and noise canceling can be dramatically impacted for the worse. Open earbuds don’t have that issue, but they should be comfortable to wear and sit securely in your ears.
Durability
You want earbuds that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality. This is especially important with budget earbuds, which are more susceptible to damage because of their design.
Performance
You want the best-sounding earbuds with the best sound modes, call quality and features for whatever you’re able to spend.
Return Policy
It’s critical to buy your budget earbuds at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case you have buyer’s remorse. Some people who are having trouble deciding between two models sometimes buy both, try them out for a few days and then return one.
How we test budget true-wireless earbuds
We test budget true-wireless earbuds based on five key criteria, comparing similarly styled and priced models. These criteria are design, sound quality, features, voice-calling performance and value.
Design
We assess not only how comfortable the earbuds fit (ergonomics) but their build quality and how well the controls are implemented. We also look at water- and dust-resistance ratings, which are especially important for budget earbuds and headphones you may take to the gym.
Sound quality
Even budget earbuds can still deliver great sounding audio. We evaluate sound quality by listening to a set playlist of music tracks and comparing the earbuds to top competing products in their price range. Sonic traits such as bass definition, clarity, dynamic range and how natural the headphones sound are key factors in our assessment. Some of my test tracks include Spoon’s Knock Knock Knock, Athletes of God’s Don’t Wanna Be Normal, The Doors Touch Me — Take 3, Orbital’s Dirty Rat, Taylor Swift’s Vigilante Shit, Jvke’s Golden Hour and Drake’s Passionfruit.
Features
Many budget earbuds aren’t loaded with features, but we do take into account what extra features are on board. These include everything from noise-canceling and transparency modes (ambient sound mode) to special sound modes to ear-detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off your ears.
Voice-calling performance
When we test voice-calling performance, we make calls in the noisy streets of New York and evaluate how well the earbuds reduce background noise and how clearly callers can hear your voice. This is especially important for those who want a cheaper earbud to throw in their work bag. The best wireless earbuds for voice calling pick up your voice clearly while significantly reducing background noise. Onboard microphones, sophisticated noise-reduction algorithms and voice accelerometers that detect when you’re speaking all factor into call quality. Plus, a sidetone feature allows you to hear your own voice when chatting with noise-isolating buds, helping you avoid talking too loudly. If you’re looking for a broader selection of headphones that fit this bill, check out our roundup of the best earbuds for making phone calls.
Value
We determine value after evaluating the strength of the earbuds against all these criteria and what the buds are able to deliver compared to other models in their price class. Because many of these models fall into a similar price range, we break the price classes further to ensure they’re matched appropriately. Great sounding, feature-packed headphones that offer a great bang for your buck earn top marks in this category.
Other budget wireless earbuds we’ve tested
Jabra Elite 4: The lightweight Elite 4 fit my ears comfortably and offered good, well-balanced sound with punchy bass and decent clarity. They support Qualcomm’s AptX audio codec (for Android and other devices that support AptX) but only the SBC codec for iPhones (no AAC support). The Elite 4 is missing more premium features like ear detection sensors and has a four-microphone array for noise canceling and voice calls (voice-calling performance is good but not exceptionally good). What’s a little confusing is that Jabra also sells the Elite 4 Active, a slightly more ruggedized version of the same buds that carries a list price of $120 but sometimes sells for less than the standard Elite 4. So get the Elite 4 Active if it costs less.
JBL Live Pro 2: Over the years, JBL has put out some decent true-wireless earbuds, but nothing that really got me too excited. That’s finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand’s new Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 buds. Both sets of buds — the Live Pro 2 have stems while the Live Free 2 have a pill-shaped design — offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance, plus a robust set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging.
JBL Live Free 2: Like the Live Pro 2, JBL’s new Live Free 2 buds are surprisingly good. With 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicon tips, they combine a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance. Features include multipoint Bluetooth pairing and wireless charging, and they’re rated for up to seven hours with IPX5 water-resistance (splash-proof).
Beats Studio Buds: The Beats Studio Buds look a lot like the rumored stemless AirPods some people have been waiting for. Geared toward both iOS and Android users, they are missing a few key features on the Apple side of things (there’s no H1 or W1 chip), but they’re small, lightweight buds that are comfortable to wear and offer really good sound. While their noise canceling isn’t as good as the AirPods Pro’s, they do have a transparency mode and they’re decent for making calls. Read our Beats Studio Buds review.
Sennheiser CX: If you can’t afford Sennheiser’s flagship Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds, the CX are a good alternative. They feature very good sound, plus decent noise canceling and voice-calling performance. The only issue is they stick out of your ears a bit and may not fit some smaller ears. This model, which often sells for less than $100 on Amazon, doesn’t feature active noise canceling but the step-up CX Plus does (the CX Plus is also a good value, particularly when it goes on sale). Learn more about the budget earbuds in my full Sennheiser CX true wireless earbuds review.
Budget wireless earbuds FAQs
Technologies
Connect Your iPhone or Android to Any TV: A Guide for AirPlay, Chromecast and HDMI
When visiting friends and family, you can likely share videos from your phone to your TV without needing to log in to any built-in apps.
When visiting your friends and family this holiday season, you may want to show off your latest photos or stream movies to their television while spending time together. However, it can be a pain to log in to your streaming service account on someone’s television.
Thankfully, with most recent televisions, you probably don’t need to log in at all to do this. In most cases, the phone you carry right now can connect directly to a TV, and you can share or cast your screen using your own accounts saved on your phone.
Many TVs now ship with built-in support for AirPlay, Chromecast or Miracast, all of which let you wirelessly connect your phone. The trickiest part isn’t whether you can connect your phone to your TV (because you probably can). Rather, you’ll need to know which wireless casting connection your phone supports and make sure the TV you want to connect to also supports it.
We’ll talk about how this works, based on whether you’re using an iPhone or an Android phone. We’ll also point out when you’ll be using AirPlay, Chromecast or Miracast to make the connection, depending on what device you have.
iPhone supports AirPlay and Chromecast
Apple’s iPhone devices have two ways of connecting wirelessly to a television. On a system level, an iPhone can use AirPlay to cast media from video and music apps to any device that also supports AirPlay. This originally was exclusive to the Apple TV, but AirPlay now supports many televisions made by Samsung, LG, TCL and Vizio, along with Roku’s streaming devices. Odds are if your device supports the Apple TV app, somewhere in its settings is also support for AirPlay.
You can access AirPlay in one of two ways. If you’re using a supported app like Paramount Plus, you’ll want to tap the AirPlay icon represented by a TV with a triangle. You can also access AirPlay from your phone’s Control Center by tapping the icon represented by two rectangles and then picking the device you’re casting to. Using the latter option, you can also mirror your phone’s screen to your TV to display apps like Instagram or TikTok that don’t include AirPlay from within.
If you are trying to connect with a television with the Google TV operating system or the Google TV Streamer, the iPhone also supports Chromecast. Similar to using AirPlay from a media app, you’ll tap the Chromecast icon represented by a rectangle with three wavy lines. You’ll then tap the device you want to cast to. The biggest difference between how AirPlay and Chromecast work on the iPhone is that you won’t be able to mirror your iPhone’s display over Chromecast.
Certain apps like YouTube will blend these casting options together for convenience. When tapping Google’s Chromecast button, a submenu will let you choose between using AirPlay or Chromecast or linking directly to your TV’s YouTube app using a code.
And if you want to connect your iPhone to your television using an HDMI cable, you can use either a USB-C to HDMI adapter if you have an iPhone 15 or newer or a Lightning-to-HDMI adapter for the iPhone 14 and earlier. That adapter will allow for screen mirroring without using AirPlay.
Android always supports Chromecast, sometimes supports Miracast
Android phones don’t support AirPlay, but they sometimes support two wireless casting options that connect to nearly any television.
First, all Android phones include Chromecast support. So if your TV has Chromecast built-in or has a Google TV streamer attached, you’ll be able to connect your phone by tapping the Cast icon from an app. You can also set up a screen cast shortcut in the quick settings drop-down panel, which will provide an even faster way to quickly cast to your TV. CNET’s Nelson Aguilar has put together a guide for this.
And while it’s not supported on every Android phone, Samsung and Motorola both make Android phones that support Miracast for screen mirroring. These features are labeled as Smart View and Ready For, respectively, and will let you connect your phone to televisions or displays that support a setting that’s often labeled Screen Mirroring. More recent Motorola phones, like the Razr Ultra, are calling this feature Smart Connect. What’s unique about Miracast is that many Windows PCs also support this style of casting, and during my recent trip, that came in handy in order to play some Jackbox Games.
An additional note about these features from Samsung and Motorola is that both support connecting your phone to a television or computer monitor using a USB-C to HDMI cable, should you have one on hand. This could be particularly helpful if you’re trying to do a more data-intensive activity on your phone, such as connecting to a bigger screen in order to use your phone more like a computer.
More tips about wirelessly connecting your phone to a TV
Even though many televisions and streaming devices support one or more of these methods, it’s still entirely possible that when traveling, you won’t have a perfect match. For instance, you might have an Android phone, but the TV in your hotel room supports only AirPlay or blocks access to the HDMI port. But for home use, now that many televisions support multiple connection options, you have a good chance to be able to set up a method that works for day-to-day viewing.
You’ll also want to keep in mind that much like with video streaming, your network could also affect how effective a wireless connection will be to your TV. With that in mind, you will want to have your phone as close to a router as possible, which will help with the connection. If your video quality degrades while streaming, you may also want to turn casting off and on again to reset the connection.
But as long as your phone and television can connect with one of the above methods, you should otherwise be free to stream any movie or music from your phone onto your TV.
Technologies
Want to Save Some Cash After the Holidays? Check Out These 18 Hidden Amazon Prime Perks
Prime members can get cheaper gas and groceries, plus unlimited photo storage.
You already know that your Amazon Prime membership is great for free two-day shipping. But what about all the other perks? Whether you’re prepping for New Year’s Eve festivities on a budget, or just trying to save some cash as the holidays wind down, this service has a ton of hidden benefits waiting for you.
From discounted gas to streaming extras, there’s a lot more value packed into your Prime membership than most people realize, and a lot of those discounts can be used beyond Amazon.
You can take advantage of limited-time deals with a 30-day free trial, but that only lets you scratch the surface of all that a membership has to offer. It might surprise you to learn what else you can get by being a Prime member. Below, we’ll break down some of the best perks you may not know about.
Spoiler: Some of them are bangers.
For more, check out the latest Amazon products and see how you can get great savings on Amazon right now with coupons.
1. Watch HBO or other premium TV channels without cable
You probably know about Prime Video and Amazon Music Prime but you might not know all the special details. Amazon Prime members have access to a large number of feature-length movies and hit original TV shows like The Boys and The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, as well as an Amazon Music Prime library featuring 2 million songs and thousands of curated playlists.
Prime members can also download movies and TV shows for watching later offline.
If a show or movie you want to watch is not included as part of your basic Prime subscription, you can subscribe to premium channels such as HBO, Showtime and Starz for $5 to $15 a month, with no need for cable or satellite service.
Music lovers can upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited to get a library of 90 million songs that can be streamed to multiple devices for $9 a month or $89 a year.
2. Get money back by choosing no-rush shipping
If you don’t need your purchase to be delivered quickly, you can opt out of two-day or shorter delivery options by selecting «no-rush shipping» and receive your package in about six days. In return for your patience, Amazon will give you rewards.
There’s no standard for no-rush shipping rewards — they vary from item to item — but they generally provide discounts on products and services that you might buy from Amazon.
Some common rewards are $1 credits for Amazon digital services like movies, music and ebooks, $3 coupons for Amazon’s Happy Belly-branded snacks, $10 to $20 off TV or furniture purchases and $10 to $20 off Amazon Home Services.
The value of no-rush shipping will depend on whether you’ll use any of the rewards. It might not seem like much, but a few no-rush shipping selections could easily earn you the $3 to $4 you need for a free movie rental from Prime Video.
3. Whole Foods grocery discounts
If you’re a frequent shopper at Whole Foods, an Amazon Prime membership can reap serious dividends. Prime Member Deals available in physical Whole Foods stores give members discounts of 10% to 20% on selected items marked with blue Amazon stickers.
Yellow tags indicate even further savings, usually at least another 10% off an already discounted price. Prime members who scan the Whole Foods Market or Amazon app at checkout get an extra 10% off storewide sales. Prime membership also gives you access to special online deals.
4. Exclusive access to Thursday night NFL football games
It’s the second year that Amazon Prime has had exclusive rights to air Thursday Night Football, and Prime seems to be killing the game. It received five Sports Emmys nominations for its 2022 coverage and boasts a stacked cast of experts, commentators and former players.
If you are a Prime subscriber, you can stream 2025-2026 Thursday Night Football games on Prime Video, NFL +, Amazon.com or Twitch. There is also a Spanish-language broadcast available on Prime Video. Pregame coverage begins at 7 p.m. EST each Thursday.
5. Free same-day Amazon Fresh delivery
Whole Foods isn’t the only grocery option available to Amazon Prime members. Subscribers also have access to the online grocery store Amazon Fresh, which provides free deliveries to some locations. Amazon Fresh has some similar products to Whole Foods but generally focuses on a broader range of groceries and home products at lower prices.
Anyone can purchase products from Amazon Fresh but only Prime members get free same-day delivery. Amazon Fresh also has 44 physical locations that offer special weekly deals for Prime members.
6. Free same-day delivery for perishable groceries
Similar to Amazon Fresh, a new service gives Amazon users access to perishable groceries with same-day delivery service. More than 1,000 cities and towns in the US can now get groceries delivered within hours and Amazon plans to expand the service to more than 2,300 locations by the end of 2025.
Same-day delivery is available to all Amazon customers for $12.99 but it’s free for Prime members who order at least $25 worth of groceries (it costs $2.99 if your order is less than $25). If you’re running low on milk and eggs and you don’t have time to make a trip to the grocery store, this is a great way to stock up without leaving the house.
7. Borrow unlimited books, magazines and comics
Amazon Prime members gain access to Prime Reading, a service similar to Kindle Unlimited with a different collection of materials. You can borrow as many books as you like, and many include audible narration, so you can switch back and forth between reading and listening. The electronic downloads don’t require a Kindle or Fire device.
Amazon First Reads gives Prime members access to editors’ selections of early book releases. Anyone with a Prime membership gets one free Kindle book a month, as well as regular discounts on selected titles.
8. Prime-exclusive deals and promos
Amazon offers Prime-exclusive deals all-year round on top products meaning you can make back the cost of your membership in savings. For big shopping seasons like Black Friday or Prime Day, there are even more member-only prices to shop.
Plus, Prime subscribers often get early access to Lightning Deals. These are sort of like Amazon’s version of a fire sale, featuring very low prices for a limited number of products that usually sell out very quickly. The good news for Amazon Prime members is that they get access to these deals earlier than everyone else. The bad news? There are a lot of Amazon Prime members.
9. Exclusive Zappos deals, faster shipping and a test month for running shoes
Amazon acquired the online shoe giant Zappos in 2009, and it now provides a number of benefits for Prime members who link their accounts on Zappos.com. Prime members get faster shipping, bonus reward points for shopping and exclusive deals on certain products.
Zappos also lets Prime members participate in Runlimited, a 30-day guarantee program for running shoes.
10. Save money on prescription drugs online
Prime members have exclusive access to Amazon RxPass. The subscription service provides all of your eligible medications for a single payment of $5 a month, regardless of how many prescriptions you have. More than 50 commonly prescribed medications are available.
Amazon says that the average member with an RxPass saves 38% on medications but it’s important to note that Amazon’s Prime Rx savings program does not work with health insurance. You’ll need to be sure that any savings you get from the program are more than you’d get from insurance coverage.
11. One Medical membership discounts
One Medical is a membership-based health service that provides primary in-person and virtual health care. Its concierge-like medical service is designed to allow members to easily schedule appointments and care using the company’s mobile app or website.
Amazon acquired One Medical in 2023 and is now offering a major discount for Prime members. Instead of the usual price of $199 a year, Amazon Prime members can subscribe for $99 a year, or $9 per month. To activate the discount, Prime members should visit this page. Existing One Medical subscribers who are Prime members can also take advantage of the discount starting with their next payment.
12. Access to Amazon Luna
Amazon Luna delivers access to a library of games that you can play without paying a dime since they’re included with Amazon Prime and Prime Video. There is a rotating library of games that you can claim, including super popular options like the Fallout Series and XCOM2.
Along with single-player games, Amazon has added a GameNight section. These games are all multiplayer games that can be controlled with a smartphone, making it a great way to spend time with friends or family playing games. There are more than 25 options in GameNight include Ticket to Ride, Jackbox and Exploding Kittens.
13. Unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos
With a subscription to Amazon Prime, you can store unlimited photos and 5GB of video on Amazon Photos. Without Amazon Prime, you’re limited to a total of 5GB of videos and photos total.
You can view or share your photos and videos on Amazon Photos using the iOS or Android app, or on a computer with the desktop or web app. Your photo and video files are fully encrypted, so they’re only visible to people with whom you intentionally share them.
14. Get discounts on Shutterfly
Amazon has partnered with photography company Shutterfly to offer Prime members 45% off most regular-priced products. Shoppers also can get free shipping on orders of $35 or more. To get the discount, you’ll have to link your Shutterfly and Amazon accounts.
If you store your photos with Amazon, you can now access your Amazon Photos directly from Shutterfly. This makes it extra convenient for Prime members to share images from their extensive photo library.
15. Get a free Grubhub Plus membership
Don’t feel like cooking tonight? There’s a perk for that, too.
When Amazon announced it would offer Grubhub Plus free for a year in 2022, it was a solid, but temporary, perk added to Prime. In 2023, Prime members were treated to another free year. For 2024, instead of renewing the food delivery service’s premium membership again for another year, Grubhub Plus became a permanent Amazon Prime perk.
Grubhub Plus typically costs $9.99 a month and provides unlimited free delivery for all orders over $12 in more than 4,000 cities nationwide.
16. Save on Amazon Kids Plus
If you have Amazon Prime, you also get access to discounted Amazon Kids Plus. The subscription service features a range of ad-free content, including books, games and videos for children ages 3 to 12. Parents can limit the amount of screen time available to their children and manage up to four profiles on iOS and Android.
The Amazon Kids Plus subscription is normally $79 a year but Prime members can get it for $48 a year.
17. Get your package on the day you want it with Amazon Day
If none of the usual delivery dates work for you, you have one additional option as a Prime member. Amazon Day is a free perk that lets you schedule your packages to arrive on your day of choice. Next time you’re on vacation, you don’t have to arrange for the neighbors to help you bring in your boxes, and you won’t have to worry about porch pirates stealing your delivery on days when you’re not home.
Amazon Day is also a great option to cut down on the number of boxes for your packages, as you can schedule multiple purchases to arrive as a single delivery.
18. Save money on gas
Do you spend several hours each week driving to and from work? If you’re an Amazon Prime member living in the US, your dollar will now stretch a little farther at the gas pump. You can save 10 cents per gallon at BP, Amoco and AM/PM gas stations — there are about 7,000 locations across the 50 states. Amazon estimates that this perk will save the average American nearly $70 per year.
To get the full 10-cent-per-gallon discount, Prime members must create a free earnify™ account and link it to their Prime account. You can use the earnify™ app to find stations, then simply go to the pump and enter your phone number or linked payment method for instant savings. (Using the earnify™ app is optional — it just needs to be linked to your Prime account.)
For more about Amazon Prime and what to expect from this year’s back-to-school deals. Plus, check out these Amazon deals on tech and home goods and tips for getting the best Amazon deals.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Dec. 26
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 26.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Some of the clues are tough today — I thought maybe 1-Across was referring to the Grinch, or even Oscar the Grouch, but was I ever wrong! Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Furry and green, say
Answer: MOSSY
6A clue: State known for its potatoes
Answer: IDAHO
7A clue: Like a faithful friend
Answer: LOYAL
8A clue: Had a beverage
Answer: DRANK
9A clue: Pronoun frequently paired with «her»
Answer: SHE
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Not spicy, as salsa
Answer: MILD
2D clue: Reasons for wrinkled noses
Answer: ODORS
3D clue: Words from a doctor checking your tonsils
Answer: SAYAH
4D clue: Comedian Gillis
Answer: SHANE
5D clue: Part of an egg used to make hollandaise sauce
Answer: YOLK
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
-
Technologies3 года agoTech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies3 года agoBest Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies3 года agoTighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года agoBlack Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies4 года agoVerum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года agoGoogle to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies4 года agoOlivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года agoiPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow