Amazon Prime has 100 million members - here's how to decide if it's worth the cost

One of the initial perks of Prime and a cornerstone of the brand is the free shipping. For people who shop online a lot, shipping fees can really pile on. But Prime membership eliminates that cost for over 100 million items, with just a few exceptions.

While two-day shipping is the Prime standard, other options can get your package home even sooner. Amazon has one-day and same-day shipping for millions of products in many cities and two-hour delivery for groceries and essentials. Prime users also get release date delivery for many new entertainment products.

If you are bored with Netflix's offerings, you can check out Prime Video which is included with an Amazon Prime account. Streaming is available on any device for hundreds of movies and TV shows including Prime originals like "Transparent" and "Mozart in the Jungle."

Prime users have access to products unavailable to regular users. An entire section of Amazon's site is devoted to brands that only offer products to Prime users, including several owned by Amazon.

Starting with 20% discounts on diapers and baby food through Amazon Family, Prime opens up a world of exclusive deals. Prime also racks up additional savings and offers deals on many pre-sale items.

Amazon began as an on-line book store, so it makes sense Prime has benefits for readers. Prime Reading gives users a library of books, magazines, news stories, and more for phones, tablets, or Amazon Kindles.

Prime Photos stores all of your photos for free so you no longer have to worry about saving all of your pictures on your phone with limited space. Photos also organizes every picture with a robust search function that can be used on any device.

For frequent players of video games, Prime offers something special. Twitch Prime gamers get free in-game loot every month and other exclusive surprises within their computer games. Users of Twitch Prime also get to stream the platform ad-free.

Prime Music lets you listen to two million songs on any device while picking from curated playlists and personalized stations.

Amazon Prime members just need to download the Audible app and start listening. Users have unlimited access to channels with scores of audio programs and are entitled to one free audiobook every month.

Prime members are entitled to a Rewards Visa Card which offers 5% back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods. The Prime Rewards Card also unlocks 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores with 1% back on all other purchases.

The price of a monthly Prime membership was recently bumped up from $10.99 to $12.99 and student prices also became more expensive. While the $99.99 pricetag for a year of membership has remained, that could very well increase soon as well.

While Prime users do have access to two million ad-free songs, that is not much. Amazon's Music Unlimited is more of a competitor to Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play Music but the premium service costs an additional $7.99 a month for Prime users. Music Unlimited is also not viewed favorably compared to its competitors.

While Amazon Video has plenty on its platform, it does not have the quality or quantity of content that Netflix and Hulu have. Many shows and movies are only available to rent or buy, so while Amazon Video is a nice feature, it's not a replacement for other streaming services.

Prime can easily make sense for people who spend a lot of time and money shopping. However, if you are an infrequent shopper, the price may not be worth it for the free shipping.

Right now, tech companies don't have the greatest reputation for protecting consumers' privacy. Amazon is a wide network that knows what you are buying, listening to, and countless other details. Especially with its foray into healthcare, Amazon Prime members may very well fear for their privacy.

Some people are resistant to online shopping because they like to see and touch what they are about to buy. For many people, switching to e-shopping for things like clothes and groceries may just be too much to bare.

Due to the free shipping and easy ability to go from browsing to check out, Prime users can end up buying a lot of unnecessary products that go to waste. This ease of spending can lead to big expenses and a pile full of unused junk.