Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage plus 5 GB for video, while every other Amazon customer gets 5 GB for photos and video combined. If Prime lapses, you drop back to that shared 5 GB.
Amazon Photos is one of those perks people forget they have. If you pay for Prime, you've probably got a home for your whole camera roll sitting there unused. If you don't, the free allowance is small, and the rules change the day your membership ends. Here's how it breaks down, as of Nov 2026, based on what Amazon states on its own Amazon Photos page.
The short version: your storage depends on one question, which is whether you're a Prime member right now. Not last year, not on a free trial you meant to cancel. Right now. So let's take the three situations one at a time.
Q: I'm a Prime member. What do I get?
Amazon says Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage. Unlimited means you aren't counting gigabytes for pictures, and full resolution means your photos aren't squashed down to save space. For anyone with years of phone photos, that's a lot of value bundled into a membership you're already paying for.
Video is a different story. Prime members get 5 GB for video, and that's it unless you add more. Five gigabytes of video fills up fast if you shoot on a modern phone. So the honest description of the Prime perk is unlimited photos, limited video.
If you're a business owner using your phone for content, think about that split. Product shots, headshots and behind-the-scenes stills sit happily in the unlimited bucket. The short clips you film for social are what eat the allowance. If you're planning a shoot, a clear brief helps you decide what you need as stills versus clips; this founder photoshoot brief is a good place to start.
Q: I don't have Prime. Is there anything free?
Yes. Amazon says all Amazon customers have 5 GB of photo and video storage. That's a combined pot, so every photo and every video you upload counts against the same 5 GB. It's enough to try the app and back up a modest collection, but it won't hold a full phone library for long.
If you need more without Prime, Amazon sells storage plans. Its page says added video storage plans start at 100 GB, and storage plans are monthly. Prices vary by plan and the page lists US figures, so check the current number in the app before you commit.
Q: What happens if my Prime membership lapses?
This is where people get caught out. Amazon says that if you cancel Prime or let it expire, you still keep the 5 GB combined photos and video storage offered to all Amazon customers. In other words, you go from unlimited photos back to the same shared 5 GB as everyone else.
What Amazon's main Photos page doesn't spell out is what happens to the photos sitting above that 5 GB once your membership ends. It links to a separate storage limits article for that, and the detail isn't covered on the main page. So if you're thinking of cancelling Prime, sort out your photo library first rather than after.
The three situations side by side
| Prime member | No Prime | Prime lapsed or cancelled | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photos | Unlimited, full resolution | Shares the 5 GB pot | Back to the shared 5 GB pot |
| Video | 5 GB | Shares the 5 GB pot | Shares the 5 GB pot |
| Extra storage | Paid plans, from 100 GB for video | Paid storage plans | Paid storage plans |
| Unlimited photos country list | US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Read across the table and the pattern is plain. The only column with real breathing room is the first one, and it depends entirely on staying a Prime member in one of the listed countries.
The catch most people miss
The unlimited part is tied to two things at once: an active Prime membership and where you live. Amazon says unlimited photo storage is for Prime customers only in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Japan. Outside that list, Prime doesn't come with the unlimited photo perk described on the page.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Put that together with the lapse rule and you've got the real risk. Your photo library can grow far beyond 5 GB while you're a member, then the safety net shrinks the moment your membership ends. Amazon Photos works best as one copy of your pictures, not the only copy.
If you're saving images for work, keep the originals somewhere you control too. And if some of your older shots look soft, a free tool can help; see this guide on how to sharpen and upscale old photos for free before you upload them.
Where you can reach your library
Amazon says Amazon Photos is available through the iOS and Android mobile app, a web app and a desktop app. That covers most people: back up from your phone, browse on the web, and use the desktop app if you've got folders of images on a laptop. Amazon also says customer support is available 24/7.
What Amazon's page leaves out
- What happens to photos stored above the free 5 GB after Prime lapses (Amazon points to a separate storage limits article).
- Any per-file size limits.
- Prices outside the US.
My verdict
If you already pay for Prime and live in one of the listed countries, switch on photo backup today. Unlimited full-resolution photos is a strong perk and it costs you nothing extra. Just don't treat it as your only archive, and don't expect it to cover much video.
If you don't have Prime, the free 5 GB is a trial, not a home for your library. And if you're thinking of cancelling Prime, download or move your photos first. That's the one step that saves you a headache later.
Quick answers
Does Prime give unlimited Amazon Photos storage?
Amazon says Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage plus 5 GB for video. The unlimited photo perk applies in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Japan.
How much Amazon Photos storage do non-Prime customers get?
All Amazon customers get 5 GB of combined photo and video storage. Paid storage plans are available if you need more.
What happens to Amazon Photos if I cancel Prime?
You keep the 5 GB combined photo and video storage offered to all Amazon customers. Amazon's main Photos page doesn't say what happens to photos above that amount.
Can I use Amazon Photos on a computer?
Yes. Amazon says it's available through the iOS and Android app, a web app and a desktop app.
