The difference between Prime Day and Black Friday is probably obvious to anyone acquainted with online shopping. Black Friday stands out as the principal sales event around Thanksgiving, kicking off the holiday season, with extensive involvement from numerous retailers. Conversely, Prime Day is an Amazon-exclusive event designed for its Prime subscription holders.

The divergence between these two shopping occasions is sharper compared to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which have nearly blended due to their closeness on the calendar and the emphasis on online shopping for both.

The primary query for shoppers is which event presents superior deals, Prime Day or Black Friday.

Amazon advertises Prime Day as a significant event, comparing it to the Olympics, with Prime Day 2025 set for July 8 to 11, marking the longest Prime Day to date. Amazon also organizes a 48-hour autumn event named “Prime Big Deal Days” in October, raising doubts about its ability to provide comparable deals just a month later for Black Friday.

Amazon’s pricing history suggests that it frequently aligns its Prime Day initiatives with Black Friday. Price-tracking sites like CamelCamelCamel often reveal stable price cuts for popular products during Prime Day, Black Friday, and Prime Big Deal Days.

Amazon’s Black Friday bargains are generally more available than those on Prime Day as they do not require a Prime membership. Walmart’s promotions follow a similar trend, although Walmart+ members gain early access to deals.

There is considerable overlap in the items discounted during both Prime Day and Black Friday, such as robot vacuums, headphones, Apple devices, and kitchen equipment. If you stumble upon a fantastic deal on these products during one event, there’s little need to wait for the other.

Certain categories tend to favor Black Friday more than Prime Day. TV discounts are usually better on Black Friday, with Best Buy providing a larger assortment and higher-end items. Laptop discounts also tend to be more advantageous during Black Friday, as manufacturers look to unload inventory before releasing new models. Toy discounts are more prevalent during Black Friday, in line with holiday preparations. Moreover, streaming services typically provide discounts on Black Friday, which is not the case for Prime Day.