Amazon Prime and Twitch Prime are the same membership now
Amazon stopped calling it "Twitch Prime" in 2019 and folded the membership into regular Amazon Prime. If you have an Amazon Prime account, you already have access to Twitch benefits — there is nothing separate to connect. The confusion comes from the old name: for years, Amazon offered a standalone "Twitch Prime" membership that gave you free games, channel subscriptions, and in-game loot. That product no longer exists as a separate thing.
What you actually need to do is link your Amazon account to your Twitch account so Twitch knows you are a Prime member. This takes about two minutes and happens on Twitch's website, not Amazon's. After you link them, you can claim a free channel subscription each month, get exclusive emotes, and unlock other Prime perks on Twitch.
If you do not have an Amazon Prime membership, you cannot get Twitch Prime benefits. Twitch Prime is not a free tier — it is a benefit that comes with paying for Amazon Prime.
Key Takeaways
- Twitch Prime is now just a benefit included with Amazon Prime membership; there is no separate product to buy or set up.
- You link your accounts on Twitch by going to Settings, then Connections, then finding Amazon Prime and clicking Connect.
- After linking, you can claim one free channel subscription per month and access other Prime-only perks like exclusive emotes.
- The link only works if your Amazon account actually has an active Prime membership; a free trial counts.
How to link your Amazon account to Twitch in four steps
Start by going to Twitch.tv and signing into your Twitch account. Click your profile icon in the top right corner, then select Settings from the dropdown menu. On the left side, click Connections. You should see a list of services you can link — Amazon Prime will be one of them.
Click the Connect button next to Amazon Prime. Twitch will open a new window asking you to sign into your Amazon account. Enter the email address and password for the Amazon account that has the Prime membership. If you have multiple Amazon accounts, make sure you use the one with the active Prime subscription.
After you sign in, Amazon will ask you to confirm that you want to let Twitch access your Prime membership information. Click Approve or Confirm (the exact wording varies). Twitch will then show you a confirmation that your accounts are linked. Close that window and go back to Twitch — you should now see a green checkmark next to Amazon Prime in your Connections list.
The whole process takes less than two minutes. You do not need to do anything else. Your Twitch account now knows you are a Prime member.
What you can do after linking your accounts
The main benefit is a free channel subscription every month. On any Twitch channel, you will see a Subscribe button. If you are a Prime member, one of the subscription tiers will say "Prime Gaming" and cost zero dollars. Click it to subscribe to that channel for free. You can only use your free Prime subscription on one channel per month, so choose wisely — if you subscribe to a different channel, you lose the subscription to the old one.
You also get access to a rotating set of free games each month through Prime Gaming. These are full games you can read and keep forever, not rentals. The selection changes monthly and includes older titles and indie games. You claim them on the Prime Gaming website, not on Twitch itself.
Prime members on Twitch also unlock exclusive emotes and chat badges that non-Prime viewers cannot use. These are small icons you can use in chat to show your support or react to what is happening on stream. Different channels sometimes have their own Prime-exclusive emotes too.
What happens if your Amazon Prime membership expires
Your Twitch account stays linked to your Amazon account, but you lose access to Prime benefits on Twitch. If you had an active Prime subscription on a channel, it will end. You will no longer be able to claim the free monthly subscription or access Prime-only games.
If you renew your Amazon Prime membership later, your benefits come back automatically — you do not need to re-link anything. Twitch checks your Prime status every time you try to use a Prime benefit, so as soon as your membership is active again, everything works.
Troubleshooting: Your accounts are linked but benefits are not showing
If you linked your accounts but do not see the Prime subscription option on Twitch channels, the most common reason is that your Amazon account does not actually have an active Prime membership. Check your Amazon account directly to confirm Prime is active. A free trial counts — you do not need to have paid for it.
If Prime is definitely active on your Amazon account, try unlinking and relinking. Go back to Settings > Connections on Twitch, find Amazon Prime, and click Disconnect. Wait a few seconds, then click Connect again and sign in with your Amazon credentials. Sometimes the connection gets stuck and needs to be refreshed.
If you are still not seeing Prime benefits after relinking, clear your browser cache and cookies, then try again. Twitch sometimes caches old information about your account. You can also try a different browser to rule out a browser-specific issue.
The difference between Prime Gaming and Prime Video on Twitch
Prime Gaming is the Twitch benefit that comes with Amazon Prime — it includes the free monthly subscription, free games, and exclusive emotes. Prime Video is Amazon's streaming service for movies and TV shows, which is separate. Some Twitch streamers are also available on Prime Video, but that is a different product and not part of the Twitch Prime benefit.
You do not need Prime Video to use Twitch Prime benefits. You only need an Amazon Prime membership, which includes free shipping, Prime Video access, and other Amazon benefits. Twitch Prime is just one piece of that larger membership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my Prime subscription on multiple Twitch channels at once?
No. You get one free Prime subscription per month, and it can only be active on one channel at a time. If you subscribe to a different channel, your subscription to the previous channel ends. You can resubscribe to the old channel next month if you want.
Do I have to use my free Prime subscription every month or do I lose it?
You do not have to use it. If you do not claim a free subscription in a given month, the benefit does not roll over — you get a fresh one the next month. There is no penalty for not using it.
What if I have an Amazon Prime Student membership?
Prime Student includes all the same Twitch Prime benefits as regular Prime. Link your account the same way, and everything works identically. The free monthly subscription, games, and emotes are all available to you.
Can someone else use my Prime subscription on Twitch if I share my account?
Technically yes, but it violates Twitch's terms of service. Your Twitch account is for you alone. If someone else uses your account, you are both breaking the rules, and Twitch can suspend or ban both accounts.
Do I need to link my accounts again if I change my Twitch password?
No. Changing your Twitch password does not affect the link to your Amazon account. The connection stays active until you manually disconnect it or your Amazon Prime membership ends.