Here's Why Walmart Deals are Better Than Amazon Prime Day

With sales for Walmart Deals and Amazon Prime Day running comparable on price, one factor separates them.

There's a deal showdown about to take place.

In one corner is Amazon Prime Day. Amazon will run four days of sales, starting on July 8 and running through July 11. In the other corner is Walmart Deals. This event also starts on July 8 but, unlike Amazon, it will go through July 13, giving shoppers two extra days of deals.

While deals are usually comparable on similar items, there are other areas to watch when it comes to these sales events. As someone who writes about deals, I examined them for you and believe Walmart's better. Here's why Walmart Deals offer you a better value overall.

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Amazon Prime Day requires a membership

The main reason I prefer Walmart Deals over Amazon Prime Day is that as its name suggests, Amazon Prime Day requires you to have an Amazon Prime membership.

A membership runs you $14.99 per month or $139.99 annually. That can be a great deal if you plan to shop there regularly or use some of the other perks like Prime Video or Amazon Music Prime.

Amazon Prime
Try Amazon Prime free for 30 days

Amazon Prime

New subscribers receive Amazon Prime free for 30 days. You'll need Amazon Prime for Prime Day.

That said, if you don't plan to use Amazon Prime much, it doesn't make sense to pay for a membership just to access a few days' worth of deals. Fortunately, there's an alternative that doesn't require a subscription: Walmart Deals.

One caveat: If you're new to Amazon, you can receive a 30-day free trial, and college students receive up to six months free.

Shop Walmart Deals without a membership

Unlike Amazon Prime Day, you won't need a membership to shop during Walmart Deals. The event opens to all shoppers at midnight ET on July 8. On its own, that will save you $15 compared to a monthly Amazon Prime membership.

That said, there is a perk to being a Walmart Plus member. Walmart will open sales to its Walmart Plus members one day earlier, on July 7. If you're new to the subscription, you can try it free for 30 days, making now a perfect time to try it out and get early access to Walmart Deals.

Walmart Plus
Try Walmart Plus free for 30 days

Walmart Plus

You can try Walmart Plus free for 30 days. It will give you early access to Walmart Deals on July 7.

Alternatively, you can bypass the free trial and score a great deal on an annual membership. Through July 7, new members save up to 50% on an annual Walmart Plus subscription. The deal brings the total cost down from $98 to $49 per year, which is far less expensive than the $139 Amazon charges annually.

Because of that promotion, if you decide to sign up for one of these memberships, Walmart Plus currently offers much better value and earlier shopping access for deals than Amazon Prime.

You'll also receive the following perks:

  • Free shipping and returns on many items
  • Free same-day grocery and pharmacy delivery (where applicable)
  • Free online petcare through Pawp
  • Save up to $0.10 per gallon of gas
  • A 25% digital discount on Burger King orders every day
  • A free Paramount Plus with Essentials Plan

The bottom line on Walmart Deals vs Amazon Prime Day

As you can see, Walmart offers easier access to their deals event, with no hoops to jump through. And if you want a membership, Walmart offers you many of the same perks as Amazon, at a much better price and with earlier shopping access for deals.

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Sean Jackson
Personal finance eCommerce writer

Sean is a veteran personal finance writer, with over 10 years of experience. He's written finance guides on insurance, savings, travel and more for CNET, Bankrate and GOBankingRates.