HBO Max vs. Netflix: Which Is Better?

HBO Max is perfect for movie lovers and fans of HBO’s original shows and movies. There are some excellent titles that you just can’t find anywhere else, like Game of Thrones, Last Week Tonight, and Westworld. You can also tap into Discovery’s ambient TV classics like House Hunters and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, perfect for those nights when you just want to turn off your brain or do the dishes with the TV on.

Netflix has a greater overall selection of content with must-see originals of its own, including The Witcher, Orange Is the New Black, Stranger Things, and Black Mirror. The OG streaming service also has a constantly rotating library of films and shows, so you always have something new to watch. The platform also has a lot of foreign films you can’t find anywhere else.

This is a tough comparison because both services offer such great exclusives. If you have to choose, go with HBO Max. It’s a slightly better overall choice simply for the huge on-demand library and wide variety of shows and movies.

HBO Max packages

HBO Max has a few plans to choose from, with basically the same features and a similar price as Netflix’s options. There’s budget-friendly plan with ads, a standard plan for ad-free streaming, and the Ultimate plan that gives you more downloads, more devices to stream from, and access to 4K viewing.

Cable packages that include HBO Max

Some cable packages include HBO at no extra cost. A cable package is a great way to get streaming access to HBO without paying extra monthly fees. Here are some cable packages that include HBO:

• Cox Contour Ultimate
• Spectrum Silver
• Xfinity Digital Premier

Netflix packages

With Netflix, you’ll need to decide whether you want to spring for the Premium subscription—with 4K content and up to four simultaneous streams—or stick with Standard (the most popular subscription). We recommend skipping the Standard with Ads plan entirely because ads are no fun these days. Plus, it allows for streaming on only a single device, which can get frustrating.

TV shows and movies

HBO Max and Netflix both have some outstanding shows and movies that you can’t find anywhere else. How can you choose?

On-demand shows and movies

HBO Max and Netflix are both on-demand services, so that’s where the bulk of the goodies are at. The main difference is that HBO Max does offer a semi-live TV experience, since new episodes are generally available to stream right when they air on the cable channel.

HBO Max

While it isn’t normally considered a livestreaming service, HBO Max allows you to catch new episodes of shows as they air. The only exceptions to this are shows that are filmed live, like Last Week Tonight and Real Time with Bill Maher. These episodes are usually available to stream within 24 hours of when they air live.

Netflix

Netflix doesn’t offer live TV programming—everything is available on-demand. And that’s just fine with us! But depending on what you’re into, that could start to feel boring after a while.

Compatible devices

You can get Netflix and HBO Max on pretty much everything, including popular choices like Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast. Most users won’t have any trouble finding a device for either service.

Best streaming devices

The device you stream on can be just as important as the service itself. That’s because apps and interfaces vary from one platform to another, so Netflix on an Apple TV may look a bit different from Netflix on another device.

For the best all-around experience, we recommend Apple TV. Nearly every streaming service supports it, so you should be covered with all your streaming services. Plus, you get access to the iTunes Store, which is a great alternative for shows and movies that aren’t available to stream. For future-proofing purposes, we’re fans of the Apple TV 4K.

Resolution and quality

HBO Max and Netflix provide up to 4K streaming quality, but you have to spring for the deluxe, $20.99 per month plans to get video that good. With 4K, your picture is about four times sharper than 1080p—that’s 24 times sharper than a DVD. With TVs getting larger every year, 4K can make for a noticeably better picture.

However, 4K also uses up a ton more data, and most people will be perfectly happy with the 1080p video quality available on HBO Max and Netflix’s standard ad-free plans.

Recommended internet speed

Fast internet is vital to a good streaming experience. You’ll get less buffering on your shows, and it can have a major impact on streaming quality as well (like in the case of HBO Max).

HBO Max recommends at least 5 Mbps per user for streaming reliably.

Netflix recommends these minimum speeds:

• 3 Mbps per user for SD
• 5 Mbps per user for HD
• 25 Mbps per user for 4K

Keep in mind that these are minimum speeds for one instance of streaming. So if you and your kids want to watch different shows, make sure you have enough internet speed (and the right Netflix package) to support multiple streams.

Pros and cons

Why choose just one?

HBO Max and Netflix both offer excellent streaming platforms with outstanding original programming, but the content is totally different. This makes choosing just one much harder. For that reason, we recommend grabbing both if you can swing it. That way you won’t miss out on any of the watercooler conversations about who did what on TV.

FAQ about HBO and Netflix