Best Streaming Video · head-to-head

HBO Max vs Netflix

A sourced, side-by-side comparison for streaming video. Netflix has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the public page it was captured from — the vendor's own wherever the vendor publishes the number, otherwise the named public source — with the date we captured it.

Netflix has the lower entry price — HBO Max starts at $10.99/mo, Netflix at $8.99/mo. Free tier: HBO Max No, Netflix No. HIPAA: HBO Max —, Netflix —.

As of 2026-09-05 · figures link to their source below

Side by side

HBO Max

$10.99/mo entry
Entry price$10.99/mo (Basic with Ads)
Free tierNo
HIPAA (BAA)
SOC 2
GDPR
Best forPremium prestige TV viewers (HBO originals, The Wire, Succession, etc.)

Netflix

$8.99/mo entry
Entry price$8.99/mo (Standard with Ads)
Free tierNo
HIPAA (BAA)
SOC 2
GDPR
Best forLargest original content library

Sources — HBO Max: hbomax.com (verified 2026-09-05) · Netflix: help.netflix.com (verified 2026-09-05)

Key features

HBO Max: 4K Ultra HD + Dolby Atmos (Premium only); 35,000+ hours of content including HBO originals, Warner Bros. films, DC Universe, Discovery content; 300+ live sports games — NHL, MLB, NBA, U.S. Soccer, March Madness (Standard and Premium); Offline downloads (30 titles on Standard; 100 titles on Premium); Parental controls; Content from HBO, Max Originals, Warner Bros., DC, Discovery, CNN, TNT, TBS

Netflix: 4K Ultra HD + HDR + Dolby Vision (Premium only); Spatial audio on 700+ titles (Premium only); Netflix Games — 100+ ad-free mobile games included at no extra cost; Smart Downloads — auto-deletes watched episodes, queues next; Offline downloads on Standard and Premium tiers; Parental controls with PIN protection and content maturity ratings; Up to 5 user profiles per account

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