Max (HBO Max streaming)
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you specifically want HBO and Warner Bros. originals and can live with the ~$10.99 ad-supported entry tier.
New check
Comparison
Max (HBO Max streaming) vs Netflix
Max (HBO Max streaming) and Netflix both land on Depends.
Netflix
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy for your household if you want originals like 'Squid Game' and can live with the $6.99 ad tier; skip if you only watch titles on rival services.
| Compare | Max (HBO Max streaming) | Netflix |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | HBO originals fans | Binge-watchers of Netflix originals |
| Who it's not for | Price-sensitive viewers . ad-free prices rose again in June 2024 | Anyone evaluating business software . this is consumer TV, full stop |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.² | Mature platform with a public security page, but hit by a 2024 leak of unaired episodes and ongoing credential-phishing campaigns targeting its 275M+ users.14 |
| Support quality | No support-quality evidence found | No support evidence in sources |
| Public sentiment | Dedicated Reddit community exists at r/HBOMAX, but sources contain little detailed sentiment specific to the current Max service.⁶ | Public sources reviewed are mostly listings and news; substantive verbatim user sentiment was too thin to quote. |
| Biggest gotcha | Monthly ad-free subscriptions were hit by a price increase in June 2024³ | The $6.99 plan includes ads; paying more is the only way to remove them |
Pick Max (HBO Max streaming) when
- HBO originals fans
- Warner Bros. movie watchers
- Ad-tolerant budget streamers
- Cricket Wireless bundlers
When Max (HBO Max streaming) is not a fit
- Price-sensitive viewers . ad-free prices rose again in June 2024
- Anyone expecting a free tier; there isn't one
- Ad-averse buyers on a budget . the cheap tier runs ads
- Buyers hunting B2B software . max.com is consumer streaming, full stop
Pick Netflix when
- Binge-watchers of Netflix originals
- Budget households okay with ads
- Multi-device, multi-person homes
- Gift-givers (prepaid cards)
When Netflix is not a fit
- Anyone evaluating business software . this is consumer TV, full stop
- Ad-averse viewers wanting the cheapest plan ad-free
- Viewers whose favorites live on Disney+, Hulu, or Tubi
Sources
- HBO Max plans and priceshelp.hbomax.comofficial
- Max product security pagemax.comofficial
news
- How Much Does HBO Max Cost?nerdwallet.comnews
review
- r/HBOMAX communityreddit.comreview
- HBO Max with Cricket Wirelesscricketwireless.comofficial
- HBO Max Philippines pricinghbomax.comofficial
- Netflix official sitenetflix.comofficial
- Netflix $6.99 ad-supported plan announcementfacebook.comofficial
- Netflix Plans and Pricing Help Centerhelp.netflix.comofficial
news
- Hacker leaks upcoming episodes of Netflix showsbitdefender.comsecurity
security
- 275 million Netflix users targetedglobalsecuritymag.frsecurity