Compared to other streaming services, Netflix has one of the largest publicities with 221.6 million subscribers worldwide in 2022. The company was founded in 1997 when it started selling DVDs. In contrast with Netflix, HBO Max is a relatively new company that was launched in May 2020. Although it has only been in the market for roughly two years, HBO Max has become one of the biggest rivals against Netflix with its massive range of television hits. Even though HBO Max updates their service more frequently than Netflix, HBO Max cannot compete with Netflix originals, their pricing options or wide variety of genres.  

One of the main reasons people choose Netflix over many other streaming services is that Netflix has numerous original shows. Netflix began the phase of original content as it launched its first ever Netflix original “Lilyhammer” in 2012. Since then, the platform grew immensely by continuing the production of original films, series and documentaries. Familiar tv shows such as “House of Cards”, “Stranger Things”, “Money Heist”, “Squid Game”, “Never Have I Ever” and “Lucifer” are all only available on Netflix.

In addition to its exclusive shows, Netflix also offers more pricing options. While its competing platform HBO Max provides two options: ads and ad-free. Netflix offers three ad-free plans that vary in the number of screens and video quality. Both of the options on HBO Max come with three screens, while the options on Netflix have one, two and four screens depending on the price. Viewers that do not have a large family typically do not need up to three screens playing at the same time, so HBO Max can be more than what you need.

On top of everything, Netflix has a wider collection of content with 2,142 tv shows and 4,091 movies,  as of 2022. In comparison, HBO Max only has 787 tv shows and 2,586 movies. Moreover, Netflix contains the most high-quality movies that are rated 8.0 or higher on IMDb. If you don’t know what you are going to watch and just want to scroll through a page, you are likely to find more content that you like on Netflix than on HBO Max.

Compared to Netflix though, HBO Max has more recent shows. HBO Max was launched in 2020, so it has newer shows that are on demand today, including “Euphoria”, “The Flight Attendant”, “House of Dragon” and “Hacks”. In addition, as a network owned by an entertainment company Warner Bros, it has the most high-quality shows rated above 7.5 on IMDb. Regardless, Netflix offers its distinctive feature that HBO Max does not have. Unlike HBO Max, which releases each episode every week, Netflix usually releases all episodes at once, allowing viewers to binge. Binge-watching is one of many people’s favorite parts of watching tv shows since it increases the viewer’s interest and allows them to understand the plot easier. If you are looking for shows to binge-watch on a Friday night without waiting for weeks to finish a series, choose Netflix over HBO Max.

Both Netflix and HBO Max are among the biggest streaming services with their own pros and cons. The choice really depends on one’s personal preference, but Netflix is the most familiar platform to the general public since it has lasted for over 25 years. Even though HBO Max has gained popularity recently against other streaming platforms, Netflix still holds the title of the leader of all streaming platforms with the most subscribers. If you want to watch more original shows or explore what movies there are that you might enjoy binge-watching, Netflix is your choice.