HBO Max vs. HBO Go: What s The Difference

From the cost perspective, the two services are similar. HBO Max is $14.99 per month (plus tax), where HBO can range in price depending on your video service provider. It’s likely that HBO on its own will be as much, or perhaps slightly more, than Max. But you may be able to get HBO for cheaper than HBO Max if your service provider has bundles of premium packages available.

HBO Go Vs. Netflix

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Before we go into the comparisons between HBO Go and Netflix, let us first understand what they both are. There can be some confusion regarding HBO GO because of the existence of HBO Now and the soon-to-be-launched HBO Max – those are three streaming options under HBO.

HBO Go is only available to users with a subscription to HBO cable TV. Launched in 2010, it was created as a streaming service that came as an additional feature for users who already had existing cable accounts and wanted additional channels unavailable on cable.

Netflix is also a streaming service with access to television shows, movies, and documentaries through a monthly subscription fee. To view this content, you can use countless devices with internet connectivity anywhere and at any time.

HBO Go and Netflix offer the same service, so deciding which one to subscribe to depends entirely on your personal preferences. Let’s look at HBO Go versus Netflix to help you decide between the two or subscribe to both.

Pricing and packages

HBO Go is free for users with a cable subscription to HBO. And depending on the cable package you’re subscribed to, your monthly bill can fall between $5-20. To get the streaming package added to your cable subscription, call your cable company and make a request. They will then check everything to ensure you are subscribed before enrolling you. It’s as simple as that.

Netflix offers a thirty-day free trial period for new users, giving them enough time to decide whether to leave or subscribe. As an interested party, once you log onto the app, you give out your credit card details, and if one-month rolls by without you canceling the subscription, a payment for the second month will be deducted from your card.

Netflix offers three packages for all users. There is the basic, the standard, and the premium, with the latter costing the most at $19.99 per month. The premium package offers some content in 4K quality and can allow as many as four users to share one account, meaning that all users can use it simultaneously.

HBO Go doesn’t have such packages for its users; its only package provides you with all the features. However, unlike Netflix, it offers live streaming of most of its shows. When a new episode of Westworld premiers on their cable package, you can stream it immediately to your device. An exception to this privilege is their live productions. Live shows only become available for streaming within a day of airing. In its singular package, HBO Go allows three users to use the subscription simultaneously, along with high-definition video quality for most of their shows and movies.

Content

The second important point in your decision-making is the content available on each platform. Netflix and HBO Go produce original content that cannot be found anywhere else. A show like Game of Thrones for HBO was a huge market pull during the show’s peak. Netflix also had original shows like Orange Is the New Black and plenty of movies and documentaries.

But of these two, only Netflix sources content from other distributors to offer more to its subscribers. The availability of outsourced content is a big attraction since it allows them to get classics. With more than four thousand titles to choose from, including classic and trending shows, with some available in 4K resolution, a Netflix user has a higher quality experience.

Content on HBO Go is only available in 1080p, assuming the internet connectivity is strong enough. Additionally, both platforms will allow you to download content to watch later. These downloads can only happen on the streaming service.

Devices to watch on

Both streaming services are available on most devices; even where they are not, there is always a solution. For example, if you don’t have a smart TV, you can easily use a Chromecast to convert your non-smart TV into a smart TV.

Nevertheless, these are some of the devices you can use to enjoy the two streaming services: Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Android, and iOS smartphones, PS4, Android TV, Chromecast, and Apple TV. Generally, the most recommended device for both Netflix and HBO Go is Apple TV.

Which is better?

With Netflix’s free 30-day trial, it is the perfect opportunity to sit, watch and decide whether it’s the streaming service for you. The best way to decide on either of them is to use them and then stop paying a subscription to the one that doesn’t suit your taste.

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HBO Max vs. HBO Go: What’s The Difference?

Aaron Peters is a writer with Lifewire who has 20+ years experience troubleshooting and writing about consumer and business technology. His work appears in Linux Journal, MakeUseOf, and others.

Updated on January 27, 2021
Reviewed by

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years’ experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.

Overall Findings

HBO Max Overall Findings

Includes exclusive content
Available to both video service subscribers and streamers
Still absent on some key streaming platforms

HBO Go Overall Findings

Previously included with traditional cable channels
Now only available where HBO Max is not
Contains HBO content, but not other properties

The above findings, as well as those in the below sections, are largely hypothetical. In practice, if you’re new to HBO streaming services, you’ll almost certainly need to go with HBO Max (but, as shown in the Final Verdict below, this isn’t a bad thing). HBO Go was discontinued as a standalone service in July 2020, instead re-branded to simply “HBO.” The only way you can use the HBO app (previously HBO Go) now is if you were an existing customer, and/or you’re using a device or service provider that doesn’t support HBO Max yet.

That said, HBO has really done their work in loading up Max with all their best stuff. There are reasons to consider it even if you do have the premium channel through your service provider. With a selection of content from other Warner properties (notably Turner-related channels such as Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies) in addition to all the great stuff from HBO, you should only use “vanilla” HBO if you have to.

Content: Max Has, Well, the Max

Includes HBO Movies & Series
Exclusive Warner Brothers content (e.g. DC Comics)
Expansive access to other content such as Sesame Street and Crunchyroll

Includes HBO Movies & Series
Mirrors what’s available on traditional cable
Non-HBO “channels” such as Cartoon Network missing

The primary difference between HBO (Go) and Max is the latter’s exclusive content. Both services will give you a great selection of movies, original scripted series, and documentaries. But Max also includes a number of “channels” including the following:

DC Comics, including both live movies, original shows, and animated features
Sesame Workshop
Turner Classic Movies
Anime from Studio Ghibli and Crunchyroll
Cartoon Network programming, including Adult Swim
Turner Classic Movies

On top of all this, there are also a growing number of titles branded as “Max Originals,” suggesting that the divide in content between Max and its sibling is only going to grow over time.

Cost and Availability: While Max is Still Missing in Places, Go Will Eventually Go

Available to anyone
Many service providers offer it directly
Some service providers don’t enable access

Available on platforms/through service providers not supporting Max
Possibly cheaper than Max depending on cable provider bundles
Can be more expensive than Max without a discounted bundle

From the cost perspective, the two services are similar. HBO Max is $14.99 per month (plus tax), where HBO can range in price depending on your video service provider. It’s likely that HBO on its own will be as much, or perhaps slightly more, than Max. But you may be able to get HBO for cheaper than HBO Max if your service provider has bundles of premium packages available.

Some service providers (such as Xfinity and DirecTV) are now offering Max directly to their customers. This means all the Max content is available through your set-top box, and that you can log into Max on a different device using your service provider account. If your provider is one that is not yet on-board with HBO Max you can still subscribe to it, but you’ll have to manage the two separately (e.g. viewing HBO Max to one of your screens via Chromecast instead of using a set-top box).

Compatibility: Both Are On Most Platforms, But HBO Will Fade

Available on most major streaming platforms
Not compatible with some key streaming devices
In some cases, HBO Go accounts are “upgraded” to Max

Compatible with most major streaming platforms
But only available where Max is not yet
In some cases, HBO Go accounts are “upgraded” to Max

Now that HBO’s prior (and admittedly confusing) streaming services are being folded into HBO Max, it’s no surprise that it’s available on most of the important platforms, including:

Desktop OSes via the web (Windows and macOS are officially supported)
Android devices, including Android TV (running version 5 and above)
iOS devices (iOS 12.2+)
Apple TVs 4th generation and later
Chromebooks and Chromecast devices
Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles
Samsung TVs released after 2016

Notably absent from this list is Roku devices. Roku and HBO have been in a well-publicized disagreement over who can sell HBO Max subscriptions, and as a result the HBO Max app isn’t available on any Roku devices. While the two may iron out their differences in time, if you’re an all-Roku household (as I am), you’ll be relegated to the older HBO Go-based app on those devices.

Final Verdict: Unless You Have a Great Reason, Go With Max

As mentioned above, as of late July HBO Max is the only game in town. But even if HBO Go was still around, there would have been few reasons to use it over Max. With an expanded catalog including exclusive content and the ability to use it in conjunction with your cable TV’s HBO premium channel service, HBO Max is the way to go for most people. The only drawback is if some or all of your streaming devices don’t yet have access to the new Max app. But otherwise, go for HBO Max, confident you’re getting the best the service has to offer.

HBO Go and HBO Now are going away – the names are, anyway

If you can’t wrap your head around the differences between HBO, HBO Go, HBO Now and HBO Max, don’t worry, the company is simplifying its service names next month.

First, HBO Go will be dissolved on July 31. Subscribers who have HBO Go through their cable provider will be asked to sign into HBO Max before then, which really makes sense as most HBO subscribers get the newest streaming service for free.

Second, HBO Now will soon just be called HBO. It will still have all the same movies and shows you’d expect from the HBO Now app, but won’t feature the original content the company is making HBO Max.

“Implementing these changes allows us to further strengthen HBO Max as the primary platform for accessing not only the robust offering of HBO but also a vast WarnerMedia library of acquired content and originals, while also simplifying our consumer offering in the market,” HBO said in an email to Engadget (opens in new tab) .

Long story short: if you currently pay for either service, you’re still going to get that service – it will just either have a different name or include even more content.

Remind me, what’s HBO Max?

HBO Max is the media company’s biggest and best streaming service. It includes all the movies and shows that are on HBO, plus original content from other Warner-owned companies like DC Comics and Sesame Street, as well as licensed content like the Studio Ghibli films. It’s pretty comprehensive.

On top of what’s there right now, HBO will be producing original content for the subscription service that might include the Game of Thrones prequel.

In terms of price, it’s the exact same cost as HBO Now – $14.99 (around £11, AU$22) per month. Basically if you’re not paying for HBO through your cable subscription and you want to watch HBO shows, this is the service for you.

So how is the service? Check out our HBO Max review to hear our thoughts!