Max vs. Netflix: Which One Deserves Your Streaming Dollars?

These two streaming giants offer some of the best entertainment you can find. But which is the best for your buck? Let’s compare.

Price

Max is $9.99/month with ads, $15.99/month ad-free, and $19.99/month if you want 4K.

Netflix is $6.99/month with ads or $15.49/month to go ad-free, and $22.99/month for the 4K option.

Movies

We can make a case that Max has the best movie library of any streaming service since the Warner Bros. archive goes back 100 years and includes some of the biggest blockbusters ever created. Subscribers will see hits like “Barbie,” “Dune,” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Max often hosts the big-screen adventures of DC Comics superheroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

The Max lineup also includes dozens of critically acclaimed movies, like those from the Criterion Collection, Roger Ebert’s Great Movies, and the British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound Critics’ Poll. Max is often the host for films from cinematic titans like Kubrick, Fellini, Truffaut, Miyazaki, and Kurosawa. A deal with distributor A24 ensures critical favorites will continue on the service for a long time.

Netflix only started creating its own films a few years ago, so the library isn’t especially deep or valuable. You’re most likely to enjoy films Netflix has licensed from other studios. As of this writing, popular titles include “Dune,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse,” “John Wick,” “Jurassic Park,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Whiplash,” “Elvis,” and “School of Rock.” The movie library shifts every month, but there’s almost always something great to watch.

TV

Almost no streaming service can match the quality of the Max TV library. You’ll see all-time greats like “The Sopranos,” “The Wire,” “The Last of Us,” “Game of Thrones,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Sex and the City,” and “Deadwood.” Subscribers can watch popular TV like “Friends,” “South Park,” and “The Big Bang Theory.”

Netflix offers many of the most popular TV series in recent years. Subscribers can see “Beef,” “Black Mirror,” “Bridgerton,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “Money Heist,” “The Crown,” “I Think You Should Leave,” and “Stranger Things.” You’ll also see titles that originated outside of Netflix, like “Breaking Bad,” “Suits,” “Seinfeld,” “Arrested Development,” “Shameless,” “Outlander,” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Sports

With the B/R Sports section, Max users can see events from NBA, MLB, NHL, and March Madness games, along with matches from the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team and U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.

Netflix doesn’t carry any major sports leagues, though it offers many sports documentaries. It will be the home of WWE Raw in 2025.

Bottom Line

These are two of the best streaming services available, so the choice is really difficult. The quality of the Max library probably gives it the edge, but Max is very, very slow to add new movies and shows. Within a few months, you may find the Max library growing stale.

Netflix cranks out new shows faster than any other streamer, so if you’re looking for variety and novelty, that may be the better bet. Importantly, Netflix is a far better option if you have children. It has lots of great entertainment for kids.

If we were on a deserted island with one streamer, Max’s strengths are just too good to ignore. It would be our choice.

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