HBO Now vs. HBO Max: What's The Difference?

Making sense of the different HBOs

by
Sam Costello
Sam Costello
Writer
Sam Costello has been writing about tech since 2000. His writing has appeared in publications such as CNN.com, PC World, InfoWord, and many others.
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Sam Costello
Updated on March 27, 2021
reviewed by
Ryan Perian headshot
Ryan Perian
Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
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Article reviewed on Jan 13, 2021
Ryan Perian

HBO Max may be the latest arrival in the streaming TV world from HBO, but it's not the only option the company offers. There's also HBO Now. Confused about the difference between HBO Now and HBO Max? Here's what you need to know about each streaming service.

Curious about how HBO Max differs from HBO Go rather than Now? We've got you covered in HBO Max vs. HBO Go: What's The Difference?

HBO Max and HBO Now logos
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Overall Findings: HBO Max vs. HBO Now

HBO Max

  • Huge library of content from HBO, DC Comics, TCM, Sesame Workshop, and more.

  • HBO's streaming service of the future.

  • Included free for HBO cable subscribers.

HBO Now

  • Offers the classic, core HBO series like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, The Wire, and more.

  • No longer taking new subscribers.

  • May eventually go away.

HBO Max and HBO Now are available for cord-cutters and those who only want to stream their TV and movies.

If you're a current HBO Now subscriber, you can keep using that service—for now (more on that later in the article). If you're a new subscriber, HBO Max is the only thing you can sign up for.

And that's not a bad thing! HBO Max has a huge library of content, including everything offered by HBO Now. The only drawback is that HBO Max doesn't yet work on some of the streaming devices support by HBO Now (more on that in the compatibility section).

Content: HBO Max Maxes out HBO Now

HBO Max

  • Biggest content library.

  • Includes HBO Max original shows and movies.

  • Great kids programming from Sesame Workshop, Studio Ghibli, and Looney Tunes.

  • Huge movie selection.

HBO Now

  • Offers core, classic HBO series.

  • Includes children's programming from Sesame Workshop.

  • Only offers movies available through HBO.

There's no question that HBO Max has the largest selection of movies and TV. HBO Max delivers all of the movies, and TV shows that HBO Now has, but it also adds a huge selection of content from other sources. In addition to the core HBO offerings, Max brings DC Universe movies and TV shows, programming from Sesame Workshop and Studio Ghibli, movies from Turner Classic Movies (TCM), a growing suite of HBO Max original movies and TV, and much more.

Cost & Availability: Same Price

HBO Max

  • US$14.99/month.

  • Available on a large number of platforms.

  • HBO Max is the future of HBO streaming.

HBO Now

  • $14.99/month.

  • Available on a large number of platforms.

  • No longer accepting new subscribers.

Believe it or not, but HBO Max and HBO Now are the same price: US$14.99/month. That's because Max is replacing Now, and HBO wants to transition customers from one service to the other smoothly. It's easy to do that when the price is the same.

HBO Now is no longer accepting new subscribers. Current users can maintain their accounts—for now—but if you're not an HBO subscriber yet, Max is your only option.

Compatibility: HBO Now Can Be Used on More Platforms

HBO Max

  • Works on iOS, iPad, Apple TV, and Android.

  • Works on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.


    Works on computers and Chromebooks.


HBO Now

  • Works on iOS, iPad, Apple TV, and Android.

  • Works on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

  • Works on computers and Chromebooks.

HBO Max and HBO Now work on the same devices, including Roku and Amazon Fire TV, which combine to make up a huge percentage of the streaming device market.

Here are the platforms that HBO Max and HBO Now work on:

  HBO Max HBO Now
iPhone iOS 12.2 and up discontinued 
iPad iPadOS 13 and up discontinued
Android Android OS 5 and up discontinued
Windows Windows 7 and up Windows 7 and up
macOS macOS 10.10 Yosemite and up macOS 10.10 Yosemite and up
Chromebook yes yes
Apple TV 4th gen. and newer 4th gen. and newer
Roku Roku OS 9.3 and later 3rd gen. and newer
Amazon Fire TV Fire OS 5.3.6 or later yes
Playstation 4 & 5 yes yes
Xbox One & Series X\S yes yes
Samsung Smart TVs yes (list of compatible TVs) no

For the Future: HBO Max Is the Future

HBO Max

  • HBO Max is the future of HBO's streaming services.

  • HBO Now is likely to be retired at some point.

HBO Now

  • HBO Now still exists, for now—but for how long?

As shown in the compatibility chart in the last section, HBO Now is discontinued on some of the world's most widely used platforms (iOS and Android). That's because HBO has converted the HBO Now app to HBO Max on those platforms.

HBO's long-term future is HBO Max.

Final Verdict: HBO Max Should Be Your Choice

Compared to HBO Now, HBO Max is the same price, has much more content, and is available on the same platforms, so it's the way to go.

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