Now, however, the rich are getting richer.HBO Max, launching June 03, 2025, will offer yet another content streaming option, and one that is far more extensive than the largely similar HBO Go and HBO Now. Rather than a sibling to the two previous services, HBO Max is more like the family’s favorite youngest cousin.
To help you figure out which service is right for you, or if you’d like to get both, we’re breaking down the similarities and differences between HBO Go and HBO Max.
HBO Go is free with an HBO subscription, but that’s the only way to access it. As such, the easiest way to get HBO Go is to have a cable or satellite subscription. The monthly rate for HBO Go, then, varies between providers and plans. Some providers offer HBO subscriptions for as little as $5 a month, some charge as much as $20, and some offer introductory plans that include HBO for free for a certain amount of time.
There is, however, a cord-cutters option. Some providers offerHBO accessto internet-only customers, allowing them to access HBO content online. You can also add HBO subscriptions to some streaming services likeAmazon Prime Video,PlayStation Vue, andHulu.AT&T TV Nowsubscriptions also include HBO and HBO Go access at no extra charge. Additionally,many collegesoffer HBO Go for free to students.
Given that HBO alone often costs about $15 a month through cable providers, the $15 price tag for HBO Max’s considerably larger library certainly seems warranted.
HBO Go hosts every film, comedy special, and television series that HBO offers, and most new content is available at the same time as its original broadcast. That means classics likeThe Wire,The Sopranos,Oz, andBoardwalk Empire,as well as newer favorites likeWestworld, Game of Thrones, The Deuce,andThe Plot Against America,are all available via HBO Go.
HBO Max has all that, plus much, much more.
At launch, HBO Max will include 10,000 hours of content. The service draws from WarnerMedia’s deep content library, which includes Warner Bros.’ 100 years’ worth of filmmaking, as well as content from New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes, TCM, and more.
Some of the most high-profile TV shows available at launch includeFriends,The Big Bang Theory,Rick and Morty,The Boondocks,The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, and many more popular shows. Within the first year, the platform expects to add the complete libraries ofSouth Park,Gossip Girl,The West Wing, and more classic shows. It will also serve as the exclusive online home for all 11 seasons of the modernDoctor Whoseries, as well as all future seasons of the show after they’ve debuted on BBC America.
All that, and we haven’t even gotten to original content yet. HBO Max will also offer an extensive slate of Max Originals, with fresh titles released every month.
On day one, the slate of Max Originals that will be available to viewers includes Anna Kendrick’s romantic comedy,Love Life; Sundance 2020 Official Selection feature documentaryOn the Record; underground ballroom dance competition seriesLegendary; Craftopia, hosted by YouTube star LaurDIY; newLooney Tunes Cartoons; and Sesame Workshops’The Not Too Late Show with Elmo.
Throughout the summer and fall, HBO Max will continue to release new Max Originals, including Kaley Cuoco’sThe Flight Attendant, all-new original episodes of the DC fan-favoriteDoom Patrol, Ridley Scott’s sci-fi seriesRaised by Wolves, and the first of four breakout specials reviving Cartoon Network’s belovedAdventure Timefranchise.
Sometime after launch, HBO Max will also air the highly anticipatedFriendsunscripted cast reunionspecial.
HBO Max has a huge production budget and project deals with creators like J.J. Abrams, Greg Berlanti, and Cary Fukunaga. You can see the full slate of what’s expected in the HBO Max pipelinehere. HBO Go quite simply does not compare to HBO Max in terms of content.
Since 2010, HBO Go has amassed a huge arsenal of compatible devices and browsers. The extensive list includes Amazon Kindle Fire tablets, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Android phones and tablets, Android TV, Apple iPad, Apple iPhone, Apple iPod Touch, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, MacOS, Microsoft Edge, PlayStation 4, Roku, Safari, Samsung Smart TVs, TiVo, Windows 10+, and Xbox One.
So: HBO Go or HBO Max?
Once you’ve chosen your desired platform, peruse our picks for thebest moviesandshows on HBO. If you opt for neither, well, these are thebest movies on Netflix.
