Stranger Things Season 5’s finale delivered monstrous battles and emotional farewells, leaving Hawkins’ future open-ended as it finished off a decade's worth of supernatural horror, 80s nostalgia, and character development that touched hearts. However, the final episode stirred up mixed ratings and drew harsh comparisons with IT: Welcome To Derry Season finale.

Some viewers applauded The Rightside Up's emotional moments, while others complained about the pacing and plot issues. What came as a rather unpleasant surprise for Netflix was The Black Spot beating the most-awaited Netflix event in 2025.

Curious about how high IT: Welcome To Derry soared above Stranger Things Season 5’s finale?

The fifth and last episode of Stranger Things touched hearts but failed to earn critical praise. When the esteemed occasion of bidding adieu to Netflix's crown jewel came on December 31, 2025, fans dared to enter Hawkins for a showdown one last time. And a fairly respectable IMDb rating of 8.0/10 followed, but it was Pennywise who had the last laugh.

IT: Welcome to Derry, HBO's prequel to Stephen King's IT, has been winning the IMDb episode rankings with its finale dominating the IMDb episode rankings. According to many reports, the last episode was rated by users with around 9.3/10 scores. Although official IMDb numbers for each episode change a bit due to continuous rating updates, that high score already clearly outshines the final rating of Stranger Things.

According to Warner Bros. Discovery, Welcome to Derry has gained over 20 million views worldwide, becoming one of the Top 3 originals debuts on HBO Max, only trailing The Last of Us and House of the Dragon. The last episode of its season vanquished the Stranger Things finale, gaining over 6.5 million viewers in its first three days in the US alone.

Having originally premiered on October 26, 2025, with its satisfactory finale winning hearts on December 14, 2025, Pennywise's saga not only outshone the Hawkins heroes but also retained its top ratings weeks after Netflix dropped the conclusion to Stranger Things. Social media pointed out that the Derry finale was more consistent with deep characterization and great worldbuilding, while several complained about the Stranger Things finale's choppy pacing and plot issues. 

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Ratings do matter, but skip them for now and dive into the Stranger Things vs Welcome to Derry battle now streaming and ready to challenge every expectation.

With a simultaneous theatrical release, The Rightside Up, the final episode of Stranger Things, which is also streaming on Netflix, welcomed the ultimate showdown against Vecna and several fates of characters like open wounds. Though it earned praise for emotional elements, the episode left viewers parched with several unanswered questions.

Stranger Things 5 boasts an 85 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, which is the lowest of the series. Meanwhile, IT: Welcome to Derry, currently streaming on Max, on the other hand, debuted with a 77 to 82 percent rating, with viewers criticizing its overuse of CGI.

While Stranger Things Season 5 ends the long fight of the Hawkins team against Vecna and the Upside Down, offering high-stakes action, IT: Welcome to Derry wraps up the first season's exploration of the eerie origins of Pennywise and the darkest secrets of Derry. 

The HBO hit's impressive ratings have already led to discussions about a second season, while the upending of the Upside Down leaves a bittersweet farewell to its iconic ten-year-old journey. However, speculation concerning spin-offs and the future of the Stranger Things universe still keeps the fandom alive.

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Which finale did you like better? Let us know in the comments.