While the overall figure offering of Maul was seemingly overpriced for what it included, Sideshow definitely gave him a very good effort for their second go at this character, which is interesting given how their Jedi Luke does not share such a step up from the prior figure and the gap between those releases.
It seems like Maul is a character that is easy to do very well if you give the effort, so we find ourselves in a spot where overall quality and appearances between a Sideshow release and a Hot Toys aren’t high, and the difference comes more in accessories and features and coming down to preferences. I’d say portraits are about equal between them with maybe slight edge to HT for their eyes being more accurate, but the overall heads are about equal so it’s a matter of which tattoo style and facial expression you prefer, Sideshow offers one take mixed with a more neutral, intense gaze portrait where HT gives a different take mixed with a more angry expression to his face. Given the ability to have either or, I’d pick Sideshow not as looking better but as being my preferred look. It’s almost like having the 3 Hasbro 12” Maul’s using almost all the same pieced with just slight head differences, but same clothes, etc, picking one isn’t about one being better made, it just suits your taste more.
It’s always about personal taste in preference, but open minds can also concede when something is better produced even if it’s not your liking.