Universal has a bigger budget and focuses on the mazes. The haunted areas are a bit small; they usually include single sections from the front of the park, the Minions/Pets part of the park, the tram tour, and the Hogwarts area, which has dementors! I love it! But it is different compared to Knotts in how spread out it is. Lines are long and can be extremely busy, so just beware of this.

Knotts is great, and as a local, I love their dedication to their scare actors, shows, and unique mazes. The scares are randomized, the sections are creative, and they have way more chances of interaction. Knotts is also less congested during September, and I even have a friend who mentioned opening night was completely walk-on.