Max Pricing: Cost and Plans Comparison
- HBO, DC, and Studio Ghibli
- Live baseball, basketball, and hockey (select plans)
- Bundles well with Disney+
Streaming plans starting at
$9.99/mo.
Standard
$16.99/mo.
or
$169.99/yr.
- Live HBO channels
- 1080p video
- B/R Sports
- No ads
- 2 streams
Explore Max’s cost and plans
Data as of post date.
Max offers three different plans. Basic with Ads is the cheapest, but still more expensive than most other services’ ad-supported plans. If you want ad-free viewing and access to every live sporting event Max has to offer, you’ll want the Standard plan for $16.99/mo.
Max’s most expensive plan is its Premium plan, which costs $20.99/mo. The main draw of this pricier tier is access to 4K picture quality on select titles, which will only be important if you have a 4K TV. The other main difference between the two ad-free plans is the number of simultaneous streams. Both the Basic and Standard plans only allow two simultaneous streams (a low number compared to competitors), and the Premium plan allows four.
This may make it seem like the Premium tier would be the choice for large families spread across multiple households, but be warned: like Netflix, Max technically doesn’t allow password sharing outside of a single household.
So unless you really care about getting the most out of your 4K TV, the Standard plan will probably be your best option (if you can afford it).
Max customers are remarkably satisfied
As a service, Max is remarkably popular with its customer base. It received an 84% overall satisfaction rating in our 2025 Customer Satisfaction Survey, beating out every other service and tying with Discovery+. It continued to do very well in the rest of the survey, earning the titles of Best User Experience and Most Reliable.
What customers say about Max
“I have always loved HBO since when I was a child and the silver logo grew in the screen until it reached its zenith. They have the best original shows hands down […]”
“Love the movie and program choices they offer. We’ve been HBO fans since The Sopranos.”
See what the CableTV.com editorial staff thinks of Max
Do I agree with Max customers, as an expert in streaming services? Yes and no. Max has an impressive library of prestige content thanks to its HBO roots. That’s why I awarded it the Best of the Best Award for Original Content in 2025. And Max is a great resource for Studio Ghibli fans.
But I also think that Max is too expensive for what it offers. Whether customers realize it or not, it’s been removing key elements of its offerings over the last few years, including a lot of Cartoon Network titles. And after how Max treated Westworld and Batgirl, I’m hesitant to give it too much praise.
[—Olivia Bono, Staff Writer, CableTV.com]
Pros
- Live and on-demand access to most HBO shows
- DC, Studio Ghibli, and Adult Swim
- Bundles with Disney+
Cons
- Expensive
- Poor shareability
- Subpar experience for kids
Looking to try before you buy?
Technically, Max doesn’t offer a free trial on its own. But you can still try Max for free(ish) if you’re a Hulu or Amazon subscriber.
There are lots of ways you can subscribe to Max—you can even save some money by bundling it with Disney+. Check out our Max deals page for current offers.
Max features and user experience
Customers love Max’s user experience, rating it the best in its class in our 2025 Customer Satisfaction Survey. However, we think that it’s lacking in some features, many of which are hidden behind a paywall.
Live HBO
Standard and Premium subscribers have the option of watching HBO shows live through traditional HBO channels, just like in the olden days of television. Ad-supported subscribers can still watch HBO content, but will have to go through the on-demand library like normal.
Live Sports
Standard and Premium subscribers also get access to B/R sports, which airs baseball, basketball, hockey, and more.
Parental Controls
Choose between several maturity levels and passcode-protect profiles with more explicit content.
4K and HD video
Premium subscribers get access to 4K video quality on certain titles.
Shareability
Max lets users create several user profiles, but only offers two simultaneous streams unless you upgrade to Premium. And if you want to use those streams outside of your main household, you’ll have to pay an additional $7.99/mo.
Max cost FAQ
How much does Max cost?
Max costs $9.99–$20.99/mo. or $99.99–$209.99/yr.
Is Max free with Amazon Prime?
No, Max isn’t free with Amazon Prime, but Prime members can get a 7-day Max free trial. This offer is also available to Hulu subscribers.
