HBO Max Cost Per Month — Complete Pricing Guide

HBO Max pricing has a confusing recent history because the service rebranded twice and raised prices multiple times. The most-searched questions are answered plainly below with current figures.

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  How much is HBO Max per month? Basic with Ads: $10.99/month · Standard (no ads): $18.49/month · Premium (4K + 4 streams): $22.99/month · Annual saves 16% on all tiers · Prices current as of October 2025

  HBO Max currently offers three standalone subscription tiers. The Basic with Ads plan at $10.99/month gives you full access to the HBO Max content library with limited advertising during shows — roughly similar to network TV ad frequency. The Standard plan at $18.49/month removes all ads from on-demand content, adds the ability to download up to 30 titles for offline viewing, and includes access to select live sports including certain MLB and NHL games. Both Basic and Standard stream on up to two devices simultaneously in 1080p Full HD. The Premium plan at $22.99/month upgrades to 4K Ultra HD resolution with Dolby Atmos immersive audio, allows up to four simultaneous streams, and includes 100 download slots. All three plans include the full HBO content library — there’s no content held back for higher tiers. The main differences are ads, video quality, download access, stream count, and live sports availability. Paying annually at $109.99, $184.99, or $229.99 respectively saves roughly 16% compared to month-to-month billing across all tiers.
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  What is the HBO Max 6-month deal? HBO Max does not have a permanent publicly listed 6-month plan · Promotional 6-month deals appear periodically (holiday sales, Black Friday, partner promotions) · Best way to find one: check hbomax.com directly or search for current HBO Max promo codes · AT&T unlimited plan holders: check if HBO Max is included free with your current plan

  There is no permanent standing 6-month subscription tier on HBO Max — the service structures its standard plans on monthly or annual billing cycles. However, 6-month promotional deals do appear periodically, particularly during Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Amazon Prime Day adjacent sales, and through specific partner promotions. When these deals run, they typically offer the equivalent of 6 months of Basic or Standard at a discounted prepaid rate — often 25–40% below the equivalent monthly cost. The most reliable place to check for current promotions: go directly to hbomax.com and look for any banner promotions on the pricing page, or search “HBO Max deal” or “HBO Max promo code” within the week before you plan to subscribe. Existing AT&T wireless unlimited subscribers should also check whether their plan includes HBO Max at no additional charge — AT&T has historically included Max access as a benefit with premium unlimited tiers. This benefit varies by plan and has changed over time, so call AT&T or check att.com/myatt to confirm your current plan’s streaming benefits.
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  How much is HBO Max on Amazon — is it the same price? HBO Max through Amazon Prime Video Channels: same plan prices ($10.99/$18.49/$22.99/month) · Billing is through Amazon but content and prices are identical · Subscribing through Amazon means you cancel through Amazon, not HBO Max directly · No free trial currently offered through either path

  Adding HBO Max through Amazon Prime Video Channels — where you see the “Add HBO Max” option inside the Amazon Prime Video interface — costs exactly the same as subscribing directly through HBO Max’s own website or app. The content is the same; the billing just flows through Amazon. The practical difference: if you subscribe through Amazon, you cancel through Amazon (Prime Video → Channels → Manage → Cancel HBO Max), not through HBO Max’s website. This distinction trips people up who try to cancel at hbomax.com but remain billed because the Amazon billing relationship is still active. HBO Max through Amazon is NOT free with Amazon Prime, despite this being one of the most commonly searched questions. Amazon Prime gives you Amazon Prime Video — which is a separate content library. HBO Max is a separate subscription that costs extra on top of any Prime membership. If you see HBO Max content available within your Amazon Prime Video app without having paid for it, you’re either in a free trial period or your Internet/wireless provider includes it as a perk. HBO Max and Amazon Prime have distinct content libraries with no overlap.
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  How much is HBO Max with ads? HBO Max Basic with Ads: $10.99/month or $109.99/year · Ad load: limited ads during shows — roughly similar to light network TV · What’s included: full HBO Max library, 2 streams, 1080p Full HD · What’s excluded: no downloads, restricted live sports, ads cannot be skipped

  The Basic with Ads plan at $10.99/month is the most accessible entry point to HBO Max’s premium content library. The ad experience is described as “limited” — meaning you will see commercial breaks during content, but the ad load is lighter than traditional cable television. Ads are unskippable when they appear. Unlike Netflix’s ad-supported tier where certain content is excluded, HBO Max’s Basic plan includes the same full content library as the more expensive tiers — every HBO show, every Warner Bros. film in the library, every Max Original. What you don’t get: offline downloads (no traveling with saved content), restricted live sports access, and ads that interrupt content. Children’s profiles on Basic are ad-free — HBO Max does not show advertising on profiles in Kids Mode regardless of your subscription tier. At $10.99/month, the Basic plan is currently priced below Netflix’s Standard with Ads ($7.99/month) and Disney+’s Basic ($11.99/month), putting it in a competitive position. For viewers who don’t strongly object to occasional ad interruptions and primarily want access to HBO’s critically acclaimed content library, Basic with Ads represents the most cost-effective path into that library.
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  What is the HBO Max bundle — and is it worth it? Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundle (with ads): $19.99/month · Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundle (no ads on Disney+/Hulu): $32.99/month · Saves approximately 39–41% vs. subscribing to all three separately · Combined libraries: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Nat Geo, Hulu general entertainment, HBO, Warner Bros., DC · One of the strongest value propositions in streaming

  The Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max trio bundle is one of the best deals in streaming — combining three major libraries under one monthly bill at a significant discount from what they’d cost separately. At $19.99/month for the ad-supported version, you’re getting Disney+ ($11.99/month standalone), Hulu with ads ($11.99/month standalone), and HBO Max with ads ($10.99/month standalone) for the price of less than two of them. Buying all three separately would cost $35.97/month — the bundle saves $16/month ($192/year). The no-ads version runs $32.99/month, where Disney+ and Hulu become ad-free but ESPN Select (if included) and HBO Max’s sports content retain some advertising. The combined content library is enormous: Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Hulu originals, current-season network TV, and the full HBO/Warner Bros. catalog. For households that would otherwise subscribe to two or three of these services separately, the bundle math is straightforward and the savings are substantial. The one limitation: if you want to cancel one service in the bundle, you may need to cancel the whole bundle and resubscribe to the ones you want individually.
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  How much is HBO Max a year — and does annual billing save money? Annual Basic: $109.99/year (saves ~$22/year vs. monthly) · Annual Standard: $184.99/year (saves ~$37/year) · Annual Premium: $229.99/year (saves ~$46/year) · Annual savings: 16% across all tiers · Worth it if you subscribe year-round · Risk: non-refundable if you cancel mid-year

  The annual saving is consistent across all three tiers — exactly 16% off what you’d pay month to month over 12 months. In dollar terms: annual Basic saves you $21.89/year versus monthly; Standard saves $36.89/year; Premium saves $45.89/year. The case for annual billing is strongest if you already know you watch HBO Max regularly throughout the year and have no reason to cancel — the savings kick in automatically and require no extra steps. The risk: HBO Max’s annual plans are typically non-refundable mid-term. If you sign up for an annual Premium plan in January and decide to cancel in April, you’ll likely keep access through December but won’t receive a refund for the unused months. One strategically useful note: annual plans are often the vehicle for the deepest promotional discounts. Holiday sale promotions on annual plans — particularly around Black Friday — frequently exceed the standard 16% saving and can approach 30–40% off the first year. If you’re planning to subscribe, waiting for a major sale to lock in an annual plan at a promotional rate is often the smartest financial timing.
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  Is HBO Max more expensive than Netflix? Depends on tier: HBO Max Standard ($18.49/mo) costs more than Netflix Standard ($17.99/mo) · HBO Max Premium ($22.99/mo) costs LESS than Netflix Premium ($24.99/mo) · HBO Max Basic ($10.99/mo) costs more than Netflix Standard with Ads ($7.99/mo) · Per-show quality: HBO Max is widely rated higher · Per-volume: Netflix has far more total content

  The comparison depends almost entirely on which tiers you’re comparing. At the ad-free middle tier, HBO Max Standard ($18.49/month) is $0.50/month more than Netflix Standard ($17.99/month). At the Premium tier with 4K, HBO Max ($22.99/month) is actually $2/month cheaper than Netflix Premium ($24.99/month) — and HBO Max’s Premium includes Dolby Atmos audio, which Netflix’s equivalent doesn’t. At the entry level, HBO Max Basic with Ads ($10.99/month) costs more than Netflix’s Standard with Ads ($7.99/month). The more meaningful comparison is quality versus quantity. Netflix has the largest streaming library in the industry — thousands more titles. HBO Max has a smaller library but a dramatically higher percentage of critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning content. If you measure by “how often do I find something excellent to watch” rather than “how many total options are there,” HBO Max’s content efficiency is arguably superior. The choice between them is less about price — which is nearly identical at comparable tiers — and more about whether you value variety (Netflix) or consistent quality in dramatic series (HBO Max).
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  What is the cheapest way to get HBO Max? Cheapest ongoing: Basic with Ads at $10.99/month · Cheapest if bundling: Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundle = $19.99/month (you get 3 services) · Free if you have it: AT&T unlimited plans that include Max · Promo/discount: student discount (~15% off) · Annual plan: saves 16% vs. monthly

  The genuinely cheapest way to get HBO Max depends on your starting point. If you’re an AT&T wireless subscriber on a premium unlimited plan, check att.com/myatt immediately — HBO Max has been included as a complimentary benefit on select unlimited tiers. This is free, not a trial, and is separate from any paid subscription. The check takes about 2 minutes and has saved many AT&T customers from paying $10–$23/month they didn’t need to. If you’re not on AT&T, the Basic with Ads plan at $10.99/month is the cheapest paid path to the full HBO library. If you already subscribe to Disney+ or Hulu, switching to the three-way bundle at $19.99/month likely saves you money immediately — you gain HBO Max and potentially reduce what you’re already paying by consolidating into the bundle. Students enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges can get approximately 15% off any HBO Max plan through a verification process at hbomax.com — this discount lasts for 12 months and is renewable with annual enrollment verification. HBO Max discontinued its free trial for new subscribers; the only current free access path is through qualifying wireless carrier plans or credit card benefit programs that include streaming credits.

All prices are current U.S. rates effective October 2025. Annual prices reflect the 16% discount vs. paying monthly for 12 months.

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