In May 2023, HBO Max changed its name to just Max. And if you already subscribed to HBO Max, nothing will change for you. But if you’re just looking for your next streaming – here’s what to know about Max.
First to know: name change brings us not only a new brand with the newly-colored logo, but it now includes a Discovery+ library. Discovery is still offered as a standalone subscription for $5 a month, but that’s a tasty bonus if you’re going to subscribe to Max.
When it comes to content, Max offers you a lot of originals, like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and Minx. The total library of 3,500+ titles is vast enough for everyone. And don’t forget 1,000+ shows from Discovery+, they’re now included even in your basic Max subscription.
Currently, Max offers 3 subscription options. The basic one starts at $10, and it includes commercials. You can stream in HD and watch on up to 2 devices at once. And there’s no option to download content to watch offline.
You will need an ad-free plan to get a way to download content. It’s priced at $16 a month and supports 1080p content quality; you can still watch up to two simultaneous streams. With this plan, you can save up to 30 shows to watch them offline.
You can go for the Max Ultimate Plan, which costs $20 a month but adds 4K quality and HDR support (HDR10 and Dolby Vision), and up to 4 devices to watch content on at the same time. And it’s ad-free, of course. The downloads are also slightly improved, with support for up to 100 shows or movies downloaded to watch offline.
You can subscribe through the Max website directly or via partner services such as YouTube TV, Spectrum, DirecTV, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
So let’s find out which plan is best for you and how much you should pay for it.
What are the Max prices?
Max gives you 3 subscription options to choose from. The price varies from $9.99 to $19.99.
With Ads
- 1080p quality
- Two screens at the same time
- Ads
- Downloads not available
Ad-Free
- 1080p quality
- Two screens at the same time
- No ads
- 30 downloads for offline watching
Ultimate Ad-Free
- 4K Ultra HD
- Dolby Atmos
- Four screens at the same time
- No ads
- 100 downloads for offline watching
Plan With Ads:
With Ads – This plan is for those who want a more budget-friendly subscription. The price for a month is $9.99, for a year $99.99. If you buy a yearly subscription, you will save 16%.
It offers two concurrent streams of HD viewing but with ads.
Plan Ad-Free:
Ad-Free, as you can understand from the name, excludes ad-blocks. It costs $15.99/month or $149.99/year. Savings on a yearly purchase of over 20%. In addition, this plan offers offline downloading of content, which can be useful for traveling or places with unstable internet connections. And it also gives you the ability to watch in HD resolution.
Plan Ultimate:
Ultimate is much cooler. This plan costs $19.99/month or $199.99/year. In addition to the basic features, this plan includes enhanced 4K content. With the introduction of this plan, Max has significantly increased the amount of 4K content available. Max includes over 1,000 movies and TV episodes, which is eight times more than what was previously offered on HBO Max. Many of these 4K movies also support HDR technology, with HDR10 and Dolby Vision formats.
| With Ads | Ad-Free | Ultimate Ad-Free | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $9.99 | $15.99 | $19.99 |
| Yearly price | $99.99 | $149.99 | $199.99 |
| Ads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Streams | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| HD available | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4K Ultra HD available | No | No | Yes |
| Number of offline downloads | 0 | 30 | 100 |
Is there a Max free trial?
Now, there’s no option to get a free trial through the Max website. In the past, you could have a week-long trial version.
However, even though it’s not available on the Max website, you can get a free trial via Amazon Prime Video. Here’s how it works: Amazon Prime Video members can access a week-long free trial of Max when they sign up for the service as a Prime Video channel. This offer is exclusive to new subscribers.
To take advantage of this, head over to Amazon’s offer page, click on “Start your 7-day free trial”, and select the free trial option.
Additionally, you can also get a free trial through Hulu. If you’re subscribed to Hulu, navigate to your account and select Manage Add-ons. Then, select Max.
Does Max come with a student discount?
There is no option on Max’s website to get a student discount subscription.
After the upgrade, Max removed a lot of special offers for subscribers. So now you can’t confirm your student status via SheerID and get a discount.
What devices support Max?
If you choose a subscription that suits you, you’ll be able to watch shows and Max movies on such devices:
TV
- Amazon Fire TV & Amazon Fire Tablet
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Contour & Contour Stream Player
- Chromecast
- LG Smart TV
- Roku
- Samsung TV
- VIZIO SmartCast TV
- Xfinity X1 & Flex
- Xumo TV
Computer
- Chrome OS
- MacOS
- Windows PC
- Game Console
Mobile and Tablet
- iPhone & iPad
- Android Phone & Tablet
- Amazon Fire Tablet
Game Console
- PS4
- PS5
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X|S
You can use the Max app if your devices are on this list.
How does Max’s price compare to other streaming services?
A poll shows that a lot of people think there are too many streaming. Research their prices and features to find the one that suits you best. Here are the prices of the most popular streaming services:
| Service | Monthly Price | Yearly Price |
|---|---|---|
| Apple TV+ | $6.99/month | No year plan - $83,88 |
| Netflix | $6.99/month with ads, $15,49 without ads | No year plan - $83,88 a month or $185.88 without ads |
| Disney+ | $7.99/month with ads, Premium - $10.99/month | No year plan - 95.88 / Premium - $109.99/year |
| Discovery+ | $4.99/month with ads, $6.99/month ad-free | No year plan- $59.88/year with ads, No year plan - $83.88/year without ads |
| ESPN+ | $9.99/month | $99.99/year |
| Max | $9.99/month with ads, $15.99/month without ads | $99.99/year with ads, $149.99/year without ads |
| Hulu | $7.99/month with ads, $12.99/month without ads | $79.99/year with ads, No year plan - $155.88/year without ads |
| Peacock | $5.99/month with ads, $11.99/month without ads | $59.99/year (Premium with ads), $119.99/year (Premium Plus without many ads) |
| Paramount+ | $5.99/month with ads, $11.99/month without ads | $59.99/year with ads, $119.99*/year without ads |
| Prime Video | $8.99/month (Prime Video only), $14.99/month (Amazon Prime) | No year plan - $107.88/year (Prime Video only), $139/year (Amazon Prime) |
| Sling TV | $40/month (Orange + Blue) (*Sling Blue costs extra $5/month in markets that include all three of these local channels: ABC, NBC, and Fox) | No year plan - $480 a year(Orange + Blue) |
| Starz | $9.99/month | $74,99/year |
| YouTube TV | $72.99/month | No year plan - $875.88/year |
| AMC+ | $8.99/month | No year plan - $107.88/year |
Let’s also compare the price and content of some of the most popular streamings with Max:
Max vs Netflix
Netflix starts at $6.99 per month, while Max has set the price at $9.99 per month. Users of both services will encounter ads during their viewing time, about 4-5 minutes per hour.
When looking at ad-free packages, Max sets the price tag at $15.99 or $19.99/per month. This package includes streaming content in 4K quality and a feature to download content for later viewing without an internet connection.
Netflix, offers similar features for $20 per month, but adds the benefit of four simultaneous streams. Max allows up to three streams as part of any of its plans.
Netflix’s library is refocused on original shows and a select collection of popular series, including shows like “Seinfeld” and “Breaking Bad.” However, many long-awaited masterpieces, such as “Friends,” have been ported to other platforms. While Max strengthens its advantage with exclusive rights to works from HBO, Warner Bros. and others, including cult movies and cable channels.
Both services offer support for most major streaming devices.
In my opinion Max is worth picking for having more content than Netflix, due in large part to the recent merger.
Learn more about Netflix’s pricing, plans for you here.
Max vs Hulu
Hulu and Max present 3 subscription options: with and without ads. Hulu costs $7.99/month with ads, $12.99/month without ads. While costs $9.99/month with ads, $15.99 or $19.99/month without ads.
Hulu offers live viewing and also gives you access to expanded content for an additional fee. You can Bundle to access other streams and save money. Max doesn’t have this functionality.
While both Hulu and Max are actively developing their original content, each platform is different. Max is based on HBO’s rich, award-winning library, supplemented by movies and content from Warner Bros. While Hulu focuses on current TV shows, often providing access the day after airing.
Both services offer a wide range of compatibility, including mobile devices, smart TVs, and specialized streaming devices. However, Max has a slight advantage by offering apps for Windows and macOS-based computers, while Hulu has no such app for macOS.
Overall, the choice between Hulu and Max will depend on your personal content preferences, willingness to pay for additional options, and the devices on which you plan to watch streaming video.
Learn more about Hulu’s pricing, plans for you here.
Max vs Paramount+
Max’s current price is $15.99 or $19.99 per month without ads and $9.99 with ads. Paramount Plus, meanwhile, offers its services for $5.99 with ads or $11.99 without.
The main difference between Max and Paramount Plus, aside from the price difference, is Paramount Plus’ provision of four live channels. This is a significant advantage for those who are looking for an alternative to cable TV and want access to live TV.
For example, Paramount Plus has been actively utilizing this opportunity, they gave a live streaming of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah, which attracted many viewers.
Max is for those who appreciate original projects, popular shows and Warner Bros. movies.
However, despite having many outstanding sports documentaries, Max does not offer live sports streaming, unlike Paramount Plus.
Learn more about Peacock’s pricing, plans for you here.
Max vs Peacock
Peacock’s subscription price starts at $5.99 per month with ads and goes up to $11.99 without ads. On the other hand, Max offers its services for $9.99 with ads and $15.99 or $19.99 without ads. The specialty of Max is to provide premium content including the latest Warner Bros. movies right after their release.
While some consider the Peacock collection to be somewhat dated, it does include a number of classic TV series and movies. In addition, Peacock stands out because of its wide range of news programs and live sporting events. The video quality 1080 on Peacock is up to the standards of most other streaming platforms.
If sports streaming and NBC series like “The Office” are important to you, consider choosing Peacock.
Learn more about Peacock’s pricing, plans for you here.
