HBO Max Cost 2026: Plans, Prices and the Paramount Deal

HBO Max costs $10.99 a month for Basic with Ads, $18.49 for Standard and $22.99 for Premium in the US. Annual plans knock roughly two months off each. Those prices date from October 2025, the third rise in three years, and the service is about to change owners: Paramount Skydance's takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery was cleared by a judge on September 30, 2026 and is expected to close within days.

Here is what each plan really includes, what you get for the money this season, how HBO Max compares with Netflix, Disney+ and the rest, and whether to lock in an annual plan before the merger shakes things up.

HBO Max plans compared

The catches

• Basic with Ads is missing more than ads. No downloads at all, and no live sports. If you travel or watch on a commute, Basic is a poor fit.
• 4K is a Premium-only feature, and not every title is in 4K. HBO's big tentpoles (House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, the new Harry Potter series) are, but much of the library is HD.
• Sharing outside your home costs $7.99. HBO Max started enforcing household rules in 2025, following Netflix and Disney. An extra member gets their own profile and login.
• No standalone free trial. HBO Max dropped trials in the US. The only way to try it free is through a carrier, cable or bundle promo.
• Annual plans are not refundable mid-term. If HBO Max changes after the merger, you stay on your plan until it renews.

What HBO Max gives you this season

HBO Max's pitch is fewer, bigger shows. This year has been one of its strongest:

Add Warner Bros. films after their cinema runs, the full DC and Studio Ghibli libraries in the US, Discovery reality shows, CNN and TNT Sports (NHL, MLB, college basketball and more) on Standard and Premium. For a month of catch-up, the Harry Potter premiere on Christmas Day is the obvious time to subscribe.

HBO Max vs other streaming services

Price per feature, US monthly, checked October 2, 2026:

HBO Max is mid-pack on price. Its ad plan is $2 above Netflix's, its ad-free Standard is $1.50 below Netflix Standard, and Premium is $4 cheaper than Netflix Premium for the same 4K and four screens. The annual discount is the real differentiator: Netflix has none, and Disney only offers one on Premium.

Bundles and cheaper ways to get HBO Max

• Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max bundle. One bill for all three: $21.99 a month with ads or $34.99 ad-free, up $2 in Disney's September 23, 2026 price change (existing subscribers pay it from October 21). Even at the new price, it is cheaper than HBO Max Standard plus the Disney bundle bought separately.
• Phone carriers. Verizon sells HBO Max (with ads) as a discounted perk, including a Netflix and HBO Max pairing, and other carriers run occasional promos. Perk prices change, so check your plan's add-ons page.
• Add-on channels. You can add HBO Max inside Hulu or Prime Video. Pricing usually matches direct, but billing and the app experience differ.
• Students. HBO Max has offered about 50% off Basic with Ads (around $5.49 a month) to verified college students through UNiDAYS. We could not confirm the current terms on HBO Max's own site.
• Annual plans. At $109.99, $184.99 and $229.99 a year, each annual plan costs almost exactly ten months of the monthly price. If you would keep HBO Max 11 months or more, annual wins. If you rotate in for one show, pay monthly.

Rotation maths

HBO Max releases most series weekly, so a three-month stint usually covers a full season of a flagship show.

HBO Max price history

The Paramount merger and your bill

Paramount Skydance's roughly $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery was approved in court on September 30, 2026 and is expected to close on October 6. Casey Bloys, who runs HBO, will lead the combined streaming business. His public line so far is that HBO Max and Paramount+ are more likely to be bundled than merged into one app, at least at first.

No combined price has been announced. Based on how past mergers played out (Disney with Hulu, Warner with Discovery), the likely sequence is a discounted HBO Max and Paramount+ bundle first, then a price review on both services in 2027. If you are confident you will keep HBO Max for a year, an annual plan now locks today's price through the transition.

What Reddit and forum users say

On r/HBOMax, r/cordcutters and r/television, the recurring themes are:

Complaints:

• Three rises in three years. Members point out Standard has gone from $14.99 to $18.49 while the Basic plan lost downloads and sports.
• The name changes. HBO Max to Max and back to HBO Max in two years left many people confused about which app to use and whether their plan changed.
• Password sharing fees arriving after years of tolerated sharing, and worry that the Paramount deal will mean another price rise.
• Removed content. The 2022 and 2023 purges of shows and films are still brought up as a reason not to pay annually.

Praise:

• Quality over quantity. HBO's prestige run (House of the Dragon, The Pitt, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) gets credit for having the best hit rate in streaming.
• The annual plan, which many say makes HBO Max cheaper over a year than Netflix.
• Premium's value compared with Netflix Premium for 4K viewers.

Our verdict

Comparing options? See our breakdowns of Netflix plan prices, Hulu monthly prices and the Disney+ student discount. If you just want something free tonight, try our list of legal free movie sites.

FAQs

How much is HBO Max a month?

In the US, Basic with Ads costs $10.99, Standard $18.49 and Premium $22.99 a month. Annual plans are $109.99, $184.99 and $229.99.

Is the HBO Max annual plan worth it?

Each annual plan costs about the same as ten monthly payments, saving roughly 17%. It is worth it if you would keep HBO Max for 11 months or more. For a single show, pay monthly.

Does HBO Max have a free trial?

No. HBO Max does not offer a standalone free trial in the US. You can sometimes get it free or discounted through a phone carrier, cable provider or bundle promotion.

Which HBO Max plan has 4K?

Only Premium, at $22.99 a month or $229.99 a year. It also adds Dolby Atmos, four streams at once and 100 downloads.

Does HBO Max Basic with Ads include sports?

No. TNT Sports live events are included on Standard and Premium only. Basic with Ads also has no downloads.

Will the Paramount merger raise HBO Max prices?

Nothing has been announced. HBO's leadership has said bundling HBO Max with Paramount+ is more likely than merging the apps. Locking in an annual plan protects today's price for 12 months.

How much does an extra HBO Max member cost?

$7.99 a month, on Standard or Premium. The extra member must be outside your household and gets their own login.