How much is Max (HBO Max)?
HBO Max is $10.99/mo with ads, $18.49/mo ad-free (Standard), or $22.99/mo for Premium (4K) in the US. Annual plans save. Current as of Sept 2026.
Key takeaways
- Basic with Ads: $10.99/mo or $109.99/yr.
- Standard (ad-free): $18.49/mo or $184.99/yr.
- Premium (4K UHD, Dolby Atmos): $22.99/mo or $229.99/yr.
- Paying annually costs noticeably less than 12 monthly payments on every tier.
- Standard removes ads and adds 30 offline downloads; Premium adds 4K, 4 streams and 100 downloads.
HBO Max costs $10.99 per month for Basic with Ads, $18.49 per month for Standard (ad-free), and $22.99 per month for Premium (4K) in the US as of September 2026. Each tier also has an annual plan that works out cheaper per month: $109.99, $184.99 and $229.99 per year respectively.
HBO Max plans and prices (US, 2026)
HBO Max sells three consumer tiers. The main differences are ads, video quality, the number of simultaneous streams, and how many titles you can download for offline viewing. Live sports access is included on all three tiers.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic with Ads | $10.99/mo | $109.99/yr | 2 streams, Full HD, live sports; includes ads |
| Standard | $18.49/mo | $184.99/yr | Ad-free, 2 streams, Full HD, 30 downloads |
| Premium | $22.99/mo | $229.99/yr | Ad-free, 4 streams, 4K UHD, Dolby Atmos, 100 downloads |
Monthly vs. annual
Every tier is cheaper if you prepay for a year. On the Standard plan, for example, $184.99/yr works out to about $15.42/mo versus $18.49 billed monthly. Premium annual ($229.99) similarly undercuts 12 monthly payments of $22.99. If you plan to keep the service year-round, the annual option is the lower-cost route.
What moves the price
What you actually pay depends on a few choices:
- Ads vs. ad-free. Moving from Basic with Ads to ad-free Standard roughly $7.50/mo more.
- Video quality. Only Premium unlocks 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos, and it costs $4.50/mo more than Standard.
- Streams and downloads. Premium raises simultaneous streams to 4 and offline downloads to 100.
- Billing period. Annual prepayment lowers the effective monthly cost on all tiers.
- Promotions. HBO Max periodically runs limited-time discounts (for example, temporary cuts to first-year annual prices); those come and go, so the figures above are the standard rates.
These are the published US rates on HBO Max’s own plan pages and can change; confirm the current price before subscribing.
How to save on Max
- Choose the ad-supported tier if you can tolerate commercials; it is the cheapest way to get the full catalog.
- Pay annually instead of monthly, which Max discounts to roughly the equivalent of a couple of free months a year.
- Check whether your mobile, internet, or streaming bundle includes Max at no extra charge before subscribing directly.
- Watch for student discounts and promotional rates, which Max runs periodically.
- Subscribe only during months you have shows to watch and cancel between seasons; there is no cancellation fee.
- Share a single plan within your household under its device and simultaneous-stream limits rather than paying for multiple separate accounts.
- Watch for bundled discounts when Max is packaged with other streaming services, which can beat subscribing to each one directly.
Cost scenarios
Budget: At $10.99 a month the ad-supported plan gives you the full library with commercials and standard streaming quality, the cheapest way in.
Typical: At $18.49 a month the ad-free plan drops commercials entirely and adds higher-quality streaming plus a set number of offline downloads.
Premium: At $22.99 a month the top tier adds 4K UHD with Dolby Atmos, the most simultaneous streams, and the largest allowance of offline downloads.
Frequently asked questions
How much is HBO Max per month?
In the US (2026) it is $10.99/mo for Basic with Ads, $18.49/mo for Standard (ad-free), and $22.99/mo for Premium (4K).
Which HBO Max plan is ad-free?
Both Standard ($18.49/mo) and Premium ($22.99/mo) are ad-free. Basic with Ads ($10.99/mo) shows ads.
How much does HBO Max cost per year?
Annual plans are $109.99 (Basic with Ads), $184.99 (Standard) and $229.99 (Premium), each cheaper per month than paying monthly.
Which HBO Max plan has 4K?
Only the Premium plan ($22.99/mo or $229.99/yr) includes 4K UHD, Dolby Atmos, four simultaneous streams and 100 downloads.
Is live sports included on HBO Max?
Yes. Live sports access is included on all three tiers, including the cheapest Basic with Ads plan.
How we estimate this
Every figure on this page is compiled from the public sources cited above and given as a low–typical–high range rather than a single false-precise number. Where costs vary by location we scale the national typical using published state price levels. We recheck figures on a set schedule and stamp each report with the date last verified. We are independent and are never paid to change a number — see how we price things.
