HBO Max Plans and Prices 2026: Basic, Standard or Premium?

HBO Max has three plans in the US in 2026: Basic with Ads at $10.99/mo, Standard at $18.49/mo and Premium at $22.99/mo (US prices checked in October 2026). Unlike Netflix, every HBO Max plan also comes in a yearly version, which brings Basic with Ads down to $9.17/mo. Below: what each plan includes, what the yearly plans save, the extra member add-on and when the Disney+ bundle beats going direct.

#How much is each HBO Max plan in 2026?

US prices checked in October 2026. Features from the official HBO Max site, which doesn't list downloads for Basic with Ads.

Premium's 4K and Dolby Atmos only apply to titles available in those formats, and live sports are limited to 2 devices at once even on Premium, according to HBO Max. Current prices are also on HBO Max in Subfaro.

#What changes from one HBO Max plan to the next

#Basic with Ads: the full library for the lowest price

Basic gives you the same shows and movies with commercial breaks, in Full HD on up to 2 devices. If you watch alone or as a couple on a regular TV, it covers what you need. Going to Standard costs $7.50 more a month, or $90.00 a year.

#Standard: no ads and downloads

Standard removes ads from shows and movies and adds up to 30 downloads for offline viewing, with the same Full HD picture and 2 streams. It makes sense if ads drive you up the wall or you watch a lot on your phone away from Wi-Fi.

#Premium: 4K and a full house

Premium is the only plan with 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos, plus 4 streams at once and up to 100 downloads. It costs $4.50 more than Standard per month. Per stream, it's actually cheaper: $5.75 per stream on Premium versus $9.25 on Standard.

Without a 4K TV and with only two people watching at once, Premium gives you nothing you'll notice.

#Is the HBO Max yearly plan worth it?

All three plans come in a yearly version, and each one costs less than 12 monthly payments:

The savings are real but modest, roughly 17% on every plan. The trade-off is the usual one: you pay upfront and you're in for 12 months. That's fine if your household watches HBO Max all year. If you mostly subscribe for one show's new season, streaming rotation usually beats the yearly plan.

#How much did HBO Max go up?

The last US increase took effect on October 21, 2025, as MacRumors reported. As of October 2026, there hasn't been another one.

Over a longer stretch, Standard has climbed from $14.99 at the 2020 launch to $18.49 (23.3%), with increases in January 2023, June 2024 and October 2025. Premium, then called Ultimate, started at $19.99 in May 2023. Dates and sources for every step are on the HBO Max price increase history.

#How does the HBO Max extra member work?

The extra member add-on costs $7.99/mo and lets the account owner add one person who lives outside the household. When it launched in April 2025, it was limited to one per account, came with its own login, streamed on one device at a time and wasn't available to bundle subscribers, as TheWrap reported. You can also move an existing adult profile, with its watch history, into the extra member's account.

Is it worth it? For someone who'd otherwise get their own Basic with Ads plan, the extra member saves just $3.00 a month. It makes more sense when the person wants your ad-free plan: $7.99 versus $18.49 for their own Standard.

#HBO Max alone or in the Disney+ bundle?

Disney sells a Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max bundle for $21.99/mo with ads or $34.99/mo without ads. The ad-free bundle includes HBO Max in Full HD on 2 devices with 30 downloads, the same as Standard.

The math is lopsided: going from HBO Max Basic with Ads ($10.99) to the ad-supported bundle ($21.99) adds Disney+ and Hulu for $11.00 a month. Bought separately with ads, those two would cost $24.98. Our Disney+ and Hulu plans guide has every bundle price.

#How to pay less for HBO Max

1. Start with Basic with Ads. If breaks don't bother you, it's the same library for $7.50 less than Standard.
2. Go yearly only if you'll watch all year. Basic yearly works out to $9.17/mo, just 18 cents more than Netflix with ads.
3. Rotate if you watch by season. Subscribe the month a show premieres, binge it and cancel before renewal. Three months of Basic with Ads a year ($32.97) costs far less than any yearly plan.
4. Bundle if you also want Disney+ and Hulu. As the table above shows, it's the cheapest way to get all three, with or without ads.
5. Check who bills you. Subscriptions through Amazon, Apple, Google, Roku or a TV provider can have their own prices and rules.

#How to switch plans or cancel

You change or cancel your plan in your account's subscription section; the direct link is auth.max.com/subscription. If you subscribed through Amazon, Apple, Google, Roku, a TV provider or a bundle, cancel with that partner instead. Looking for something cheaper? See our cheapest streaming services ranking.

#How Subfaro helps

Subfaro keeps every subscription in one place. Pick HBO Max and your plan, and the price fills in; prices for more than 100 services are checked every week, with an automatic alert when one changes.

It also alerts you before each charge, including the yearly renewal, the one that hurts most when it lands unannounced. The free plan has no time limit and covers up to 10 subscriptions: create a free account.