HBO Max cost per year

What does HBO Max cost for a year?

For most subscribers, one year of standalone HBO Max costs $109.99, $184.99, or $229.99 when paid annually. Paying month by month for 12 months costs more.

U.S. prices in USD Prices checked July 16, 2026 Guide updated July 16, 2026 Plans, student price, and bundles

Direct answer

HBO Max’s main annual plans run from $109.99 to $229.99 before tax.

Save $21.89–$45.89 with annual billing

Twelve monthly payments total $131.88 for Basic with Ads, $221.88 for Standard, or $275.88 for Premium. Eligible U.S. students can pay $5.49 a month for Basic with Ads, or $65.88 over 12 monthly payments.

Every current option

HBO Max plan prices, annual costs, student discount, and bundles

The three main standalone plans have monthly and annual billing. The student discount and Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundles are monthly-only choices with separate eligibility or package terms.

Plan or package	Monthly	Monthly × 12	Annual billing	Annual savings	Ads	Key limits
Basic with Ads	$10.99	$131.88	$109.99	$21.89	Yes	2 simultaneous streams in Full HD 1080p.
Basic with Ads Student Discount	$5.49	$65.88	—	—	Yes	For U.S. students age 18+ verified through UNiDAYS; eligibility must be reverified annually, and changing plans ends the discount.
Standard	$18.49	$221.88	$184.99	$36.89	No	2 simultaneous streams in Full HD 1080p, 30 downloads, and live sports.
Premium	$22.99	$275.88	$229.99	$45.89	No	4 simultaneous streams (2 for sports), available 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos, 100 downloads, and live sports.
Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (With Ads)	$19.99	$239.88	—	—	Yes	Includes Disney+ (With Ads), Hulu (With Ads), and HBO Max Basic with Ads. No annual billing, HBO Max Premium, Hulu + Live TV, or extra-member add-on.
Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (No Ads)	$32.99	$395.88	—	—	Limited / exceptions	Includes Disney+ Premium, Hulu (No Ads), and HBO Max Standard. Select live, linear, promotional, and sponsored content can still contain ads; no annual billing, HBO Max Premium, Hulu + Live TV, or extra-member add-on.

Prices do not include applicable taxes; provider availability and billing options vary. “Limited / exceptions” means that select live, linear, promotional, or sponsored content may still contain ads even in a no-ads package. Student eligibility and bundle restrictions are summarized in the final column.

Interactive calculator

Calculate HBO Max with monthly or annual billing

The default is the annual Basic with Ads plan. Change the tier or billing period, add your other services, and adjust viewing time to compare the complete household total.

Hours watched per day

Use the average time your household watches across the selected services.

Selected plans

HBO Max — Basic with Ads

Plan Billing period

The calculator starts with HBO Max Basic with Ads. Change the price if you use Standard, Premium, annual billing, a bundle, or third-party billing.

1 plan selected.

Annual total

$109.99

$0.20 per hour watched

HBO Max has an effective monthly cost of $9.17 and totals $109.99 per year with the selected billing options.

Effective monthly

$9.17

Five years

$549.95

Per day

$0.30

Feature comparison

Which HBO Max plan should you choose?

Match the tier to the picture quality, offline viewing, sports, and simultaneous streams your household will use.

Lowest general price

Basic with Ads covers two 1080p streams

Basic with Ads is the lowest broadly available standalone tier. It supports two simultaneous Full HD streams but includes ads and omits the download, live-sports, and 4K benefits listed for higher tiers.

Ad-free and offline

Standard adds downloads and live sports

Standard keeps two 1080p streams, removes ads from most on-demand viewing, allows 30 downloads, and includes live sports. Its annual price is $184.99.

4K and four streams

Premium is the capability upgrade

Premium allows four simultaneous streams for general viewing, up to 100 downloads, and available 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos. Live sports remain limited to two simultaneous streams. Availability of 4K and audio formats depends on the title and device.

Eligible students

The student discount cuts Basic with Ads in half

Verified U.S. students age 18 or older can pay $5.49 monthly. Eligibility is checked through UNiDAYS and must be reverified annually; changing plans ends the discount.

Annual versus monthly

How much does annual HBO Max billing save?

Each annual offer costs almost exactly the same as 10 monthly payments, so it generally wins when you expect to keep the service for 11 or 12 months.

Basic with Ads

Save $21.89

Pay $109.99 annually instead of $131.88 across 12 monthly renewals. Effective monthly cost: $9.17.

Standard

Save $36.89

Pay $184.99 annually instead of $221.88 across 12 monthly renewals. Effective monthly cost: $15.42.

Premium

Save $45.89

Pay $229.99 annually instead of $275.88 across 12 monthly renewals. Effective monthly cost: $19.17.

The 10-month break-even test

At the prices checked above, 10 monthly payments are nine cents less than the matching annual plan. The annual plan becomes cheaper in month 11. Choose monthly billing when you expect to watch for 10 months or fewer and value the option to stop; choose annual billing when 11 or 12 months of use is likely.

Bundles

Is the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle cheaper?

Yes—if you would otherwise buy the matching standalone tiers and will use all three services.

Bundle with ads

$19.99 monthly

The bundle includes Disney+ with ads, Hulu with ads, and HBO Max Basic with Ads. The matching standalone tiers total $34.97 a month, so the package saves $14.98 monthly or $179.76 across 12 months before tax.

Bundle with no ads

$32.99 monthly

The package combines Disney+ Premium, Hulu (No Ads), and HBO Max Standard. Those matching standalone tiers total $56.47 a month, so the package saves $23.48 monthly or $281.76 across 12 months. Select live and sponsored content may still have ads.

What the bundle omits

It is not a route to HBO Max Premium

Neither package includes HBO Max Premium, Hulu + Live TV, an extra-member add-on, or annual billing. If 4K, four HBO Max streams, or the largest download limit matters, compare a standalone Premium subscription instead.

Bundle decision rule

Price the tiers you would truly select

The advertised savings are meaningful only when you want Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max at the included levels. Compare the package with your real alternative—not with three services you would never purchase separately.

Cost per use

How much does annual HBO Max cost per viewing hour?

These examples divide the discounted standalone annual price by household watch time. They exclude tax and bundle viewing.

5 hours a week

$0.42–$0.88/hour

Across 260 yearly hours: about $0.42 for Basic with Ads, $0.71 for Standard, or $0.88 for Premium.

10 hours a week

$0.21–$0.44/hour

Across 520 yearly hours: about $0.21 for Basic with Ads, $0.36 for Standard, or $0.44 for Premium.

One show, then cancel

Use monthly billing

If a watchlist takes only one or two months to finish, a monthly plan costs far less than committing to a full annual term.

Cost-per-hour examples use annual-plan prices checked July 16, 2026 and round to the nearest cent.

Downgrade scenario

Pay for Standard only when its features matter

Moving from Standard annual to Basic with Ads annual saves $75.00 at current prices. That trade removes downloads and included live sports and adds ads, but both tiers keep two simultaneous 1080p streams.

Premium scenario

The annual upgrade from Standard is $45.00

Premium earns that difference through available 4K/Dolby Atmos, four general streams, and 100 downloads rather than 30. If the household uses only two 1080p screens, Standard provides the core ad-free experience for less.

Rotation scenario

Do not buy a year for a two-month watchlist

Monthly billing is usually the better choice when you subscribe for a particular season, movie run, or sports window and can cancel before month 11. Keep a dated watchlist and a renewal reminder so “temporary” does not become a full year by default.

Third-party billing

Check what your provider actually includes

HBO Max can be sold through providers and packages whose prices, billing options, and features differ. Compare the charge on your statement with the direct U.S. list prices here, and enter the statement amount in the calculator when it is different.

HBO Max cost FAQ

Questions about HBO Max plans and yearly cost

How much is HBO Max for a year?

The three main annual plans are $109.99 for Basic with Ads, $184.99 for Standard, and $229.99 for Premium, before tax.

Is HBO Max cheaper when paid annually?

Yes. Compared with 12 monthly payments, annual billing saves $21.89 on Basic with Ads, $36.89 on Standard, or $45.89 on Premium.

Does HBO Max have a student discount?

Eligible U.S. students age 18 or older can get Basic with Ads for $5.49 per month after UNiDAYS verification. Eligibility must be reverified annually, and changing plans ends the discount.

Can I get HBO Max in a Disney+ and Hulu bundle?

Yes. The package with ads is $19.99 monthly and the package with no ads is $32.99 monthly. Both are billed monthly and include specific tiers rather than HBO Max Premium.

Is live sports a separate HBO Max add-on?

Not on the current direct plan comparison: live sports is listed with Standard and Premium, while Basic with Ads does not list it. Sports streams are limited to two at once, including on Premium.

Is Max now called HBO Max?

Yes, the service currently uses the HBO Max name. This page keeps its established /max-cost-per-year/ URL so existing links and bookmarks continue to work.

Do these HBO Max totals include tax?

No. The provider’s listed prices exclude applicable taxes. Provider billing, promotions, and package terms can also change the amount charged.

Methodology

How we calculated HBO Max yearly costs

Monthly-billing yearly cost = monthly list price × 12.
Annual price is the provider’s separate yearly charge, not an estimate.
Annual savings = 12 monthly payments − annual price.
Cost per hour = annual price ÷ estimated yearly household viewing hours.

Five-year scenarios hold today’s price constant and do not predict future increases.

Official sources and review

Where these HBO Max prices come from

U.S. prices and plan features were reviewed by the Calc2Save editorial team on July 16, 2026. Report a price correction if an official price has changed.

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