On Oct. 21, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that HBO Max would be raising its prices across all three of its plans, effective immediately. The announcement comes on the same day that Disney+ increases its prices, highlighting the seemingly annual tradition of streamers growing more expensive.
Here’s what every HBO Max plan will cost going forward, and how its new prices compare to those of other streaming services.
How much will HBO Max plans cost after the price increase?
HBO Max’s ad-supported tier, HBO Max Basic with Ads, is getting $1 more expensive per month, going from $9.99 per month to $10.99 per month. Annually, it costs $109.99, a $10 increase from the old price of $99.99. Opting to pay for the annual plan will save you $21.89 per year.
HBO Max Standard, which comes without ads, used to cost $16.99 per month. As of Oct. 21, it costs $18.49, meaning subscribers will be paying an extra $1.50 per month. The annual plan now costs $184.99 per year. Choosing to pay for that upfront will save you $36.89 per year.
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HBO Max Premium gets the steepest price hike, going from $20.99 per month to $22.99 per month. The annual plan costs $229.99, $20 more than the former yearly price of $209.99. Still, choosing the yearly plan will save subscribers $45.89 per year.
How do HBO Max’s new prices compare to other streaming services?
HBO Max has always been on the more expensive end of the major streaming services, but even after these price hikes, it isn’t the most expensive.
At $10.99 per month, the Basic with Ads tier remains more expensive than the ad-supported tiers of Netflix ($7.99), Paramount+ ($7.99), Peacock ($7.99), and a Prime Video subscription by itself, without an Amazon Prime subscription ($8.99). However, Disney+ and Hulu’s ad-supported tiers remain $1 more expensive, at $11.99 per month.
HBO Max Standard, now at $18.49 per month, surpasses Peacock ($10.99), Prime Video ($11.98), and Paramount+’s ($12.99) ad-free tiers. With the new price increase, it now also costs more than Netflix’s ($17.99) ad-free tier. Once again, it’s less expensive than both Disney+ and Hulu’s equivalent tiers ($18.99 each).
Not all the major streaming services have third Premium tiers like Max. (Many services refer to their ad-free tiers as “Premium.”) But among those that do, it’s squarely in the middle, price-wise. At $22.99 per month, it’s far more expensive than Peacock’s Premium Plus plan ($16.99), but just $2 cheaper than Netflix’s Premium tier ($24.99).
