HBO Max Standard vs Premium
Premium costs $4.50 more a month ($54 a year) than Standard. Here is exactly what that extra money buys.
Standard
$18.49 a month
Best for: One or two people who want no advertisements and want to save shows for journeys.
Premium
$22.99 a month
Best for: Busy households with several people watching at once, or anyone with a 4K television.
What you get by choosing Premium
- People who can watch at the same time: 4 (instead of 2)Count only people watching at the very same moment. Live sports are limited to two at a time on every plan.
- Picture quality: 4K Ultra HD (instead of Full HD (1080p))Full HD looks sharp on almost every television. Only the most expensive plan offers 4K, and it only matters on a 4K television.
Same on both
no advertisements (included), save shows to watch without internet (included), live sports (included).
Which one should you pick?
It depends on what you actually use. If you don't need people who can watch at the same time or picture quality, Standard does the same job for less. Answer a few questions and we'll tell you which plan fits.
Prices and features verified September 21, 2026 from HBO Max's official pages (source ↗). Prices are before tax and can change. See all HBO Max plans.