Max (HBO Max) vs Paramount+: price, plans, and which to keep
Current US prices, price history, trial terms, and cancellation friction side by side, built from our service guides. Last reviewed August 26, 2026.
The short answer
Paramount+ is the cheaper service at both tiers: Essential is $8.99 versus $10.99 for Max with ads, and Premium with Showtime is $13.99 versus $18.49 for ad-free Max. It also has a 7-day trial, annual plans around 35% cheaper than monthly, and near-constant promo codes. Max charges more but has the stronger prestige catalogue and a $22.99 4K tier. Both had 2025 price rises and both are best used in bursts rather than year-round.
Paramount+ is cheaper by $24 a year on its entry plan.
At a glance
| Max (HBO Max) | Paramount+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest standard plan | With Ads: $10.99/mo | Essential (with ads): $8.99/mo |
| Cheapest plan per year | $131.88 | $107.88 |
| Most expensive plan | Premium: $22.99/mo | Premium (with Showtime): $13.99/mo |
| Price changes since 2023 | 2 | 2 |
| Latest price change | October 2025 | January 2026 |
| Free trial | No standard free trial; occasional promos through partners. | 7-day free trial for new subscribers on most plans. |
| Cancellation | 4 steps · app-store or partner billing caveat | 4 steps · app-store or partner billing caveat |
Cheapest and most expensive plans exclude add-ons, student, bundle, and per-seat plans. Price changes are counted from January 2023. US list prices, last reviewed August 26, 2026.
Which one should you pick?
Choose Max (HBO Max) if…
Pick Max if HBO series and Warner films are the reason you stream, or you want 4K. Check whether Amazon, Apple, Roku or a cable provider bills you, because that changes where you cancel.
Choose Paramount+ if…
Pick Paramount+ if you want the lowest price, CBS and Showtime content, or a trial before paying. Finish Showtime titles before dropping from Premium to Essential; the cheaper tier does not include them.
Every current plan
Max (HBO Max) plans
| Plan | Current price |
|---|---|
| With Ads | $10.99/mo |
| Standard (Ad-Free) | $18.49/mo |
| Premium | $22.99/mo |
Paramount+ plans
| Plan | Current price |
|---|---|
| Essential (with ads) | $8.99/mo |
| Premium (with Showtime) | $13.99/mo |
US list prices; taxes, promotions, and app-store billing may differ. Last reviewed August 26, 2026.
Price history, both services
January 2026 · Paramount+
Essential rose $7.99 → $8.99 and Premium $12.99 → $13.99.
October 2025 · Max (HBO Max)
All tiers rose: With Ads $9.99 → $10.99, Standard $15.99 → $18.49, Premium $19.99 → $22.99.
August 2024 · Paramount+
Prior hike took Essential to $7.99 and Premium to $12.99.
May 2023 · Max (HBO Max)
HBO Max relaunched as Max; legacy $14.99 ad-free price was grandfathered for a while.
How to run both without paying for both
Rotate both. Use the Paramount+ trial and its Black Friday pricing for the months you need it, and buy Max for one month at a time when a season wraps. Paying list price for both ad-free is $32.48 a month, more than most people's entire streaming budget should be.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Max (HBO Max) or Paramount+?
Paramount+. Its cheapest standard plan works out to $8.99 a month ($107.88 a year) versus $10.99 a month ($131.88 a year) for Max (HBO Max), a difference of $24 a year. Bundles, promotions, and app-store billing can change the final price.
Is Paramount+ cheaper than Max?
Yes at every level. Paramount+ Essential is $8.99 versus Max With Ads at $10.99, and Paramount+ Premium is $13.99 versus Max Standard at $18.49. Max's $22.99 Premium tier has no Paramount+ equivalent.
Do Max or Paramount+ offer free trials?
Paramount+ does, 7 days on most plans. Max has no standing free trial, only occasional partner promotions.
Full guides
Max (HBO Max) price & cancellation guide
Warner's streamer raised every tier in late 2025, its ad-free Standard saw the steepest jump at 16%.
View guideParamount+ price & cancellation guide
Modest January 2026 increases kept Paramount+ among the cheaper streamers, Essential is still under $9.
View guideMore comparisons
All comparisonsFree tools that can help
Keep one, track it.
SubBuddy keeps every renewal and price change visible, with reminders before you are charged and no bank linking required.
Track subscriptions free