HBO Max Doesn’t Offer a Free Trial, But We Found a Workaround

Streaming services have continued to drop or reduce free trials over the last few years as they tighten the belt on deals and hike prices. One streaming service that hasn’t offered a free trial in years is HBO Max (formerly Max; formerly also HBO Max).

It’s a shame because HBO Max has arguably the best selection of TV series. New hits like Heated Rivalry, The Pitt, White Lotus, and Hacks, as well as classics like Mad Men, The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Game of Thrones, are only available through HBO Max (unless you want to spend a fortune buying individual episodes on Amazon).

However, if you want to watch any of these shows, you’ll need to pay for HBO Max’s relatively pricey monthly subscription. HBO Max plans start at $10.99 a month, which is more than Netflix, Paramount+, or Peacock. HBO Max also has strict account-sharing rules, making it very difficult to split a subscription between different households. Plus, HBO Max also does not offer a free trial.

How to Get an HBO Max Free Trial

Although HBO Max does not offer a free trial directly, there is a hack. DirecTV offers a five-day free trial and includes HBO Max access in certain plans. That means you can get a free trial to DirecTV and access HBO Max for free for a limited time — plus everything else the other streamer offers. Here are more details:

Get HBO Max free trial with DirecTV

DirecTV offers complimentary access to HBO Max in its MyEntertainment and Premier packages. Both of these start with a five-day free trial. The MyEntertainment plan also delivers access to Disney+ and Hulu at no additional cost, and it carries 55+ live TV channels. After the free trial, the MyEntertainment package costs $29.99 for your first month and $34.99 a month after that. The Premier plan is DirecTV’s largest package, boasting over 185 channels, ESPN, Hulu, Disney+, STARZ, and Paramount+, as well as HBO Max. Premier currently costs $169.99 a month, but you get $45 off your first month and $20 off months 2-24.

How Much Is HBO Max?

Want a standalone HBO Max subscription? Here’s how much HBO Max costs for each subscription tier:

Basic with Ads: $10.99/month or $109.99/year
HBO Max’s most affordable plan is Basic with Ads, which lets you stream on up to two devices at once in 1080p resolution. You won’t be able to watch live sports shown on Max, access 4K resolution, or (as the name suggests) watch without ad breaks.

Standard: $18.49/month or $184.99/year
The Standard plan removes ads and lets you watch live sports events shown on HBO Max. You can also download up to 30 titles for offline viewing. Like Basic, Standard only lets you stream on up to two devices in 1080p resolution.

Premium: $22.99/month or $229.99/year
HBO Max’s top-tier subscription costs just $4 more than Standard, but offers a lot more. The biggest upgrade is the ability to watch on up to four devices at once (two for sports). You can also access 4K and Dolby Atmos immersive audio content, when available, and download up to 100 titles to watch without WiFi or service.