Rated 7+ IMDb · 70%+ RT Little-known finds Curated by humans
Rated 7+ IMDb · 70%+ RT Little-known finds Curated by humans
Disney+ and Max’s cheapest plans cost the same at $10/month, but which is better? Both have rights to a wide variety of properties—Disney has Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, and Marvel, while Max has DC, Cartoon Network, TCM, and HBO to name a few. Both are also compatible with most devices and are easy to use. The difference lies in preference. Disney+ is a great fit for families who plan on sharing a subscription, since you’ll find a little something for everyone. Max on the other hand is great for mature audiences, since the films and TV shows are slightly edgier. Below, we break down the main similarities and differences between the two popular streaming services.
| Feature | Disney+Our pick | HBO Max |
|---|---|---|
| Ideal for | Award-winning originals | |
| Base price | $11.99/mo | $10.99/mo |
| Free trial | None | None |
| Titles that pass our 7.0 IMDb / 70% RT bar | 61 | 304 |
| Try Disney+ | Try HBO Max |
We only recommend movies and shows rated at least 7.0 on IMDb and 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. By that standard, HBO Max currently streams 304 qualifying titles, compared to 61 on Disney+. Here are the picks our readers are watching most on each right now.
If you just want the lowest possible bill, here is exactly what each service’s cheapest plan gets you.
| Feature | Disney+ Basic | HBO Max Basic With Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Price / month | $11.99 | $10.99 |
| Annual Price | – | $109.99 |
| Streams at Home | 2 | 2 |
| Streams Outside Home | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 1, with Extra Member Add-on |
| Profiles | 7 | 5 |
| Max Quality | 1080p | 1080p |
| 4K Support | ✓ Yes | – |
| Audio | 5.1 audio | Standard stereo |
| Dolby Atmos | ✓ Yes | – |
| Min. Speed | 5 Mbps | 5 Mbps |
| Get Basic → | Get Basic With Ads → |
| Disney+ 2 plans | HBO Max 3 plans | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Basic | Premium | Cheapest Basic With Ads | Standard | Premium | |
| Price / month | $11.99 | $18.99 | $10.99 | $18.49 | $22.99 |
| Annual Price | – | $189.99 | $109.99 | $184.99 | $229.99 |
| Streams at Home | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Streams Outside Home | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 1, with Extra Member Add-on |
| Profiles | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Max Quality | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p |
| 4K Support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | – | – | ✓ Yes |
| Audio | 5.1 audio | 5.1 audio | Standard stereo | Standard stereo | 5.1 |
| Dolby Digital | – | – | – | – | ✓ Yes |
| Dolby Atmos | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | – | – | ✓ Yes |
| Min. Speed | 5 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 5 Mbps |
| Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | |
Both services support most major devices. Here’s a breakdown based on the device apps each service lists.
| Device / Platform | Disney+ | HBO Max |
|---|---|---|
| Airplay | ✓ | ✓ |
| Amazon Fire TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | Not listed |
| Android TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Apple TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Google TV Streamer | ✓ | ✓ |
| PlayStation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roku | ✓ | ✓ |
| Samsung TV | Not listed | ✓ |
| Xbox | ✓ | ✓ |
| iOS | ✓ | Not listed |
“Not listed” means the service doesn’t list an app for that device; it may still work via casting or a browser.
HBO Max starts at $10.99/month, while Disney+ starts at $11.99/month. That’s $1.00 more per month for Disney+, or $12.00 more per year.
Before you pick either one, here is the drawback of each service, plainly stated.
Outside of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and family titles, the Disney+ catalog is thin for adults, and price increases have been frequent.
HBO Max has a habit of quietly removing even its own originals, and its ad-free tiers are among the priciest in streaming.
Is HBO Max cheaper than Disney+?
Yes. HBO Max starts at $10.99/month, while Disney+ starts at $11.99/month. That's a difference of $1.00/month, or $12.00 per year.
Do Disney+ or HBO Max offer a free trial?
Disney+ does not currently offer a free trial. HBO Max does not currently offer a free trial.
Are Disney+ and HBO Max the same company?
No. Disney+ is owned by The Walt Disney Company, while HBO Max is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. They are separate, competing subscriptions.
Is Disney+ included with HBO Max?
No. Neither service includes the other: a HBO Max subscription does not give you Disney+ content, and vice versa. You need a separate subscription for each.
Which has more highly-rated titles, Disney+ or HBO Max?
By our curation standard (at least 7.0 on IMDb and 70% on Rotten Tomatoes), HBO Max currently streams 304 qualifying titles, compared to 61 on Disney+.
Can I cancel Disney+ or HBO Max anytime?
Yes. Both Disney+ and HBO Max are month-to-month subscriptions with no long-term contracts. You can cancel either service at any time.
Great for kids: There’s no shortage of content for younger audiences, with all the major Disney hits a click away.
New theatrical releases: Although sometimes you have to pay an extra fee (usually of up to $30), a great perk of Disney Plus is Premier Access, which makes theatrical releases immediately available to stream on the platform.
Exclusive releases: Since it’s Disney, the catalog of popular TV shows and movies that you can't find anywhere else is huge.
The app: The Disney Plus app is so well-designed that in 2020, Apple named it the Apple TV App of the Year, and voted the best app of 2020 by Google Play users.
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