For as long as I can remember, HBO Max has reigned supreme at the top of our best streaming services guide. Its position as our No. 1 pick has extended for more than half a decade. It’s held the crown for a very long time. But a king can always be usurped from their throne (just ask any of the cast of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and its numerous spin-offs).
Tom’s Guide’s streaming team evaluates the latest movies and TV shows along with the various platforms that house them for a living. That’s why we’ve put together report cards for the biggest streaming services in the U.S., grading each across the most important categories over the past 12 months. These include pricing, overall library, original content, and more.
Today, it’s HBO Max’s turn in the spotlight. So, let’s dive in and see if this streamer remains worthy of its No. 1 position in 2026.
Pricing
Tier |
Price (monthly) |
Ads |
Live sports |
Concurrent streaming |
Offline downloads |
Basic |
$10.99 |
Yes |
No |
2 devices |
No |
Standard |
$18.49 |
No |
Yes |
2 devices |
30 a month |
Premium |
$22.99 |
No |
Yes |
4 devices |
100 a month |
HBO Max comes in three flavors: Basic ($10.99), Standard ($18.49), and Premium ($22.49). As is fairly standard, its cheapest tier is ad-supported. It's also more expensive than the equivalent on rival platforms like Netflix and Paramount+ ($8.99). In fact, aside from Hulu ($11.99), it’s the most expensive ad-supported tier of all the major streaming services.
The Standard subscription removes ads, offers offline downloads (with a monthly limit, which feels stingy), and, most importantly for some, includes live sports. At $18.49, it’s not cheap, but perhaps the best value-for-money tier. If you want the full package, the Premium tier includes 4K viewing with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, where supported. It also raises the offline downloads cap to 100 (really, it should be unlimited) and allows you to stream on up to 4 devices simultaneously. It’s HBO Max at its…max!
While there are cheaper streaming services, HBO Max’s monthly subscription cost is quite reasonable for everything it offers. And as I’ll discuss below, in this case you’re getting what you pay for.
Grade: B
Library
“It’s not TV. It’s HBO,” goes the iconic 2000s commercial, and while I might normally wrinkle my nose at such corporate hubris, in the case of HBO, the network has earned the right to brag a little about its offerings. HBO Max has arguably the strongest library of any streaming service.
Its back catalog of acclaimed TV is spectacular, from classics like “The Wire,” “The Sopranos,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” to modern favorites like the entire “Game of Thrones” universe, “Succession,” and, of course, “The Pitt.” There are loads of the best TV shows of all time, all available exclusively on HBO Max. Binge-watchers are spoilt for choice.
HBO Max offers arguably the strongest library of any streaming service.
It’s no slouch in the movie department either. Owned by Warner Bros., the studio's theatrical releases arrive on HBO Max first (after a PVOD period).
In the past 12 months, this includes “Superman,” “Weapons,” “Sinners”, and the Oscar-dominating “One Battle After Another.” It’s also inked a deal with darling distributor A24 to get its movies before any rival streaming service, giving HBO Max a range of critical favorites along with WB blockbusters.
Grade: A-
Originals
It’s no surprise that when it comes to original content, HBO Max stands above the rest. In fact, my colleague, Kelly Woo, was in favor of giving the platform the highest grade in this category for “The Pitt” season 2 alone.
Other highlights of the past year include the well-received “Thrones” spin-off “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” (and the latest season of “House of the Dragon”), the fourth season of “Industry,” which keeps the show’s near-flawless record intact. Plus, HBO Max is now dipping into the superhero universe with the first live-action offering from the DCU, “Lanterns.”
If you prefer comedy to absorbing dramas, try “The Chair Company” and new seasons of “Conan O’Brien Must Go” and “The Comeback” with “Friends” favorite Lisa Kudrow.
When it comes to original content, HBO Max stands above the rest.
HBO Max doesn’t offer many direct-to-streaming movies, but as noted, it gets Warner Bros and A24’s theatrical slates, giving film fans more than enough to watch throughout the year.
Grade: A+
Interface
Considering the strength of HBO Max’s library, it’s unfortunate that actually accessing all that worthwhile content can be a chore. It gets the basics right with TV shows and movies pleasingly laid out in the usual “tile” style format, but it’s rather telling that if you Google “HBO Max interface,” the first result is a Reddit thread titled “Max’s UI is so damn terrible.”
Common issues include the platform struggling to mark an episode as finished, even when you’re deep into the credits, which makes the “continue watching” option a little useless. Plus, its algorithm does a poor job of surfacing similar content to the shows you’ve been watching. I hope you like Bill Maher, cause HBO Max loves recommending him!
If you google “HBO Max interface,” the first result is a Reddit thread titled “Max’s UI is so damn terrible.”
HBO Max has also removed useful filters such as sorting content by A-Z. It’s not alone in this quest to reduce user options; Netflix has done the same.
Grade: C
Live content
When it comes to live content on HBO Max, we’re primarily talking about live sports, which isn't a knock against the platform. Sports are among the most popular live broadcasts, and for many, the only reason they still watch any form of live television (including yours truly).
HBO Max streams more than 1,700 live sporting events a year. It offers up to 72 regular-season NHL games per year and the Stanley Cup Final. MLB fans can enjoy Tuesday Night Baseball and the American League postseason, but not the National League postseason and World Series (they're on FOX).
The lack of any NFL and NBA games really hurts HBO Max's grade in this category.
It also offers a selection of tennis, cycling and racing, though it comes up short in soccer, offering Men’s and Women’s United States National Team matches but no Premier League or Champions League, and it didn’t offer subscribers any World Cup action over the summer.
The lack of any NFL and NBA games (WB’s deal with the NBA concluded after the 2024-25 season) really hurts its grade in this category. After all, these are the two most popular sports in the U.S.
Note: This is just an evaluation of the live programming on offer in the U.S. Live programming varies by market.
Grade: C+
Overall grade: B+
If you’re looking to enjoy some of the best TV ever made and a strong library of movies fresh from the cinema, then HBO Max is hard to beat. When it comes to content quality, no other streaming service can rival its enviably large selection of acclaimed, binge-worthy TV series.
Its lackluster interface lets it down, and many sports fans will be forced to go elsewhere for the biggest leagues and matches. But if your primary reason for subscribing to a service is must-watch TV shows (and a selection of mostly worthwhile movies), then HBO Max remains undefeated.
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