9 Legit Ways to Get HBO Max for Free (& Binge-Watch Your Favorites!)

Let’s face it, money is tight for many of us. So, you may be looking to save some cash wherever you can.

And while initially cutting cord in favor of cable TV alternatives was a way to save money on entertainment, these days the cost of streaming services have risen nd in some cases surpassed the cost of an average cable TV subscription.

One of the first things that’s recommend when you’re looking to save money is cutting out those additional expenses, like, well, streaming services.

Our bills are pretty much fixed, and we need to pay them, like the water bill for example. Streaming services on the other hand are more of a frivolous expense. They’re a non-essential which is why it’s often recommended to cut out these services to save a little cash.

Streaming services can bring a little joy to our lives and cutting them out entirely, while cost-effective, isn’t particularly fun. Sometimes you just want to sit back, relax and stream a movie or show.

Thankfully, there are ways that you can still enjoy streaming content on HBO Max, without having to spend a ton of money on a subscription.

How Much Does HBO Max Cost?

Like with other streaming services, like Hulu, Netflix, and Disney+, HBO Max has a number of different subscription plans available to members. Each one costs a different amount.

Here are the HBO Max subscription plans available and their cost (at the time of writing):

• With ads (stream on 2 devices at once): $9.99 per month.
• Ad-free (stream on 2 devices at once): $16.99 per month.
• Unlimited ad-free (stream on 4 devices at once): $20.99 per month.

This means that over the course of 12 months, you could pay $119.88, $191.88, or $239.88. That’s quite a bit of cash and if you’re on a budget, then that’s definitely not what you want for your finances.

Can You Get a Free Trial from HBO Max?

Many streaming services, like Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video have a free trial period. This is so useful because it allows you to try out the platform without having to part with any cash.

Unfortunately, HBO does not provide free trials to members!

HBO Max used to offer a free trial period, but this ended in December 2020. So, you can no longer get a free trial directly from HBO Max.

There are still plenty of options though for getting HBO Max for free or at least for a discount!

How to Get HBO Max for Free

Streaming services make watching TV convenient but they’re not cheap. When money is tight, paying for subscription services isn’t always ideal. That’s why you should follow these tips on how to get HBO Max for free.

These tips give you ways to get HBO Max at no cost or for a discount.

Give these tips a try!

1. Watch some content for free without a subscription

HBO Max may not offer a free trial, but it does still allow you to watch some content for free.

You can sample the first episodes of select Max Originals and HBO Originals for free. No subscription or credit card information is required either!

Simply visit the HBO website here or the HBO Max website here and you’ll be able to view a selection of shows that you can stream for free.

You can typically watch the first episode for free.

To watch the next episode or stream all of HBO Max, you need an HBO Max subscription. But, this is a good way to watch some content for free on HBO Max. You can try out the content and see if you like it before signing up for a full subscription.

2. Get an HBO Max free trial through Hulu

If you’re signed up to Hulu, you may be able to get HBO Max for free. You can add HBO Max to your Hulu plan and get an HBO Max free trial.

Just click on the icon on the top right corner in Hulu, click “Account” and then “Manage Add-ons.” Here you’ll see HBO Max and other add-ons, with a “1 week free trial” banner above it. Click on “HBO Max” and then click “Review Changes” to start your HBO Max free trial.

3. Get a free HBO Max trial with Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime is a great service. It allows you to get free delivery on tons of Prime-eligible items with no order minimum. You also get access to tons of free movies and TV shows on Prime Video.

Another benefit to an Amazon Prime subscription is a free trial of HBO Max.

You can get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime and a free 7-day trial of HBO Max. That’s a pretty generous offer and one you should take advantage of if you shop on Amazon anyway. You can cancel your free trial at any time too.

So, this is a really great way to try out what HBO has to offer without spending your cash! Just be sure to cancel your subscription before the free trial period ends.

• Get your free trial of Amazon Prime and HBO Max here.

4. Get free HBO Max through Cricket Wireless

You can get HBO Max for free through Cricket Wireless. The ad-supported version of Max is available in the company’s $60 per month unlimited plan. So, this is a good way to get access to HBO Max without paying extra.

If you’re already paying for a Cricket Wireless plan anyway or are planning to get a new cell phone plan, then you should definitely consider this option. You could get HBO Max for free!

• Learn more about getting HBO Max from Cricket Wireless here.

5. Check your AT&T plan

AT&T used to offer free HBO Max with some of its plans. Warner Bros. Discovery actually relaunched HBO Max as just Max in May 2023. Since this rebranding, AT&T no longer offers free HBO Max as a benefit to new customers.

However, if you already have an AT&T plan that comes with a free subscription to HBO Max, you’ll keep this benefit. So, if you have a plan with AT&T, it’s worth checking if you have a free HBO Max subscription included in your plan.

These AT&T Wireless plans give you access to Max at no extra charge:

• AT&T Unlimited Elite
• AT&T Unlimited Plus
• AT&T Unlimited Plus Enhanced
• AT&T Unlimited Choice
• AT&T Unlimited Choice II
• AT&T Unlimited Choice Enhanced
• AT&T Unlimited &More Premium

If you change plans, you’ll lose your Max benefit, and won’t be able to get back on a plan that includes the Max benefit. If you already have one of these plans though, then you could enjoy HBO Max for free.

• Learn more about getting Max for free with AT&T here.

6. Contact your cable or satellite provider

Look through your mail for any advertisements from your cable or satellite provider. It may advertise that new subscribers can get free HBO. Call them to see if they can extend the same offer to you. Just be polite and ask! You may as well.

If the representative you talk with doesn’t seem to be offering this benefit, then just pretend that you’re thinking of switching providers.

This trick often helps you to get more benefits from the company. After all, companies want to keep their customers, so they’re willing to offer them extras, like free HBO, to keep them.

The provider may simply offer to switch you to another provider or cancel your service, so don’t push the canceling angle too much. Just mention that you’re considering switching to another service provider.

Asking for free HBO isn’t guaranteed to work, but you may as well give it a try.

7. Check subscription boxes for HBO Max offers

If you subscribe to any services that send you a box on a regular basis, then it’s worth having a look at those offers at are often included inside. You may see promotional cards or materials for things like HelloFresh or streaming services like HBO Max. They may not be for free trials, but you may be able to get the first month or more discounted.

8. Complete surveys

You could get HBO Max for free by completing surveys. This is such an easy option. All you need is your phone or computer, and an internet connection and you’re good to go.

Anyone can sign up for survey sites and start making money.

Basically, you take surveys from your computer or phone, and you’ll earn money that you can put towards an HBO Max subscription.

Here are some good survey sites to try:

• AttaPoll
• Branded Surveys
• Happy Surveys
• Survey Junkie
• Toluna

Survey sites have a few different payment options available, like PayPal, bank transfer or gift cards.

9. Complete tasks on reward sites

You can get your HBO Max subscription for free by doing tasks on reward websites. These sites pay you to do really easy tasks, such as:

• Playing games
• Browsing the internet
• Taking surveys
• Watching videos
• Trying new apps
• Shopping online
• Completing offers
• Reading emails

Reward sites will give you points that can be redeemed for money or gift cards when you complete tasks, and others will give you money or gift cards from the outset.

Many reward sites pay you directly via PayPal.

You can use the money you earn for doing tasks on reward sites to get your HBO Max subscription for free.

Here are some good reward websites:

• Qmee
• QuickRewards
• Swagbucks
• KashKick
• PointsPrizes

What’s the Cheapest Way to Get Max without a Free Trial?

The cheapest way to get a Max subscription without a free trial is to sign up for the yearly plan. This can save you up to 20%.

As I mentioned earlier, HBO Max has a few different membership plans available, each costing a different amount.

When you pay for the membership yearly, here’s what you’ll pay:

• With Ads: $99.99 per year. This works out to just $8.33 per month, rather than the $9.99 per month it costs with a monthly plan.
• Ad-Free: $169.99 per year. This works out to just about a little over $14 per month, rather than the $16.99 per month it costs with a monthly plan.
• Ultimate Ad-Free: $209.99 per year. This works out to just $17.49 per month, rather than the $20.99 per month it costs with a monthly plan.

So, if you can, pay for an HBO Max subscription yearly, rather than monthly. On the choose your plan page, simply click on “Yearly” and this will give you the annual prices.

Closing Thoughts

HBO Max doesn’t come cheap. It’s good to know that you have plenty of options for getting it for free or at a discount though.

You can still get free trials from third-party services like Amazon Prime and Cricket Wireless and you can find lots of deals and promotions that can get you a discount in the places we listed above, like coupon sites.

There’s also the option of covering the subscription cost with the cash you earn from taking surveys and completing tasks on reward sites.