HBO Max free trial: is there one, what deals are available, and more big questions answered

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Is there a way to get HBO Max for free? TechRadar's experts explain all

HBO Max logo in white writing on a purple background on a smartphone
Want to try HBO Max before you buy? Let us tell you if you can (Image credit: rafapress / Shutterstock.com)
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Want to know if a free trial for HBO Max is available right now? You've come to the right place.

In this guide, I'll tell you everything we know about whether you can make use of an HBO Max free trial. The simple answer is: no, but there are reasons why, which I'll explain in more detail later in this article.

There's plenty more information worth knowing about Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD) primary streaming platform below, too, so it's worth reading on to learn more about one of the world's best streaming services. Here, then, is the latest I know about a free HBO Max trial and if we'll ever see it again.

HBO Max free trial: is one available?

Garrett holding Steve and Henry back on a bridge in A Minecraft Movie

Want to watch A Minecraft Movie with a free HBO Max trial? Well, you can't (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)

Nope. Aside from an extremely brief return in mid-2024, an HBO Max free trial hasn't been available for a number of years now.

When the service first launched, users could take advantage of a seven-day trial period. Unfortunately, that offer was discontinued before the streaming giant arrived in other world regions. As of September 2025, there's no word on if it'll ever come back again, either, so the only way to see what HBO Max is all about is by signing up for an account.

Are there other ways to get a HBO Max free trial?

A child with a blood-spattered face screams at something offscreen

It: Welcome to Derry will bring the screams to HBO Max in late October (Image credit: HBO)

Well, for most consumers, anyway. In the US, anyone who signs up to one of Cricket Wireless' $60 a month unlimited plans can get a 'free' subscription to HBO Max as part of the package.

You'll be signed up for the ad-supported tier, so you'll have to sit through the odd advert or three while you watch some of the best HBO Max shows and best HBO Max movies. Considering you don't have to pay a cent to do so with this offer, though, it's worth investing in.

There was a time when you could get a free trial for HBO Max via your Hulu plan, too. However, one of the best streaming deals hasn't been around for some time. The only way to get HBO Max for 'free', then, is via the aforementioned Cricket Wireless deal.

What's the cheapest way to get HBO Max without a free trial?

Superman being helped up by a pedestrian in 2025's Superman movie

James Gunn's Superman movie took flight on HBO Max in mid-September (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Currently, you can save up to 20% by committing to an annual plan across HBO Max's various subscription tiers. Starting at $99.99 a year for its ad-supported plan, you can go ad-free for the year for $149.99, too. Alternatively, HBO Max's Ultimate Ad-Free plan – i.e. the only way to watch content in 4K – will set you back $199.99 for 12 months.

Once HBO Max's password crackdown plan is finally rolled out worldwide, people who don't live in the same household as you won't be able to access to your account. However, you (or, rather, they!) can part with $7.99 a month to add an extra member to your subscription and regain access to it. Personally, I think it's best if you go halves on a monthly or annual subscription, especially if you're both likely to use HBO Max as much as the other user.

Lastly, you can can check out some of the best content that HBO Max has to offer free of charge. Indeed, by visiting the Free Episodes section of the streamer's website, you can watch the premiere episodes of hit shows including The Last of Us, Euphoria, House of the Dragon, and Peacemaker to sample some of its biggest shows. If your interest is piqued by one or more TV Originals, you might be swayed into signing up for a subscription, but there's no pressure to do so.

What can I watch on HBO Max?

Christopher Smith giving a thumbs up with a car on fire in the background in Peacemaker season 2

Peacemaker is one of many top-tier TV shows you can watch on HBO Max (Image credit: DC Studios/Max)

Some of the finest films and TV series ever created, that's what.

HBO Max is home to everything that HBO, aka the multi-award-winning cable network, has ever produced. A seemingly infinite number of classic movies and more recent big-screen offerings, and a plethora of HBO Max Movie and TV Originals, are also just a button push or a mouse click away.

Here's just a snippet of what you can stream if you sign up today:

For more Max-based coverage, check out our guides on House of the Dragon season 3, Creature Commandos season 2, Euphoria season 3, and the forthcoming Harry Potter TV adaptation.

Tom Power
Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.


An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.


Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.

Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

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