HBO Max
Ads $10.99 / Ad-free $18.49 / Premium $22.99 per mo
Disney+
Ads $11.99 / Premium $18.99 per mo
HBO Max leans on prestige HBO dramas, Max Originals, and recent Warner films for adults. Disney+ is family-first franchises: Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney. They cost about the same. HBO Max wins for grown-up prestige TV; Disney+ wins for families and franchises.
Pick HBO Max if you want prestige adult TV and recent Warner movies, and a dedicated 4K tier.
Pick Disney+ if you have kids or love the Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar franchises in a family-safe app.
HBO Max and Disney+ are both mid-priced streamers, but they aim at very different households. HBO Max is grown-up and prestige-led: HBO's acclaimed dramas, Max Originals, and Warner Bros. films after their theatrical run. Disney+ is family-first, built around Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, and kept safe for all ages.
Pricing is close. HBO Max is $10.99 with ads, $18.49 ad-free, and $22.99 for 4K Premium. Disney+ is $11.99 with ads or $18.99 ad-free, with 4K included on the ad-free plan. So they land within a dollar of each other; the real question is who is watching.
We compare content focus, price, originals, family-friendliness, and which to keep.
| Quick facts | HBO Max | Disney+ |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | Ads $10.99/mo | Ads $11.99/mo |
| Ad-free plan | Ad-free $18.49/mo | Premium $18.99/mo |
| 4K | Premium $22.99/mo | Included on ad-free |
| Content focus | Prestige + Warner films | Family + franchises |
| Best for | Adults | Families |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | H HBO Max | D Disney+ |
|---|---|---|
| Ad-supported tier | Yes | Yes |
| 4K HDR | Premium | On ad-free plan |
| Prestige adult originals | Best-in-class | Limited |
| Family / kids-safe | Has mature content | Excellent |
| Recent theatrical films | Warner films | Disney films |
| Franchise libraries | DC, Warner | Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar |
| Offline downloads | Yes | Yes |
| Library breadth | Curated | Curated, franchise-led |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-22.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
HBO Max skews adult and prestige; Disney+ skews family and franchise. The "better" one depends on who is watching.
Prices are within a dollar, so cost is rarely the deciding factor between these two.
Households with both kids and adults often end up wanting both, or rotating them seasonally.
The average person juggles a dozen subscriptions and forgets at least one. Subkept is a privacy-first subscription tracker: add HBO Max, Disney+, and everything else, then get renewal reminders, price-hike alerts, and a clear monthly total, with no bank connection, ever. Free for up to 5 subscriptions, no time limit.
See how the price has moved