discovery+
From ~$5.99/mo
Max
From ~$9.99/mo (with ads)
discovery+ is a cheap home for reality, lifestyle, and documentary content. Max is a premium service with HBO originals and films that also includes much of discovery's unscripted library. discovery+ wins on price for unscripted fans; Max wins on premium breadth.
Pick discovery+ if you mainly watch reality, lifestyle, and unscripted shows and want the lowest monthly price.
Pick Max if you want premium HBO originals and movies plus unscripted content together in one app.
discovery+ and Max come from the same company but serve different cravings. discovery+ is the budget option packed with unscripted content — reality, lifestyle, food, home, and documentary shows from brands like HGTV, Food Network, and Discovery. Max is the premium flagship: HBO originals, blockbuster films, and a broad catalog that also folds in a large slice of discovery's unscripted library.
On price, discovery+ starts around $5.99 a month while Max starts around $9.99 with ads. The choice is mostly cheap unscripted content (discovery+) versus premium HBO originals and films plus unscripted in one app (Max).
We compare unscripted depth, premium originals, price, breadth, and overlap.
| Quick facts | discovery+ | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From ~$5.99/mo | From ~$9.99/mo (ads) |
| Unscripted / reality depth | Best-in-class | Strong (included) |
| HBO originals & films | No | Best-in-class |
| Overall breadth | Focused | Best-in-class |
| Best for | Cheap unscripted TV | Premium + unscripted |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | d discovery+ | M Max |
|---|---|---|
| Reality / lifestyle / food shows | Best-in-class | Strong |
| Documentaries | Strong | Strong |
| HBO originals | No | Best-in-class |
| Blockbuster films | Limited | Best-in-class |
| Includes discovery library | n/a | Much of it |
| Lowest price | Yes | No |
| Ad-free option | Yes | Yes |
| Kids & family content | Good | Best-in-class |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-26.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
discovery+ is cheap and stacked with unscripted content, but it has no HBO originals or big films.
Max is far broader and premium, and includes much of discovery's library, but it costs more.
If you only want unscripted, discovery+ is enough; if you want prestige TV and movies too, Max can replace both.
The average person juggles a dozen subscriptions and forgets at least one. Subkept is a privacy-first subscription tracker: add discovery+, Max, 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.