HBO Max 7-Day Free Trial: Streaming for Free in February 2025

Thanks to its premium content from HBO, Max is one of the more desired streaming services available — and one of the youngest. Before Max, there was HBO Now and HBO Go for streaming HBO content; those were retired to make way for HBO Max. And then, in 2023, HBO Max became the Max we know today after the company merged with Discovery Plus.

Known for prestigious series like Game of Thrones and Succession, Max continues to expand its library with new series and the exclusive "NASCAR Driver Cam" that debuted in early February. The platform is even starting to roll out live streams of the HBO cable channels to select customers.

Wondering if you can test out Max for free before committing? You're not alone.

With its huge lineup of blockbuster movies, hit TV shows, and exclusive originals, Max is a tempting streaming service — but getting a free trial isn't as straightforward as it used to be.

That doesn't mean you're completely out of luck, though—there are still ways to score free access if you know where to look. We'll break down whether Max currently has a free trial, other ways to watch for free, and what you need to know before signing up.

Best Max Deals

Max Annual Plans

Up to $41 off

Save up to $41 a year by signing up for a Max yearly plan instead of a monthly one in 2025. To see the savings options, go to the Yearly tab on the landing page. Here are the plan offerings and what you'll pay annually vs monthly:

• Ultimate Ad-Free: Save $41 ($209.99 on yearly plan; $251.88 on monthly plan)
• Ad-Free: Save $33 ($169.99 on yearly plan; $203.88 on monthly plan)
• With Ads: Save $19 ($99.99 on yearly plan; $119.88 on monthly plan)

Note that your subscription will auto-renew every 12 months at the then-current yearly price until you cancel.

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Max Streaming Service Student Discount

$4.99/mo.

Students who wish to consume all the Max content they can get their hands on can do so and save 50% to boot in 2025! You'll have to be a student at an accredited college or university and verify your status through UNiDAYS. Once you have the discounted subscription, it'll automatically renew at that rate each month for 12 months unless you cancel.Note this discount only applies to the Max With Ads monthly plan, which offers unlimited access to all of HBO including hit series, movies, news, sports, and more. Watch in full HD resolution on up to two devices at once with this plan.

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Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle

From $17

Get Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundled together in 2025. At the ad-free tier, you'll be saving 42% per month compared to paying for the services separately. Alternatively, the basic bundle is a savings of 43% per month in comparison. The Trio plan options, which include ESPN+ instead of Max, start from $17/month, and the Duo plans with Disney+ and Hulu start at $11/month.

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Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, and More via DirecTV Stream

Free 3-Month Trial

DirecTV Stream members can sign up for a free 3-month trial of the Premium Channels add-on bundle in 2025 that includes Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, MGM+, and Cinemax. After the promo period, the channels will auto-renew at then-prevailing rates (currently $16.99/mo. for Max, $12.99/mo. for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, $10.99/mo. each for STARZ and Cinemax, and $6.99/mo. for MGM+), unless you change or cancel.

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Other Top Streaming Deals

Peacock Premium Military Discount

$3.99/mo. for 12 months

Verify your military status and start streaming for $3.99 per month for 12 months. The Peacock Military Discount for 2025 is $4 off per month, for a total of $48 for 12 months. After 12 months, you'll be charged $7.99 per month or the then-current retail price each month until you cancel. Cancel anytime.Want to learn more about Peacock discounts? Our guide to Peacock TV promo codes for 2025 has the info you need for saving on the streaming service — we've even seen Peacock promo codes that let you stream for $1.99 a month. Also check out our guide to Peacock subscription costs and prices to learn how much Peacock is in 2025.

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Peacock Premium Student Offer

$2.99/mo. for 12 months

Students (with a valid SheerID verification) get this monthly price for 12 months with this 2025 offer, saving you $60 in total. After the 12 months are up, your subscription will auto-renew at the then-current annual retail price, but it can be canceled at any time. Students can renew the offer annually if they continue to meet verification requirements. Want to learn more about Peacock discounts? Our guide to Peacock TV promo codes for 2025 has the info you need for saving on the streaming service. Also check out our guide to Peacock subscription costs and prices to learn how much Peacock is in 2025.

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Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle

Trio Basic for $17/mo., Premium for $27/mo.

If you want to get everything Disney+ and Hulu has to offer, plus sports, then the Trio bundle is the way to go in 2025! You'll save up to 46% off compared to buying the three services separately, and with Basic you'll also get the ability to watch select Hulu content in the Disney+ app. If you opt for Premium, though, you'll get that, plus ad-free streaming on Disney+ and Hulu and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.

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Does Max Offer a Free Trial?

Unlike some other platforms that offer a standard trial for new subscribers, Max no longer provides a free trial directly through its website.

Several third-party services, like wireless carriers and streaming bundles, occasionally offer Max as part of a promotion. Whether it's through your phone plan, home internet service, a cable provider, or a limited-time deal, you should be able to find several opportunities to try Max for free.

How to Watch Max for Free This Year

Max doesn't make it easy to get a free trial, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Although the platform doesn't offer a standard free trial, there are a few roundabout ways to access one. The trick is knowing where to look — whether it's through a wireless carrier, a streaming bundle, or even a cable provider that includes Max as a perk.

1. Sign Up Through Amazon Prime

If you're an Amazon Prime member, there's good news — you can access a seven-day free trial of Max through Prime Video. This trial allows you to stream Max's vast collection of movies, series, and exclusive originals without any additional cost. Even better, Amazon Prime Video pairs Max with other premium channels in bundle deals for you to try for free: Max and Starz or Max and Cinemax.

Now, we know what you're thinking: this isn't a free solution. Amazon Prime memberships cost $14.99 per month, or $139 annually. However, new Prime subscribers receive a 30-day free trial of the shipping and streaming service — free on top of free!

To get started, simply navigate to the Max (or bundle) page on Amazon Prime Video, select the option to begin your free trial, and follow the prompts to add Max to your Prime Video Channels. Remember, after the 7-day trial period, the subscription will automatically renew at the standard monthly rate unless you cancel before the trial ends.

Unlike other trial periods on this list, which usually go toward the basic ad-supported Max plan, Amazon Prime's partnership gives users a free trial to Max Standard. That means ads only appear during sports and live events — and that it will renew at $16.99 per month instead of Basic's $9.99 fee.

2. Get a Cricket Wireless Plan

Fans of Cricket Wireless already know about the service's affordability and flexibility, given the prepaid mobile service provider's contract-free approach to business. But did you know you can also enjoy an extended free Max subscription? If you're on Cricket's $60/month unlimited plan (or are willing to switch to it), Max's ad-supported plan is included at no extra cost.

To sign up, make sure you're on the qualifying plan. Then, download the Max app; instead of subscribing or signing in, you should see a button that enables you to "Connect With Provider." Click that button and select Cricket Wireless from the list of providers. Sign in using your Cricket Wireless credentials, and you should be good to go! We love the seamless integration and easy activation for such a cost-saving add-on.

Interestingly, Cricket's parent company is AT&T (yay). Since AT&T ended the Max free trial partnership for its fiber internet customers in 2022 and terminated the same offer for DirecTV subscribers in February 2025, you might want to hop on this deal ASAP before it too disappears.

3. Hold Onto Your AT&T Unlimited Elite Plan

Hold on, this one gets a little convoluted. AT&T used to own WarnerMedia, the entertainment studio that owns Warner Bros. and HBO — and, by extension, Max. In 2022, AT&T sold WarnerMedia to Discovery and merged the two media giants.

Since it no longer has a stake in the success of Max, AT&T has been phasing out its free trial offers. Although the list of plans eligible for a free Max subscription is long, none of the offerings are currently available.

Because the older plans have been grandfathered into the Max subscription, you might still be able to activate a cost-free subscription. Download the Max app; instead of subscribing or signing in, look for the option to "Connect With Provider." Click that button and select AT&T from the list of providers. Sign in using your AT&T credentials, and cross your fingers.

TL;DR: If you have an old AT&T unlimited wireless plan and enjoy your free version of Max, for God's sake, don't get rid of that plan! If you must, keep one line on the Unlimited Elite service for free Max and upgrade your other lines to the current offerings.

4. Buy a Verizon Home Internet Plan

While AT&T moves away from home internet services and bundles, Verizon is diving in head first with a special promotion that unlocks both Netflix and Max. For free. For 12 months. Yep, you read that right.

Simply sign up for a select home internet plan, including 5G Home Plus, LTE Home Plus, and Fios 1 Gig or 2 Gig and activate your perk. After the initial year, the bundle continues at a rate of $10 per month unless canceled, providing a savings of roughly $7 per month.

5. Add Max to Your YouTube TV

YouTube TV subscribers can add Max as an optional channel and take advantage of a seven-day free trial before committing to a full subscription. To start, go to your YouTube TV account settings, navigate to the "Add-ons" section, and select Max. Once the trial ends, the subscription will automatically renew at the standard (read: ad-free) monthly rate of $16.99 unless canceled beforehand.

6. Subscribe to DoorDash

Want someone to bring the popcorn to you as you settle in on the couch to enjoy your Max free trial? Kill two birds with one stone by signing up for DoorDash's annual plan membership, called DashPass. Pairing DashPass and Max actually gives you two discounts: the DashPass membership rate falls to $8/month instead of $9.99, and the ad-supported Max plan is completely free.

For $96 per year, DashPass provides other benefits like $0 delivery fees, making the full package worth a combined value of $240 annually. To activate this benefit, sign up for the DashPass Annual Plan, then navigate to your account settings to link your Max subscription. If you prefer an ad-free viewing experience, you can upgrade to Max Ad-Free for an additional $10.99 per month.

7. Watch Episodes for Free on Max

OK, this one sounds good in theory, right? Don't get too excited, though, we didn't find some special loophole.

Max lets prospective subscribers watch the first episode of its most popular series without any account or payment information required. The free collection covers immensely popular shows like House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Dune: Prophecy, Succession, Euphoria, and The White Lotus

The free episodes give users a great way to see what the pop-culture sensations are all about. But, if you get hooked, you'll have to explore the other options on this list or subscribe to catch the rest of the action.

Other Ways to Save on Max in 2025

The cheapest way to get Max without a free trial is going to be by taking advantage of promotions offered with other services.

We know it's not quite the free trial experience you were hoping for, but streaming bundles can help your money stretch further — especially if you're already a customer or fan of the other products. These packages double or triple the amount of available shows and movies for not much more than paying for Max on its own.

SEE ALSO: What Deal Seekers Should Know About HBO MAX's Subscription Costs This Year

HBO has offered various free trials of the streaming platform now known as Max since its launch in 2020. Predictably, the longest and most accessible trials came about when the service was just getting started. As the brand became more established, the availability of free trials slowly dwindled.

Fourteen-day free trials were common in 2020, but most were reduced to just seven days by 2021. Since then, trial periods often appear only as limited-time promotions or through partnerships, such as Amazon Prime. This trend reflects a shift toward incentivizing subscriptions rather than offering widespread, no-strings-attached access.

Comparing This Year's Streaming Alternatives

How Do You Qualify for a Free Trial?

Most Max offers are going to apply for new users only. But you may luck into opportunities where a returning customer can be able to take advantage of a special promotion. Ultimately, if you're trying to take advantage of a free trial offer, it's best to read the fine print.

Expect to provide your billing information and a payment method when signing up for a Max trial. Be sure to remember when your trial ends, as that's when you'll be automatically charged for the next month. If you signed up through another service or bundle, you'll be charged via whatever payment method is on file there.

If you aren't planning to stick with Max, cancel your plan a few days beforehand.

What Plans Does Max Offer?

There are quite a few options to entice viewers interested in the Max streaming service. If you want a bundle, you can opt for Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max with ads for $16.99 per month; if you prefer no ads (or at least, very limited ads) then you can spring for the higher-priced tier for $29.99 per month.

However, if you only want Max, you have three options for going direct to the source. First, there's the Max Basic With Ads plan for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. If you want Max Standard, which is ad free and comes with 30 downloads to watch on the go, then that'll cost you $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year. Finally, if you want the Max Premium plan, that'll cost you $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year.

In all cases, you'll save 17% by opting for the yearly plan over paying month to month.

The differences among the plans aren't lengthy or significant for the most part. For instance, the ad-supported plan allows users to stream on two devices at once and enjoy full HD video resolution. Upgrade to the middle-tier ad-free plan, and you'll also be able to watch on the go with 30 downloads. If you spring for the Premium plan, you can stream on four devices at once, view in 4K Ultra HD quality, listen in Dolby Atmos audio, and enjoy 100 downloads to watch on the go.

What Can You Watch on Max?

There's a plethora of programming to watch on Max, as the platform includes HBO series and movies, Max Originals, and select series from the likes of Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and the DC Universe. And, thanks to the partnership with Discovery Plus, viewers can get their fix of programming from HGTV, The Food Network, TLC, Discovery, and other networks.

Max has a packed lineup of must-watch originals debuting in 2025, featuring a mix of returning hits and new series. Fans of prestige TV can dive back into The White Lotus, which heads to Thailand for its highly anticipated third season. The Last of Us continues its gripping post-apocalyptic journey with season two later this year.

Comedy remains a big strength for Max, with Hacks and The Righteous Gemstones returning for more in 2025, as well. Meanwhile, And Just Like That… keeps the Sex and the City world going, following Carrie and her friends through the latest chapter of their lives.

The upcoming documentary Pee-Wee, As Himself offers an intimate look at the life and legacy of Paul Reubens, celebrating his impact on pop culture. Conan O'Brien Must Go also returns for a second season, taking the late-night host on another round of adventures. With this strong mix of new and returning originals, Max is sure to dominate the streaming scene in 2025.

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