How to Get a Free HBO Max account

May 30, 2022

If someone were to ask you your top 10 favourite shows to watch, what would you say? The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Wire, Chernobyl, Sex and the City? If you’re anything like the users on IMDb, the chances are you would, with 5 HBO shows in their top 20 TV shows of all time.

From its humble beginnings back in 1972, HBO virtually single-handedly spearheaded the revolution in TV show quality in the 90s and 2000s. However, in the last 10 years, they’ve somewhat been overtaken due to the rise of streaming services like Netflix.

However, refusing to allow the Netflix revolution to pass them by, HBO have launched their own streaming service.

HBO Max

Launched in May 2020, HBO Max now has over 43 million subscribers in the US. Although the quantity of content to watch doesn’t match up to most of its competitors, the sheer quality of content certainly does.

HBO Max + Warner Bros Movies

And what’s even more of a draw for subscribers is the fact that HBO’s parent company is WarnerMedia, meaning subscribers get to watch Warner movies at the same time as they’re released in theaters, including hit movies such as the Suicide Squad (2021), Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) and the upcoming Matrix 4.

And subscribers also get to watch Max Originals, the company’s own original content, with new Max Originals episodes dropped weekly, as well as comedy specials from the Comedy Network.

HBO Premium Accounts

However, HBO Max did not have the same kind of uptake of new users as Disney+, which was launched the same year. This may have had something to do with the pricing.

Whereas you can get Disney+ for just $7.99 a month, HBO Max launched at the high price of $14.99 a month. As a result, HBO Max introduced a two-tier system a month after launch.

HBO Max Premium Accounts vs Non-Premium

Still keeping the $14.99 a month premium accounts, HBO in June 2020 also introduced non-premium accounts at a lower price of just $9.99 a month.

With the non-HBO premium accounts, you get all the premium features, including parental controls and the same high-quality HBO content. However, with the nonpremium accounts, you also get ad breaks.

HBO Max is not the only streaming platform to follow this model. In our previous article, we saw that if you have a Hulu account subscription, there is also an ad version, however, they charge just $5.99 for this option.

Fewer Ads

The good news is that you should see a lot fewer ads on the HBO Max ad version, around 5 minutes of ads per hour as opposed to up to 10 minutes per hour on Hulu.

But of course, most people prefer not having to sit through ads, therefore that $5 a month extra for the subscription to HBO Max premium accounts may seem worth it.

Now we’ve seen a run-through of exactly what’s on offer with HBO Max accounts, let’s delve into how exactly you can get free HBO accounts right now.

The 3 Best Ways to Get Free HBO Max

1. Free Trial

Max did offer 7-day free trials for the first 6 months or so after launch. However, in December 2020, those regular free trials were discontinued. The good news is that it is still possible to get access to a 7-day free trial, which we’ll look at in just a bit.

But for now, there is a way to still enjoy a free trial for up to a year. But when we say ‘free’ that does include a catch…

AT&T TV

Since AT&T is the parent company of WarnerMedia, having a premium account with AT&T you’ll also be able to add HBO Max for free.

AT&T offers a cable TV plan with over 90 live TV channels plus a wide range of on-demand titles. But, it offers a whole 1-year free trial to Max.

AT&T TV Plan Pricing

The downside though is that it’s going to cost you $84.99 a month. But, if you’re looking for a cable subscription on top of receiving Max free for a year, it’s not a bad deal.

To access Max once you’ve signed up for this plan, you just need to put your AT&T login credentials into the HBO Max app on any compatible device and you’re good to go.

But, we’ve got some even better news for you. With other AT&T plans you get not just a 1-year free trial, but unlimited free HBO Max.

2. Free HBO Premium Accounts with AT&T

The first option for getting unlimited Max for free is to sign up to AT&T’s Unlimited Elite phone plan. The pricing is $50 a month but only when you sign up for 4 lines, which comes to a whopping $200 a month.

Thankfully, there’s a cheaper option at only $60 a month excluding taxes. This is for their Fiber Internet 1000 plan. Chances are though, you’re looking for a better deal. Luckily that exists.

3. HBO Shared Accounts

To share HBO accounts, all you need to do is find a family member, friend, acquaintance, or neighbor who already has an HBO account and arrange with them to share their username and password.

If they’re a family member or good friend, you may be lucky and get a free HBO account. But probably you’ll have to organize some payment sharing options.

The good thing is that you can watch on up to 3 devices at any one time, which means you can split the cost 3 ways, bringing that $14.99 a month for HBO premium accounts down to just under $5 a month.

Sharing Username and Password

But sharing a username and password, as well as making sure you set up payment every month, can be quite a headache.

If you’d prefer to use an easy-to-use, secure app on your phone or tablet, without ever needing to share a username or password or organize payments manually, and get a premium account then there’s a better option.

4. OneChannel

OneChannel is an app you can download onto supported devices, including Android phones or tablets, or iOS version. The app automatically matches you up with other users looking to share an HBO account, so you don’t need to contact them or organize payments.

The OneChannel app stores and manages login information to HBO accounts. When you log into the HBO Max app, all the login credentials are automatically filled in via the auto-fill function, with built-in encryption software ensuring your account is always 100% secure.

Free HBO Premium Accounts

What’s even better, you can enjoy totally free HBO premium accounts with a 7-day free trial. And you don’t need to worry about being charged after the free HBO account trial period is over, since you’re not required to add payment information when you sign up.

If you do choose to sign up, then you can enjoy massive savings every month. To access your very own HBO Max premium account, you pay just $6 a month, a saving of just under $9.

Even More Savings

With one channel, you can access up to 5 streaming services: Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, plus an HBO Max premium account, and save over $45 a month.

You can download the OneChannel app from Google Play or the App Store to start watching your favorite movies and addictive series, like Game of Thrones, right now.