Software · head to head
HBO Max vs Hulu
HBO Max
Software
Stream iconic series, movies, and Max Originals
- From
- $9.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: HBO Max three subscription tiers: Basic With Ads at 10.99 USD/month, Standard at 18.49 USD/month, Premium at 22.99 USD/month; Hulu the App Store listing states Hulu offers three plans, Hulu with Ads, Hulu No Ads, and Hulu plus Live TV, and caps simultaneous streaming at two screens at once while allowing up to six profiles per account, without stating any plan price in the visible description.
- They diverge on capability: HBO Max covers Streaming, Hulu covers On-demand streaming.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which HBO Max and Hulu actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in HBO Max
- Streaming
- Profiles
- HBO content
- Max Originals
- Profile locks
- PIN protection
Only in Hulu
- On-demand streaming
- Live TV
- Cloud DVR
- Current episodes
- Profile PINs
- Account security
Both cover
- Downloads
- Smart TVs
- Gaming consoles
- Mobile devices
- Parental controls
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
- Smart-tv support
- Gaming-consoles support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
HBO Max
- Premium streamingnot Hulu
- HBO contentnot Hulu
- Original seriesnot Hulu
Hulu
- TV streamingnot HBO Max
- Live TVnot HBO Max
- Next-day episodesnot HBO Max
- Sportsnot HBO Max
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
HBO Max
- Three subscription tiers: Basic With Ads at 10.99 USD/month, Standard at 18.49 USD/month, Premium at 22.99 USD/month
- The cheapest tier is ad supported; ad-free viewing requires the Standard tier or above
Hulu
- The App Store listing states Hulu offers three plans, Hulu with Ads, Hulu No Ads, and Hulu plus Live TV, and caps simultaneous streaming at two screens at once while allowing up to six profiles per account, without stating any plan price in the visible description.
- The App Store listing states premium network add-ons such as MAX, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, and STARZ are each available only for an additional monthly fee on top of a Hulu plan.
Pricing, plan by plan
HBO Max
$9.99/month- With Ads$9.99/month
- Full HD
- Ad-supported
- 2 devices
- Ad-Free$15.99/month
- Full HD
- Ad-free
- 2 devices
- Ultimate Ad-Free$19.99/month
- 4K UHD
- Dolby Atmos
- 4 devices
Hulu
$7.99/month- Hulu (With Ads)$7.99/month
- Full library
- Ad-supported
- Hulu (No Ads)$17.99/month
- Full library
- Ad-free
- Downloads
- Hulu + Live TV$76.99/month
- Live TV
- On-demand
- Cloud DVR
Which should you pick?
Choose HBO Max if
- You need streaming.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles.
- You also want profiles.
Choose Hulu if
- You need on-demand streaming.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles.
- You also want live tv.
Questions people ask
- Is HBO Max or Hulu better?
- Neither clearly leads. HBO Max starts at $9.99/month and Hulu at $7.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, HBO Max or Hulu?
- HBO Max starts at $9.99/month and Hulu at $7.99/month.
- Does HBO Max or Hulu run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Gaming-consoles, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is HBO Max best used for?
- HBO Max is most often used for premium streaming, hbo content, original series. Of those, premium streaming and hbo content are not what Hulu is typically brought in for.
- What can HBO Max do that Hulu cannot?
- HBO Max covers Streaming, Profiles, HBO content, Max Originals. Hulu covers On-demand streaming, Live TV, Cloud DVR, Current episodes. Both handle Downloads, Smart TVs, Gaming consoles, Mobile devices.