Apple TV Plus or Max? When it comes to the best streaming services in the US, Netflix and Prime Video rule the roost: together the services account for nearly half of all streaming, which means that Apple is in the unusual position of being the underdog in this market.
Apple TV Plus has less than half the market share of either streaming giant. But what it lacks in numbers it more than makes up for in terms of its reputation: for those in the know, Apple TV Plus has a reputation for making very high quality shows and some pretty good movies too. It's also pretty terrible at marketing them to the wider world, which perhaps explains why its market share is still relatively small.
But of course Apple isn't the only quality streamer out there. For years, HBO was the network to go to for premium TV – and today's rebranded service, now known as Max, is packed with premium shows including The Penguin, The Last of Us and many more. It also has a massive movie library that features some of the latest blockbusters and, just in time for spooky season, absolutely tons of classic horrors ranging from Gremlins and Corpse Bride to Salem's Lot and the Elm Street movies.
You might think that with HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery in its corner, Max is the better option but it's not as easy as that. If you had to choose just one to sign up to, then read our Apple TV Plus vs Max guide below, which compares each service's pricing, content, features and design.
Apple TV Plus vs Max: Price and plans
Apple TV Plus has a single, ad-free tier, which is $9.99 per month – although rumours say Apple is also considering launching a more affordable ad-supported tier soon. You can get it as a bundle with Apple Music and other Apple services via Apple One, which starts at $19.95 per month. You can also get three months free with the purchase of new Apple hardware such as iPhones, iPads or Macs provided you haven't previously subscribed.
That's not much different to Max, with its ad-free tier costing the same as an Apple TV Plus subscription. For more information about how much Apple TV Plus costs and how to sign up, read our guide, which also discusses previous price hikes like Apple TV Plus' most recent increase in October 2023.
Apple isn't alone in hiking its prices here: Max brought in a surprise price rise in summer 2024, just before the premiere of House of the Dragon season 2.
Max is a little more complex than Apple TV Plus when it comes to pricing and plans. There are three standard plans: With Ads, for $9.99 per month; Ad-free, for $16.99 per month; and Ultimate Ad-Free, for $20.99 per month.
Max is also available in a bundle with Disney Plus and Hulu. That's currently $16.99 per month with ads and $29.99 without. The bundle combines content from Disney, ABC, CNN, DC, FX, HBO, Marvel, Pixar, Searchlight, Star Wars, Warner Bros. and more.
As for other deals, Apple TV Plus is free to students who have the Apple Music Student Plan, while Max offers student discounts of 50% on the With Ads plan.
Apple TV Plus vs Max: What can you watch?
For details of what's worth watching on Netflix right now, check out our guides to the best Apple TV Plus movies and the best Apple TV Plus shows.
Both streamers have a reputation for high quality content. Apple has one of the smallest selections of any mainstream streamer but consistently knocks it out of the park with shows such as spy thriller Slow Horses, oddball office drama Severance, sci-fi epic Silo and dark comedies such as Shrinking (returning this month) and the hugely entertaining, Vince Vaughn-starring crime caper Bad Monkey. Apple has also been dipping its toes into movies, most recently the George Clooney and Brad Pitt action comedy Wolfs.
Check out our guides to the best Max shows, the best Max movies and the best new Max movies.
Max has a much larger selection of shows and movies: its October 2024 additions are packed with big-name movies including It, Dune, Doctor Sleep, the Nightmare on Elm Street movies and dozens more. And it's also the home of huge hit shows including The Penguin, Succession, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, The Sopranos, The White Lotus and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Max has a lot of sports coverage available as an add-on via B/R Sports: NBA, NHL, NCAA March Madness, MLB, US Soccer, Cycling and more. That's usually $9.99 per month but it's currently on a free promotional deal. Meanwhile, Apple TV has Friday Night Baseball and Major League Soccer, again at additional cost: usually $14.99 per month but currently free to subscribers until 2025.
Both streamers add new content every month but Apple's much smaller catalog means it adds considerably fewer new shows: in October 2024 it's adding six new shows, while Max announced the addition of new 121 shows and movies.
Apple likes to take it easy with shows: new episodes are released weekly – typically Wednesdays and Fridays – rather than dropped all at once. Max prefers the all you can eat option, and typically drops around half of its new content on the 1st of each month.
How often do Apple TV Plus and Max refresh content?
Apple TV Plus vs Max: Features
Apple TV Plus streams everything in up to 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos. You can share your subscription with up to five people via Family Sharing, and there's no geographical limit as there is with Netflix or Disney Plus's account sharing. On iPhone, iPad and Mac you can usually download as many shows and movies as you like provided you watch them within 30 days.
Max only streams in 1080p unless you take out the Ultimate Ad-Free plan. That gives you 4K, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and HDR10, and it enables you to download up to 100 titles for offline watching.
Although Apple TV Plus is currently ad-free, it may not stay that way. Earlier this year, it emerged that Apple has hired some key TV advertising executives and appears to be putting everything in place to bring advertising to its streaming service. What we don't know yet is whether that's to bring in a new, cheaper subscription plan or if Apple will follow in Amazon's footsteps, introduce ads to the existing plan and then charge extra to take them out again.
Apple TV Plus vs Max: Design
There aren't any big surprises with the design of the two services: they both follow the template largely established by Netflix. Both services are very easy to browse and to search, and do a good job of helping you find new things to watch based on your viewing history. Max's interface was lagging a bit behind the rest of the streaming pack when it came to finding interesting things you might like, but Max introduced a big refresh in August 2024 that delivered vastly improved personalization and recommendations.
If you have Apple hardware, Apple integrates very well with it: you can easily set up shared viewing sessions with your fellow Apple TV subscribers over iPhones, iPads and Macs, and as you'd expect it feels very much at home on the Apple TV 4K set-top-box.
Both services' apps are available on a wide range of smart TVs, gaming consoles and TV streaming devices, and on both iOS and Android phones and tablets.
Apple TV Plus vs Max: Verdict
In terms of sheer breadth, Apple can't hold a candle to Max's massive library. But we'd argue that Apple's catalog consistently puts quality over quantity; it's the home of some of our very favorite shows, many of which are breathtakingly beautiful, and when we're recommending shows to others it tends to be Apple shows we're praising.
Financially speaking, Apple TV is the more affordable option. It's ad-free for all viewers and it's considerably cheaper: to get the same sound and video quality that all Apple TV Plus viewers get, Max charges twice the price.
As always, though, what really matters is what you want to watch. And if you're planning to binge on horror through the spooky season, Max is the place to go. So this month, we're going to recommend Max. Right now, its catalog is horribly good.
Ready to switch streaming services? Here's how to to get the Apple TV Plus app on iOS and Android, how to get Apple TV Plus on Amazon Fire Stick and how to get Apple TV Plus on your Google Chromecast – consider signing up for a free trial. Alternatively, check if you can still get a Max free trial anymore.
