HBO Max vs STARZ: which is better? Comparison 2026
By our public methodology HBO Max scores 63 out of 100 and STARZ scores 57. Below: the factors and facts where they differ, each fact with its source.
Score breakdown
| HBO Max | STARZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 49 | 49 |
| Viewing | 67 | 50 |
| Flexibility | 50 | 50 |
| Reputation | 94 | 85 |
Pros and cons
HBO Max
- Highly rated on the App Store
- 4K is available
- Has a cheaper plan with ads
- Titles can be downloaded to watch offline
STARZ
- Highly rated on the App Store
- Several people can watch at the same time
- Titles can be downloaded to watch offline
- No cheaper plan with ads
Facts side by side
| Fact | HBO Max | STARZ |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan without ads, per month (US) | $18.49 hbomax.com | $11.99 starz.com |
| Cheaper plan with ads | Yes hbomax.com | No starz.com |
| Plan with ads, per month (US) | $10.99 hbomax.com | Not verified |
| 4K on at least one plan | Yes hbomax.com | Not verified |
| Streams at once (cheapest plan without ads) | 2 hbomax.com | 4 starz.com |
| Offline downloads | Yes hbomax.com | Yes starz.com |
| App Store rating | 4.9★ itunes.apple.com | 4.8★ itunes.apple.com |
| App Store ratings | 5,838,565 itunes.apple.com | 331,733 itunes.apple.com |
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