Max is joining the lineup of streaming platforms limiting users sharing a single subscription to those in the same household—unless you pay $7.99 per month for an “extra member” add-on.
Adding an extra member to an existing streaming plan costs a little bit less than purchasing a new, separate subscription, though these users are limited to one profile and one supported device at a time. The best value for extra members typically comes with the most expensive plans. On Max, that’s Premium, which costs $20.99 per month.
How Max’s “extra member” option stacks up
Max subscribers on any plan (except Disney+/Hulu/Max bundles) can add one extra member at $7.99 per month if the plan is billed directly through WarnerMedia. Those who pay through third-party apps and mobile and TV providers are ineligible. Extra members get their own account login but only one profile and streaming via one device at a time. Extra members also have to be 18 and in the same country as the primary subscriber.
As noted, the best deal is on Max’s $20.99-per-month Premium plan and a decent one on Standard, which costs $16.99 per month. An entire Basic with Ads subscription at $9.99 per month is barely more than an extra member, especially if you buy a whole year upfront for $100. Plus, as 9to5Mac notes , Max often runs promos that bring subscriptions down to $2.99 per month.
Other streamers with “extra member” plans
Max isn’t the only streamer cracking down on password sharing with extra member pricing. Netflix allows users on its Standard plan to add one member outside the account holder’s household—two for those on a Premium subscription—at $6.99 per extra member per month with ads and $8.99 per extra member per month without. Netflix charges $7.99 per month for its Standard plan with ads, $17.99 per month for ad-free, and $24.99 per month for Premium subscriptions.
Disney+ subscribers can also add one extra member to any Disney+ plan billed directly by Disney+ as well as bundles billed by Disney+ or Hulu. (Hulu + Live TV plans are excluded.) Fees range from $6.99 per extra member per month on Disney+ Basic to $14.99 per extra member per month for the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ Premium bundle. The same standalone plans cost $9.99 per month and $26.99 per month, respectively.
