Pricing explained

Claude Code pricing explained

Claude Code comes with paid Claude plans and shares their usage limits. Past those limits you wait, upgrade, or pay API rates through usage credits.

From Claude Code's official pricing page and docs, each checked Nov 3, 2026. Not hands-on testing. Full Claude Code review.

What uses credits

  • Claude Code and Claude chat share one set of limits on Pro, Max and Ultra. Source
  • Pro and Max have a rolling 5-hour limit plus a weekly limit. Ultra has a weekly limit only. Max and Ultra also have a separate weekly limit for Fable. Source
  • If the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable is set, Claude Code bills the API instead of your plan. Source

Where to see your usage

  • Settings, then Usage, shows progress bars for your session and weekly limits. Source
  • If you hit the 5-hour limit mid-response, Claude Code shows "Usage limit reached · wrapping up" and finishes the step in progress. That small allowance counts toward your weekly limit. Source

How to cap spend

  • Usage credits only apply after you enable them. You set a monthly spend limit for them, or choose unlimited. Source
  • You can prepay with Add funds, and turn auto-reload and usage alerts on or off. Source
  • Usage credits are billed at standard API rates. Source

What the plan price does not cover

  • API usage through Console is billed separately from the plan. Source
  • The $100 or $200 monthly API credits on Max and Ultra do not pay for Claude Code usage credits. Source
  • Claude Code is not on the Free plan. Source

What Claude Code costs, plan by plan

Free

Price
$0
What's included
Claude Code not included
Usage unit
Not published
When limits reset
Not published
Past the limit
Not published
Can you cap spend?
Not published

Pro

Price
$20/mo ($17/mo billed annually)
What's included
Claude Code and Claude chat, shared limits
Usage unit
Usage limits shared with Claude chat, measured per session and per week (no fixed message count)
When limits reset
Pro and Max: a rolling 5-hour session limit plus a weekly limit. Ultra: weekly limit only, with no 5-hour limit for verified accounts.
Past the limit
Wait for the reset, upgrade, turn on usage credits billed at standard API rates, or switch to a Console (API) account.
Can you cap spend?
Yes, for usage credits: set a monthly spend limit in Settings > Usage, or prepay with auto-reload off.

Max

Price
$100/mo
What's included
5x Pro usage (5-hour and weekly); $100 monthly API credits
Usage unit
Usage limits shared with Claude chat, measured per session and per week (no fixed message count)
When limits reset
Pro and Max: a rolling 5-hour session limit plus a weekly limit. Ultra: weekly limit only, with no 5-hour limit for verified accounts.
Past the limit
Wait for the reset, upgrade, turn on usage credits billed at standard API rates, or switch to a Console (API) account.
Can you cap spend?
Yes, for usage credits: set a monthly spend limit in Settings > Usage, or prepay with auto-reload off.

Ultra

Price
$200/mo
What's included
10x Pro weekly usage; $200 monthly API credits
Usage unit
Usage limits shared with Claude chat, measured per session and per week (no fixed message count)
When limits reset
Weekly only (no 5-hour limit for verified accounts)
Past the limit
Wait for the reset, upgrade, turn on usage credits billed at standard API rates, or switch to a Console (API) account.
Can you cap spend?
Yes, for usage credits: set a monthly spend limit in Settings > Usage, or prepay with auto-reload off.

Not in the plan price

  • API usage is billed separately
  • The $100 or $200 monthly API credits on Max and Ultra do not pay for Claude Code usage credits

Sources: Claude Code: official pricing page (checked 2026-11-03); Claude help: Use Claude Code with your Pro, Max, or Ultra plan (checked 2026-11-03); Claude help: Manage usage credits for paid Claude plans (checked 2026-11-03). "Not published" means we did not find that value on these official pages. Plans change, so confirm before you buy.

Claude Code pricing questions

What uses credits in Claude Code?

Claude Code and Claude chat share one set of limits on Pro, Max and Ultra. Pro and Max have a rolling 5-hour limit plus a weekly limit. Ultra has a weekly limit only. Max and Ultra also have a separate weekly limit for Fable. If the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable is set, Claude Code bills the API instead of your plan.

Source: Claude: pricing and FAQ; Claude help: Use Claude Code with your Pro, Max, or Ultra plan (checked 2026-11-03)

Where do I see my Claude Code usage?

Settings, then Usage, shows progress bars for your session and weekly limits. If you hit the 5-hour limit mid-response, Claude Code shows "Usage limit reached · wrapping up" and finishes the step in progress. That small allowance counts toward your weekly limit.

Source: Claude: pricing and FAQ; Claude help: Use Claude Code with your Pro, Max, or Ultra plan (checked 2026-11-03)

Can I cap my Claude Code spending?

Usage credits only apply after you enable them. You set a monthly spend limit for them, or choose unlimited. You can prepay with Add funds, and turn auto-reload and usage alerts on or off. Usage credits are billed at standard API rates.

Source: Claude help: Manage usage credits for paid Claude plans (checked 2026-11-03)

What is not included in Claude Code plans?

API usage through Console is billed separately from the plan. The $100 or $200 monthly API credits on Max and Ultra do not pay for Claude Code usage credits. Claude Code is not on the Free plan.

Source: Claude: pricing and FAQ; Claude help: Manage usage credits for paid Claude plans (checked 2026-11-03)