Claude pricing & plans
Claude offers 4 fixed-price plans we track. Each is scored by Value× — the API-equivalent compute it unlocks per dollar — so you can see which Claude plan stretches your budget furthest.
Key facts
- Claude's paid plans run from Pro at $20/mo to Max 20x at $200/mo (as of August 28, 2026).
- Best value: Max 20x at $200/mo unlocks an estimated $1.1k/mo of API-equivalent usage — a Value× of 5.5×.
- Claude has a free plan (Free — Try Claude at no cost).
- Claude plans include access to Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Fable 5, Claude Opus 5.
| Plan | Price/mo | Est. value/mo | Value× | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max 20x | $200 | $1.1k | 5.5× | See plan → |
| Max 5x | $100 | $520 | 5.2× | See plan → |
| Pro | $20 | $90 | 4.5× | See plan → |
| Free | Free | $5 | — | See plan → |
About Claude pricing
Consumer plans (Free, Pro, Max 5x, Max 20x). Claude Code and Cowork are included on paid tiers (Pro and above), not on Free. Sonnet 5 added (intro $2/$10 per M in/out through Aug 31, 2026; $3/$15 thereafter). Fable 5 moved to usage-credits billing ($10/$50 per M in/out) outside standard subscription limits as of July 7, 2026. Usage is metered via a rolling 5-hour session window plus a weekly usage limit (Pro: one all-model weekly cap; Max: two weekly caps, one across all models and one for Sonnet only). Usage across claude.ai, Claude Code and Claude Desktop all counts toward the same limit. The live pricing page states 'Usage limits apply' but does not publish exact prompt/token counts. Context window is 200K tokens across all models on Free and paid consumer plans (only some Enterprise models get 500K). Gotcha: Anthropic tightened limits over 2025-2026 — reduced 5-hour limits during weekday peak hours (~5-11 AM PT) starting March 2026, and acknowledged on 2026-03-31 that users are hitting Claude Code limits 'way faster than expected' (called it the team's top priority). The weekly cap is described as a limit on active compute hours shared across Claude Code, claude.ai and Cowork. Pro/Max subscribers can also enable pay-as-you-go usage credits to continue past included limits. Live prices re-verified 2026-08-05 (claude.com/pricing): Free $0, Pro $20/mo ($17/mo annual, $200 up front), Max 'From $100' (5x $100 / 20x $200). Anthropic has no public affiliate/referral program. Re-verified 2026-08-28 on claude.com/pricing: Pro $20/mo ($17/mo annual, $200/yr), Max 5x $100/mo and Max 20x $200/mo (help center states Max is monthly-only even though the payment-options table lists monthly+annual). Team seats: Standard $25/mo ($30/seat annual?) — live page shows Team Standard $25 monthly / discounted annual, Team Premium $125 monthly per seat. Enterprise: $20/seat + usage at API rates. Current model lineup: Fable 5, Opus 5, Sonnet 5, Haiku 4.5.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Claude cost per month?
As of August 28, 2026, Claude's cheapest paid plan is Pro at $20/mo, with 3 more plans above it.
What is the best-value Claude plan?
Max 20x at $200/mo delivers the most value per dollar: an estimated $1.1k/mo of API-equivalent usage, a Value× of 5.5× (as of August 28, 2026).
Does Claude have a free plan?
Yes — Claude's Free plan is free, though usage is limited compared to paid plans (as of August 28, 2026).
Which models are included in Claude plans?
Claude plans include access to Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Fable 5, Claude Opus 5, Claude Sonnet 5, among others (as of August 28, 2026).
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