Claude Code pricing 2026
Claude Code pricing comes from Anthropic's Claude plans or its API. Claude Code is included with Pro ($20 a month, or $17 billed yearly), Max ($100) and Ultra ($200), and with Team and Enterprise seats, but not with the Free plan. On the API, through a Claude Console account, you pay per token instead; Anthropic says enterprise deployments average about $13 per developer per active day.
Claude Code pricing at a glance
Checked
- Paid plans start at
- $20/moPro
- Free plan
- Yes, Free
- 8 plans
- Free · Pro · Max · Ultra · Team, standard seat · Team, premium seat · Enterprise · API (Claude Console)
US dollars before tax, at the time of writing. Checked against the sources listed below.
Claude Code plans and prices
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Claude apps with limited usage every 5 hours and every week; Claude Code not included |
| Pro | $20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly ($200 up front) | Claude Code included; more usage than Free, every 5 hours and every week |
| Max | $100 a month | 5x Pro usage every 5 hours and every week; $100 a month in API credits for the Claude Platform; priority access at high traffic times |
| Ultra | $200 a month | 10x Pro usage every week; no 5-hour limit for verified accounts; $200 a month in API credits |
| Team, standard seat | $25 a seat a month, or $20 billed yearly | For 2 to 150 people; Claude Code included |
| Team, premium seat | $125 a seat a month, or $100 billed yearly | 5x the usage of a standard seat; Claude Code included |
| Enterprise | $20 a seat a month billed yearly, plus usage at API rates | 20 seat minimum; Claude Code included |
| API (Claude Console) | Pay per token | Billed by API token use at Claude API prices; no subscription needed |
Claude Code free tier limits
No free tier for Claude Code: the Free Claude plan does not include it. Pro, from $17 a month billed yearly, is the cheapest plan that does.
| Limit | Free tier |
|---|---|
| Claude Code on the Free plan | Not included |
| Free plan usage (Claude apps) | Limited usage every 5 hours and every week |
| API trial | New API users get a small amount of free credit to test the API |
| Cheapest plan with Claude Code | Pro, $20 a month or $17 a month billed yearly |
What happens at the limit
On Pro and Max, usage resets five hours after your first message and again each week. You can turn on usage credits or move to API billing instead of waiting.
Students
No individual student price is listed. Anthropic's Education plan covers whole universities, including students, at discounted rates through sales.
Free tier limits checked on against Claude pricing, Claude API pricing, How usage and length limits work.
What decides your Claude Code bill
- Paid plans have two limits: a session limit that resets five hours after your first message, and a weekly limit that resets at a fixed time assigned to your account.
- Claude, Claude Desktop and Claude Code all count toward the same usage limit. How fast you reach it depends on the model, the length of the chat and the size of the files.
- At the limit you can upgrade, turn on usage credits, switch to a Claude Console account and buy API credits, or wait for the reset.
- If the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable is set, Claude Code uses it and bills the API instead of your subscription's included usage.
- On the API, Anthropic's docs put the average at about $13 per developer per active day and $150 to $250 per developer a month across enterprise deployments, with 90% of users below $30 per active day.
FAQ
Is Claude Code free?
No. Anthropic's pricing page marks Claude Code as not included on the Free plan. The cheapest way in is Claude Pro at $20 a month ($17 billed yearly), or pay per token through a Claude Console account.
Which Claude plan should I pick for Claude Code?
Pro suits occasional use. Max gives 5x Pro usage for $100 a month, and Ultra gives 10x Pro usage every week with no 5-hour limit for verified accounts, for $200 a month. All of them share one limit across Claude and Claude Code.
How much does Claude Code cost on the API?
You pay Claude API token prices. Anthropic's Claude Code docs say enterprise deployments average about $13 per developer per active day and $150 to $250 per developer a month. See Claude API pricing for the per-token rates.
Is there a student discount for Claude Code?
Anthropic does not list an individual student price. It offers an Education plan for whole universities, covering students, faculty and staff at discounted rates, with pricing through sales.
Upcoming and beta tools in this space
Not launched yet, listed on TeaserTrack. Early access, waitlists and launch dates are on each tool page.
Sources, checked November 1, 2026
Prices and plans change often. If something here is out of date, tell us through the contact page.