# Is the Claude API free? The starter credit, plan credits and real prices

> The API is billed per token, but new accounts get a small test credit and Max, Ultra and Team plans include monthly API credits that skip interactive Claude Code.

URL: https://claudegpt.si/news/is-claude-api-free-credits-explained  
Published: 2026-11-04T05:53:05.514Z  
Author: ClaudeGPT Si Newsroom  
Section: AI Tools  
Topics: Claude API, Anthropic, AI pricing  
Publisher: ClaudeGPT Si

## Key takeaways

- The Claude API is not free: Anthropic bills it per token each month, though new users receive a small amount of free credit to test it.
- As of November 2026, Max includes $100 and Ultra $200 a month in API credits, Team plans get pooled credits up to $500, and Free, Pro and Enterprise get none.
- Plan API credits cover the API, Playground, Managed Agents and Agent SDK but not interactive Claude Code, whose API-rate cost UsageAtlas can estimate for free.

Is the Claude API free? No. Anthropic bills the API per token, monthly and in US dollars, but new users get a small amount of free credit to test it, and the Max, Ultra and Team plans now include monthly API credits, as of November 2026.

That is the whole answer for most people. The details below explain how much free usage each route gives, what it can be spent on, and what you pay once it is gone.

## Where free API usage comes from

Anthropic's [pricing documentation](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/pricing) and its help center list these sources, checked on November 4, 2026.

| Route | Free API usage | Catch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New Console account | A small amount of free credit | Meant for testing; Anthropic does not state the amount |
| Max plan, $100 a month | $100 a month in API credits | Claim after seven days on the plan |
| Ultra plan, $200 a month | $200 a month in API credits | Same rules as Max |
| Team plan | $20 per Standard seat, $100 per Premium seat, pooled up to $500 | Shared across the team |
| Free, Pro or Enterprise | None | Pro does not include API usage |

So the plan credits are not free in the strict sense. They come bundled with a subscription you already pay for.

## What the plan credits can pay for

According to Anthropic's [help article on monthly API credits](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/17154008-monthly-api-credits-for-max-ultra-and-team-plans), you claim them by linking one Console organization to your plan. They then cover:

- the Claude API, both Messages and Message Batches
- the Console Playground
- Managed Agents
- the Agent SDK

They do not cover interactive Claude Code, extra usage on your plan, or Claude through Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI or Microsoft Foundry. Unused credits do not roll over, and they are spent before any credits you bought. If they run out and you have no other credits, API requests stop until the next month instead of being charged to your plan.

## What you pay after the free part

Once free credit is gone, every request costs tokens. Standard prices per million tokens as of November 2026:

- Claude Haiku 5.5: $0.10 in, $0.50 out (prompts up to 100,000 tokens)
- Claude Sonnet 5.5: $2 in, $10 out
- Claude Opus 5.5: $4 in, $20 out
- Claude Fable 5.1: $10 in, $50 out

The Batch API halves those rates for work that can wait. You pay by card or by buying credits on the Console billing page, and you can set your own monthly spend limit there so a runaway script cannot surprise you.

## Where Claude Code fits

Claude Code is not free through the API either. On a Console key it bills the same per-token rates, and if `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` is set in your shell, Claude Code uses that key even when you also have a subscription. On Pro, Max or Ultra it draws on the plan's own allowance, which the plan API credits do not top up.

If you want to know what your coding would cost at API rates, [UsageAtlas](https://usageatlas.com) is the easiest check. The free, open-source desktop app reads your local Claude Code usage on Windows, macOS or Linux and estimates the cost per model, with no account needed and no access to your prompts or responses. Its numbers are estimates rather than a bill. For apps you build on the API, the usage page in the Claude Console is the record to watch instead.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does the Claude API have a free tier?

Anthropic's pricing FAQ says new users receive a small amount of free credit to test the API, and enterprises can ask sales about extended trials. Beyond that, every token is billed.

### Does Claude Pro include API access?

No. Anthropic's help center says the Pro plan does not include API usage through the Claude Console; API use is set up and paid for separately.

### Do Max plan API credits roll over?

No. Unused monthly API credits expire at the end of each billing cycle, and they are spent before any credits you bought.

## Sources

- [Pricing](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/pricing), Anthropic
- [Monthly API credits for Max, Ultra and Team plans](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/17154008-monthly-api-credits-for-max-ultra-and-team-plans), Anthropic
- [What is the Pro plan?](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8325606-what-is-the-pro-plan), Anthropic
- [Plans and pricing](https://claude.com/pricing), Anthropic
- [Use Claude Code with your Pro, Max, or Ultra plan](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11145838-use-claude-code-with-your-pro-max-or-ultra-plan), Anthropic
- [Claude Code with an API key or a subscription: which costs less?](https://usageatlas.com/guides/claude-code-api-vs-subscription), UsageAtlas