Key takeaways
- Claude has a Free plan at $0 with chat, web search, file creation, memory and Artifacts, as of October 27, 2026.
- Free has no Claude Code, Opus, Research or usage credits, and Projects are capped at 5.
- Pro costs $20 a month, or $17 a month billed annually, and adds at least 5x the Free usage per five-hour session.
Yes, Claude is free. Anthropic's pricing page lists a Free plan at $0 that covers everyday questions, with usage limits that reset on a rolling five-hour window. Paid plans start at $20 a month, or $17 a month billed annually, as of October 27, 2026.
What the free Claude plan includes
As of October 27, 2026, the pricing page lists these features on the Free plan:
- Chat on web, desktop and mobile
- Web search, file creation and code execution
- Memory across conversations
- Connections to your apps and tools
- Artifacts
- Claude Design, Slides and Docs
What Free does not include
The same page shows what you give up at $0. Free has no Claude Code, no Opus models, no Research, no Claude Dashboards and no usage credits. Projects are capped at 5.
How much you can use Claude for free
Anthropic does not publish a message count for Free. The pricing page says only that Free covers everyday questions and that limits reset on a rolling five-hour window. Treat any exact number you see elsewhere as a guess.
Anthropic's help article on usage and length limits describes the paid plans in more detail. It says they have a session limit that resets every five hours, plus weekly limits that reset once a week, with paid plans offering higher limits. It gives no Free allowance.
Claude plans and prices
Prices below are from the pricing page, read on October 27, 2026.
| Plan | Price | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Everyday use, rolling five-hour limits |
| Pro | $17 a month billed annually ($200 up front), or $20 billed monthly | Claude Code, Opus, Research, Projects, at least 5x the Free usage per five-hour session, weekly limits |
| Max | From $100 a month | 5x or 20x Pro usage, higher output limits, priority access at busy times |
| Team | Standard seat $20 a month billed annually ($25 monthly); Premium seat $100 annually ($125 monthly) | 2 to 150 users, admin controls, SSO, central billing |
| Enterprise | $20 per seat a month billed annually, 20-seat minimum, plus usage at API rates | Audit logs, SCIM, role-based access, custom data retention |
When the API is a better fit than a plan
Chat plans and the API are billed separately. The API charges per million tokens. On October 27, 2026 the pricing page lists Sonnet 5.5 at $2 for input and $10 for output, and Haiku 5.5 at $0.10 for input and $0.50 for output. Batch processing is 50% cheaper. Our guide on how to check Claude token usage shows where to see usage in the app, in Claude Code and in the API Console.
What to watch
Plans and limits change, and Anthropic does not guarantee a Free allowance. If Claude tells you that you have reached your limit, the pricing page says Pro raises usage to at least 5x per five-hour session. Check claude.com/pricing for the current numbers before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Claude Pro cost?
As of October 27, 2026, Pro is $17 a month billed annually ($200 up front) or $20 a month billed monthly.
Does the free Claude plan have usage limits?
Yes. The pricing page says Free covers everyday questions and limits reset on a rolling five-hour window. Anthropic does not publish a message count.
Can I use Claude Code for free?
Not on the Free plan. The pricing page lists Claude Code as a Pro feature and above.
Is the Claude API free?
No. The API is billed per million tokens, separately from chat plans. Sonnet 5.5 is $2 input and $10 output as of October 27, 2026.
Sources
- Claude pricingAnthropic
- How do usage and length limits work?Anthropic