Every change to Claude's usage limits, dated
In short
This page lists 13 changes to Claude's usage limits, from the weekly limits of 28 August 2025 to the latest, on 30 October 2026. Each one gives its UTC date, who it affects, its effect and a link to Anthropic's own announcement.
2026 at a glance
How Claude's limits changed
8 changes between January 2026 and October 2026. Dates in UTC.
- Mar 26Peak hours: five-hour limits drain faster on weekdays, 5–11 AM PT
- May 6Claude Code: five-hour limits doubled, no peak-hour reduction on Pro and Max
- May 13 → Sep 13Promotion: Claude Code weekly limits 50% higher
- Jul 20Fable 5: up to 50% of weekly limits on Max, usage credits only on Pro
- Sep 14Claude Code weekly limits permanently 25% above their pre-promotion level
- Sep 16Cowork and chat become one Claude; usage may be measured slightly differently
- Sep 22 → Oct 22Opus 5.5 launch: five-hour limits raised on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise seats · One limit reset given to subscribers,…
- Oct 30Max 5x becomes Max and Max 20x becomes Ultra; weekly limits unchanged · Ultra: no 5-hour limit once Anthropic has verif…
- Less usage
- More usage
- Promotion
- Model rules
- Other
Claude's limits changed often in 2026: two promotions, a peak-hours rule, two increases for Claude Code, new rules for the Fable models, a merge of Cowork and chat, on 22 September higher five-hour limits with one free limit reset, and on 30 October the rename of Max 5x and Max 20x to Max and Ultra, with no five-hour limit for verified Ultra accounts. The list below has every change, newest first, with the one from 2025 that started the weekly limits.
All changes, newest first
Dates are UTC days. Each change links to Anthropic's own announcement.
RuleIn effect
Max 5x becomes Max and Max 20x becomes Ultra; weekly limits unchanged
Anthropic renamed its individual plans at the same prices: Max ($100 a month, formerly Max 5x) gives 5× Pro's usage every 5 hours and every week; Ultra ($200 a month, formerly Max 20x) gives 10× Pro's usage every week. Weekly limits did not change.
Effect. Subscribers moved automatically, with nothing to cancel. Anthropic says the old 20x applied to the 5-hour session, not to every limit, so Ultra's weekly 10× is not a cut. Max and Ultra are monthly-only subscriptions.
Who is affected- Max
- Ultra
- All of Claude
- 5-hour session
- Weekly limit
Sources: Anthropic help centre · Anthropic · Anthropic help centre
Checked on 30 October 2026
More usageIn effect
Ultra: no 5-hour limit once Anthropic has verified the account
Verified Ultra accounts have no five-hour session limit: only the weekly limit applies, and Settings > Usage shows no Current session bar. Anthropic verifies accounts automatically, from signals such as account and payment history.
Effect. Until an account is verified, a temporary five-hour limit applies and goes away by itself; verifying a phone number at checkout does not remove it.
Who is affected- Ultra
- All of Claude
- 5-hour session
Sources: Anthropic help centre · Anthropic
Checked on 30 October 2026
More usageIn effect
Opus 5.5 launch: five-hour limits raised on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise seats
With Claude Opus 5.5, Anthropic increased the five-hour usage limits of Pro, Max, Team and seat-based Enterprise plans. The announcement gives no figure; Anthropic's Claude Code account put the increase at 20% for Claude Code's five-hour session limits.
Effect. Anthropic added that Opus 5.5, priced below Opus 5, goes 25% further within the five-hour and weekly limits. ZDNET reported the 20% for subscription plans in general.
Who is affected- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- Team
- Enterprise
- All of Claude
- 5-hour session
Sources: Anthropic · Anthropic (@claudeai) · Anthropic (@ClaudeDevs) · ZDNET (press)
Checked on 24 September 2026
Limit resetEnded
One limit reset given to subscribers, to use whenever they choose
Pro, Max and Team subscribers can refill their five-hour session or weekly limit once with 'Reset for free' in Settings > Usage, on the web or in Claude Desktop (not in the mobile apps or Claude Code).
Effect. Anthropic said it can be applied any time until 22 October 2026; its help article adds that an unused reset expires on the day and time listed on the offer, in Settings > Usage.
Who is affected- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- Team
- All of Claude
- 5-hour session
- Weekly limit
Sources: Anthropic · Anthropic help centre · Anthropic (@ClaudeDevs) · MacRumors (press)
Checked on 30 October 2026
RuleRolling out
Cowork and chat become one Claude; usage may be measured slightly differently
Rolling out to Pro and Max first, then Team and Free: chat and Cowork merge into one conversation. Everything still counts toward the plan's limits, and while it rolls out, usage 'may be measured slightly differently' between accounts.
Who is affected- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- Chat
- Cowork
- 5-hour session
- Weekly limit
Sources: Anthropic help centre · Anthropic
Checked on 24 September 2026
More usageIn effect
Claude Code weekly limits permanently 25% above their pre-promotion level
For Pro, Max, Team and seat-based Enterprise, Claude Code's weekly limits are now 25% above their level before 13 May. Compared with the +50% promotion that ended the day before, that is about 17% less.
Effect. With the pre-May level at 100: 150 during the promotion, 125 since 14 September.
Who is affected- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- Team
- Enterprise
- Claude Code
- Weekly limit
Sources: Anthropic help centre · Anthropic (@ClaudeDevs) · Anthropic (@ClaudeDevs), the 17% reply · BleepingComputer (press)
Checked on 24 September 2026
Model ruleIn effect
Fable 5: up to 50% of weekly limits on Max, usage credits only on Pro
The promotion that included Fable 5 in paid plans ended on 19 July. From 20 July, Max and Team Premium keep it at up to 50% of their weekly limits; Pro and Team Standard use it through usage credits, with a one-time $100 credit.
Effect. Fable 5.1 follows the same rules; it was never part of the promotion.
Who is affected- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- Team
- All of Claude
- Model limit
Sources: Anthropic (@claudeai) · Anthropic help centre
Checked on 24 September 2026
PromotionEnded
Promotion: Claude Code weekly limits 50% higher
Pro, Max, Team and legacy seat-based Enterprise users had 50% more weekly usage in Claude Code (CLI, IDE, desktop and web). Five-hour limits, chat and Cowork were unchanged; Free and consumption-based Enterprise were excluded.
Effect. It ended on 13 September 2026 at 11:59 PM PT and was replaced the next day by a permanent +25%.
Who is affected- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- Team
- Enterprise
- Claude Code
- Weekly limit
Sources: Anthropic help centre
Checked on 24 September 2026
More usageIn effect
Claude Code: five-hour limits doubled, no peak-hour reduction on Pro and Max
Anthropic doubled Claude Code's five-hour limits for Pro, Max, Team and seat-based Enterprise plans, and removed the peak-hours reduction for Claude Code on Pro and Max. The announcement did not change chat limits.
Who is affected- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- Team
- Enterprise
- Claude Code
- 5-hour session
Sources: Anthropic
Checked on 24 September 2026
Less usageIn effect
Peak hours: five-hour limits drain faster on weekdays, 5–11 AM PT
On weekdays from 5 to 11 AM PT (1–7 PM UK time), Free, Pro and Max accounts move through their five-hour limits faster; weekly limits are unchanged. Anthropic expected about 7% of users to hit limits they would not have hit before.
Effect. Removed for Claude Code on Pro and Max on 6 May 2026. For chat, Anthropic has announced no end, and its help centre does not mention peak hours (checked 24 September 2026).
Who is affected- Free
- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- Chat
- Claude Code
- Cowork
- 5-hour session
Sources: Thariq (Claude Code team, Anthropic), on X
Checked on 24 September 2026
PromotionEnded
Off-peak promotion: five-hour usage doubled outside weekday peak hours
Free, Pro, Max and Team got twice the five-hour usage outside 8 AM–2 PM ET (5–11 AM PT, 12–6 PM GMT) on weekdays, and all weekend. The bonus did not count toward weekly limits; Enterprise was excluded.
Effect. It ended on 28 March 2026 at 11:59 PM PT; the first terms said 27 March.
Who is affected- Free
- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- Team
- Chat
- Claude Code
- Cowork
- 5-hour session
Sources: Anthropic help centre, archived copy
Checked on 24 September 2026
PromotionEnded
Holiday promotion: twice the five-hour and weekly limits on Pro and Max
Individual Pro, Max 5x and Max 20x subscribers got 2× usage from 25 December 00:00 UTC to 31 December 23:59 UTC on claude.ai, Claude Code and Claude in Chrome. Weekly limits were reset when it began.
Effect. Team and Enterprise plans were not included.
Who is affected- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- Chat
- Claude Code
- 5-hour session
- Weekly limit
Sources: Anthropic help centre, archived copy
Checked on 24 September 2026
New limitIn effect
Weekly limits added to Pro and Max, on top of the 5-hour session
Pro and Max got limits that reset every seven days: one for overall usage and, at launch, one for Claude Opus 4. Anthropic expected them to affect less than 5% of subscribers.
Effect. Announced on 28 July 2025 for late August; the 28 August start date is the one TechCrunch reported.
Who is affected- Pro
- Max
- Ultra
- All of Claude
- Weekly limit
Sources: Anthropic (@AnthropicAI) · TechCrunch (press)
Checked on 24 September 2026
How to read an entry
- The date is the UTC day the change took effect, or started for a promotion; the end day follows when there is one.
- The type says which way it went: more usage, less usage, a promotion (temporary), a new limit, a model rule (Fable), another rule, or a limit reset given to accounts.
- Who is affected lists the plans, the products and the windows the change touches. Plans carry today's names: an entry from before 30 October 2026 that says "Max" covered both Max 5x and Max 20x, listed here as Max and Ultra.
- Sources start with Anthropic: its help centre, its announcements, or a post on X by Anthropic or a member of its team. Press articles come after, marked as press, when they add a date or a figure Anthropic did not publish.
Each entry has its own link: use the date, or "Copy link", to point someone at one change.
What goes in, and what does not
A change goes in when Anthropic announces it or documents it. Reports on social networks, one person's measurements and rumours do not. Some figures only appear in a short post by one of Anthropic's accounts, not in its help centre: the 20% of the 22 September increase and the 22 October deadline of the limit reset come from its Claude Code account, as does the "17% reduction" of 14 September, and the entry links that post. A figure that only the press gives is attributed to it.
Get an email when Claude’s limits change
One email each time Anthropic changes the usage limits, taken from our dated timeline. Nothing else, and no account needed.
FAQ
What changed on 30 October 2026?
Anthropic renamed Max 5x to Max and Max 20x to Ultra, at the same prices. Max gives 5× Pro's usage every five hours and every week; Ultra gives 10× Pro's usage every week and has no five-hour limit once Anthropic has verified the account. Weekly limits did not change.
When did Claude get weekly limits?
On 28 August 2025, for Pro and Max. Anthropic announced them on 28 July 2025 and expected them to affect less than 5% of subscribers. They sit on top of the five-hour session and reset at a fixed day and time set for each account.
Did Anthropic cut Claude Code's limits in September 2026?
It depends on the baseline. From 14 September 2026, Claude Code's weekly limits are 25% above their level before May. The temporary promotion that ended on 13 September had them 50% above, so compared with the summer they are about 17% lower, which Anthropic itself called "a 17% reduction".
Are Claude's peak hours still in effect?
For Claude Code on Pro, Max and Ultra, no: Anthropic removed the peak-hours reduction on 6 May 2026. For chat, Anthropic announced it on 26 March 2026 for Free, Pro and Max (Max 5x and Max 20x at the time) and has not announced an end, but its help centre and plan pages do not mention it (checked on 24 September 2026). A verified Ultra account has no five-hour limit for peak hours to shorten.
How do I hear about the next change?
Follow the Atom feed of this page in any feed reader: each new entry arrives with its date and its source. UsageMeter also shows your own limits live, so a change shows up in your gauges.
Sources
Anthropic's own pages first, then press coverage, each with its date.
- What is the Ultra plan?
- Plans and pricing
- What is the Max plan?
- Claude Opus 5.5
- @ClaudeDevs: Claude Code's 5-hour session limits up 20% with Opus 5.5
- @ClaudeDevs: the limit reset can be applied until 22 October
- What is a limit reset?
- Claude Cowork and chat are one Claude
- Claude Cowork and chat are now one Claude
- Claude Code May–August 2026 weekly limits promotion
- @ClaudeDevs: Claude Code weekly limits +25% from 14 September
- @ClaudeDevs: a 17% reduction compared with the promotion
- Claude Fable models on your plan
- @claudeai: Fable 5 in Max and Team Premium from 20 July
- Higher usage limits for Claude and a compute deal with SpaceX
- Thariq (Claude Code team, Anthropic) on peak hours
- Claude March 2026 usage promotion (copy of 31 March 2026)
- Anthropic is cutting Claude Code's current weekly limits by 17%Press
- Anthropic Launches Claude Opus 5.5Press
- Claude Opus 5.5 delivers Fable 5.1 performance - and costs 40% lessPress