Claude Pricing

An explanation of the plans available for using Claude Code and how usage works.

Official pricing page: https://claude.com/pricing 

Plan Comparison

*Annual billing is approximately 15% off

Pro Plan

• Full access to all Claude Code features
• Sufficient usage for normal development work
• Provided to workshop participants by the organizers

Max Plan

• Max 5x: Approximately 5x the usage of Pro plan
• Max 20x: Approximately 20x the usage of Pro plan
• Ideal for extended intensive development sessions
• Upgrade option when token limits are reached

What is the 5-Hour Session Window?

Claude’s usage limits are managed through a 5-hour session window.

How It Works

1. A 5-hour “window” starts when you send your first request
2. Usage during that window is counted toward your limit
3. After 5 hours, the window resets, and a new window starts with your next request

Example

10:00 - First request sent → 5-hour window starts
10:00-15:00 - Usage during this period is counted
15:00 - Window ends, reset
15:05 - Next request → New 5-hour window starts (until 20:05)

Key point: The reset happens 5 hours from when you started using, not at a fixed time like midnight.

How to Check Your Usage

You can check your current usage in Claude’s settings:

https://claude.ai/settings/usage 

• Session usage: Current usage percentage (%)
• Reset time: Displayed as “Resets at X:XX”

What to Do When You Reach the Limit

1. Wait until reset time: Wait until the reset time shown on screen
2. Break up your work: Make smaller requests instead of large changes all at once
3. Upgrade to Max Plan: Significantly higher limits

What Are Tokens?

Tokens are the “units” consumed in conversations with Claude.

Token Estimates

Cases That Consume Many Tokens

• Reading long files
• Generating large amounts of code
• Long conversations (context accumulates)

Tips for Saving Tokens

• Instruct Claude to read only necessary files
• Reset with /clear when conversations get long
• Progress in stages rather than requesting large changes at once

Workshop Operations

Basic Policy

• Claude Pro Plan provided to all participants
• Max Plan upgrades available if limits are reached

If You Reach the Limit

1. First, consult with a mentor
2. Upgrade to Max Plan if needed
3. If there’s wait time, use it as time to think about your design

Useful Tool: Claude Usage Tracker

A Chrome extension to visualize your usage.

Installation

1. Visit Claude Usage Tracker 
2. Install the Chrome extension from Chrome Web Store
3. Your usage is displayed when you open Claude

What You Can Check

• Current usage (percentage)
• 5-hour session remaining
• Reset time

As a Chrome extension, it’s always visible when using Claude, so you can check your usage anytime.

Summary

• Usage is managed through a 5-hour session window (resets 5 hours from when you start)
• Pro Plan is sufficient for typical development work
• Even if you reach the limit, it recovers at the reset time
• The workshop is set up so you can develop without worrying about limits