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Lesson 1 of 3 · 6 min read · Beginner

Claude Code's plans: Pro, Max 5x and Max 20x

Claude Code is included in Claude's own subscription tiers, not sold separately. Its usage draws from the same shared allowance as Claude's chat apps.

In this lesson you will

  • Name the three plan tiers and what each costs
  • Explain what "shared usage" means for Claude Code specifically
  • Know the fourth option — API pay-as-you-go — and when it applies

Claude Code doesn't have its own separate price tag — it's included with Claude's regular subscription plans, and every plan that includes it shares one usage allowance across Claude Code and Anthropic's other Claude apps (chat, Cowork, research tools).

Claude Code's plans (verified, see /pricing/claude-code-pricing)Pro
$20
/month
Claude Code included
Shared usage across Claude and Claude Code
Max 5x
$100
/month
Higher shared allowance
For heavier coding and Claude workflows
Max 20x
$200
/month
Highest individual shared allowance
For continuous, heavy daily use
Figure 1.Claude Code rides on Claude's own subscription tiers — there's no Claude-Code-only plan.

There's a fourth option beyond the three subscription tiers: pay-as-you-go API usage, billed separately at standard Anthropic API rates. This isn't a plan you subscribe to on purpose most of the time — it's usually something that happens by accident, which is exactly what lesson 2 covers.

Knowledge check

You use Claude Code most days, but you also chat with Claude in the app for unrelated writing tasks on the same Pro plan. What happens to your Claude Code capacity?

Lesson FAQ

How much does Claude Code cost?

It's included in Claude's subscription plans rather than sold separately: Pro at $20/month, Max 5x at $100/month, or Max 20x at $200/month, all with usage shared across Claude Code and Claude's other apps. Pay-as-you-go API usage is a separate, additional option billed at standard rates.

Does Claude Code have its own free tier?

Not as a standalone product — Claude Code rides on whichever Claude subscription tier you're on. Check Claude's own current plans (including any free-tier allowance) for the latest details, since this course's verified figures cover the paid Pro/Max tiers specifically.

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