Anthropic has renamed its two Claude Max plans and dropped the 5-hour usage limit for verified accounts on the top one. Claude's pricing page lists Max at $100 a month and Ultra at $200 a month, and says: "Ultra gives you 10x the weekly usage of Pro, with no 5-hour limit for verified accounts". Anthropic's help center says: "The Max 20x plan is now called the Ultra plan."

#What changed in the plan names?

The Verge reported on October 30, 2026: "The Max 5x plan is now just Max, while the Max 20x plan is Ultra." It added: "The prices for the plans stay the same: $100 per month for Max, $200 per month for Ultra."

Anthropic's help center says "Existing Max 20x subscribers move to Ultra automatically, with no price change." Claude's pricing page shows four individual plans: Free, Pro, Max and Ultra. It describes Max as "For all-day work" and Ultra as "For your longest tasks", and says "Both plans are billed monthly." Prices shown exclude tax, and the help center says mobile pricing "may vary depending on your app platform."

#How do Max and Ultra compare?

Per claude.com/pricing and Anthropic's help center:

Max

Ultra

Price

$100 a month

$200 a month

Usage

5x Pro, every 5 hours and every week

10x Pro, every week

5-hour limit

Yes

None for verified accounts

Weekly limit

Yes, plus a separate Fable limit

Yes, plus a separate Fable limit

Monthly API credits

$100

$200

The pricing page says "Max gives you 5x the usage of Pro, every 5 hours and every week." The Max help page says "Max plans have a five-hour limit, a weekly usage limit that applies across all models, and a separate weekly limit for Fable." The pricing page also says "Both plans include Fable, our top model, for up to half your weekly limit".

The two Ultra figures measure different things. Ultra's 10x figure is weekly usage, and Ultra has no 5-hour multiple because verified accounts have no 5-hour limit.

#What does removing the 5-hour limit mean?

Anthropic's usage limits page explains the cap: "The five-hour limit controls how much you can use Claude within a five-hour period." It adds: "The period starts when you send your first message, and your limit resets in full five hours later." The same page says "Verified Ultra accounts don't have a five-hour limit."

Weekly caps stay. The Ultra help page says "Ultra plans have a weekly usage limit that applies across all models, and a separate weekly limit for Fable." Weekly limits reset "at a fixed time each week that is assigned to your account," per the usage limits page. Anthropic also reserves the right to limit usage "in other ways, such as weekly and monthly caps or model and feature usage, at our discretion. We don't guarantee uninterrupted service."

Anthropic's @claudeai account said on X on October 30, 2026 that it is "removing the 5-hour limit for verified Ultra accounts, starting today with most existing subscribers." The post also said "Weekly limits remain unchanged." and "You'll get an email when it's removed." Anthropic's help center gives no rollout date.

#How does Ultra verification work?

The Ultra help page says: "To help prevent fraud and abuse, we automatically verify Ultra accounts using factors like your account and payment history." It adds: "If your account isn't verified yet, a temporary limit applies." and "We remove it automatically once your account is verified, so there's nothing you need to do."

Two details matter for new subscribers:

  • Phone checks don't count. "Verifying your phone number at checkout is a separate step and doesn't remove this limit."
  • How to check. In Settings > Usage, "If you don't see a Current session bar, your account is verified."

Anthropic does not say what the exact criteria are, how long verification takes, or how large the temporary limit is.

#What about API credits and upgrades?

Anthropic's release notes say Max plans have included monthly API credits since October 7, 2026. The pricing page lists $100 on Max and $200 on Ultra.

The API credits page says "The credits don’t change your usage limits in Claude, Claude Code, or Claude Cowork." and "Unused credits expire at the end of each billing cycle." Upgrading from Max to Ultra is prorated, per the Max help page. On credits, the API page says "You receive prorated credits right away, then $200 each billing cycle after that."

For more on Claude plans, see Claude Enterprise's smart reports and pooled budgets and Anthropic's 40% OneGov discount for US governments.

Our analysis: For heavy users who run into the 5-hour window, removing it on Ultra matters more than the rename. The weekly limit applies, which means long sessions draw down a fixed weekly budget faster rather than giving unlimited use. The rename also makes the two plans easier to tell apart. The open issue is verification: Anthropic gives no timeline or criteria, so new Ultra subscribers may not know when the 5-hour limit goes away for them.

#What is unclear?

  • Verification. The criteria, how long it takes and the size of the temporary limit.
  • Rollout. When every Ultra account will be covered. Anthropic's help pages give no date.
  • Multiples. Anthropic has not explained on its own pages why Ultra is described as 10x weekly usage rather than 20x.
  • Mobile prices. The help center says they "may vary" and gives no figures.