On October 30, 2026, Anthropic renamed its Claude Max 5x plan to Max ($100/month) and Max 20x to Ultra ($200/month). Prices did not change. Verified Ultra accounts no longer face a five-hour usage limit; weekly limits remain. Technology teams that rely on Claude for long sessions or coding should verify accounts and update internal usage guidance this week.
Anthropic simplified its top Claude subscription tiers on October 30, 2026, and removed a usage restriction that heavy users had flagged. The company announced on X that Max 5x is now simply Max and Max 20x is now Ultra. Existing subscribers move automatically with no price change. The substantive operational change is the elimination of the rolling five-hour limit for verified Ultra accounts.
What changed?
Plan names and the session limit on the higher tier. Max is $100/month with 5x Pro usage every five hours and every week. Ultra is $200/month with 10x Pro weekly usage and no five-hour limit once the account is verified.
When?
Announced October 30, 2026; reflected on the pricing page by October 31. Most existing subscribers saw the change immediately.
Who is affected?
Teams and individuals on Claude Max plans, especially those using Claude Code or running long agentic sessions.
What to do this week?
Confirm which plan each seat is on, verify Ultra accounts that still show a temporary limit, and update internal documentation on usage windows.
What exactly changed on the Claude pricing page?
Anthropic replaced the previous single Max card that offered a choice of 5x or 20x Pro usage with two named plans. Max is listed at $100 per month and includes 5x Pro usage every five hours and every week plus $100 in monthly API credits. Ultra is listed at $200 per month, includes 10x Pro usage every week, $200 in API credits, and removes the five-hour limit for verified accounts. Both plans continue to include access to higher-end models up to half the weekly limit. Prices for Pro and other tiers were unchanged in the same window. The official pricing page confirmed these details after the announcement.
The announcement from the Claude account on X stated: “We’re renaming our Max plans: Max 5x → Max, Max 20x → Ultra. Max is still $100/month, and Ultra is still $200. If you’re a subscriber, there’s nothing you need to do. We’re also removing the 5-hour limit for verified Ultra accounts, starting today with most existing subscribers. Newer accounts keep a temporary limit until they’re verified, which helps us prevent fraud and abuse. You’ll get an email when it’s removed. Weekly limits remain unchanged.”
Why did Anthropic make the change?
The company stated that existing subscribers need to do nothing. The rename clarifies packaging. Removing the five-hour limit on verified Ultra accounts addresses complaints from users who hit the session cap during long coding or research sessions. Newer accounts retain a temporary five-hour limit until verification completes; Anthropic described this as a fraud- and abuse-prevention step. Weekly ceilings stay in place on both plans.
Mike Overell, who leads product for Claude subscriptions, later explained on X that the original Max 20x name reflected a 20x five-hour limit at launch in April 2025. When weekly limits were later added they were set at 10x Pro, creating confusion. The Ultra name and the removal of the five-hour cap for verified accounts make the actual weekly ceiling clearer while giving continuous-session users more practical headroom.
What should technology and engineering teams do?
Audit current Claude subscriptions. If any seats are on the former Max 20x plan, they should now appear as Ultra. Check whether those accounts have completed verification so the five-hour limit is fully lifted. Update internal runbooks and cost trackers to reflect the new names and the fact that Ultra usage is now governed primarily by the weekly pool. For teams that frequently hit session limits, Ultra becomes more practical for continuous work. Continue to monitor API credit consumption separately if you also use the platform API. The monthly API credits ($100 on Max, $200 on Ultra) cover Claude Platform API, Agent SDK and related console usage but do not cover interactive Claude Code sessions.
What remains the same?
Monthly prices did not increase. Weekly usage multipliers relative to Pro stayed the same. Claude Code remains included on paid plans. The change is packaging and limit-window only; it is not a price cut or a new model release. Both plans still restrict higher-end models such as Fable to roughly half the weekly allowance.
What to watch next
Watch whether other AI providers simplify top-tier naming or remove session windows. Also track whether Anthropic later adjusts the weekly multipliers or API credit allotments now that the plans are separately named. Teams should re-check the official pricing page and help-center articles periodically, as limits can still change. Verification status for newer Ultra accounts will determine when the five-hour limit actually disappears for those seats.
Did Anthropic raise the price of Max or Ultra?
No. Max remains $100/month and Ultra remains $200/month. Existing Max 20x subscribers moved to Ultra at the same price.
Do all Ultra accounts lose the five-hour limit immediately?
Most existing subscribers did. Newer accounts keep a temporary limit until Anthropic verifies the account.
Are weekly limits still in effect?
Yes. Max is 5x Pro per week (and per five hours). Ultra is 10x Pro per week.
Do I need to do anything as a subscriber?
Anthropic said no. The rename and migration are automatic.
Do the plans still include API credits?
Yes. Max includes $100 per month in API credits and Ultra includes $200. These credits do not cover interactive Claude Code usage.
Last Updated: November 2, 2026.
Related: Technology hub · Prior coverage of Anthropic’s S-1 filing.
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