- Yes. Claude’s Free plan is $0, and Anthropic calls it “free for everyone”.
- You get the chat on web, desktop and phone, web search, file uploads, memory and more.
- The catch is how much you can use. There is a limit every 5 hours and every week. Hit it and you wait, or you pay.
How the free limit works
Anthropic does not give a number of messages. In its words there is “no fixed message count”.
The clock starts when you send your first message. Five hours later the limit resets in full.
What you get for free, and what is paid only
| What you want to do | Free | Pro and up |
|---|---|---|
| Chat on the web, desktop and phone | Yes | Yes |
| Search the web | Yes | Yes |
| Upload files and make documents, slides and designs | Yes | Yes |
| Memory across chats | Yes | Yes |
| Connect your apps and tools | Yes | Yes |
| Voice mode | Yes | Yes |
| Projects | Up to 5 | Yes |
| Everyday models (Sonnet, Haiku) | Yes | Yes |
| Opus, the bigger model | No | Yes |
| Fable, the biggest model | No | Pro: paid with usage credits. Max and Ultra: included, up to half the weekly limit |
| Research | No | Yes |
| Claude Code | No | Yes |
| Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365 | No | Yes |
| Hand off and schedule tasks | No | Yes |
From Anthropic’s plans page, read 12 November 2026. What to notice: the everyday chat is all on Free. The paid-only rows are tools for heavier work.
Should you stay on Free or pay?
What each step up buys you
Bars show how much you can use Claude, compared with Pro. Pro gives at least 5 times more than Free in each 5-hour window. Max is 5 times Pro. Ultra is 10 times Pro each week. Pro is $200 if you pay for a year up front. Prices in US dollars before tax, from Anthropic’s plans page, read 12 November 2026.
Three ways to make the free plan last
All three come from Anthropic’s own guide to usage limits.
Quick answers
Is Claude AI free to use?
Yes. The Free plan costs $0 and works on the web, the desktop app and the phone apps.
You can use it up to a limit every 5 hours and every week.
Is there a free version of Claude?
Yes. It is the same Claude app with less room: lower limits, and no Opus, Research or Claude Code.
How many messages do you get on Claude’s free plan?
There is no set number. Anthropic says how fast you reach the limit depends on the model you use, how long your chats are and how large your files are.
What happens when I hit the free limit?
Claude pauses until the limit resets. The 5-hour window resets five hours after your first message.
Your other choice is to move to a paid plan. The new limits apply right away.
Is Claude Code free?
No. Claude Code is included in the paid plans, starting with Pro.
How much does Claude Pro cost?
$20 a month, or $200 for a year paid up front, which works out to about $17 a month. Checked on Anthropic’s plans page on 12 November 2026.
Which model does free Claude use?
Sonnet and Haiku. Opus and Fable are on the paid plans.
Next: the best Claude model for each job, Claude vs ChatGPT, and what Claude Cowork is.
AI Foundations starts here: give AI a clear picture of your business in a form you can reuse, so you stop explaining from zero.
Background: Anthropic: Claude plans and pricing · Claude Help Center: how usage and length limits work. Checked 12 November 2026.