Claude Plan Picker
Set how you actually use Claude. Get the cheapest plan that can handle it — Pro, Max 5x, Max 20x, or pay-as-you-go API.
Pricing verified April 17, 2026 · source
Recommended plan
Pro
Based on 44 hours/month of claude code (balanced) use. API-equivalent cost would be $27.52/mo.
Free
Usage over limit$0.00
/month
Limited daily messages
Pro
Best fit$20.00
/month
~5x Free usage
Saves ~$7.52/mo vs API-equivalent
Max (5x)
$100.00
/month
5x more than Pro
Max (20x)
$200.00
/month
20x more than Pro
Pay-as-you-go API
$27.52
est. monthly
Unlimited (you pay per token)
How to read the recommendation
If "Pro" wins
You're a typical individual user. $20/mo covers your Claude chat and occasional Claude Code work without usage anxiety. Annual at $17/mo saves another 15%.
If "Max 5x" wins
You're a daily Claude Code user running 2-5 hours/day. $100/mo is still a fraction of your hourly rate; the usage headroom prevents "limit reached" disruptions.
If "Max 20x" wins
You're running agentic workflows — parallel sub-agents, long-running background tasks, multiple Claude Code sessions. $200/mo is serious territory; make sure you're actually using the capacity.
If "API" wins
Your usage is low enough that pay-per-token beats a flat subscription. Usually means less than ~30 minutes of active Claude use per day — in which case the Free tier might even work for personal chat, with API billing for any automation.
Frequently asked questions
How does this calculator decide which plan to recommend?+
It takes your hours per day × days per month, applies the model mix you picked, and estimates the API-equivalent token spend. It then compares that against each subscription's price AND against its stated usage budget. The cheapest plan that can actually handle your volume wins. If the API is cheaper than every subscription, you'll see 'API' as the recommendation.
What does 'API-equivalent cost' mean?+
It's the price you'd pay if you ran the same workload through the Anthropic API instead of a subscription. We calculate it from current Claude Opus 4.7, Sonnet 4.6, and Haiku 4.5 per-token rates. The subscription is only a good deal if the flat price is lower than your API-equivalent spend — otherwise you're subsidising Anthropic.
Are Anthropic's usage limits really 5x / 25x / 100x?+
Anthropic publishes relative multiples rather than hard message caps — 'Pro gets roughly 5x Free usage', 'Max 5x gets 5x Pro', 'Max 20x gets 20x Pro'. Actual limits are token-weighted, so a minute of Opus counts more than a minute of Haiku. The calculator approximates this with equivalent 'hours of workhorse-model use per day' as the budget unit.
What if I need more than Max 20x?+
You're either running a small business or you should be. At 20x Pro's daily budget you're in territory where API billing for your applications (paired with Pro or Max for personal use) often makes more sense than pushing the consumer tier harder. If you have a team, Claude Team at $25-125/seat adds admin features that solo Max doesn't have.
Does this include Claude Code usage?+
Yes. Claude Code runs through the same subscription quota as the web app when you sign in with a Pro or Max account. The calculator's 'Claude Code' usage profiles assume heavier token burn per hour than web chat because Claude Code typically sends full file contents into context.
Should I pay monthly or annual?+
Annual saves about 15% on Pro ($17/mo vs $20/mo). Max is the same either way. If you've been using Claude for more than two months and don't see yourself stopping, annual is a no-brainer on Pro. If you're still evaluating, stay monthly.
Read the full comparison
The companion article walks through Pro, Max, API, and Team scenarios with verdicts for each — including the three most common mistakes people make when picking.