Is Claude free? What you get on Free, Pro and Max (2026)
Yes, Claude has a free plan. Here's exactly what it includes, what Pro and Max add, how much they cost, and who can use Claude (including students).
We may earn a commission if you sign up through links on this page. It costs you nothing and never decides what we recommend. Learn more
Yes, Claude is free. Anyone 18 or older can sign up and use it without paying. The free plan is more capable than most people expect, and you only need Pro or Max if you hit the usage limits or want specific extras.
What the free plan includes
According to Anthropic’s pricing page, Claude Free includes:
- Chat on the web, desktop app and mobile apps
- Web search, creating files and running code
- Memory across conversations
- Connecting your apps and tools
- Artifacts, plus Claude Design, Slides and Docs
The main limit is how much you can use it. On busy days you’ll see a message telling you when you can continue.
Free vs Pro vs Max
| Free | Pro | Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $20/mo, or $17/mo yearly | $100/mo (5x) or $200/mo (20x) |
| Usage | Standard limits | More usage | 5 or 20 times Pro’s usage |
| Extras | Chat, search, files, code, memory, Artifacts | Projects, Claude Code, scheduled tasks, more Claude models, Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365 | Higher output limits, early access, priority at busy times, $100 to $200 a month in API credits |
| Claude Fable 5.1 | No | Pay with usage credits | Included |
From Anthropic’s pricing page, checked October 28, 2026. Plans and limits can change.
When should you pay for Pro?
Upgrade to Pro when:
- you hit the free limit regularly,
- you want Projects to keep files and instructions together for ongoing work,
- you code and want Claude Code, or
- you want Claude inside Chrome or Microsoft 365.
Paying yearly brings Pro to $17 a month ($200 billed up front).
When does Max make sense?
Max is for people who work with Claude all day. Choose 5x ($100) or 20x ($200) Pro’s usage. Max also includes Claude Fable 5.1, Anthropic’s top model, which Pro users can only use with extra usage credits. Not sure which Claude model to use? See Claude Fable vs Opus vs Sonnet.
Who can use Claude?
You must be 18 or older. That includes university students, but not school students. For under-18s, ChatGPT and Perplexity allow 13+ with a parent’s permission. See our best AI tools for students.
Privacy on the free plan
On Free, Pro and Max you choose whether your chats can be used for training. Check the setting when you sign up. Team, Enterprise and API data isn’t used for training.
Bottom line
Claude’s free plan is genuinely useful: search, files, code and memory, all without paying. Upgrade to Pro ($20, or $17 yearly) when you hit the limits or need Projects and Claude Code. For the full picture, read our Claude review.
Tools in this post
Claude
by Anthropic
Assistant known for long documents, careful writing and coding help.
Free; Pro $20/mo ($17/mo yearly); Max from $100/mo
Privacy & risks
- Trains on your data
- You choose
- Minimum age
- 18+
- Free, Pro and Max users choose whether their chats can be used for training. Team, Enterprise and API data is not used for training.
Claude Code
by Anthropic
Coding agent that works across your whole codebase from the terminal or editor.
Included with Claude Pro and Max; or pay per use via the API
Privacy & risks
- Trains on your data
- You choose
- The most-used coding agent in the Stack Overflow 2026 survey (66% of developers who use agents).
- Consumer plans let you choose whether code is used for training; Team, Enterprise and API use is not trained on.
- Security flaws found in 2026 (including CVE-2026-24887 and CVE-2026-35021) were fixed in updates. Keep it up to date.
ChatGPT
by OpenAI
General-purpose assistant for writing, analysis, files, images and voice.
Free; Go $8/mo (US); Plus $20/mo; Pro from $100/mo
Questions people ask
Is Claude free to use?
Yes. Claude's free plan lets you chat on the web, desktop and mobile, search the web, create files, run code, use memory and connect apps, with lower usage limits than paid plans.
Is Claude free for students?
University students who are 18 or older can use the free plan like anyone else. Claude isn't available to under-18s, so school students need a different tool.
How much is Claude Pro?
$20 a month, or $17 a month when you pay yearly ($200 up front). Max costs $100 or $200 a month.
Does the free version of Claude train on my chats?
You choose. On Free, Pro and Max you decide whether your chats can be used to train Anthropic's models.
