Anthropic, the company behind the popular AI assistant Claude, has announced that it will be introducing new weekly usage limits for its coding-focused AI, Claude Code. The changes are set to roll out in late August and will affect users on the Claude Pro and Max plans.
The company says these new rules are needed to handle the AI’s massive popularity and ensure the service remains stable and fair for everyone.
Why Are They Making This Change?
According to Anthropic, the decision comes down to two main reasons: high costs from heavy use and a few users breaking the rules.
1. It’s Too Popular (and Expensive!)
Claude Code has seen “unprecedented demand,” with some of its biggest fans running the service continuously, 24/7. While Anthropic loves seeing people use its tool so much, this level of usage is very expensive to support.
To put it in perspective, the company gave an example of a single user on a $200 plan who consumed tens of thousands of dollars worth of AI processing. This kind of heavy use makes it difficult for the company to offer the service sustainably.
2. Some Users Are Breaking the Rules regras
Anthropic also found that a “small number of users” were violating its policies by sharing or reselling their accounts. This is a problem because it takes up computing power and can slow down the service for everyone else who is following the rules.
What Do the New Limits Mean for You?
Starting from August 28, new weekly limits will be put in place. The goal is to solve the cost and fairness issues while affecting as few people as possible.
- Most Users Won’t Be Affected: Anthropic estimates that the new limits will apply to less than 5% of subscribers based on current usage patterns.
- Option for Power Users: If you are a heavy user on a Max plan and you reach your weekly limit, you won’t be completely cut off. You’ll have the option to buy additional usage at standard pay-as-you-go rates.
Anthropic says it is still exploring the best ways to provide broad access to Claude Code and is asking its power users for feedback on how to better support them in the future.