Anthropic renames Claude plans and drops 5-hour limit for Ultra

What this is about

On October 30, 2026 (local time), Anthropic announced on X that it is renaming its two most expensive Claude subscriptions and scrapping the 5-hour limit for verified customers on the top plan. "Max 5x" becomes "Max," and "Max 20x" becomes "Ultra." Monthly prices stay at $100 and $200. Existing subscribers don't need to change anything. According to AI Times, the trigger was customer confusion over what the "20x" meant.

Where the confusion came from

When Anthropic launched the Max plans in April 2025, it promised 20 times as much usage as the $20 Pro plan for $200 a month. Back then there was only one limit, which reset every five hours. So the claim was accurate.

Then usage surged. In July 2025, more and more users were running Claude Code, Anthropic's coding tool, nonstop for very long stretches. So Anthropic introduced an additional weekly limit on August 28. According to the report, the company cited round-the-clock operation, account sharing and reselling of the service as reasons.

The 5-hour limit on the $200 plan stayed at 20x Pro, but the weekly limit was set at only 10x. The name "Max 20x" stayed. As a result, new customers assumed weekly usage was also 20 times as high.

Mike Overell, who is responsible for the Claude subscription product at Anthropic, said on X that he understands some new users applied the 20x figure to both limits. The company should have explained it better, he said, and he was sorry.

What changes

Verified Ultra users can use Claude until they hit the weekly limit, with no 5-hour limit kicking in along the way. Verification runs automatically, and you can't apply for it. When the restriction is lifted, Anthropic notifies you by email. Overell said the rollout is gradual, to prevent abuse and fraud. Most existing customers come first, while new accounts keep a provisional cap until they're verified.

What it doesn't change

The weekly limit isn't being raised. Overall, that means no more usage, just more flexibility: if you want, you can burn through your weekly allowance in a short time. That mainly helps developers who use Claude Code for long programming tasks. Until now, they had to wait for the next reset after hitting the 5-hour limit, even if weekly allowance was left. Usage in Claude web, Claude Code and other apps still counts toward one shared limit.

Anthropic has updated the pricing page and the Ultra help page. Overell hinted at further improvements but gave neither details nor a timeline.

Our take

The rename is mainly damage control: a name that promises a multiplier that applies to only some of the limits was misleading. It's a plus that Anthropic admits the mistake. Ending the 5-hour limit is real relief for heavy users, but it isn't more allowance, and it applies only to verified accounts, whose criteria haven't been disclosed. The timing fits the trend: according to AI Times, OpenAI also expanded usage on its Pro and enterprise plans by up to double on October 29 and dropped plans to cut its $200 offering. With long agent tasks on the rise, major providers appear to be loosening limits for paying customers.