Anthropic Renames Claude Plans, Lifts 5-Hour Limit for Ultra Tier
Anthropic renames Claude subscription tiers—Max 5x to Max ($100/mo) and Max 20x to Ultra ($200/mo)—and removes the 5-hour usage window for verified Ultra users, though the weekly limit stays at 10x Pro; the rename clarifies that the weekly cap was never 20x Pro.
Plan Renaming
Anthropic announced a rename of its Claude personal subscription tiers. The former Max 5x plan becomes Max (still $100/month), and the former Max 20x plan becomes Ultra (still $200/month). Existing subscribers need take no action; pricing and benefits remain unchanged, and the name switch happens automatically.
After the rename, the personal lineup consists of four tiers: Free , Pro , Max , and Ultra .
5-Hour Limit Removed for Verified Ultra Users
At the same time, Anthropic began lifting the 5-hour usage window for verified Ultra accounts. Most current Ultra subscribers will benefit immediately. New Ultra sign-ups remain subject to the 5-hour limit until they complete account verification, after which Anthropic will notify them by email that the restriction has been lifted.
Developer Theo reacted with "Huge!!!", and other users noted that the $200 tier finally drops the 5-hour cap, praising Anthropic's recent product velocity.
Why the Rename?
Claude subscription product lead Michael Overell explained the reasoning. When the top tier launched in April 2025, it offered a single 5-hour usage window with a quota 20× the Pro plan, hence the name Max 20x . Later, a weekly usage cap was added: the 5-hour window kept the 20× Pro quota, but the weekly cap was set at only 10× Pro . This created confusion—users seeing "Max 20x" assumed both the 5-hour and weekly allowances were 20× Pro. Overell apologized publicly and stated that dropping "20x" from the name eliminates that ambiguity.
Weekly Limit Unchanged
Removing the 5-hour window does not mean unlimited usage. The Ultra weekly cap remains at 10× the Pro plan ; total weekly quota has not increased. The change only affects how the quota can be consumed: previously, users could hit the 5-hour ceiling even with weekly quota left, forcing a pause. Now verified Ultra users can work continuously until the weekly allowance is exhausted.
For users who already depleted their weekly quota before the 5-hour limit, available total usage is unchanged. The $100/month Max tier sees only the name change; its 5-hour and weekly limits stay at 5× Pro.
Developer Reactions
Theo : "Huge!!!"
Tibo (Codex "Reset God"): noted the weekly cap is still tight and suggested a monthly reset would be better.
kimmonismus : commented on the weekly limit severity.
References
https://x.com/claudeai/status/2116220869479428500https://x.com/mboverell/status/2116221457252659275https://x.com/bcherny/status/2116222842413142111https://x.com/kimmonismus/status/2116221615180755409Signed-in readers can open the original source through BestHub's protected redirect.
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