Claude free tier: what's included and where it stops
Claude has a free plan at $0. It covers chat, web search, files and memory, with a usage limit that resets every five hours.
Yes, Claude has a free plan that costs $0. You sign up at claude.ai with an email address or Google account, and Anthropic also requires a phone number from a supported location. It covers chat on web, desktop and mobile, web search, file creation, memory and connectors, with a usage limit that resets every five hours. Whether it also has a weekly limit is stated inconsistently by Anthropic (see the FAQ). It has no Claude Code, Opus, Claude in Chrome or Research, and Anthropic gives no message count. This is as of November 2026; paid plans are on Claude pricing.
Good for
- People trying Claude before paying
- Occasional users with a few questions a day
- Students and writers who work in short sessions
- Free users deciding if Pro is worth it
Key facts
- Price
- $0
- Projects
- Up to 5
- Checked
- November 3, 2026
Get more out of the free plan
Claude
- 1
Sign up at claude.ai
Use an email address or Continue with Google. You enter payment details only if you upgrade later.
- 2
Put related questions in one message
Anthropic advises grouping related tasks in a single message. Include background up front so Claude needs fewer follow-ups.
- 3
Use a Project for documents you reuse
Free accounts can make up to 5 Projects. Content in projects is cached and counts less against your limit when reused.
- 4
Start a new chat when one gets long
Long chats that trigger automatic context management use more of your limit.
- 5
Turn off tools you do not need
Connected apps and web search are token-heavy. Switch them off for chats that do not need current information.
- 6
Upgrade when the limit keeps stopping you
Our advice: if the limit stops you most days, look at the Pro plan. Claude tells you when you reach the limit.
Comparison
Free costs $0 with a limited five-hour allowance. Pro costs $20 a month ($17 yearly), gives at least 5x Free usage per five-hour session, and adds Opus, Claude Code, Claude in Chrome and Research.
| Option | Price a month | Usage | Opus | Claude Code | Claude in Chrome | Research |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreeThis page | $0 | Limited | No | No | No | No |
| Pro | $20 ($17 yearly) | At least 5x Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Verdict
Our advice: stay on Free if you ask a few questions a day and can wait out the five-hour limit. Upgrade to Pro when the limit stops you most days or you need Claude Code, Opus or Claude in Chrome.
Stay on Free if you ask a few questions a day and can wait out the five-hour limit. Upgrade to Pro when the limit stops you most days.
Best for
- Trying Claude before paying
- A few questions or documents a day
- Short sessions you can pause and resume
Skip it if
- You need Claude Code, Opus or Claude in Chrome (not on Free)
- You work in Claude for hours at a time
- You are outside a supported location
Often compared with
2
ChatGPT
Gemini
Questions
Is Claude AI free?
Yes. The Free plan costs $0. You sign up with an email address or Google account, and Anthropic also requires a phone number from a supported location. It has a usage limit that resets every five hours. As of November 2026.
What does the Claude free tier include?
Chat on web, desktop and mobile, web search, file creation, code execution, memory across chats, connectors, Artifacts, voice mode and up to 5 Projects. It includes Sonnet and Haiku models.
How many messages can I send on Claude for free?
Anthropic does not publish a number. How many you get depends on message length, attached files, chat length and the model. Claude tells you when you reach the limit.
Does free Claude have a weekly limit?
Anthropic's pages disagree, so we cannot say. The Free plan card on claude.com/pricing says "Limited usage every 5 hours and every week", and its compare table lists the weekly limit for Free as "Limited". The same page's FAQ says "paid plans add weekly limits on top", Anthropic's getting started guide mentions only "a session-based usage limit that will reset every five hours", and its usage limits article says "Paid plans have two types of usage limits". As of November 2026.
Can I use Claude for free without a credit card?
Yes. Sign-up takes an email address or Google account (plus a phone number from a supported location), and the Free plan costs $0. Payment details are entered when you subscribe to a paid plan.
Does the free plan include Claude Code or Opus?
No. Claude Code, Opus, Claude in Chrome, Claude for Microsoft 365 and Research start on Pro.
What is the difference between free Claude and Pro?
Pro gives at least five times the Free usage per five-hour session and adds Opus, Claude Code, Claude in Chrome and Research for $20 a month. See Claude pricing for the full table.
Is the free version of Claude available in my country?
Only in Anthropic's supported locations. You must be physically in one and use a phone number from one to create an account.
Can I use free Claude on my phone?
Yes. Download Claude for iOS or Android, or use claude.ai in a browser. Desktop apps exist for Mac and Windows.
Does Anthropic train on my free chats?
The pricing page lists model training as opt-out on Free, Pro, Max and Ultra. Check your privacy settings in the app.
Information
updated Nov 3, 2026
- Made by
- Anthropic
- Connector directory
- claude.ai/directory
Sources
Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.
Show all 7Hide
- Claude pricing · claude.com
- What is the Pro plan? · support.claude.com
- How do I sign up for the Pro plan? · support.claude.com
- Get started with Claude · support.claude.com
- What are projects? · support.claude.com
- Usage limit best practices · support.claude.com
- Understanding usage and length limits · support.claude.com