Solutions
Claude Max 20x Is Now Ultra: What Actually Changed, and Why It Feels Like a Cut
Anthropic renamed its two highest-priced Claude plans on October 30: Max 5x is now Max at $100 a month, and Max 20x is now Ultra at $200. Prices did not change, and current subscribers moved to the new names automatically. The loudest reaction came from users who read the new numbers as a cut, because Ultra is now described as 10x Pro usage per week, where the old name said 20x.
What actually changed
For verified Ultra accounts, the five-hour session limit is gone. A long Claude Code or research session is no longer cut off at the five-hour boundary. The weekly limit is the one thing Anthropic did not touch: Max stays at 5x Pro usage per week, Ultra at 10x Pro, and Anthropic says weekly limits remain unchanged. The top model, Fable, is capped at half the weekly limit on both plans.
One more thing did improve: the API credits included with Ultra rose from $100 to $200 a month. They cover the API, the Console and the Agent SDK, not Claude Code sessions. The rollout is staged: most existing subscribers got the five-hour limit removed on October 30, while newer accounts keep a temporary five-hour limit until Anthropic verifies them, which it does automatically from account and payment history. Verifying a phone number at checkout does not remove it, and there is currently no way to apply for verification.
Why the old name misled
When the top plan launched in April 2025, it had a single five-hour limit set at 20x Pro usage, hence the name Max 20x. When weekly limits were added later, they were set at 10x Pro, while the five-hour limit stayed at 20x. So the number in the old name described only the session window. The weekly cap that actually binds heavy users was already 10x Pro and still is. Mike Overell, who leads product for Claude subscriptions, explained this history after the announcement.
So is Ultra a worse deal?
On the public facts, no: no price rise, no limit cut, and API credits doubled. But if you already hit the weekly cap every week, the change gives you nothing, because removing the session limit does not add weekly usage. Those are the people the $200 plan targets, and their frustration is understandable. One user’s reply to the announcement summed it up: “I thought it was 20x, and it was only 10x? I honestly feel scammed right now.” The feeling is fair; the numbers say the weekly deal is the same deal with a clearer name.
One clause is still worth reading. Anthropic’s terms say extra limits may apply to manage capacity, at its discretion. Ultra is not unlimited, and the weekly cap is the number that matters. If you are choosing between Max and Ultra, compare the weekly allowances, 5x versus 10x Pro, and ignore the old 20x figure entirely.
What to check on your account
If you are on Ultra, check whether your account is verified: verified accounts no longer face the five-hour limit. If your account is new, expect the temporary limit and an email when it lifts. If you are on Max, nothing changed except the name.