Anthropic Faces User Backlash Over New Claude AI Usage Limits
Anthropic introduces rate limits for Claude AI, facing backlash from users over transparency issues.
Key Points
- • Anthropic introduces new weekly usage limits for Claude AI starting August 28, affecting Pro and Max plans.
- • The limits are intended to curb misuse due to excessive background usage of Claude Code.
- • Developers express frustration over lack of transparency in tracking usage limits and report decreased effectiveness.
- • Users are considering switching to competitors if their concerns are not addressed.
Anthropic's recent decision to impose new weekly rate limits on its Claude AI service has triggered significant backlash from users and developers, particularly affecting subscribers of its Pro and Max plans. These limits, which take effect on August 28, are intended to address instances of misuse, including excessive computing resource consumption primarily by users running the Claude Code feature continuously in the background.
The company asserts that the new limits will impact fewer than 5% of users, a claim that has drawn skepticism as developers express concerns over transparency and clarity. This dissatisfaction is voiced across platforms like Reddit, where users lament the imprecision of usage tracking, calling for tools to monitor their usage. One developer remarked, "We need a dashboard to track our usage. This becomes a big guessing game, which is unacceptable when we are paying $200 per month."
Under the new policy, Pro users will receive between 40 and 80 hours of Sonnet 4 usage per week, while Max plan users can access up to 480 hours of the same model. Additional caps are introduced for the Opus 4 model and both plans will maintain the current rolling usage reset every five hours. Anthropic has also stated that users who exceed these limits will have the ability to purchase more computing capacity at standard API rates.
This measure reflects a growing trend within the AI industry, where companies like Anysphere and Replit have implemented similar restrictions in response to cost management and policy violations. Anthropic's spokesperson, Amie Rotherham, emphasized that the constraints are crucial for maintaining the reliability of its services amid unprecedented demand, while acknowledging that most users should remain unaffected by these changes.
As developers process this shift, many are contemplating whether to remain with Anthropic or explore competitive options, with user sentiment indicating the need for greater clarity and assurance moving forward.