Anthropic Imposes Usage Limits on Claude Code Amid Infrastructure Strain
Anthropic sets new usage limits for Claude Code to ease infrastructure strain and address reliability issues.
Key Points
- • Weekly usage limits for Claude Code begin August 28, 2025
- • Pro users receive 40-80 hours, Max users 140-280 hours, and top-tier Max users 240-480 hours
- • Service outages have been frequent, indicating infrastructure challenges
- • Other AI tools are revising pricing due to high demand
In an effort to manage infrastructure strain due to high demand, Anthropic is introducing weekly usage limits for its Claude Code service starting August 28, 2025. This changes comes as excessive use, particularly among the top 5% of users, has led to service reliability challenges, including recent outages.
The new weekly limits will complement existing five-hour rolling limits based on subscription tiers. Pro users, priced at $20 per month, will now have access to 40 to 80 hours of usage, while Max users, costing $100 a month, will see between 140 to 280 hours. Additionally, high-tier Max users, who pay $200 monthly, will be allocated 240 to 480 hours of use. This adjustment has raised concerns regarding the perceived value of subscription plans, particularly the Max tier, which Anthropic previously advertised as offering 20 times the usage of the Pro tier; current calculations indicate it offers only about six times the hours.
With Claude Code experiencing multiple outages—at least seven in just a month—the reliability of the service is under scrutiny. As a response to these pressures, other AI development platforms, including Cursor and Replit, are also reconsidering their usage models. The introduction of these usage limits may compel developers to explore alternative tools if Claude's reliability diminishes for regular use, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape in the AI coding tools market.