Independent AI buying guide

No paid rankings

Last checked 26 Oct 2026

Which AIshould I buy?

Is it worth it?

Is Claude Max worth it?

Claude Max costs $100/mo. We hold it up against Claude's free plan, every other free plan and every cheaper subscription, on independent test scores.

The verdict

Claude Max · $100/mo

Only if you need it

Claude Pro costs less ($20/mo) and scores the same as Claude Max overall. Pay for Claude Max only if you need something only it offers, like higher limits.

Cheaper, nearly as good for overall

  • Claude Pro: $20/mo, scores 97/100 (scores the same as Claude Max)
  • ChatGPT Plus: $20/mo, scores 92/100 (scores 95% of Claude Max)

Right as of 26 Oct 2026. New models and price changes come out often, and we re-check every week. Check back before you buy or renew.

What you get for the money

Claude Max against Claude's free plan and the best subscription per topic, scored out of 100.

TopicClaude MaxClaude freeBest subscription
Overall97Claude Opus 5.58098Gemini Google AI Pro
Coding99Claude Opus 5.58299GitHub Copilot Pro
Writing100Claude Opus 5.577100Claude Pro
Research & search90Claude Opus 5.5No scores98ChatGPT Plus
Maths & hard problems95Claude Opus 5.58698ChatGPT Plus
Studying98Claude Opus 5.581100Gemini Google AI Pro
Business & office98Claude Opus 5.581100Gemini Google AI Pro

The plan up close

Our opinion first, then the sourced facts: price, AI models and what's included.

Claude Max

Claude Max

By Anthropic · $100/mo

Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Our take (opinion, reviewed 7 Oct 2026)

Strong at writing and long, careful work with documents and code.

Good for

  • Long writing and editing work
  • Developers who want a coding agent included

Not for

  • People who want to make images

AI models included

  • Claude Fable 5.1 (limited use)Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.
  • Claude Haiku 5.5Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.
  • Claude Opus 5.5Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.
  • Claude Sonnet 5.5Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.

What you get with Max

  • Offers 5x or 20x more usage than Pro.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Higher output limits for all tasksSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Monthly API credits for building on the Claude PlatformSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • $100 to $200 monthly in API credits for buildingSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Priority access at busy timesSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Strengths

  • Free plan includes web search, file creation and code running.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Memory across conversations is included on every plan.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Claude Code is included in all paid plansSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Works in Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365 on Pro and MaxSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Limitations

  • Your chats may be used for model training unless you opt outSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Usage limits apply and there is no fixed message count.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Prices shown do not include applicable taxes.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Usage limits reset every five hours, with weekly caps on paid plansSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Claude Code is not included in the free planSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Model training on your chats is on by default, with an opt-outSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

All Claude plans and prices →
Official site: claude.ai ↗

The free plan

Claude Free

By Anthropic · Free

Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

AI models included

  • Claude Haiku 5.5 (limited use)Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.
  • Claude Sonnet 5.5 (limited use)Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026The plan lists the model family; the version comes from the same page's list of current models.

What you get with Free

  • Chat on web, desktop and mobile, with web search and file creation.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Memory carries across conversations.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Free covers everyday questions.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Chat on web, desktop, and mobile for freeSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Strengths

  • Free plan includes web search, file creation and code running.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Memory across conversations is included on every plan.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Claude Code is included in all paid plansSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Works in Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365 on Pro and MaxSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

Limitations

  • Your chats may be used for model training unless you opt outSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Usage limits apply and there is no fixed message count.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Prices shown do not include applicable taxes.Source: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Usage limits reset every five hours, with weekly caps on paid plansSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Claude Code is not included in the free planSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026
  • Model training on your chats is on by default, with an opt-outSource: Anthropic · verified 26 Oct 2026

All Claude plans and prices →
Official site: claude.ai ↗

Questions people ask

Is Claude Max worth it?
Only if you need it. Claude Pro costs less ($20/mo) and scores the same as Claude Max overall. Pay for Claude Max only if you need something only it offers, like higher limits.
How much does Claude Max cost?
$100/mo, according to Anthropic: Claude plans & pricing.
Is the free version of Claude enough?
Claude's free plan scores 82% of Claude Max overall. We call a free plan "enough" from 92%.

How we decide: if a free plan scores at least 92% of Claude Max in the same independent tests, we call the free plan enough, the same rule as everywhere on this site. Read how we rank.