Lesson 3.3
Plans, Features and Limits
The Claude plan ladder from Free to Enterprise, how usage limits work, which features depend on plan, and where to check the current figures.
Which plan you are on determines which models you can choose, how much you can use Claude, which features are switched on and, importantly for business users, how your data is treated. Prices, exact limits and the feature matrix change regularly, so the exam does not test numbers. It tests whether you understand the structure of the plan ladder and can reason about which plan fits a situation. Always confirm current details at support.claude.com or the pricing page before advising anyone.
The plan ladder
Free gives access to Claude with a default model, modest usage limits and the core chat experience. Limits are reached quickly in a working day.
Pro is the individual paid plan. It unlocks the model picker, substantially higher usage, and the features that make Claude a daily tool: Projects, more generous file handling, Research, connectors and the ability to use Claude Code. Most individual professionals who use Claude seriously are on Pro.
Max is for individuals who hit Pro's limits. It comes in tiers that multiply the usage allowance and gives priority access to new features and capacity.
Team is for organisations of a few people upwards. It adds central billing, an admin console, shared Projects and collaboration features, and (critically) commercial data terms. Seats come in more than one type, with a premium seat that bundles Claude Code for technical staff.
Enterprise adds what large organisations require: single sign-on, user provisioning, role-based permissions, audit logs, a compliance API, larger context windows, more granular controls over connectors and features, and contractual options around data retention and residency.
How usage limits work
Consumer plans (Free, Pro, Max) use a rolling allowance. Usage accumulates within a window of a few hours and resets when the window ends; higher tiers also have weekly ceilings to prevent continuous heavy use. What consumes allowance is not simply the number of messages but the amount of work: long conversations, large attachments, Opus-tier models, extended thinking and agentic tasks all use more than a short exchange with Sonnet. Practical consequences:
- Starting a fresh chat for a new topic uses less allowance than continuing a very long one, because each message re-reads the whole conversation.
- Choosing Sonnet or Haiku for routine work preserves allowance for when Opus matters.
- When you hit a limit, the app tells you when it resets; it is not an error, and nothing is lost.
Team and Enterprise plans have their own allowance model and administrators can see usage. For the current figures, check the help centre.
Features that depend on plan
The following commonly vary by plan. Treat this as a map of what to check, not a fixed matrix.
| Capability | Typically |
|---|---|
| Model choice | Default model on Free; full selection on paid plans |
| Projects, Styles | Paid plans; shared Projects on Team and Enterprise |
| Research, web search | Search widely available; Research on paid plans |
| Connectors and custom connectors | Paid plans; admin-controlled on Team and Enterprise |
| Memory | Paid plans; organisation controls on Team and Enterprise |
| Claude Code | Pro and Max; Team premium seats; Enterprise |
| Claude in Chrome, agentic desktop mode | Rolled out by plan over time |
| SSO, SCIM, audit logs, compliance API | Enterprise |
Data terms by plan
This is the plan distinction business users most often get wrong. On consumer plans, Anthropic's consumer terms apply, and users are offered a choice about whether their conversations may be used to improve models; that choice also affects how long data is retained. On Team and Enterprise plans, commercial terms apply: customer content is not used for model training by default, administrators control retention and feature settings, and the organisation (not the individual) owns the relationship. Domain 6 covers this in depth; for now, the rule is that work involving company or customer data belongs on a business plan or within whatever your organisation has approved.
Choosing a plan for a scenario
- A sole trader drafting proposals and analysing client spreadsheets most days: Pro, or Max if limits bite.
- A ten-person marketing team wanting shared brand guidelines and campaign Projects: Team, which gives shared Projects, admin controls and commercial data terms.
- A regulated firm needing SSO, audit trails and retention commitments: Enterprise.
- A student exploring Claude for a few questions a week: Free.
The questions to ask are always the same: how much usage, how many people, what collaboration, what data sensitivity, what compliance requirements.
Finding the current facts
Because the specifics move, memorise the sources, not the figures: the pricing page for plan contents and cost; support.claude.com for usage limits, file limits and feature availability; the privacy centre and terms pages for data handling; the model documentation for context windows. In an exam scenario, an answer that recommends checking the current limit is often more correct than one that states a number.
Exam focus
- The ladder runs Free, Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise; each step adds usage, features, collaboration or governance.
- Usage limits are rolling allowances consumed by work done (length, attachments, model tier, thinking, agentic tasks), not simply by message count.
- Team and Enterprise bring commercial data terms (no training by default, admin control); consumer plans offer individuals a training choice.
- Enterprise is distinguished by identity and governance features: SSO, provisioning, audit logs, compliance API, granular controls.
- Match plan to usage volume, team size, collaboration needs, data sensitivity and compliance; verify current specifics at support.claude.com.
Check yourself
5 questions
1.A new user asks how the free tier of Claude differs from paid individual plans, in principle. Which answer is correct?
2.A twelve-person consultancy wants shared projects, central billing and an administrator who can manage seats and settings. Which type of plan matches these needs?
3.A bank's IT team requires single sign-on, user provisioning through their identity system, audit logs and control over data retention before approving Claude. Which plan type is designed for these requirements?
4.Which statement about usage limits on Claude plans is correct in principle?
5.A consultant on an individual plan keeps hitting the usage limit by early afternoon. She works in a single conversation that has run for three weeks, attaches full reports every time, and uses Opus for everything. Which change would most reduce her consumption?