TL;DR
- Claude Code users on $200 Max plan report new, unannounced usage caps.
- Limits triggered sudden lockouts with vague “usage limit reached” errors.
- Anthropic confirmed service disruptions but did not clarify policy changes.
- Users complain about lack of transparency and communication.
- Network-wide issues also affected Anthropic API and cloud stability.
Claude Code Max Users Hit with Sudden Limits
Starting Monday, Claude Code users noticed sudden limitations on usage — particularly those on the $200-per-month Max plan, a tier marketed for high-volume access. Users shared complaints via the Claude Code GitHub issues page, describing sudden usage stops without warning.
Instead of policy updates, users received a generic “Claude usage limit reached” error. Most were told to wait a few hours before access resumed, without further explanation. For many, this came off as either silent downgrades or metering errors.
Official Response Offers No Clarity
Anthropic offered limited comments to reporters. A representative told TechCrunch only that “some Claude Code users are experiencing slower response times,” without elaborating on policy or pricing changes.
One user, who preferred to remain anonymous, said their project had stalled due to the unexpected lockouts. “I tried Gemini and Kimi, but there’s nothing else with Claude Code’s capability,” they added.
Unclear Terms Behind Usage Caps
A key source of confusion is Anthropic’s vague usage structure. The company sells tiered plans:
- Max Plan: $200/month; 20x limits vs. Pro.
- Pro Plan: Lower-tier paid option; 5x limits vs. free plan.
- Free Plan: No fixed usage caps — limits “vary by demand.”
Anthropic does not guarantee message volume or uptime at any tier. This leaves users unable to plan workflows, particularly during peak load periods.
API Network Stability Also Hit
In the past four days, Anthropic’s status page showed six separate issues, mostly related to API response failures. However, the same page still showed 100% uptime for the week, which contradicted user-reported failures.
Heavy users expressed frustration with Anthropic’s opaque communication. One stated they regularly processed over $1,000 worth of API requests daily using the Max plan — and suspected the plan’s economics were becoming unsustainable.
The Data
| Plan Tier | Monthly Price | Access Multiplier | Limit Details |
| Max | $200 | 20× Pro | No fixed guarantee on request limits |
| Pro | Varies | 5× Free | May vary during peak times |
| Free | $0 | Baseline | Subject to demand and throttling |
Anthropic Pricing, Anthropic FAQ
Loss of Trust Due to Silence
As technical issues overlap with metering restrictions, users increasingly view Anthropic’s silence as damaging. “Just be transparent,” one said. “The lack of communication just causes people to lose confidence.”
The growing demand for clear and stable AI tools — particularly among developers and enterprise teams — has raised the stakes. Platforms like Claude Code are being evaluated not only for technical strength but also reliability and trust.
