Updated January 2026

What Claude Code Really Costs

Everything about pricing, usage limits, and how to optimize your costs. Includes plan comparison and spending calculator.

$3
Per 1M input tokens
$15
Per 1M output tokens
$20/mo
Pro Plan

What's included

API Pricing Explained

Input vs output tokens, cache, batching

Rate Limits

Limits by plan and how to avoid them

Cost Optimization

Techniques to reduce spending

Calculator

Estimate your monthly costs

What this guide covers

Pricing Model

Plans: Free, Pro, Max

Rate Limits Explained

Cost Optimization

API vs Claude.ai

Pricing guide + Cost calculator