You can install Claude Code without paying a separate fee, but access to the models is paid. Claude Code is included with every paid Claude plan; when you use it through Claude Console, usage is billed by API tokens. The /usage command reports different information for these two setups. Before you start, check your authentication method and the current terms on the official pages.
What Is Free in Claude Code, and What Is Paid
There is no separate charge to download and install the client. Installation alone, however, does not provide model access: Claude Code must authenticate through a paid Claude plan, Claude Console, or a supported enterprise platform.
On the current Claude pricing page, Claude Code is listed as a feature of all paid plans. It is not listed in the Free plan description. Plan features and limits can change, so old screenshots and fixed numbers quickly become outdated.
The statement that “Claude Code is free” usually refers only to the client. Model requests consume either the allowance of a paid plan or billable API tokens.
Claude Subscription and API Are Different Billing Models
When you sign in through Claude.ai, Claude Code usage is included in your paid plan and shares the plan's overall usage limits with other Claude surfaces. When you authenticate through Claude Console, token-based API billing applies. The actual cost depends on the model, context size, and amount of work.
| What you are comparing | Paid Claude plan | Claude Console / API |
|---|---|---|
| Billing basis | Subscription with included usage | Token-based billing |
| Where usage is counted | In the plan's shared allowance | In the API organization and workspace |
| Limits | Plan usage windows and additional limits | Rate limits and configured spend limits |
| Where to check | /usage and Settings → Usage |
/usage for the session, Claude Console for billing |
| When it fits | Interactive work when you already have a plan | Separate API billing, budgeting, and organizational access |
An BetterToken option. If you need separate API access for Claude Code instead of a subscription, BetterToken provides an Anthropic-compatible endpoint with an API key and Base URL. Billing is pay-as-you-go without a fixed monthly subscription; this is not a free mode. Open the current pricing page, compare the available models, and decide whether separate API access fits you better than a Claude subscription.
How to Avoid Mixing Up Subscription and API Authentication
Claude Code selects credentials according to a priority order. The ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable takes precedence over OAuth authentication through /login. In interactive mode, Claude Code asks once for permission to use a detected key; in non-interactive -p mode, the key is used automatically when it is set.
You can check whether the variable is set without printing its value:
if [ "${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY+x}" = x ]; then
printf '%s\n' 'Variable is set'
else
printf '%s\n' 'Variable is not set'
fi
Then run /status inside Claude Code. The Login method line shows the active authentication method, and an additional API key line appears when an API key is in use.
If you intended to use your subscription but an environment key is active, remove it from the current session with:
unset ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
Run /status again afterward. Do not manually delete credential files: use the official /logout and /login commands to change the saved account.
How to Read Usage and Limits in /usage
The Session section at the top of /usage shows statistics for the current session: input, output, cache read, and cache write tokens. Its dollar figure is calculated locally from token counts and may differ from the actual bill.
For API users, this section is useful for estimating session usage, but the authoritative billing record is the Usage page in Claude Console. After /clear, the counters for the new session start again.
For Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise subscribers, Claude Code usage is included in the plan. The Session dollar estimate is therefore not the amount charged to the subscription. On the same screen, subscribers can see plan usage bars, activity statistics, and breakdowns for skills, subagents, plugins, and MCP servers.
The d and w keys switch the breakdown between the last 24 hours and seven days. This information comes from local history on the current computer and does not include activity from other devices or claude.ai.
Where to Check the Current Terms
Four official pages cover this topic:
- Claude Plans & Pricing — which plans currently include Claude Code and the stated limits.
- Manage costs effectively — how to read
/usage, where to check API billing, and how limits work. - Authentication — sign-in methods, credential priority,
/status,/login, and/logout. - Claude Console Usage — actual usage and costs for an API organization.
Do not treat prices, limit sizes, or feature sets as permanent values in your notes. Open the current pricing page before paying or changing your authentication method.
How to Choose a Claude Code Access Method
The right choice depends on where usage should be accounted for:
- You already have a paid Claude plan and work interactively. Sign in with
/login, checkLogin methodin/status, and monitor the plan bars in/usage. - Your organization needs separate API billing and spend limits. Use Claude Console access and check the actual bill in Console, not the local Session estimate.
- Claude Code runs in CI or a script without a browser. API access is one option, but not the only one: the official documentation also supports a long-lived subscription OAuth token through
claude setup-token. The active authentication method determines how usage is paid for. - Your paid plan limit is exhausted. You can wait for it to reset, switch plans, or enable usage credits if they are available for your account. Additional usage is billed at standard API rates.
After changing the access method, repeat two checks: /status answers “which account is active?”, while /usage answers “which limit or usage record is visible now?”
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Claude Code on the Free Plan?
On the current pricing page, Claude Code is listed for paid plans but not for Free. You can install the client without a separate purchase, but model requests require a supported paid access method.
Why Does /usage Show Dollars If I Have a Subscription?
It is a local estimate of the API cost of tokens used in the current session. For a subscriber, it is not a bill. Check the plan usage bars on the same screen.
Can an API Key Switch Claude Code from Subscription to API Billing?
Yes. If ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is set and its use has been approved, it takes precedence over subscription OAuth. Check the active method in /status.
Where Can I See the Exact API Charges?
In Claude Console. The Session section in /usage is intended as a local estimate and may not match the actual bill.