On a Claude Pro or Max plan, Claude Code stops when you use up the five-hour session limit or the weekly limit. The five-hour window resets in full five hours after your first message in it, and the weekly limit resets at a fixed time each week. You can check both in Settings > Usage. Until then you can wait, pay as you go, change plan, or move the task to another tool.
When does the Claude Code limit reset?
Anthropic’s help center describes two limits on Pro and Max plans: a five-hour session limit and a weekly limit. The five-hour period starts with your first message, and your limit resets in full five hours later. The weekly limit resets at a fixed time each week that is assigned to your account. Claude and Claude Code share the same limits, so a long chat on claude.ai uses the same allowance as a Claude Code session.
Anthropic does not publish an exact number of messages or tokens for a window. It says how fast you reach a limit depends on the length and complexity of your conversations, the features you use, the model you pick and the effort level. It also says it may adjust limits, so treat any number you read elsewhere as a guess.
How do you check your usage and the reset time?
- Open Settings > Usage. It shows how much of the current session you have used, the time remaining and your next reset time.
- In Claude Code, run
/usagefor a breakdown of what counts against your plan limits, or/statusto check your remaining allocation.
On some plans Claude Code may show “Usage limit reached · wrapping up” and let a response that is already in progress finish. It applies only to that response. Anthropic describes it as rolling out gradually, and the wrap-up counts toward your weekly limit.
What are your options when you hit the limit?
Each option below works. They differ in what they cost you and what you give up.
| Option | What it costs | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Wait for the reset | Nothing | You stop until the window resets. The time is in Settings > Usage. |
| Turn on usage credits | Pay-as-you-go at standard API rates, with a monthly cap you set | Work continues past your plan limit, but every message after that is billed. |
| Move to a bigger plan | The higher monthly price. Max is 5x Pro usage; Ultra is 10x Pro weekly | More room, not unlimited: the five-hour and weekly limits still exist (Ultra: weekly, with no five-hour limit for verified accounts). |
| Use an API key | Billed per use at standard API rates, from prepaid credits | No plan window, but you pay for every token, and if the credits run out the calls stop. Run /login to go back to your subscription. |
| Switch to another tool you already have | Nothing extra if you already have a plan for it (Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI) | You re-explain the task, and that tool has its own limits and its own way of working. |
| Use less per task | Nothing | Start fresh with /clear between tasks, /compact long ones, and use Sonnet for most coding work. Anthropic’s help article calls /clear “the single most effective lever for both quality and cost”. |
Last checked: 1 November 2026
If you do switch tools by hand, write a short note first: what is done, what is left, the files touched and the next command to run. Commit it, then tell the next tool to read it before it starts. It saves most of the re-explaining.
Can another agent pick the task up automatically?
Yes, if you run more than one coding agent. Friday is a free, open-source (MIT) app that runs Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and others side by side on your own computer. When a tool hits its usage limit mid-task, Friday moves the task to the agent best placed to finish it, with the work so far, so you do not start over.
What that does and does not do:
- The agents run on your own plans and sign-ins. Friday never switches your accounts, and it does not raise anyone’s limit.
- It is not unlimited. If every agent you have is out of usage, the task waits for a reset, or for you.
- It needs another tool you already pay for or have access to. With only Claude Code, there is nowhere to hand the task.
- There is no account. It listens on 127.0.0.1 only, and it sends anonymous usage counts you can turn off.
It is free to try: see what is in the current release and download it. The hand-off is described in how an agent hand-off works, and the limits of each tool in Claude Code and Codex usage limits in one place.
Sources
Checked against Anthropic’s own pages on 1 November 2026. Limits and plans change, so check the latest version before you rely on a detail.
- Using Claude Code with your Pro or Max plan, Claude Help Center
- How do usage and length limits work?, Claude Help Center
- Manage usage credits for paid Claude plans, Claude Help Center
- How do I pay for my Claude API usage?, Claude Help Center
- Models, usage and limits in Claude Code, Claude Help Center
- Manage costs effectively, Claude Code docs
- Plans and pricing, claude.com