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Claude Code

Coding agent by Anthropic

ActiveClosed sourceVerified Oct 22, 2026
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Anthropic's agentic coding tool that reads a codebase, edits files, and runs commands, available as a terminal CLI, VS Code and JetBrains extensions, a desktop app, and cloud sessions in the browser.

Key facts

Type
Coding agent · CLI, IDE extension, Desktop app, Cloud agent, Web
Pricing
Paid, from $20/mo
Free tier
None. The Claude Free plan does not include Claude Code. You can also pay per token with an Anthropic API key (Claude Console) instead of subscribing.
License
Proprietary
Models
Claude
Platforms
macOS, Windows, Linux, Web
Bring your own API key
Yes
Local models
No
MCP support
Yes
Self-hostable
No

Claude Code pricing

Pro

$20/month

$17/month billed yearly

$200/yr. Claude Code with Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5; at least 5x Free usage per session. Fable runs on usage credits only

Max 5x

$100/month

Monthly billing only. 5x Pro usage per session; Fable can use up to 50% of weekly limits. Includes $100/month in API credits for the API and Agent SDK, not interactive Claude Code

Max 20x

$200/month

Monthly billing only. 20x Pro usage per session; Fable can use up to 50% of weekly limits. Includes $200/month in API credits for the API and Agent SDK, not interactive Claude Code

Team Standard seat

$25/month

$20/month billed yearly

2-150 members. Includes Claude Code; 1.25x Pro usage per session. Adds $20/seat in pooled API credits (team cap $500/month)

Team Premium seat

$125/month

$100/month billed yearly

6.25x Pro usage per session (5x a Standard seat); Fable can use up to 50% of weekly limits. Adds $100/seat in pooled API credits

Enterprise

$20/month

Billed yearly only

Per seat, billed annually only, plus all usage at API rates; no per-seat usage limits. Minimum 20 seats self-serve, 50 seats via sales

Full Claude Code pricing guide: usage limits, API costs and which plan to pick →

Best for

  • Developers who work mainly in the terminal
  • Teams already standardized on Claude models
  • Delegating multi-step tasks such as refactors and PR fixes to an agent

Pros

  • Same agent available in CLI, IDE, desktop app, and browser
  • Extensible with MCP servers, hooks, subagents, skills, and plugins
  • Can run against Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Foundry for enterprise deployments

Cons

  • Supports only Anthropic's Claude models
  • No free tier; requires a paid Claude plan or API usage
  • Closed source

How Claude Code compares

Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex

Both cost $20/month to start and do the same core job, so pick by ecosystem.

Updated Oct 22, 2026

Claude Code vs Cursor

If you mainly want to code with Claude models, pick Claude Code: Pro at $20/month includes Claude usage, while Cursor's new plans include only Cursor's own Grok and Composer models and bill Claude separately at API list price, from the $30 Premium plan up.

Updated Oct 22, 2026

Claude Code vs Gemini CLI

For most individual developers, pick Claude Code: Gemini CLI stopped serving free, Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra users on June 18, 2026, so the free option most comparisons recommend no longer exists.

Updated Oct 22, 2026

Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot

Pick GitHub Copilot if you want AI inside the editors you already use, with unlimited completions and a choice of models, including Claude Opus 5.5 and Sonnet 5.5, from $10/month.

Updated Oct 22, 2026

Claude Code vs Kiro

Pick Claude Code if you want a terminal-first agent you steer in conversation, on a predictable Claude subscription.

Updated Oct 22, 2026

Claude Code vs OpenCode

Pick Claude Code if you use Claude on a subscription.

Updated Oct 22, 2026

Best Claude Code alternatives →

Free, open-source and paid options, sorted by what you need.

Sources (12)