Guide: Claude Subscriptions
Pick the plan by the work you want to do, not the price tier.
Most of the recipes here need Cowork and Projects, and those start at Pro. The plan question is really a capability question.
The right plan is the cheapest one that unlocks the capability your recipe actually uses.
Guide: Claude Subscriptions
Claude Cowork · Feature primer
What You Need to Know Upfront
The recipes in this library are built around Claude Cowork — the desktop app that lets Claude work on multi-step tasks with access to your files, run scheduled automation, and maintain context across sessions in Projects.
Cowork requires a paid plan. It is not available on the free tier. The desktop app (macOS or Windows) is also required — Cowork does not run in the browser or on mobile.
Before you start any recipe, check that you have the right plan.
The Plans
Free
Basic access to Claude in the browser and mobile app. Useful for one-off questions and simple conversations.
What’s missing for these recipes: No Cowork. No Projects. Not suitable for any recipe in this library.
Pro — $20/month
The entry point for everything in this library. Includes Cowork, Projects, file access, scheduled tasks, plugins, and skills.
Good for: Individual business owners and solo operators running their own workflows.
Usage note: Cowork tasks consume your usage allocation faster than regular chat. If you’re running complex or long tasks frequently, you may hit your limit. Usage resets on a rolling 5-hour window.
Max — $100–$200/month
Everything in Pro, with significantly higher usage limits. Designed for individuals who push Claude hard.
Good for: Solo operators who are hitting Pro’s usage limits regularly — running multiple Cowork sessions daily, processing large files, or using Claude for a high volume of work.
When to consider it: If you find yourself hitting usage limits midday on Pro, Max is the upgrade path before going to Team.
Team — $30/user/month (5-seat minimum)
Everything in Pro/Max, built for multiple people. Adds admin controls, shared visibility, and organizational management.
Good for: Small businesses where more than one person needs to run workflows. Includes OpenTelemetry monitoring so admins can see Cowork activity across the team.
What Team adds over Pro/Max:
- Multiple users, each with their own Cowork access
- Admin controls for usage, network access, and capabilities
- Ability to monitor team Cowork activity
- Data is not used to train Claude models
Enterprise — Custom pricing
Everything in Team, plus compliance, security, and IT management features.
Good for: Organizations with legal, compliance, or IT requirements — SSO, audit logs, data residency, custom retention policies.
When to consider it: If your Team or IT department needs controls that go beyond what Team provides, or if you’re in a regulated industry with data handling requirements.
Which Plan Is Right for You
| Situation | Plan |
|---|---|
| Just getting started, one person | Pro |
| Running Cowork heavily every day, hitting limits | Max |
| Two or more people need their own access | Team |
| Compliance, SSO, or audit requirements | Enterprise |
What Cowork Requires
Regardless of plan, make sure you have these before starting any recipe:
- A paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise)
- Claude Desktop installed on macOS or Windows — download at claude.com/download
- An active internet connection throughout the session
- The desktop app must stay open while Claude is working on a task — if you close it or the computer sleeps, active tasks will stop
Pro and Max users can send tasks to Claude from the mobile app while the desktop runs in the background. The desktop still needs to be on and open.
A Note on Usage Limits
Cowork tasks are compute-intensive. A single complex task can consume the same allocation as many standard chat messages. A few practices that help:
- Use standard chat (not Cowork) for simple questions that don’t need file access
- Batch related work into single Cowork sessions rather than running many short sessions
- Monitor your usage at claude.ai/settings/usage
If you’re hitting limits frequently on Pro, that’s the signal to consider Max.
Current Plan Pricing
Pricing is set by Anthropic and subject to change. Always verify current pricing at claude.ai/pricing before subscribing.
