Claude AI for business · Guide
Is Claude AI free? Plans explained for small business
By Limon Ghosh, Sydney · Updated 25 October 2026 · 6 min read
Short answer: Yes. Claude has a free plan that includes chat on web, desktop and mobile, web search, file creation, memory and up to 5 projects, using the Sonnet and Haiku models. Paid plans add more usage and features. In Australia, Pro is about A$34 a month including GST on the web (A$340 a year billed annually), Max starts at about A$170 a month, and Team starts at about A$34 per seat a month on annual billing. Buying through the iPhone App Store costs a little differently (Pro is A$30 a month there), so check the final amount at checkout.
What the free plan includes
Anthropic describes the Free plan as “free for everyone”. According to its pricing page, Free includes:
- Chat on the web, desktop app and mobile app
- Web search
- Creating files and running code
- Memory across chats
- Connecting apps and tools, including connectors and skills
- Artifacts, plus Claude Design, Slides and Docs
- Voice mode
- Up to 5 projects
- The Sonnet and Haiku models
Not on Free: the Opus and Fable models, Research, Claude Code, Claude in Chrome and usage credits. You need Pro or above for those.
What each plan costs
Claude plan prices per month in Australia
Australian dollars, including GST, buying on the web. Annual billing shown where Anthropic offers a discount.
Source: Australian pricing guides (Croissant Baguette, Automata AI and Kingy AI), checked 25 October 2026.
View as table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Free | A$0 |
| Pro (annual) | A$28 |
| Pro (monthly) | A$34 |
| Team Standard seat (annual) | A$34 |
| Team Standard seat (monthly) | A$43 |
| Max (from) | A$170 |
| Plan | Price in Australia (AUD, incl. GST) | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Free | A$0 | Trying Claude, occasional drafting |
| Pro | About A$34 a month on the web, or A$340 a year billed annually. A$30 a month (A$349.99 a year) in the App Store | One person using Claude most days |
| Max | About A$170 (5x Pro usage) or A$340 (20x) a month on the web. A$199.99 or A$399.99 in the App Store | Heavy daily use, long tasks, Claude Code |
| Team | Standard seat about A$34 a seat a month billed annually (A$43 monthly). Premium seat about A$170 (A$213 monthly) | Teams of 2 to 150 that need shared billing and admin controls |
| Enterprise | Contact Anthropic sales. The US list price is US$20 a seat a month billed annually, 20-seat minimum, plus usage at API rates | Larger companies with security and compliance needs |
Sources: Australian pricing guides (Croissant Baguette, Automata AI and Kingy AI), checked 25 October 2026, and the Claude pricing page. Web and App Store prices differ, and prices can change, so check the final amount at checkout.
How usage limits work
No plan is unlimited. Anthropic says every plan has limits that reset on a rolling five-hour session window, and paid plans also have weekly limits.
| Plan | Usage, per Anthropic |
|---|---|
| Free | Enough for everyday use |
| Pro | At least 5x Free usage per session |
| Max | 5x or 20x Pro usage per session |
| Team Standard | More than Pro |
| Team Premium | 5x Standard |
Source: Claude pricing page.
Paid plans can also use usage credits to keep working at standard API rates after you hit a limit.
What Australian buyers pay
Claude’s pricing page now shows prices in local currency, so open it from Australia to see the amount you will be charged. Anthropic’s help centre says your billing address decides how tax is calculated, and Australian prices include GST.
Web or app store? Buying on claude.ai and buying in the iPhone App Store are priced differently. Pro is about A$34 a month on the web but A$30 in the App Store, while the annual plan is cheaper on the web (A$340 a year against A$349.99). Business owners usually buy on the web so the invoice and GST go to the business.
Is the Claude API free?
No. The pricing page does not list a free API tier. The API charges per million tokens, and the price depends on the model:
| Model | Input, per million tokens (US$) | Output, per million tokens (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| Haiku 5.5 (prompts up to 100K tokens) | US$0.10 | US$0.50 |
| Sonnet 5.5 | US$2 | US$10 |
| Opus 5.5 | US$4 | US$20 |
| Fable 5.1 | US$10 | US$50 |
Source: Claude pricing page (API section), read 24 October 2026. The API is priced and billed in US dollars.
Max plans include monthly API credits (US$100 on 5x, US$200 on 20x), and Team plans include up to US$500 a month in pooled API credits.
Which plan does a small business need?
- Start on FreeUse it for a week on real jobs: product descriptions, customer email replies, ad copy ideas.
- Move to Pro when you hit limitsOr when you need Opus, Claude Code or Claude in Chrome. One Pro seat suits most owner-run businesses.
- Choose Team for 2 or more peopleYou get central billing, admin controls, and Anthropic says it does not train models on Team content by default.
- Only buy Max for heavy useFor example, if you run long coding or research tasks every day.
Not sure it is worth paying for? Work out the hours Claude could save with our Claude time-saver calculator, or see 7 jobs Claude can draft for you.
Getting value from it
The plan matters less than what you hand to Claude. For online stores, the best first jobs are order and shipping emails, review replies and weekly sales summaries, with a person approving every send. Our practical guide to Claude for small business covers where to start.
We set up Claude for Australian stores, connected to Shopify, email and your reports. See Claude AI for ecommerce in Australia.
Sources
Questions answered
Is Claude AI really free?
Yes. Anthropic offers a Free plan at A$0 with chat, web search, file creation, memory and up to 5 projects, using the Sonnet and Haiku models. Usage is limited and resets on a rolling five-hour window.
How much is Claude Pro in Australia?
About A$34 a month including GST on the web, or A$340 a year billed annually. In the iPhone App Store it is A$30 a month. Check the final amount at checkout, because prices can change.
What do you lose on the free plan?
Free does not include the Opus and Fable models, Research, Claude Code, Claude in Chrome or usage credits, and it has lower usage limits than paid plans.
Is Claude Pro unlimited?
No. Pro gives at least 5x the Free usage per session. Limits reset on a rolling five-hour window, and paid plans also have weekly limits.
Is the Claude API free?
No. The pricing page lists no free API tier. The API is billed in US dollars per million tokens, from US$0.10 for input on Haiku 5.5 up to US$10 for input on Fable 5.1.
Which Claude plan is best for a small business?
Start on Free, then move to Pro when you hit limits or need Opus or Claude Code. Choose Team once 2 or more people use it, for central billing and admin controls.
Limon Ghosh runs MindfulClicks from Sydney and manages paid ads, tracking and Claude AI automation for online stores and B2B companies in Australia and the USA.
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