Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- PCWorld highlights that flat-rate AI plans are struggling as providers acknowledge current models weren’t built for increased agentic AI usage.
- Anthropic briefly removed Claude Code from Pro signups in a “small test,” while GitHub suspended flat-rate Copilot signups and removed Claude Opus access.
- These changes signal potential major shifts in AI subscription models, with competitors like OpenAI positioned to capitalize on user dissatisfaction.
Wasn’t I just saying that flat-rate AI plans are broken? Now we’ve got more proof, this time coming from the makers of Claude.
Eagled-eyed Claude users caught Anthropic tinkering with the signup page for individual Claude Pro and Max plans. Specifically, they saw that Claude Code was nixed from the features available on Claude Pro.
The Claude Code bullet point eventually returned to the Claude Pro signup page, and Anthropic Head of Growth Amol Avasare later posted on social media that the change was just “a small test on ~2% of new prosumer signups,” adding that nothing had changed for current Pro ($20/month) and Max ($100/month and up) users.
But then Avasare expanded on his comments, noting that when Claude Max first launched a year ago, Claude Code wasn’t included, Cowork “didn’t exist,” and “agents that run for hours weren’t a thing.”
“Max was designed for heavy chat usage, that’s it,” Avasare continued. “Engagement per subscriber is way up. We’ve made small adjustments along the way (weekly caps, tighter limits at peak), but usage has changed a lot and our current plans weren’t built for this.”
It’s the “our current plans weren’t built for this” part that caught my attention. Avasare seems to be stating quite plainly what I wrote yesterday: that flat-rate AI plans like Claude Pro and Claude Max are broken, mainly due to the rise in agentic AI applications like Claude Cowork and Claude Code.
So, is Anthropic getting ready to yank Claude Code from Claude Pro users? That’s the big question. I’ve reached out to Anthropic for comment and will update this story if I get a worthwhile response.
But following GitHub’s recent decision to suspend signups for its own flat-rate Copilot plans as well as pull Claude Opus access from its $10/month Pro plan, the writing seems to be on the wall: Big changes are coming to individual AI plans, and agent-focused features like code and desktop AI assistants might be the first to go.
If that seems like a bait-and-switch, well, I don’t blame you, especially if you ponied up for an annual AI plan like Claude Pro or Max. One would hope that if Anthropic does downgrade its consumer plans, it would either allow current subscribers to keep their existing functionality or offer refunds to those who want them.
Then again, if Anthropic were to go ahead and drop Claude Code from the list of Claude Pro features, the move would create an opportunity for Anthropic’s competitors—namely OpenAI with Codex.
Replying to Avasare’s comments, OpenAI chief and mortal Anthropic opponent Sam Altman trolled the exec with an “ok boomer,” hinting that the ChatGPT creator would be all too happy to scoop up those Claude users angered by any upcoming Claude plan changes.