Usage Limits
Your monthly credits, paced so they last the whole cycle. Every plan adds two rolling windows on top of its monthly allowance: a 5-hour cap and a weekly cap. Extra pay-as-you-go credits are never limited.
- Two rolling windows. A 5-hour cap and a weekly cap. On every plan.
- A slice of your plan. 30% of your monthly credits in any 5 hours. 60% in any 7 days.
- Rolls with you. Each window opens on your first request and resets a fixed time later.
- Extra credits don't count. Pay-as-you-go credits are never capped and never blocked.
| Plan | Your cost | Monthly credits | 5-hour cap (30%) | Weekly cap (60%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go | $1 | $10 | $3 | $6 |
| Pro | $15 | $30 | $9 | $18 |
| Max 10ร | $100 | $150 | $45 | $90 |
| Max 20ร | $200 | $300 | $90 | $180 |
| Team Pro | $40 | $40 | $12 | $24 |
Credits are dollars. 1 credit = $1 of model usage. Caps scale with your plan, so an upgrade raises both windows.
Caps are measured in credit value, not request count โ so how many requests fit inside a window depends on the models you run. Cheaper models like DeepSeek V4 Flash stretch much further than premium models like Claude Opus. The usage estimates and calculator help you gauge your own mix.
No fixed clock. No calendar boundary. A window opens on your first request and resets exactly 5 hours (or 7 days) later.
First request of the week on Monday at 9:00am? Your weekly window resets next Monday at 9:00am. The 5-hour window works the same, and can reset several times inside a single weekly window.
Usage never carries between windows. Each new one starts at zero.
Buy extra credits at model cost. They roll over. They never expire. And a usage window never blocks them.
No subscription, just pay-as-you-go? There's no monthly allowance to cap, so the windows don't apply at all. You're gated only by your credit balance. Custom Enterprise pools work the same way โ no rolling window caps, just your balance.
A request over a window is declined with a message that names the window and shows when it resets:
You've reached your 5-hour usage limit for your plan. Your limit resets at 3:00 PM.
Three ways forward:
- Wait. The window resets on its own. The message and the CLI both show a live countdown.
- Buy extra credits. Run
/extrato add on-demand credits โ they bypass the limit right away. - Upgrade. Run
/upgradefor a higher plan and higher caps.
Upgrade or downgrade and both windows start fresh under the new caps. An upgrade gives you headroom now. A downgrade starts clean at the lower caps, and takes effect at your next billing cycle.
Run /usage in the CLI for live meters on both windows: how much of each cap you've used and when it resets, right next to your credit balance.
The Studio Usage page tracks the cost of every request. More in the usage docs.
Why are there usage limits?
Why are there usage limits?
The windows pace how fast you spend your included monthly credits so your plan lasts the whole cycle and capacity stays fair across users. They don't reduce your total monthly credits. They smooth out how fast the included allowance is used.
How are the caps calculated?
How are the caps calculated?
Each cap is a slice of your plan's monthly credits: 30% in any 5 hours and 60% in any 7 days. On Max 10ร ($150/mo) that's $45 every 5 hours and $90 every week.
Do my extra credits count toward the limit?
Do my extra credits count toward the limit?
No. Only your included monthly credits count. Extra pay-as-you-go credits are never counted and never blocked, and when you're over a window they're spent first so your monthly allowance is preserved.
I still have credits but I'm being limited. Why?
I still have credits but I'm being limited. Why?
Windows only apply while you're spending your monthly allowance and have no extra credits left. The balance you see may be monthly credits, which are still paced by the window. Buy extra credits from Studio > Billing to continue right away, or wait for the window to reset.
When does my limit reset?
When does my limit reset?
A fixed time after the window first opened: 5 hours for the 5-hour window, 7 days for the weekly window. It rolls from your first request, not a fixed clock or weekday. The message and /usage both show the exact reset time.
Does changing my plan reset the limit?
Does changing my plan reset the limit?
Yes. Upgrading or downgrading starts both windows fresh under the new plan's caps. Upgrades take effect immediately; downgrades take effect at your next billing cycle.
Are pay-as-you-go accounts limited?
Are pay-as-you-go accounts limited?
No. With no subscription, there's no monthly allowance to cap, so the 5-hour and weekly windows don't apply. You're gated only by your credit balance.
Where can I see how much of my limit I have left?
Where can I see how much of my limit I have left?
Run /usage in the CLI. It shows a meter for each window, used vs. cap and the reset time, next to your credit balance. See the usage docs for more.