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Glossary

Plan usage limits

Last updated

Definition

Plan usage limits are the caps a Claude or ChatGPT subscription puts on how much you can use Claude Code or Codex within set time windows, usually a rolling five-hour window plus a weekly one.

Also called: usage limits, rate limits, session and weekly limits.

With a subscription you don't pay per token. Instead the plan gives you an allowance per window, and when a window is used up you wait for it to reset. How much you get depends on the plan and changes over time, so check the vendor's own usage page rather than a number quoted elsewhere.

ClaudeCodex
Short windowthe 5-hour session limitusage per five-hour period
Long windowweekly limits, for all models and for specific modelsweekly limits may also apply
Shared withclaude.ai, Claude Code and Claude Desktoplocal messages and cloud tasks share the allowance
Where to checkSettings → Usage in Claudethe Codex usage dashboard

Longer conversations, larger models, higher effort, and several subagents or cloud sessions running at once all use the allowance faster. Anthropic says cloud sessions share rate limits with the rest of your Claude usage.

In Pairbar

The header shows a ring per app with how much of the plan's tightest limit is used, whichever of the 5-hour and weekly windows is fuller. It turns orange at 50% and red at 80%; hover or click for the limits card with each window's reset time. Claude's numbers come from Claude Code's status line, which one-click Install of live status for Claude sets up, or the Claude app's own record, so Pairbar normally starts no claude; claude -p /usage (no chat turn) is only a last resort. Codex's come from its newest rate-limit report in its local session files. The Claude-or-Codex suggestion and a workflow's Skip under N% both use these. See Limits.

42%Claude68%CodexOrange from 50%, red from 80%:whichever window is fuller.ClaudeCurrent session (5-hour)resets 16:40Weekly, all modelsresets Mon 09:00Codex5-hour windowresets 15:10Weekly windowresets Thu
Two usage rings, one per app, with the limits card showing the 5-hour and weekly windows.

Frequently asked questions

Are Claude Code limits separate from claude.ai limits?
No. Anthropic says usage across claude.ai, Claude Code and Claude Desktop counts towards the same limit.
How much can I use per window?
It depends on your plan and changes over time. Check Settings → Usage in Claude or the Codex usage dashboard for current figures.
Does Pairbar use up my limits by checking them?
No. It reads Claude's usage from Claude Code's status line or the Claude app's own record, and only as a last resort with claude -p /usage, which uses no chat turn. Codex's latest report comes from files already on your Mac.

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