Is an Anthropic Subscription Worth 5x OpenAI's? Putting a Dollar Figure on Usage Limits

AI analysis outlet SemiAnalysis published a comparison of usage limits across Anthropic and OpenAI subscription plans on October 5. The comparison assumes a scenario in which work is handed off to an AI that handles tasks on its own (an agent). In this test, SemiAnalysis concluded that the API-equivalent value of an Anthropic subscription is roughly 5 times that of an OpenAI subscription. The models used were Claude Opus 5.5 and GPT-6.1 Sol.

What exactly does “5x” compare?

It is a comparison of how much usage your subscription fee buys you, converted into a dollar figure. The yardstick is API pricing, the pay-as-you-go rates developers pay when they wire a model into their own services. SemiAnalysis measured how quickly each type of request drew down the usage allowance, then applied an assumed mix of task types to translate that into API costs.

The researchers repeatedly submitted requests designed to consume large amounts of the usage allowance. Rather than looking only at input and output, they separately tested requests that store content and requests that read previously stored content back. The method gauges a subscription’s limit by how much work it takes before the usage indicator shifts.

SemiAnalysis noted that the results vary depending on the model, the task mix, and API prices. In other words, even within the same subscription, the converted dollar value changes according to what you ask the model to do. The firm added that this set of numbers alone cannot tell you which of the two models is more economical with usage in real work.

What do the monthly fees and usage limits look like?

Anthropic’s consumer plan, Claude Pro, costs $20 a month when billed monthly. Max 5x runs $100 a month, and Max 20x $200 a month. The “5x” and “20x” in the plan names refer to 5-hour session usage relative to Pro. Paid plans also carry weekly limits, and additional restrictions may apply depending on the model or feature.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT Pro is split into $100, $200, and $500 monthly tiers. OpenAI has said that the usage included with newly purchased Pro 200 plans is lower than before. Customers who used Pro 200 during a specified window will keep their existing usage levels until October 29, 2026. The $500 tier includes Astra Ultrafast.

What to weigh if you are subscribing from Korea

Korea is a supported region for both companies’ services. Claude on the web and in the desktop app, as well as ChatGPT, can be set to Korean in the language settings. When choosing a subscription, do not look at the monthly price alone; check the limits attached to each plan. Claude Max applies a weekly limit alongside the session limit that resets every 5 hours. If you are an existing ChatGPT Pro 200 subscriber, it is worth confirming whether the usage-retention terms apply to your account.

This study offers a benchmark for sizing up the usage you get for your subscription fee. That dollar figure, however, shifts with the task mix and model pricing. In the end, the deciding factors are how often you actually hit the limits in your own work, and how much usage it takes to get the result you want.