ClaudeFieldGuide › Is it free?
Yes — since the July 1, 2026 restoration, Claude Fable 5 is included on paid claude.ai plans (Pro, Max, Team, and select Enterprise) at 50% of weekly usage limits through July 7, 2026. After July 7 it requires usage credits. The Claude API and Claude Code require a paid plan and bill per token — there is no free tier.
Who gets it free, and until when
The return window runs July 1 – July 7, 2026 and applies to paid claude.ai subscriptions: Pro, Max, Team, and select Enterprise, at 50% of weekly usage limits. There is no separate sign-up — it appears in the model picker for subscribers. It replaces the original June 9–22 free window, which the June 12 export-control suspension cut short after about three days. Access walkthroughs are in Start.
After July 7: usage credits
From July 8, 2026, subscription use of Fable 5 moves behind usage credits rather than being bundled into the plan. Standard Enterprise plans are credits-only throughout, with no included allowance. The change affects claude.ai plans only — API access and API pricing are unchanged throughout.
The API and Claude Code are not free
There is no free public tier for the Claude API: Fable 5 bills per token at $10 per million input and $50 per million output the entire time. Claude Code, which Fable 5 powers, requires a paid plan. The only "free" path is the included-on-plans window above, and only on a paid claude.ai subscription.
Moral: free, but with a fence around it — paid plans only, half limits, and only through July 7. If you want to try Fable 5 for nothing, the clock is the constraint, not the cost. What to spend the window on: fableguide.com/what-to-run — our dedicated Fable 5 guide. Start at Start.