Claude has this 45 messages limit per 5 hours for pro subs as well. Is there any way to get around it?

Claude has 3 models and I have been mostly using sonet. From my initial observations, these limits apply for all the models at once.

I.e., if I exhaust limit with sonet, does that even restrict me from using opus and haiku ? Is there anyway to get around it?

I can also use API keys if there’s a really trusted integrator but help?

Update on documentation: From what I’ve seen till now this doesn’t give us very stood out notice about the limitations, they mentioned that there is a limit but there is a very vague mention of dynamic nature of limitations.

Edit (18 July, 2025):

Claude has tightened the limits of Claude Code silently, people are repeatedly facing this issue :: "Invalid model. Claude Pro users are not currently able to use Opus 4 in Claude Code" and also https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/3566

Make no mistake, I love claude to the core. I was probably in the mid-early adopters of Claude. I love the Artifact generation more than anything. But this limitations are really bad. Some power users are really happy on claude Max plan because they were able to get it to work precisely. I think this is more to do with Prompt engineering, and context engineering. I hope sooner or later, claude can really work like how ChatGPT is accessible now-a-days.

Edit ( 7 sept, 2025):

The fact that this post is still getting so much attention is a testament to Claude not listening to the users. I love Claude and Claude Code too much, and I am a fan of Anthropic adding new features. Unfortunately, this Claude code also hits the “Compacting conversation” too quick - for me atleast, and the limits are a little better honestly. But the cool down period is painful.

I just switched to pro, and even using the Opus model, I have periodic message limits and have to wait hours. Is this a thing? Or do I have to start a new chat because I have been using the same chat from when I was on the free plan, testing it out?

Thanks!

We've just reset weekly limits for all Claude users on paid plans.

We've seen members of this community hitting their weekly usage limits more quickly than they might have expected. This is driven by usage of Opus 4.1, which can cause you to hit the limits much faster than Sonnet 4.5.

To help during this transition, we've reset weekly limits for all paid Claude users.

Our latest model, Sonnet 4.5 is now our best coding model and comes with much higher limits than Opus 4.1. We recommend switching your usage over from Opus, if you want more usage. You will also get even better performance from Sonnet 4.5 by turning on "extended thinking" mode. In Claude Code, just use the tab key to toggle this mode on.

We appreciate that some of you have a strong affinity for our Opus models (we do too!). So we've added the ability to purchase extra usage if you're subscribed to the Max 20x plan. We’ll put together more guidance on choosing between our models in the coming weeks.

We value this community’s feedback. Please keep it coming – we want our models and products to work well for you.

I've noticed this behaviour working on projects over a number of hours. At some point I keep getting the error "Message exceeding length limit for chat" even with very short queries - in the latest case, a paragraph of 135 word.

This is independent of the total messages limit which pops up from time to time. The link in the alert box takes me here: https://support.anthropic.com/en/articles/7996848-how-large-is-claude-s-context-window which makes me think this is the expected behaviour, but limiting it by so much seems extreme. Is this correct?

The message limit is relatively simple - it resets in 5 hour blocks from your first prompt. If you log on at 2:15pm, you're in the 2pm block, so 5 hours after 2pm would be 7pm. So whenever you run into the limit, your message limits will reset at 7pm. Whether you use them all up in the first hour, or slowly use them over the course of 4 hours, it doesn't matter - your total limit will reset at the same time. This is why sometimes when you run out, it only takes 1 or 2 hours to reset, but if you use them very quickly, it could take 3 or 4 hours to reset.

I take advantage of this if I know I'm going to have a short time in the evening to work on a project. For example, if I plan to use Claude for a few hours after dinner (6-9pm, for example), I might log on earlier in the day, around 2pm, to "start the clock" by sending 1 prompt to both Sonnet and Opus (they have separate prompt limits but they each reset in 5h blocks). That way, when I begin the project at 6pm with a good momentum, I can run through all of my available prompts for both Sonnet and Opus in that first hour, knowing that my limits will be reset at 7pm and I can use that second 5h block's worth of prompts. I then have the option of staying up until midnight if I want to use another 5h block's worth of prompts.

This tip can essentially double the available prompts you have to use each day, if you usually only have one 5-hour block to work in consistently. Start the clock and control the reset to your advantage.

Hi, after a few months on ChatGPT Pro, I didn’t renew my plan to try Claude Pro instead. It's the same price. I started 5 conversations, and uploaded around 5 pictures, asking some questions about them.

But I already reached the limit, and now I have to wait a few hours. I’m really disappointed with these restrictions.

I’d like to know how you're using Claude with these limits. Do you only ask about the weather? Can you use Claude to review some programming code for example?

just like other users i also experienced this kind of problem. I don't really know if this just a bug or poorly executed update. But, do upgrading to Claude Pro will resolve this issue? and for the one who already subscribed to Claude Pro, are you also experienced this kind of problem? honestly i'm little bit in a pinch right now.