The real difference between tiers is usage capacity, not a locked-away feature set — worth knowing before assuming you need to upgrade before even starting.
| Dimension | What changes |
|---|---|
| Core functionality | The same — permission model, file access, workflow, all identical |
| Usage capacity | Higher limits on paid tiers — check Anthropic's current published numbers |
| What triggers an upgrade | Hitting usage limits during real, regular work — not a missing feature |
Yes — everything in the free guide's first-workflow walkthrough is built around what's available without a paid tier. The permission model, the review habit, a first real project — none of that requires upgrading first. See the 10-minute test drive for a task genuinely small enough to try on the free tier.
When usage limits start genuinely interrupting real, regular work — not preemptively "just in case." See the pricing breakdown for how the usage-based model works, and use the cost estimator to get a real sense of what your actual usage pattern might cost.
7 pages covering the permission model and a first real workflow — everything here works without upgrading first.
Get the Free Guide →Yes — the free guide's entire first-workflow walkthrough is built around what's available without a paid tier. Usage limits are the constraint, not missing functionality.
Hitting usage limits regularly during real work, not a specific feature being unavailable — check Anthropic's current published limits rather than assuming.
Check Anthropic's current plan comparison directly — the durable, tool-side difference is usage capacity, not a fundamentally different tool.