What Are Claude Max and GPT Pro?

When browsing model prices on this site, you may come across group names like Claude Max or GPT Pro. These groups are more expensive than reverse groups but significantly cheaper than the official API. So what exactly are they?

What Are Official Subscriptions

In addition to APIs billed by token volume, model providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, and others also offer monthly subscription plans for individuals and teams.

Take Anthropic as an example. Claude's pricing page lists the following plans:

Pro: Monthly subscription with a basic usage quota
Max 5x: Higher price, 5 times the Pro quota at 5 times the Pro price
Max 20x: Highest price, 20 times the Pro quota at only 10 times the Pro price

Similarly, ChatGPT's pricing page offers:

Plus: Monthly subscription with a basic usage quota
Pro 5x: Higher price, 5 times the Plus quota at 5 times the Plus price
Pro 20x: Highest price, 20 times the Plus quota at only 10 times the Plus price

These plans are originally designed for individuals or teams to use via the official client apps, but platforms have found another use for them.

How Platforms Utilize Subscription Plans

Platforms bulk-purchase these subscription accounts and build an "account pool." When a user sends a request via API, the platform routes the request to one of the accounts in the pool and returns the model's response to the user.

This process is also a form of reverse engineering, but from official subscription accounts. To distinguish it from third-party reverse engineering, this approach is called 'official reverse' (short for 'official reverse engineering').

Since the per-unit cost of official subscription plans is lower than the official API, platforms can offer services at lower prices while still earning a margin.

Differences from Reverse Groups

Official subscription groups differ from reverse groups in several key ways:

Different quality. Official subscription groups are often called the "full-power version" because they use the official full-featured service with good quality; reverse groups may include built-in system prompts or restrict features, resulting in slightly lower quality
Different costs. Official subscription accounts are legitimately paid for, so the platform bears the subscription cost; reverse engineering exploits free or low-cost quotas, resulting in lower costs
Different prices. Official subscription group prices are typically higher than reverse groups but lower than the official API

Differences from the Official API

Official subscription groups also differ notably from the official API:

Price difference. Official subscription group prices are typically 10-20% of the official API price, which is their biggest appeal
Stability difference. Official subscription groups are essentially a form of reverse engineering and can similarly become unavailable at any time due to official countermeasures, with price fluctuations
Concurrency limits. Official subscription groups may have concurrency limits since multiple users share the same batch of accounts; the official API generally offers stronger concurrency capabilities

Common Subscription Plan Types

Currently, common subscription plans include:

Claude Max 20x: Anthropic's highest subscription tier, and the most common source of "full-power Claude"
ChatGPT Pro 20x: OpenAI's highest subscription tier
Google AI Ultra: Google's subscription plan providing Gemini, Antigravity and other premium features. Among them, Antigravity also offers Claude, GPT and other models

Pros and Cons Summary

Pros:

High quality: "Full-power" models
Moderate pricing: Much cheaper than the official API with good value for money

Cons:

Subject to account bans: If subscription accounts are banned by the provider, service stability is affected
Price fluctuations: When providers adjust subscription prices or policies, group prices change accordingly
Concurrency limits: Multiple users share accounts, potentially causing queuing during peak times

Practical Advice

Prioritizing quality: Official subscription groups are the best alternative to the official API, suitable for users willing to pay a bit more for quality without paying full official prices
Limited budget: Consider reverse groups first — lower price but slightly lower quality
Want to learn more: Read Why Are These Platforms So Cheap for a comprehensive overview of pricing