Max plan: sonnet[1m] requires extra usage but opus[1m] is included - inconsistent

[msouga]

Description

On a Max plan (personal account, not organization), opus[1m] works perfectly but sonnet[1m] returns:

Sonnet 4.6 with 1M context is not available for your account.
Learn more: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/model-config#extended-context-with-1m

Why this doesn't make sense

Opus is the larger, more expensive model. Sonnet is the smaller, cheaper one. If Max includes opus[1m], it's counterintuitive that sonnet[1m] (a less expensive model) requires extra usage/additional payment.

From a user perspective, this feels like an oversight rather than an intentional pricing decision.

Steps to reproduce

1. Have a Max plan (personal account)
2. Run /model opus[1m] → works fine
3. Run /model sonnet[1m] → error above

Expected behavior

If opus[1m] is included in Max, sonnet[1m] should also be included (or at least there should be a clear explanation of why the cheaper model costs extra).

Environment

• Claude Code CLI
• Max plan (personal)
• macOS

[github-actions]

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. sonnet[1m] not available on Max subscription despite docs not restricting it #26557
2. Opus 1M context on Max plan requires extra usage despite docs saying 'included with subscription' #39841
3. [BUG] [1M] Sonnet 1M context window disappeared after Claude Code update to v2.1.45 — regression on Max plan ($200/mo) #26428

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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[msouga]

These issues are not duplicates. #26557, #26428, and #39841 all report that both 1M models were blocked. That was resolved in v2.1.75 when Anthropic included opus[1m] in Max at no extra cost.

This issue (#41121) is the inverse problem: after that fix, opus[1m] is correctly included, but sonnet[1m] — the smaller, cheaper model — still requires extra usage. The inconsistency introduced by the fix is the bug being reported here.

[omair-inam]

FWIW, noting that this behavior is documented here by Anthropic

[msouga]

@omair-inam Thanks for pointing to the docs. I'm aware that sonnet[1m] is documented as requiring extra usage. However:

1. It still doesn't make sense: opus[1m] is the larger, more expensive model and is included in Max at no extra cost. Requiring extra usage for the cheaper model (sonnet[1m]) is counterintuitive regardless of what the docs say.

2. Even with extra usage enabled, I can't activate it: I have a minimum extra usage allowance configured on my Max plan, and sonnet[1m] still returns the same error. So the question becomes: how do I actually enable it? The docs don't explain what specific configuration is needed beyond "extra usage."

If this is truly by design, could someone from the team clarify exactly how to activate sonnet[1m]? The current error message just points to a doc page that says "enable extra usage" — which I already have.

[msouga]

Bumping this — it has been 9 days with no response from the team.

To recap the inconsistency:

• opus[1m] (larger, more expensive model, 1M context) → included in Max at no extra cost.
• sonnet[1m] (smaller, cheaper model, 1M context) → requires extra usage, and even with extra usage enabled on my Max plan, activation still fails with the same error pointing back to the docs.

Could someone from Anthropic clarify:

1. Is this pricing split intentional, and if so, what is the rationale for gating the cheaper model behind extra usage while the more expensive one is free?
2. What is the exact configuration needed to activate sonnet[1m] when extra usage is already enabled? The docs say "enable extra usage," which I have done, but the model is still unreachable.

Happy to close this if there is a reasonable explanation, but right now the behavior genuinely doesn't make sense to users on the Max plan.

[alvseek]

my 2 cents:
Sonnet is cheaper on the usage allowance compared to Opus, so they want you to either use Opus to burn more of your usage allowance or pay for Sonnet 1mil context

[github-actions]

Closing for now — inactive for too long. Please open a new issue if this is still relevant.

[deviprsd]

wow great response