# OpenRouter lets Claude Code users keep coding past plan usage limits

> Original title: Hit Your Claude Code Usage Limit? How to Keep Coding

- Source: OpenRouter Blog
- Published: 2026-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Bad Influence: https://badinfluence.news/items/ckzlthriduyvhmkxoahmrrkzb
- Original: https://openrouter.ai/blog/tutorials/claude-code-usage-limit/

## Summary

OpenRouter says Claude Code can run on a pay-per-token OpenRouter API key with the same Claude models and no five-hour or weekly limits. Users set three environment variables, and the post recommends Claude Sonnet 5.5 as the starting model, with a typical short session costing $0.16 on Sonnet 5.5, $0.31 on Opus 5.5, and under one cent on Haiku 5.5. The post also warns that Claude Code's printed cost can overstate billing, citing $0.375 shown for a run billed $0.008.