Usage Limits
Atom itself has no usage limits. You can send as many messages as you want, whenever you want. The limits you may run into come from your AI provider (Anthropic or OpenAI), and they are based on your subscription with them.
What uses your allowance
Every message you send and every response Atom receives consumes tokens. Some things use more than others.
- Simple edits like renaming a layer or changing a color use very little.
- Multi-step automations like building a comp with keyframes and expressions use a moderate amount.
- Large project scans where Atom reads hundreds of layers use more.
- Long conversations where you build on context over many messages add up cumulatively.
Staying efficient
- Be specific. Targeted prompts use fewer tokens than vague ones. “Add a 0.5s ease-in opacity fade to the selected layer” is more efficient than “make it look nice.”
- Start fresh when the context gets stale. Long conversations accumulate tokens. If you’ve switched tasks, start a new chat.
- Use skills for repetitive work. Saved prompts reduce back-and-forth.
- Work in focused sessions. Batching related edits into one session is more efficient than scattering single requests throughout the day.
Provider plans
Limits are set by your provider’s subscription tier. Both providers also offer API credits as an alternative. With API credits you pay per token with no rolling windows. Subscriptions are heavily subsidized though, so for regular use they’re almost always the better deal.
Claude Code runs through your Anthropic subscription. Limits use sliding windows that refill on their own.
| Plan | Price | Allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $20/mo | Base allowance |
| Max 5x | $100/mo | 5x Pro |
| Max 20x | $200/mo | 20x Pro |
There are two windows: a 5-hour cooldown that limits bursts, and a weekly ceiling that caps your total over 7 days. Anthropic does not publish exact token numbers. Actual capacity depends on the model and request complexity. When you hit either cap, Atom will show you when it resets.
Pro is enough for lighter use, but heavy sessions can fill the 5-hour window quickly. Max 5x is the sweet spot for regular After Effects work. Most users can work through the day without hitting limits on this plan. Max 20x is for very heavy, multi-project workloads.