Anthropic extends free Fable 5 access for subscribers as OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol heats up the pricing war

Anthropic has extended free access to its Claude Fable 5 model for existing subscribers until July 19, 2026, reversing a plan to move the tool to a pay-per-use model today. Users remain restricted to half of their weekly message limits while using this specific model. This policy shift follows increased competition from OpenAI, as both companies adjust access models to maintain market share amid a growing pricing war for advanced AI services.