# free-claude-code — Route Claude Code CLI to Free LLM Providers

> A Python proxy that lets you use the Claude Code CLI and VSCode extension with free LLM backends instead of Anthropic's API.

- Org: Alishahryar1
- Date: 2026-03-08
- Category: repo, tool
- Source: https://github.com/Alishahryar1/free-claude-code
- Canonical page: https://ai-tldr.dev/releases/alishahryar1-free-claude-code/

## In short

A drop-in proxy that routes Claude Code CLI and VSCode extension calls to free providers: NVIDIA NIM (40 req/min), OpenRouter, DeepSeek, LM Studio, or llama.cpp. No Anthropic API key needed. #1 Python trending today, 6,400+ stars.

## What it is

free-claude-code is a lightweight FastAPI proxy server that sits between the Claude Code CLI (or VSCode extension) and the upstream LLM provider. You point Claude Code at localhost:8082 via two environment variables, and the proxy routes the requests to whichever free or self-hosted backend you configure: NVIDIA NIM (40 requests per minute free), OpenRouter (hundreds of models), DeepSeek's API, or fully local runners like LM Studio and llama.cpp. No Anthropic API key required.

## How it works

The proxy intercepts Anthropic-format API calls and translates them for each target provider. Per-model routing lets you assign Opus-class requests to a capable backend, Sonnet-class to a balanced one, and Haiku-class to the fastest. A heuristic tool parser handles providers that return tool calls as text. Rate limiting uses a rolling-window throttle per provider. A request optimizer intercepts trivial API calls so they never reach the upstream, and Discord/Telegram bot integrations enable remote coding sessions.

## Why it matters

With Anthropic's recent A/B test removing Claude Code from the $20 Pro plan, many developers are looking for ways to keep using the Claude Code interface without a full API subscription. This proxy went to #1 on Python GitHub trending today with 1,962 new stars, reflecting real developer demand. It is particularly useful for teams that want to evaluate Claude Code's agentic interface against free or cheaper model backends before committing to a paid plan.

## Who it's for

Developers wanting to try Claude Code's CLI interface without Anthropic API costs; teams evaluating agentic coding interfaces

## Try it

uv tool install git+https://github.com/Alishahryar1/free-claude-code.git && fcc-init && ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL='http://localhost:8082' claude

## Links

- [Repo](https://github.com/Alishahryar1/free-claude-code)
- [README](https://github.com/Alishahryar1/free-claude-code/blob/main/README.md)