Robin

Posted on Feb 21

5 AI Coding Tools That Still Work After the Claude Max Ban (Feb 2026)

#ai #vscode #claudemax #devtools

In January 2026, Anthropic enforced their Claude Max terms of service. Automated tool access — AI coding assistants, agents, and third-party integrations — is not allowed on consumer subscriptions.

Practically: if you were using Cline, Roo Code, OpenClaw, or any VS Code AI extension through your Claude Max subscription, it stopped working.

Here's the definitive list of what still works — and how to get there.

The one thing all working setups have in common

Every solution on this list routes through the Anthropic API (or a compatible proxy) rather than the consumer subscription OAuth path. The API was never restricted. Only the subscription token path was.

That means you need an API key, not a subscription login. Pay-per-token, not flat rate.

1. Roo Code (VS Code extension) — via OpenAI-compatible endpoint

Why it still works: Roo Code has a built-in "OpenAI Compatible" provider that accepts any base URL and API key. No subscription credential required.

Setup:

API Provider: OpenAI Compatible
Base URL: https://www.komilion.com/api/v1 (or direct Anthropic: https://api.anthropic.com/v1)
Model: neo-mode/balanced (smart routing) or neo-mode/premium (Opus 4.6 on every request)
API Key: your API key

Cost: Roo Code itself is free. You pay per API call — anywhere from $0.003 (smart routing) to $0.08 (Opus direct).

Who it's for: VS Code users who want the full Roo Code experience (multi-file editing, tool use, MCP servers) without subscription auth.

2. Cline — via OpenAI-compatible settings

Why it still works: Same as Roo Code — Cline supports custom API providers with any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

Setup (in Cline settings):

{
  "apiProvider": "openai",
  "openAiBaseUrl": "https://www.komilion.com/api/v1",
  "openAiApiKey": "ck_your_key",
  "openAiModelId": "neo-mode/balanced"
}

Or via environment variables:

OPENAI_BASE_URL=https://www.komilion.com/api/v1
OPENAI_API_KEY=ck_your_key

Cost: Same as Roo Code — pay per call.

3. OpenClaw — via custom API provider

Why it still works: OpenClaw supports custom OpenAI-compatible providers. The OAuth path for Claude Max is broken, but API key auth is fine.

Setup:
In OpenClaw settings, switch from "Claude Max" auth to a custom OpenAI-compatible provider:

Base URL: https://www.komilion.com/api/v1
API Key: your key
Model: neo-mode/balanced or neo-mode/premium

Note: OpenClaw's Telegram integration specifically breaks with subscription auth — this is a known bug confirmed in their issue tracker. API auth fixes it too.

4. Cursor — via OpenAI-compatible proxy (workaround)

Why it (partially) works: Cursor has built-in Claude support, but that also uses the subscription path. The workaround: use Cursor's "Custom API" option pointing to an OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

Setup:

Go to Cursor Settings → Models → Custom
Base URL: https://www.komilion.com/api/v1
Model: neo-mode/balanced or neo-mode/premium
API Key: your key

Limitation: Some Cursor-specific features (composer, inline edits) may not work with custom providers. Chat and code completion work fine.

5. Direct API usage — via curl, SDK, or any HTTP client

Why it works: This is the official path. No subscription involved.

Python:

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://www.komilion.com/api/v1",
    api_key="ck_your_key"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="neo-mode/balanced",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Review this code: ..."}]
)

Node.js:

import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
  baseURL: "https://www.komilion.com/api/v1",
  apiKey: "ck_your_key",
});

Who it's for: Developers building with AI APIs directly, not through an IDE extension.

The cost question

Moving from subscription to pay-per-token changes the economics. On Claude Max ($20-$100/month flat), you had unlimited usage (with limits). On API access, you pay per call.

The math for most developers:

Usage pattern	Subscription path	API path (smart routing)
Light (50 sessions/day)	$20/month	~$4/month
Medium (200 sessions/day)	$20-100/month	~$15/month
Heavy (500+ sessions/day)	$100/month + limits	~$35/month

The break-even point is roughly "moderate-heavy user." Light-to-medium users actually pay less with API access.

The key: don't send every request to Opus 4.6. That's the mistake that makes API access expensive. A routing layer that sends simple questions to Gemini Flash and complex architecture work to Opus keeps costs down.

Where to get API access

Direct Anthropic API:

console.anthropic.com
Pay-per-token, no routing intelligence, you manage model selection

OpenRouter:

openrouter.ai
300+ models, pay-per-token, you pick the model per request

Komilion (what I built):

komilion.com
OpenRouter routing layer, auto-selects model based on request complexity
$5 free credits, no card — komilion.com/cline

Bottom line

The January enforcement didn't kill AI coding tools. It killed the subscription auth path. The API was never touched.

Every tool on this list works today. Pick the one that matches your workflow, get an API key, change a URL, done.

Found this useful? The migration guide with step-by-step configs for each tool is at komilion.com/cline.

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