Claude Code is Great But the API Bill Hurts
Claude Code is arguably the best AI coding assistant right now. But at $0.80/M input tokens and $4/M output tokens a heavy user can easily burn hundreds of dollars a month.
A new open-source project with 29,000 GitHub stars called free-claude-code solves this in a clever way. It inserts a local proxy between Claude Code and the API redirecting Anthropic requests to free or low-cost providers without changing Claude Code workflow.
How It Works
The architecture is dead simple. free-claude-code starts a local FastAPI server on port 8082. All API requests from Claude Code pass through this proxy first. The proxy forwards requests to one of 17 third-party providers. Claude Code workflow streaming tool calls and chain-of-thought stays intact.
Supported Providers
The proxy supports 17 providers including Kimi DeepSeek NVIDIA NIM Google Gemini Groq and even local models via Ollama. Each provider can be configured to handle different model tiers independently.
Key Advantages
Zero API Fees - Route all requests to free providers. Full Workflow Preservation - Streaming output tool calls and chain-of-thought all work. Request Optimization - Local probe requests answered directly saving quota and time. One-Click Switching - Change providers through Admin UI without restart.
Try It Yourself
git clone https://github.com/yournextstore/free-claude-code
cd free-claude-code
pip install -r requirements.txt
python main.py
Then configure Claude Code to use localhost:8082 as its API endpoint. 29,000 stars tell a clear story - developers want Claude Code workflow not Claude Code bill.
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