Anthropic, the company behind Claude, has stopped third-party tools like OpenClaw from using Claude subscription limits. This change started on April 4, 2026, at 12 PM PT. Users were informed less than 24 hours before it happened.
Anthropic Ends Free OpenClaw Access in Claude, Now Requires Payment
Developers who paid for Claude Pro ($20/month) or Max ($100–$200/month) plans now must choose: pay for extra usage bundles, use a separate API key, or stop using these tools.
Boris Cherny, head of Claude Code, said on X that subscriptions were not designed for the heavy usage of third-party tools. These tools put extra strain on Anthropic’s systems.
The company explained that Claude subscriptions gave flat-rate token access at much lower costs than API rates. Tools like OpenClaw used more resources than expected. For example, running one OpenClaw agent for a day could cost $1,000–$5,000 in API usage. Anthropic had been covering these extra costs.
Peter Steinberger, creator of OpenClaw, said he and board member Dave Morin tried to negotiate with Anthropic. They only managed to delay the change by a week. Steinberger, who joined OpenAI in February 2026, said many people joined Claude just to use OpenClaw. He criticized Anthropic for announcing the change late on a Friday.
Some developers still question OpenClaw’s performance, which experts have evaluated in real-world use. You can read more about this here: OpenClaw real‑world effectiveness critique.
Anthropic had already been limiting third-party tools since January 2026. Tools like OpenClaw made the system work in unusual ways, which made it harder for Anthropic to check and fix problems.
Anthropic had already banned third-party tools in February 2024, but they didn’t enforce it much until now. Now, their rules clearly say Claude keys can only be used with Claude Code and Claude.ai.
Users now have options. They can buy extra usage bundles with up to 30% discount or use Claude API keys. Subscribers also get a one-time credit equal to their monthly plan cost until April 17.
However, small developers may find it too expensive to continue using OpenClaw this way. Some may move to other AI platforms that are cheaper.
This move by Anthropic is similar to trends in other AI companies. Google limits some Gemini API access for third parties. Microsoft encourages Azure users to use its services. OpenAI has also tightened third-party tool access. OpenClaw now guides users to OpenAI Codex as the main subscription option.
