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Anthropic has clamped down on people using its Claude chatbot via OpenClaw.
OpenClaw is a free, open-source AI agent tool that can execute tasks using third-party large language models (LLMs) such as Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, or Google Gemini. It debuted in November as Clawdbot, and went viral among developers and AI insiders, drawing the attention of Anthropic, which demanded a name change given the similarities between Clawd and Claude.
As of April 4, Claude Pro and Max subscribers can no longer use their available credits through third-party frameworks such as OpenClaw. They are allowed to keep using tools like OpenClaw in theory, but they must now pay separately under a new “extra usage” billing system.
Anthropic’s Boris Cherny, head of Claude Code, chalked up the move to cost concerns, saying on X that the tool’s subscriptions “weren't built for the usage patterns of these third-party tools. Capacity is a resource we manage thoughtfully, and we are prioritizing our customers using our products and API."
Cherny explained that his firm is a "big fan of open source," and that the move "is more about engineering constraints."
Though the move currently only impacts OpenClaw, the policy is set to be rolled out to other third-party tools in the coming weeks.
The news follows OpenClaw's creator, Peter Steinberger, joining OpenAI in February. On X, Steinberger replied to a tweet about whether someone should use Claude or GPT, saying: "Anthropic seems to hate open source and blocked us (unless you pay a lot), OpenAI supports the subscription officially."
Last month, OpenAI shut down its AI video generator Sora, both the consumer app and the API. A spokesperson said the company wanted to free up resources for other areas of the business, such as "world simulation research to advance robotics."