Anthropic says Claude Code subscribers will need to pay extra for OpenClaw usage
Anthropic will charge Claude Code subscribers extra for using third-party tools like OpenClaw, citing engineering constraints and unsustainable usage patterns.Summary
Anthropic announced that Claude Code subscribers will no longer be able to use their subscription limits for third-party tools, including OpenClaw, and will instead need to pay a separate, pay-as-you-go fee. This policy will apply to all third-party harnesses and be rolled out shortly. Anthropic’s head of Claude Code, Boris Cherny, explained that subscriptions weren’t designed for the usage patterns of these tools and the change is necessary for sustainable growth. The announcement followed OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger’s move to OpenAI, where OpenClaw will continue as an open-source project. Steinberger criticized Anthropic, suggesting they copied features and then locked out open-source alternatives. Cherny countered that the team supports open source and the change is due to engineering limitations, offering full refunds to subscribers.
(Source：TechCrunch)