🗂️ How to Run Claude Code for Free Using OpenRouter
Want to run Claude Code for FREE without paying for Anthropic API credits?
In this tutorial, I show you how to connect Claude Code to OpenRouter so you can run powerful open-source AI models directly inside your terminal or VS Code — completely free.
This setup lets developers use a coding agent workflow without expensive subscriptions, while still having access to models like Llama, Mistral, and other powerful open models.
In this video you will learn:
✅ How to create a free OpenRouter API key
✅ How to connect Claude Code to OpenRouter
✅ How to configure the .claude/settings.local.json file
✅ How to select free AI models
✅ How to run a coding agent from your terminal
This method is perfect for:
• Developers experimenting with AI coding agents
• Engineers who want Claude-style workflows without paying for API usage
• Anyone exploring AI development tools and open-source models
If you want to scale further, you can also add small OpenRouter credits and access extremely powerful models at very low cost.
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