Anthropic limits Claude Code use with OpenClaw, introduces pay-as-you-go pricing

The development adds another layer to the ongoing rivalry between Sam Altman and Dario Amodei.

Anthropic has revised how its coding assistant subscriptions work, limiting the use of Claude Code with third-party tools and introducing additional charges for such usage.

In a communication to users, the company said subscribers will no longer be able to apply their existing plan limits to external "harnesses" like OpenClaw. Instead, usage through these integrations will be billed separately under a pay-as-you-go model. The change began rolling out from April 4 and is expected to expand to more third-party tools in the coming weeks.

Anthropic said the shift is a mismatch between how its subscriptions were originally designed and the growing demand patterns driven by external tools. In a post on X, Claude Code lead Boris Chery said the company is aiming to manage capacity more deliberately and prioritise direct users of its products and APIs.

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The update comes at a time of heightened attention around OpenClaw, which has gained traction as an AI agent platform capable of executing real-world tasks such as scheduling and bookings. Its creator, Peter Steinberger, recently announced he is joining OpenAI while committing to keep OpenClaw open source under a foundation structure.

Steinberger has been critical of Anthropic's move, suggesting it could restrict open-source ecosystems. In public comments, he indicated that discussions with Anthropic had only delayed, rather than prevented, the pricing changes.

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The development adds another layer to the ongoing rivalry between Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, whose competing visions for AI development, particularly around openness and commercialisation, continue to shape the industry's direction.

Anthropic, however, maintains that it remains supportive of open-source initiatives. The company said technical constraints and infrastructure optimisation were key factors behind the policy shift, adding that API-based usage will still allow integration with third-party tools.