Anthropic Limits Claude Tool Access

Boris Cherny, while addressing the update in a post on X (formerly Twitter), explained the reasoning behind the shift. He wrote, "We've been working hard to meet the increase in demand for Claude, and our 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."

Anthropic also stated that affected users would receive a one-time credit equivalent to their monthly subscription cost as a transition measure. Cherny added, "We want to be intentional in managing our growth to continue to serve our customers sustainably long-term. This change is a step toward that."

The decision has sparked criticism from the developer community, particularly from OpenClaw's leadership. Peter Steinberger responded publicly, expressing frustration over the abrupt policy change. According to Steinberger, attempts were made to persuade Anthropic to reconsider.

"Woke up and my mentions are full of this. Both me and @davemorin tried to talk sense into Anthropic, best we managed was delaying this for a week. Funny how timings match up, first they copy some popular features into their closed harness, then they lock out open source." wrote Steinberger.

OpenClaw, which gained popularity earlier this year, is known for its ability to function as an AI-powered personal assistant across multiple platforms. Unlike conventional chatbots, it integrates directly with services like messaging apps and productivity tools, enabling users to manage emails, schedules, and tasks seamlessly through platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and iMessage.

The growing success of OpenClaw has also intensified competition in the AI space. Notably, Steinberger has since joined OpenAI, where he is expected to contribute to the development of next-generation personal AI agents.

Meanwhile, Anthropic appears to be doubling down on its own ecosystem. The company has been developing in-house alternatives to third-party tools, including features like Claude Cowork, Dispatch, and Channels. These tools aim to offer similar capabilities within a controlled environment, reducing reliance on external integrations.

For example, Dispatch allows users to assign tasks to Claude from their mobile devices and have them executed on their computers. Channels, on the other hand, enables interaction with Claude Code through platforms like Telegram and Discord.

This shift signals a broader trend among AI companies to consolidate their platforms and prioritize native features, even if it means limiting external collaborations. For users, however, the change introduces new costs and decisions about how they integrate AI into their daily workflows.