Anthropic: You Can't Use OpenClaw With Claude Without Paying Extra

AI firm Anthropic has clamped down on people using its Claude chatbot via the agentic AI tool OpenClaw.

OpenClaw, released in late 2025, is a free and open-source AI agent that can execute tasks via third-party large language models (LLMs) like Claude, ChatGPT, Grok or Google Gemini. The app, which was even called "Clawd" when it debuted, has always had a close relationship with Anthropic's LLMs.

As of 4 April 2026, 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 in a post on X, saying 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," said Cherny.

Cherny explained that his firm was 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. The move saw OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman promise to support OpenClaw as an open source project. Steinberger claimed he had "begged" Anthropic to reconsider the recent restriction on OpenClaw, but was only able to delay the change by a week.

The Claude-maker isn't the only AI giant that is shutting down popular products due to resource concerns. 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."