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Use Claude Code without an API key

You can run Claude Code with no Anthropic API key and no Claude subscription by pointing it at a model on your own machine. Claude Code Local answers Claude Code on http://localhost:4000 in Anthropic's Messages API format, and the launchers pass sk-local as the key, which the server never checks.

You still need the Claude Code CLI itself, which is free to install. The model is open and runs on your Mac (with MLX) or your Linux or Windows PC (with llama.cpp).

1. Install

Mac (Apple Silicon) or Linux:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nicedreamzapp/claude-code-local/main/install.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell):

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nicedreamzapp/claude-code-local/main/install.ps1 | iex

Setup looks at your hardware and downloads a model that fits. Details: Install (Mac), Linux, Windows.

2. Start it

  • Mac: double-click Claude Local on your Desktop.
  • Linux: run claude-local.
  • Windows: double-click Claude Local on your Desktop.

Each one starts the local server and opens Claude Code against it. Nothing asks for a key.

How it works without a key

Claude Code reads two environment variables to decide where to send requests. The launchers set them for you. By hand it looks like this:

ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:4000 \
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-local \
claude --model claude-sonnet-4-6
  • ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL sends every request to the local server instead of Anthropic.
  • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-local fills the key field. The server ignores it.
  • --model claude-sonnet-4-6 is only a name Claude Code recognizes. The server answers with the model it loaded.

Your normal claude command is not changed, so it still uses your Claude plan or key when you have one.

If Claude Code asks you to sign in

Your claude is too old. Update it with npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code. See Troubleshooting.

Out of credits in the middle of a task?

Type exit in Claude Code, then keep going in the same folder. The same conversation carries on with a local model. See Hit your usage limit?.

Is it as good as Claude?

No. Big models on a 64 GB or 96 GB Mac handle real multi-step work. Small ones on an 8 or 16 GB machine do best with one clear step at a time. See Best local model for a 16 GB or 8 GB Mac.