01What Free Claude Code Is and How It Works

Free Claude Code is an open source version of the official Claude Code command-line interface (CLI) that lets you code with AI without paying per token. Instead of being locked to Anthropic's paid models, it routes your messages to any provider you choose, including free ones on OpenRouter.

The key is that the official Claude Code CLI only works with Anthropic's API, which charges for tokens. Free Claude Code replaces that routing layer so you can plug in a free model like Our Alpha, which has a 1 million token context window and native tool use. This means you get the same agent harness, error handling, and automation features of Claude Code, but you run it for zero cost.

In this episode, Julian Goldie shows you how to combine Free Claude Code with a free API and an agent operating system dashboard. That dashboard wraps the CLI in a clean interface with memory, contacts, and task management, so your free setup works like a pro system.

02Main Features of Free Claude Code

Free Claude Code gives you the full Claude Code CLI experience without the cost. Here are its key features:

  • Route to any model – Supports Anthropic, OpenRouter, and other providers. You can switch between models without changing tools.
  • Uses free APIs – Works with Our Alpha, which costs nothing on OpenRouter. No credit card needed to start.
  • 1 million token context – Your agent remembers entire codebases, conversations, and instructions in one session.
  • Open source under MIT license – You can modify, share, or self-host the code.
  • Plug into agent operating system – The CLI becomes an agent in the sidebar, with persistent memory stored in Obsidian, contacts, a kanban board, and a journal.
  • Works with other AI agents – Runs alongside Hermes, Open Claw, Gemini, and anti-gravity in the same dashboard.

03How to Set Up Free Claude Code Step by Step

  1. Install Free Claude Code – Go to the Free Claude Code GitHub repository. Run the one-line install command in your terminal. This will download the CLI and its dependencies.
  2. Get a free API key – Sign up at OpenRouter. Navigate to the Our Alpha model page. Copy your free API key. No payment method is required.
  3. Configure the API key – Set your OpenRouter API key as an environment variable. Free Claude Code will read it automatically when you start the CLI.
  4. Test the CLI – Open your terminal and run free-claude-code or the alias shown in the repository. Type a simple question like “Are you working?” to confirm the agent responds.
  5. Set up the agent operating system – Download the agent OS dashboard zip file and prompts from the AI Profit Boardroom (link in the episode description). Follow the video tutorial to install the dashboard on your machine.
  6. Connect Free Claude Code to the agent OS – Inside the dashboard, add Free Claude Code as a new agent in the sidebar. Link your Obsidian vault for persistent memory.
  7. Start using it – Click on Free Claude Code in the sidebar, type your coding request, and watch it work with full context from your memory and tools.

04How to Use Free Claude Code with the Agent OS

Once everything is connected, you use Free Claude Code inside the agent operating system dashboard. This dashboard is a mission control panel that sits on your local machine. It has a sidebar listing all your AI agents: Free Claude Code, Hermes, Open Claw, Gemini, anti-gravity, and more.

When you click on Free Claude Code, a chat panel opens. You can type any coding task directly. For example, you could ask it to build a website, refactor code, or write SEO content.

Because it uses Our Alpha with 1 million tokens, it can handle large codebases or long conversations without losing context.

All conversations are saved to your Obsidian vault. This means every chat becomes part of your permanent knowledge base. If you later ask Hermes or another agent a question, they can read those notes.

You also have access to your contacts, calendar, and a kanban board for multi-agent task management. Drop a one-liner into triage, and the orchestrator assigns tasks to the right agents automatically.

05Results, Tests, and Comparisons Shown in the Episode

Julian Goldie demonstrates several results with this setup:

  • Free Claude Code responds immediately – When he types “Are you working?” the agent replies in seconds, confirming the connection is live.
  • Persistent memory works across agents – Conversations with Free Claude Code update the Obsidian vault. When he switches to Hermes and asks for automation ideas, the agent reads the memory and suggests tasks based on his recent work.
  • SEO content deployment – One custom automation built into the system creates SEO articles and deploys them to multiple websites. Julian shows these sites are ranking well in search results.
  • Community wins – The AI Profit Boardroom has 159 pages of testimonials from users who built similar setups and automated their workflows.

The comparison to paid Claude Code is clear: you get the same CLI and agent experience for free. You avoid token limits and monthly charges. The only trade-off is that you manage your own API key and model choice, but the freedom is worth it.

06Tips, Limits, and Mistakes to Avoid

Based on the episode, here are important tips and warnings:

  • Use a free API from OpenRouter – Our Alpha is free now, but new free models appear regularly. If Our Alpha disappears, you can switch to another free provider like Nous Research or Qwen 3.6. Your setup won't break.
  • Don't skip the memory setup – The agent OS dashboard stores conversations in Obsidian. This persistent memory is what makes your agents smarter over time. Without it, you lose context every session.
  • Avoid copying and pasting between apps – The whole point of the agent OS is to keep everything in one place. If you move between terminals and chat windows manually, you waste time and lose context.
  • Beware of the myth that free models are weak – Our Alpha is built for agentic work with 1 million tokens and native tool use. It runs production workloads like coding, SEO, and multi-agent orchestration.
  • One command installs Free Claude Code – Don't be scared of setup. The GitHub repository has a one-liner. If you get stuck, use Claude itself to help you install it.
  • Your cost will keep dropping – New free models come out weekly. Once you have the architecture in place, you can swap models without changing your workflow.

07Who Should Use Free Claude Code and Why It Matters

Free Claude Code is for anyone who wants to code with AI without paying monthly fees. It is especially useful for developers, content creators, and automation builders who rely on multiple AI agents. If you currently use the paid Claude Code and hit token limits, or if you avoid it because of cost, this is your workaround.

It also matters because it shows how the cost of AI is collapsing. By setting up the right architecture today, you can essentially have a free AI stack forever. You own the stack: the open source CLI, the free API, the memory in Obsidian, and the dashboard.

No single company can lock you in.

As Julian points out, the more you use this system, the better your memory becomes, and the smarter your agents get. Over time, you can build custom automations like SEO content deployment, multi-agent task management, and full studio workflows for video and image generation. All of it runs on a free base.