Liberate your OpenClaw
Anthropic has restricted access to Claude models for Pro/Max subscribers, prompting users to switch OpenClaw, Pi, or Open Code agents to open models on Hugging Face. The article explains two migration paths: a hosted route via Hugging Face Inference Providers for quick re‑activation, and a local route using llama.cpp for privacy and zero API costs. Users can select models such as GLM‑5 or Qwen3.5‑35B‑A3B and configure them with a Hugging Face token or local GGUF files.
The Core Development
Anthropic is limiting access to Claude models in open agent platforms for Pro/Max subscribers. Don’t worry though, there are great open models on Hugging Face to keep your agents running! Most of the time, at a fraction of the cost.
If you've been cut off and your OpenClaw, Pi, or Open Code agents need resuscitation, you can move them to open models in two ways:
The hosted route is the fastest way back to a capable agent. The local route is the right fit if you want privacy, zero API costs, and full control.
Strategic Perspective & Ecosystem Impact
To do so, just tell your claude code, your cursor or your favorite agent: help me move my OpenClaw agents to Hugging Face models , and link this page.
Hugging Face inference providers is an open platform that routes to providers of open source models. It’s the right choice if you want the best models or you don’t have the necessary hardware.
First, you’ll need to create a token here . Then you can add that token to openclaw like so:
Why it matters
The shift highlights the growing importance of open-source alternatives in AI deployment, offering cost-effective and privacy‑preserving options for developers reliant on agent platforms.