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Claudeop

Launch Claude Code CLI with free OpenRouter models — no Anthropic subscription required.

A tiny shell wrapper that:

• Fetches all free models from OpenRouter live
• Lets you pick one with a fuzzy selector (fzf)
• Sends you straight into Claude Code
• Never touches your normal claude command

claudeop        → pick a free model, launch Claude Code
claude          → your normal Anthropic subscription (unchanged)

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What This Does

Think of it like two remote controls for the same TV:

Command	What It Does	Who Pays
claude	Claude Code via your Anthropic account	Your Anthropic subscription
claudeop	Claude Code via OpenRouter's free models	Free (OpenRouter)

Both share the same Claude Code settings, plugins, MCP servers, and project config. The only difference is which model answers your prompts.

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Prerequisites

Before you start, you need these three things installed on your computer. Don't worry — they're all free.

1. Claude Code CLI

Claude Code is Anthropic's coding assistant that runs in your terminal.

Install:

# macOS — paste this in Terminal and press Enter
curl -fsSL https://storage.googleapis.com/claude-code/claude-code-installer.sh | sh

Check it worked:

claude --version
# Should print something like: 2.1.175

If you already have Claude Code installed, skip this step.

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2. An OpenRouter Account & API Key

OpenRouter is a service that gives you access to AI models (including Claude) — some for free.

1. Go to openrouter.ai and create a free account
2. Once logged in, go to Settings → API Keys
3. Click "Create Key"
4. Copy the key (it starts with sk-or-v1-...)
5. Save it somewhere — you'll need it in Step 3

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3. Homebrew (macOS package manager)

Homebrew installs other tools for you. You likely already have it.

Check:

brew --version
# If it prints a version number, you have it — skip the install

Install (if needed):

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

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Installation

Step 1: Install jq and fzf

These are tiny tools that claudeop needs. Install them with one command:

brew install jq fzf

Step 2: Add Your OpenRouter API Key to Your Shell

Open your shell profile:

nano ~/.zshrc

Scroll to the bottom and add this line (replace sk-or-v1-YOUR_KEY_HERE with your actual key):

export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-v1-YOUR_KEY_HERE"

Save and exit:

• Press Ctrl + O, then Enter to save
• Press Ctrl + X to exit

Then reload your shell:

source ~/.zshrc

Verify:

echo $OPENROUTER_API_KEY
# Should print your key starting with sk-or-v1-

Step 3: Add the claudeop Wrapper

Open your shell profile again:

nano ~/.zshrc

Scroll to the bottom and paste this entire block:

# ── Claudeop: Launch Claude Code with free OpenRouter models ──────────
#   claudeop            → pick a free model, launch Claude Code
#   claudeop -m <id>    → skip picker, use specific model
#   claude              → Anthropic subscription (unchanged)

# Fetch :free models from OpenRouter on every launch
_claudeop_models() {
  curl -s "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/models" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENROUTER_API_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    | jq -r '[.data[] | select(.id | test(":free"))] | sort_by(.id) | .[].id' 2>/dev/null
}

claudeop() {
  if [[ -z "$OPENROUTER_API_KEY" ]]; then
    echo "❌ OPENROUTER_API_KEY not set"
    return 1
  fi
  local model=""
  local skip_picker=0
  local args=("$@")
  while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
    case "$1" in
      -m) model="$2"; skip_picker=1; shift 2 ;;
      --model) model="$2"; skip_picker=1; shift 2 ;;
      *) shift ;;
    esac
  done
  if [[ $skip_picker -eq 0 ]]; then
    local models="$( _claudeop_models )"
    if [[ -z "$models" ]]; then
      echo "❌ No models found on OpenRouter"; return 1
    fi
    model=$(echo "$models" | fzf --prompt="OpenRouter model → " --height=~40% --reverse --no-info)
    if [[ -z "$model" ]]; then
      echo "Cancelled"; return 0
    fi
  fi
  echo "🟢 OpenRouter → [$model]"
  ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="" \
  ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://openrouter.ai/api" \
  ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN="$OPENROUTER_API_KEY" \
  ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL="$model" \
  ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL="$model" \
  ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL="$model" \
  CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL="$model" \
  claude "${args[@]}"
}

Save and exit (Ctrl + O, Enter, Ctrl + X), then reload:

source ~/.zshrc

Step 4: Test It

claudeop

You should see a fuzzy picker listing free models. Use arrow keys to pick one, press Enter, and Claude Code launches with that model.

Look for the banner:

🟢 OpenRouter → [nex-agi/nex-n2-pro:free]

You're in! Type your prompt and go.

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Usage

Normal (pick a model each time)

claudeop

A list of free models appears. Arrow keys to browse, type to filter, Enter to select.

Use a specific model (skip the picker)

claudeop -m "google/gemma-3-27b-it:free"

Your regular Claude (subscription)

claude

Exactly as before. Untouched.

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How It Works (For the Curious)

claudeop
  │
  ├─ Fetches free models from OpenRouter's API
  ├─ Shows them in fzf (a fuzzy selector)
  ├─ You pick one
  └─ Launches `claude` with these env vars (only for that session):
       ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = https://openrouter.ai/api
       ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN = your OpenRouter key
       ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "" (blanked to prevent conflict)
       ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL = the model you picked
       ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL = the model you picked
       ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL = the model you picked
       CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL = the model you picked

Your shell environment is never modified. The env vars only exist inside that single Claude Code process. When it exits, they're gone.

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Troubleshooting

"❌ OPENROUTER_API_KEY not set"

Your API key isn't in your shell. Go back to Step 2 and make sure you added the export line to ~/.zshrc and ran source ~/.zshrc.

"❌ No models found on OpenRouter"

• Check your internet connection
• Your API key might be invalid — try re-creating one at openrouter.ai/settings/keys
• The :free filter might be too strict — temporarily test by running:

  curl -s https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/models \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENROUTER_API_KEY" \
    | jq '.data | length'

  If it prints a number > 0, your key works.

The picker is empty / no models show

Free models come and go on OpenRouter. Try again later — new free models appear regularly.

Claude Code shows auth conflict warnings

If you previously logged into Claude Code with your Anthropic account:

1. Run /logout inside Claude Code
2. Quit Claude Code
3. Try claudeop again

Model doesn't work / errors during use

Free models have limitations. Some don't support tool use, long contexts, or Claude Code's advanced features. Try a different free model from the picker.

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Uninstall

Remove the claudeop block from your ~/.zshrc:

nano ~/.zshrc
# Delete everything between and including:
# "# ── Claudeop: Launch Claude Code with free OpenRouter models ──────────"
# and the closing "}"

Then optionally remove the API key line:

# Delete this line too if you don't use OpenRouter elsewhere:
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-v1-..."

Reload:

source ~/.zshrc

Your normal claude command is unaffected.

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License

MIT