Start from Desktop
The local app is the main workflow; the web appears for sign-in, recharge, billing, and re-authorization.
OpenClaude Desktop entry point
Keep Claude Desktop in front, move account and Gateway complexity behind it
OpenClaude is for people who rely on a serious desktop workflow. Start from the local Desktop, try anonymously, then sign in, recharge, and authorize the client when you need to continue. The site explains download, balance, orders, usage, and boundaries instead of becoming another chat page.
OpenClaude Desktop + user center
- Start first
- Open the client and try it anonymously before creating an account.
- Traceable balance
- Recharge into a ledger; successful requests debit actual usage.
- Back to desktop
- Web sign-in safely writes the current account back to Desktop.
- Gateway compatible
- Supports the Claude Desktop /v1/models and /v1/messages path.
Positioning
Not another chat page, but the account platform behind Desktop
The website handles the parts users actually need to see: download, sign-in, recharge, balance, orders, and usage. Model routing, trial decisions, billing, and credential lifecycle stay in the Platform server; the page does not pretend to be the business truth and does not ask you to paste an upstream provider key into the browser.
Balance ledger, not mystery credits
Payments credit one balance, successful requests debit it, and orders plus usage can be reconciled.
Less key management
The client uses an OpenClaude inference credential instead of asking users to paste upstream provider keys.
Clear trial boundary
Anonymous quota ends with a sign-in prompt; insufficient balance ends with a purchase prompt, not a hidden model call.
Product structure
OpenClaude Desktop, user center, and Provider each do one job
Mature developer products do not make users learn every internal concept. OpenClaude keeps three visible objects stable: Desktop carries the workflow, the website owns account and billing, and the Provider handles Gateway compatibility, trial, routing, and balance settlement.
Local entry
OpenClaude Desktop
Preserves the official Claude Desktop entry point and familiar interaction while OpenClaude handles overlay, RuntimeState, Claude-3p config, and health checks locally.
Web platform
User center
Handles email-code login, recharge, orders, balance, usage, client authorization, and payment return states so account changes can be reviewed.
Server boundary
OpenClaude Provider
Serves /v1/models, /v1/messages, and count_tokens, then checks anonymous quota, user balance, and risk state before calling a model or returning a clear prompt.
Real user path
From free trial to paid continuation, the path stays short
Many AI products lead with model capability. OpenClaude needs to make the continuation path obvious: users should not need to understand provider routing, token ledgers, or Gateway credentials first.
- 1
Download Desktop
Install the client and begin from the local application.
- 2
Try anonymously
Use a small free allowance before registering an account.
- 3
Sign in and authorize
After trial, sign in on the web and deep-link the account back.
- 4
Recharge and continue
Once balance is credited, return to Desktop and usage is recorded.
Who it is for
Designed for a stable desktop workflow, not for a new surface
OpenClaude is not trying to make AI tools noisier. The goal is to help individual Claude users spend less time on account, balance, Gateway, and configuration problems.
Good fit
- You mainly use Claude from the desktop and want fewer web detours.
- You want to try first, then sign in and recharge only when needed.
- You need visible balance, orders, model usage, and request IDs.
- You are comfortable with prepaid balance debited by actual usage.
Not the current fit
- You need enterprise SSO, team seats, approvals, or org reporting.
- You want to buy upstream API keys, resell model credits, or receive provider secrets.
- You expect OpenClaude to replace the official Claude runtime or rewrite the chat engine.
- You need phone, WeChat login, or complex CRM workflows.
Transparent billing
The website should show where the money went
OpenClaude does not need a stack of abstract membership promises for the MVP. It sells prepaid balance: what was bought, credited, consumed, and left all point to the same ledger.
What you buy
You buy OpenClaude balance, not an abstract membership tier or an upstream API key.
When it debits
Requests settle after successful model usage is confirmed; failures release reserved balance by default.
How to audit
Orders, credits, usage, and debits are visible in the user center for support and reconciliation.
Trust boundary
A product that sits in daily workflow needs fewer black boxes
Borrowing from mature developer products, the site states boundaries plainly: what the platform owns, what users no longer need to configure, and which enterprise features are intentionally outside the first release.
No upstream provider key in the client
Claude app and Desktop traffic use OpenClaude inference credentials; provider routing and cost observation stay server-side.
No hidden model call when balance is empty
Insufficient balance returns a purchase prompt instead of continuing to call a model invisibly.
Business truth stays server-owned
Trial, billing, risk controls, usage settlement, and Gateway compatibility are server responsibilities; the website is the visible entry point.
Engineering posture
Reliability is not a tagline; every path needs evidence
OpenClaude copy stays close to the implementation: official runtime first, rollbackable configuration, server-owned ledger, and no hidden charge on failed calls. Users see a short path, while diagnostics keep enough evidence behind it.
Official path first
Keep the official Claude Desktop and Claude Code workflow; OpenClaude integrates through policy, Claude-3p config, Gateway, and reversible patch layers.
Ledger is balance truth
Lemon Squeezy collects payment; Platform ledger owns balance, reserve, release, settlement, and adjustments.
No hidden spend on failure
Provider requests reserve first, settle after confirmed usage, and release the reservation by default when the request fails.
Diagnostics stay concrete
Order IDs, request IDs, client authorization state, and Gateway health checks are designed for support instead of vague errors.
FAQ
Answer the questions users will actually ask
Is OpenClaude an official Claude product?
No. OpenClaude is not an official Anthropic or Claude product. It is the account, recharge, and Gateway platform for OpenClaude Desktop, and the product copy keeps that boundary clear.
Why not just ask me to paste my own API key?
The first version is designed to reduce configuration and billing friction. The client uses platform credentials while provider routing, trial, and billing are handled by the server.
What happens after the free trial?
The client receives a sign-in prompt. After web login, the account is authorized back to Desktop; if balance is missing, the recharge flow follows.
Can I audit each charge?
Yes. The user center shows balance, orders, and usage records. Request and order IDs can be copied for support.
Recharge
Recharge OpenClaude balance
Choose a recharge option and pay. After payment is confirmed, balance is added to this account.
No recharge offers available