From Saturday, April 4th at 3PM ET, Anthropic is changing the game with Claude subscriptions. Users won't be able to utilise third-party tools like OpenClaw without additional payment. Subscribers will need to opt for a ‘pay-as-you-go’ option, billed separately from their regular subscription.

With Peter Steinberger, co-founder of OpenClaw and now an OpenAI employee, urging Anthropic to reconsider, it appears that Anthropic is pushing users towards its own tools such as Claude Cowork. This move could be seen as a strategic shift towards fostering greater use of proprietary solutions over third-party integrations.

Anthropic’s rationale? Capacity management. As demand for Claude surges, the company explains that their subscriptions were not designed to handle third-party tool usage patterns. The firm is offering one-time credits or discounted usage bundles to help users adapt.

The sudden change comes after OpenClaw gained traction for efficiently managing inboxes and calendars. However, it has put pressure on Anthropic’s infrastructure, leading the company to prioritise its own product offerings. While subscribers can request a full refund, many might find themselves paying more for similar functionalities.