Developers now have access to an open-source tool named DeepClaude that allows them to run Claude Code—Anthropic’s autonomous coding agent—using DeepSeek’s model. The GitHub project, initiated by a user known as aattaran, claims to deliver the same Claude Code experience for “17x cheaper.” It consists of basic bash and PowerShell scripts with no complex modifications.
DeepClaude enables the use of other backends like OpenRouter or Fireworks AI in addition to DeepSeek. The key lies in manipulating environment variables that Claude Code utilizes to determine API call destinations. DeepClaude temporarily redirects these calls to a more affordable backend before restoring the original settings post-session.
The command line tool remains unchanged, maintaining its functionality for file operations, script execution, and multi-step processes with subagent support. The model processing the tasks is simply swapped out.
Central to Claude Code’s value proposition is its “tool loop,” where a single instruction can lead the model through numerous iterative steps—reading files, executing commands, observing outcomes, making decisions, editing, testing, and reiterating until completion. This autonomous agent loop significantly consumes tokens and Anthropic’s budget.
DeepClaude retains this process while substituting which model makes internal decisions. For context, Anthropic’s Max 20x plan costs $200 monthly for full Claude Code access. In contrast, DeepSeek V4 Pro, via OpenRouter, is priced at $0.435 per million input tokens and $0.87 per million output under a promotional rate ending May 31, 2026, after which it doubles—still considerably cheaper than Anthropic’s offering.
By default, DeepClaude directs traffic toDeepSeek V4 Pro, the massive open-weight AI model from Hangzhou-based DeepSeek, launched on April 24. Boasting 1.6 trillion parameters, this model scored 93.5% on LiveCodeBench, outperforming Gemini 3.1 Pro and Claude Opus 4.6.
Some limitations persist: image inputs don’t function as DeepSeek’s endpoint lacks vision support; parallel tool calls are disabled, MCP server integrations aren’t passed through, and hard reasoning tasks still favor Claude Opus.
Nonetheless, this solution is highly effective for reasoning, coding, and creative endeavors. This innovation follows an incident on March 31 where Anthropic inadvertently exposed Claude Code’s full source map on npm—512,000 lines of TypeScript—leading to numerous clones and tools leveraging its documented internals.
DeepClaude capitalizes on the fact that Claude Code’s backend is designed to be interchangeable. A “remote control” mode also allows accessing a Claude Code session via a claude.ai/code/session_… URL in any browser, with DeepSeek handling the model work, requiring a subscription due to Anthropic’s WebSocket bridge being hardcoded.
Whether Anthropic will respond remains uncertain. While Claude Code is proprietary, its API endpoints are intentionally open for third-party use, which DeepClaude extends. The repository boasts nearly a thousand stars and two forks, with DeepSeek’s promotional pricing ending in May.