Anthropic to Limit Third-Party Tool Access Through Claude Subscription

Huo Xing Finance reports that AI company Anthropic has announced that, starting at 3:00 PM Eastern Time on April 4, it will prohibit access to third-party tools via Claude subscriptions, including the open-source project OpenClaw. The new policy requires these features to be used only through additional paid plans or pay-as-you-go API pricing. This change means that developers and teams relying heavily on OpenClaw to build automated workflows will shift from a fixed subscription cost model to an unlimited pay-per-use system, significantly increasing overall usage costs. Some developers have indicated that their previous monthly cost of approximately $20 could surge to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The market generally believes this move is related to Peter Steinberger, founder of OpenClaw, recently joining OpenAI. Meanwhile, Anthropic is accelerating the promotion of its own tool ecosystem, including natively integrated Claude solutions, to replace third-party toolchains. Notably, Anthropic has previously gradually restricted third-party access through technical limitations, updated terms of service, and feature alternatives. This policy is seen as the “final blockade” and will be extended to additional tools. Industry analysts note that this incident reflects an intensifying trend among AI platforms toward ecosystem consolidation, with leading companies strengthening control through vertical integration. At the same time, the developer ecosystem faces rising uncertainty in costs and increased platform dependency risks, potentially driving more users toward more open alternatives.