Run Claude Code for FREE on Windows 11 — No GPU Needed (2026)

Claude Code Pro is $20 a month. Max is $100. But Claude Code itself runs fine on OpenRouter's free models — if you set it up so it survives the free lineup rotating. You've probably already tried the trick: grab a free model off OpenRouter, paste in one command, done. A few weeks later it stops working, because that model lost its free pricing. This video shows the model setting that never goes stale — openrouter/free, a router that picks a current free model with tool calling on every request — and the correct way to connect it to Claude Code inside VS Code on Windows 11. We create a free OpenRouter API key (no credit card), connect Claude Code with one settings.local.json file that stays out of git, and verify it with /status. Then the part nobody shows: my real first run on a zero-credit account, uncut — it fails. You'll see exactly why, and the one-time $10 fix. It's a deposit, not a bill: just having $10 in credit raises the free limit from about 50 requests a day to about 1,000, and it never gets spent. We build a full Kanban board app from a single prompt, then pull up OpenRouter's per-key usage stats for the receipts: total cost $0, with the $10 still untouched. All snippets are below — no typing required. Setup verified July 2026. #ClaudeCode #OpenRouter #Windows11 ──────────────────────────────────────── MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO / WATCH NEXT Claude Code + Ollama — fully local, zero rate limits (watch next):    • Run Claude Code for Free on Windows 11 (2026)   Install Claude Code on Windows 11 — full setup guide:    • How to Install Claude Code on Windows 11 |...   Claude Code in VS Code — installation and usage:    • Claude Code in VS Code - Installation & Us...   OpenRouter: https://openrouter.ai ──────────────────────────────────────── SETTINGS FILE (save as: .claude/settings.local.json inside your project folder) { "env": { "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://openrouter.ai/api", "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "your-openrouter-key-here", "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "", "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL": "openrouter/free", "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL": "openrouter/free", "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL": "openrouter/free" } } Replace your-openrouter-key-here with your own OpenRouter API key — keep the quotes. The empty ANTHROPIC_API_KEY line is there on purpose. Don't delete it. The file only applies to the project folder it sits in. Copy the .claude folder into any project where you want the free setup. ──────────────────────────────────────── THE PROMPT (used in the live demo) Build a Kanban board as a single index.html file, using vanilla JavaScript and CSS — no frameworks, no libraries. Three columns: To Do, In Progress, Done. I can add tasks, drag cards between columns, and delete tasks. Save the board to localStorage so it survives a page refresh. Add smooth transition effects when cards are added, moved, or deleted. ──────────────────────────────────────── FREE TIER LIMITS (as of July 2026) No credit on the account: about 50 free requests a day. With a one-time $10 top-up: about 1,000 free requests a day — the $10 never gets spent, it just unlocks the limit. Both tiers: about 20 requests a minute. Use openrouter/free. Avoid openrouter/auto — it can route to paid models and bill you. ──────────────────────────────────────── CHAPTERS 0:00 The catch — free models rotate 0:47 Create a free OpenRouter API key 2:49 Connect Claude Code (settings.local.json) 4:41 Verify with /status 5:02 openrouter/free — the setting that never goes stale 5:59 The model name to avoid 6:14 Free tier limits nobody mentions 6:57 Build a full app from one prompt 7:15 The zero-credit run, uncut 8:12 Why it failed + the one-time $10 fix 8:54 The run that works 9:31 Open and test the Kanban board 10:32 The receipts — total cost: $0 11:24 What to watch next ──────────────────────────────────────── This tutorial covers: claude code free, run claude code for free, claude code openrouter, claude code without subscription, claude code free api key, openrouter free models 2026, claude code windows 11, claude code vs code setup, free ai coding assistant.