The new Ollama Claude Code Integration is one of the biggest breakthroughs in AI development this year.
For years, developers have paid hundreds each month for access to cloud-based AI tools — sending their code to servers they don’t control, waiting on laggy API calls, and worrying about privacy leaks.
That just changed.
Now you can run Claude Code — Anthropic’s professional coding assistant — entirely on your own computer, powered by Ollama.
No subscriptions. No limits. No external servers. Everything runs locally.
This update is a complete paradigm shift in how AI coding tools work.
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What Is the Ollama Claude Code Integration?
The Ollama Claude Code Integration combines the power of Anthropic’s Claude Code with the privacy and flexibility of Ollama — a local AI model runner.
Claude Code is more than a chatbot. It’s a fully interactive coding assistant that reads your files, modifies them, runs tests, and even debugs errors step-by-step.
Until now, using Claude Code meant paying Anthropic per token — around $3 per million tokens for input and $15 per million tokens for output.
If you write code daily, those costs add up fast.
Enter Ollama, the open-source platform that lets you download and run language models directly on your machine.
On January 16th, 2026, Ollama version 0.14.0 added compatibility with Anthropic’s Messages API, the same backend that Claude Code uses.
That means Claude Code can now communicate directly with any local model running inside Ollama.
In plain English — you now get the power of Claude Code without paying Anthropic a single cent.
Why This Matters
This integration gives developers complete freedom.
Here’s what it means in practice:
- Zero API bills. Once you download your model, there’s no recurring cost.
- No internet required. Everything runs locally — even offline.
- Full control over your environment. You decide which models, context length, and configurations to use.
- Enhanced security. Your source code stays private. No cloud uploads, no leaks, no middlemen.
It’s the kind of independence developers have wanted for years — and now it’s here.
How the Ollama Claude Code Integration Works
Let’s walk through how it actually functions.
Claude Code was originally built to connect to Anthropic’s API, which interprets user commands and executes code-related actions.
Ollama emulates that API locally.
So when Claude Code sends a request (like “refactor my login function”), instead of hitting Anthropic’s servers, it talks to Ollama — which runs a local model on your computer and generates the response in real time.
The experience is nearly identical to cloud usage — but faster and fully private.
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Setting this up is simpler than most people expect. You can be running local Claude Code in less than 15 minutes.
Step 1 — Install Ollama
Go to ollama.com and download the installer for your operating system.
It supports macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Once installed, launch it. You’ll see a small llama icon appear in your system tray or menu bar — that means Ollama is active and ready.
Step 2 — Pull a Model
Open your terminal and type:
ollama pull qwen:3-coder
That command downloads Qwen 3 Coder, a model built specifically for programming tasks like debugging, refactoring, and script generation.
You can also pull gpt-oss:20b for larger, more advanced projects requiring deeper reasoning.
These models run entirely offline once downloaded.
Step 3 — Install Claude Code
On Mac or Linux, type:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
On Windows PowerShell, run:
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
Claude Code will install itself and create a command-line utility you can call from any directory.
Step 4 — Connect Claude to Ollama
This is where the integration happens.
You’ll redirect Claude Code’s network calls to your local Ollama instance by setting two environment variables.
On Mac or Linux:
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=ollama
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:11434
On Windows PowerShell:
setx ANTHROPIC_API_KEY “ollama”
setx ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL “http://localhost:11434”
Once done, Claude Code is now fully offline — using Ollama as its local backend.
Step 5 — Start Coding
In your terminal, run:
claude –model qwen:3-coder
You’ll be prompted to choose your project folder.
Then, you can start giving Claude commands in plain English:
“Fix the syntax errors in my main.py file.”
“Add logging to this function.”
“Build a web scraper that handles pagination.”
Claude will read your files, make edits, test code, and show exactly what it changed — all without sending data to the cloud.
Best Models for Ollama Claude Code Integration
Here are the top-performing models for local coding workflows:
- Qwen 3 Coder — optimized for Python, JavaScript, and TypeScript. Fast, stable, and efficient.
- GPT-OSS 20B — a 20-billion-parameter open-source model for larger, multi-file reasoning.
- DeepSeek Coder 6.7B — lightweight and great for smaller systems or laptops.
For best performance, pick a model with at least 64,000 tokens of context. This lets the AI “see” more of your codebase at once, improving consistency and reasoning.
You can adjust context size in Ollama’s configuration file — it’s a simple YAML edit.
Expanding Beyond Local Models
If you ever want more power without losing control, Ollama also supports cloud models with the same interface.
You can use:
glm4-7b:cloudminimax-m2:cloud
They cost less than commercial APIs like OpenAI or Anthropic.
Just replace the model name and append :cloud — no extra configuration needed.
Integration with Developer Tools
The Ollama Claude Code Integration doesn’t just live in your terminal.
Once Ollama is running, it acts as a universal local backend that integrates with tools like:
- VS Code — through the Ollama extension.
- JetBrains IDEs — via local API settings.
- Python and Node.js — using simple SDKs.
This means the same models you use with Claude Code can also power your documentation assistants, chatbots, and build systems — all locally.
One backend, endless applications.
Performance and Latency
In most tests, the Ollama + Claude combo runs faster than cloud-based Claude for short tasks, since there’s no network latency.
For larger codebases, it’s about 10–20% slower, depending on your CPU or GPU setup.
If you’re running on Apple Silicon or an NVIDIA GPU, performance improves dramatically — near cloud-level response times.
And remember, you’re trading a small bit of speed for complete privacy and cost savings.
Security and Data Privacy
This setup is ideal for companies and independent developers who handle sensitive code.
When you run models locally with Ollama Claude Code Integration, your data:
- Never leaves your machine.
- Is never logged or stored externally.
- Cannot be accessed by third parties.
For enterprise workflows, this means you can comply with privacy requirements (like ISO 27001 or SOC 2) without blocking your developers from using AI.
Is It Legal and Supported?
Yes — fully legal and officially supported.
The integration is enabled through Ollama’s Anthropic API compatibility layer.
It’s not a hack, bypass, or workaround — it’s a documented feature that allows third-party tools to use Anthropic’s API format locally.
Claude Code remains free to use. Ollama remains open source.
You’re simply connecting the two.
Why This Update Changes Everything
The Ollama Claude Code Integration marks a fundamental shift in AI tool accessibility.
Before this, serious AI coding required monthly subscriptions, API keys, and strict usage quotas.
Now, you can do it all on your desktop — with zero dependencies.
It’s faster. Cheaper. More private.
And it finally brings professional-grade AI coding tools into the hands of every developer — not just those who can afford $200 a month.
This is what open AI infrastructure was meant to look like.
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Quick Recap
Here’s what the Ollama Claude Code Integration gives you:
✅ Run Claude Code locally — no cloud, no cost
✅ Keep your code 100% private
✅ Use open-source models for free
✅ Works offline on any OS
✅ Integrates with VS Code and other dev tools
✅ Official, legal, and open source
This is the future of AI-assisted development — fully decentralized, open, and developer-owned.
FAQs
Q1: What is the Ollama Claude Code Integration?
It connects Anthropic’s Claude Code with Ollama, letting you run AI coding locally without paying for tokens.
Q2: Does it work offline?
Yes — once the models are downloaded, everything runs locally.
Q3: Which models should I use?
Start with Qwen 3 Coder or GPT-OSS 20B for the best results.
Q4: Is it really free?
Completely. Both tools are free and open source.
Q5: Is there any risk?
None. The integration is officially supported and safe to use.
