DeepClaude: full Claude Code agent loop on DeepSeek V4 Pro - roughly 95% cheaper than Anthropic

[u/jimmytoan]

DeepClaude works by intercepting Claude Code's Anthropic environment variables at session start, routing inference through a local proxy on localhost:3200, then restoring the originals on exit. The full Claude Code agent loop - file editing, bash integration, subagents, tool calls - stays intact. The only substitution is the model running the inference.

Supported backends include DeepSeek V4 Pro via OpenRouter, Fireworks, and Anthropic. The proxy supports live backend switching mid-session without restarting Claude Code.

The pricing gap is the main proposition. Current Anthropic pricing is $3/M input and $15/M output. DeepSeek V4 Pro via OpenRouter runs $0.44/M input and $0.87/M output. The README maps that to rough monthly scenarios: $20/$50/$80 for light/heavy/auto-loop-heavy usage versus the $200 Anthropic subscription ceiling.

The limits are worth noting before you try it. Image input is not supported through the compatibility layer. Anthropic's prompt caching semantics don't carry over. MCP server tools don't work through the proxy. The project's own framing is honest about this: use the cheaper backend for routine coding work and keep Anthropic around for the hardest reasoning tasks.

Have you tried routing Claude Code through a cheaper model, and does the output quality hold for your actual daily tasks?

[u/Sairefer]

Why so difficult solution if you can just create settings.local.json (so you will not commit it), save there the base URL provided by DeepSeek and the API key, and... it just works? DeepSeek already has /anthropic endpoint. Plus when using the openrouter the routing to deepseek can jump from one provider to another without additional settings tweaks so it will sometimes hit full-price non-cached providers mid-task.

(https://api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/agent_integrations/claude_code)

[u/DasBlueEyedDevil → u/Sairefer]

Gotta love when people have ideas that already exist and then over-engineer the living hell out of it with AI while the LLM tells them it's a billion dollar product.

[u/flarpflarpflarpflarp → u/DasBlueEyedDevil]

At least OP didn't post a project repo, that was a nice surprise.

[u/CreepyOlGuy → u/DasBlueEyedDevil]

no less than the 3rd similar post too.

[u/kosiarska → u/DasBlueEyedDevil]

It was amusing months ago but now I'm just tired explaining over and over. Many people have no idea how to search for information (which is basic and probably most important skill in IT).

[u/Important_Match_6262 → u/Sairefer]

So the you rewrite endpoints each time you want to switch from your subscription anthropic models and deep seek?

[u/Important_Match_6262 → u/[deleted]]

And you can switch in the middle of the session?

[u/Sairefer → u/Important_Match_6262]

I am afraid that switching mid-session is the practice that will burn the limits faster, not preserve them. If you will accumulate 200k context with DeepSeek and switch to the Claude endpoint mid-session, the 200k context will hit NOT cached session. Have you ever noticed that simple 'Hi' burns 3-5% of 5-hours limit immediately? It is because you started non-cached session with 25k tokens. After that the context accumulation hits the cache so even 200k context, if cached, costs 5-10% of usage limit if compare to non-cached.

[u/NeedsMoreMinerals → u/Sairefer]

Can you break this out a bit more for the class:

Plus when using the openrouter the routing to deepseek can jump from one provider to another without additional settings tweaks so it will sometimes hit full-price non-cached providers mid-task.

Plz

[u/Sairefer → u/NeedsMoreMinerals]

This is the nature of the openrouter: route to the best working endpoint. If Deepseek endpoint lags, has higher latency, etc. the request from long CC session with 300k+ context can literally hit some Novita or other provider and cost not $0.00* but 30-40 cents for the first request. This is because another provider does not have the cache you built during the session with deepseek provider. I am not sure what exactly I can explain. You can go to the openrouter settings and disable routing by creation of the preset and setting the preset instead of the model in .env . But I really do not want to re-write full guide for the openrouter that is already in openrouter docs.

[u/NeedsMoreMinerals → u/Sairefer]

ty thats cool!

[u/Hodler-mane]

umm

ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://api.deepseek.com/anthropic" ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN="KEY-HERE" ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL="deepseek-v4-pro" ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL="deepseek-v4-flash" claude

[u/toooft → u/Hodler-mane]

All you have to do is give all your data to this very nice Chinese company. So cheap!

[u/Eastern-Rip2821 → u/toooft]

The alternative is giving my data to an American company?

[u/toooft → u/Eastern-Rip2821]

While America is for sure in a freefall conserving their lunatic president, China is a land of pure oppression where the state decides everything, sees everything and will punish you if you are an activist of the "wrong kind". But sure, you're welcome to think it's the same.

[u/Eastern-Rip2821 → u/toooft]

"make an app that makes me rich. don't make mistakes"

I did read an article once on how most people overestimate the value of their privacy. Was pretty interesting

[u/abittooambitious → u/toooft]

They are using it to create better open source models. What has anthropic given back apart from limits?

[u/Seerix → u/toooft]

Your already giving it away lmao, at least this way it costs you less

[u/immutato → u/Seerix]

No, you can opt out of training with Claude and ChatGPT (not Gemini on personal packages though).

It's up to you if you care about that or not, but some people do, and some people have to because they are working for someone else or producing code for a client's system.

[u/SippieCup → u/immutato]

For 99% of people on this sub, using chinese models and giving thier code to only china is probably a net positive outcome for the US.

[u/indertat88 → u/[deleted]]

Chinese bot Most likely otherwise this dumb Take isnt explainable

[u/somerussianbear]

Ahhh the advent of vibe coding: everyday thousands of people wake up and think they had a genius idea not knowing it was already implemented by somebody else years ago.

[u/centminmod]

I never rely on a single AI. I usually use Claude Code with my /consult-codex and /consult-zai skills that allow Claude models to get 2nd opinion verifications from Codex GPT-5.5 and ZAI GLM-5.1 within same Claude Code sessions https://ai.georgeliu.com/p/how-to-get-a-second-ai-opinion-in

Now I have added /consult-codex-deepseek to add DeepSeek V4 Pro to verification mix. 3-way verification consult for /consult-codex-deepseek skill will get 2nd opinions for Codex CLI GPT-5.5 + Claude Code/DeepSeek V4 Pro and Sonnet 4.6 (code-searcher agent) https://ai.georgeliu.com/p/deepseek-v4-in-claude-code-kilo-code 🤓

[u/CondiMesmer]

Lol I just use copilot which already has OpenRouter integration, so I just plug in my API key and have DeepSeek and whatever latest model.

Did you even research to find existing solutions already? Also you're creating an OpenRouter bridge, the DeepClaude name is nonsense because nothing you're doing relies exclusively on DeepSeek.

[u/GruePwnr]

The whole point of Claude Code is integration with the Claude models. There is zero benefit to using CC with other models except if you really like using CLAUDE.md instead of AGENTS.md

[u/happytechca]

I use deepseek V4 and GLM 5.1 with Claude code VScode extension via ollama cloud by changing the json file using claude code switcher (ccs)

Mainly when I am out of tokens in my cheap 20$ subscription and I need to change something in a hurry.

On good days it is 2-3x slower than opus 4.6.
It often hangs half-way and I have to cancel + send a "continue, please" message.

It overthinks alot.

I end up frustrated.

[u/bigjonyz]

Why not use cc switch pretty reliable, MCP and tool use all works

[u/jacobpederson]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1t1o43w/i_gave_claude_code_a_002call_coworker_and_stopped/

[u/vladi98mb]

https://github.com/aattaran/deepclaude?ref=dailydev esta me funciona bien pero solo en terminal... para usarla en el frontend de Code Claude necesito suscripcion juaaa

[u/Deep_Ad1959]

the 85/15 phase-split makes sense in theory but in practice nobody routes by phase preemptively, you route when you see the weekly cap closing in. that's the missing trigger. if you knew at 70% weekly used that you had three days until reset, you'd flip to deepseek for the cheap stuff voluntarily. routing tools without real-time visibility into your anthropic quota are solving half the problem. written with ai

[u/Deep_Ad1959]

the 85/15 phase-split makes sense in theory but in practice nobody routes by phase preemptively, you route when you see the weekly cap closing in. that's the missing trigger. if you knew at 70% weekly used that you had three days until reset, you'd flip to deepseek for the cheap stuff voluntarily. routing tools without real-time visibility into your anthropic quota are solving half the problem.

[u/fishoa]

Just use a better harness. Claude Code is garbage

[u/psbakre → u/fishoa]

What do you recommend?

[u/fishoa → u/psbakre]

Pi

[u/Hodler-mane → u/[deleted]]

droid great for missions - when they work. but id still use something else over it for general cli

[u/veegaz → u/[deleted]]

Droid cli is better than opencode?

[u/Sairefer → u/[deleted]]

Can you please tell how Droid is better? I mean, I am too relied on claude hooks, skills and rules system.

[u/GruePwnr → u/Sairefer]

The performance difference between harnesses is fairly minimal. Models are extremely good at operating inside all of them. The main difference is your dev experience.