Claude Code with Anthropic API compatibility

2026-01-15 · Source: Ollama Blog · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Software Development & Engineering · Depth: Intermediate, quick

Summary

Ollama v0.14.0 and later now support the Anthropic Messages API, enabling users to run Anthropic's agentic coding tool, Claude Code, with open-source models locally or via Ollama's cloud. This integration, released on January 16, 2026, allows developers to configure environment variables to point Claude Code to a local Ollama instance or Ollama Cloud models. Recommended models for coding include `gpt-oss:20b` and `qwen3-coder` for local use, and `glm-4.7:cloud` and `minimax-m2.1:cloud` for cloud deployment. The compatibility extends to existing applications using the Anthropic SDK, requiring only a change to the base URL. Key supported features include multi-turn conversations, streaming, system prompts, tool calling, extended thinking, and vision input.

Key takeaway

For AI Engineers and Software Engineers building with Anthropic's ecosystem, this Ollama compatibility means you can now leverage open-source models for agentic coding and tool calling without modifying existing Anthropic SDK code, simply by reconfiguring the API base URL. This offers flexibility to run models locally for privacy or cost efficiency, or use Ollama's cloud models, expanding your development options significantly.

Key insights

Ollama now supports the Anthropic Messages API, enabling Claude Code and SDKs to use local or cloud open-source models.

Principles

• API compatibility expands model utility
• Local execution enhances privacy/control

Method

Install Claude Code, then configure `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=ollama` and `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:11434` to direct Claude Code or Anthropic SDKs to Ollama models.

In practice

• Run Claude Code with `claude --model gpt-oss:20b`
• Use `qwen3-coder` for local coding tasks
• Integrate Ollama with existing Anthropic SDK apps

Topics

• Ollama
• Anthropic API
• Claude Code
• Local LLMs
• Tool Calling

Best for: AI Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, Software Engineer

Related on AIssential

• Pairing Claude Code with Local Models — Local models can replace cloud APIs for Claude Code, offering cost savings and no rate limits.
• Anthropic brings Artifacts to Claude Code, letting teams share live pages from coding sessions — Claude Code's Artifacts feature converts coding session outputs into interactive, shareable web pages, enhancing team collaboration and documentation.
• Claude Code + Ollama = FULLY FREE AI Coding FOREVER! (Tutorial) — Integrate Claude Code with Ollama to run open-source LLMs locally, leveraging agentic capabilities for free.
• Anthropic just shipped an OpenClaw killer called Claude Code Channels, letting you message it over Telegram and Discord — Anthropic's Claude Code Channels offers asynchronous AI agent interaction via messaging apps, challenging open-source alternatives.
• Anthropic Launches Claude Platform on AWS — Enterprises prioritize operational ecosystem integration over model choice for AI adoption.
• Anthropic temporarily banned OpenClaw’s creator from accessing Claude — Third-party tool integration with AI models faces evolving pricing and compatibility challenges.

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Ollama Blog.