FREE Claude Code + Claude Desktop Setup With Official Anthropic Models (2026 Guide)

Introduction

Want access to Claude Fable 5, Claude Opus 4.8, Claude Sonnet 5, and every other Claude model inside Claude Desktop and Claude Code — without paying for a subscription? In this guide, I'll show you exactly how to set it up from scratch.

We'll use a gateway method that gives you a free 2-week trial with $10 of usage every 5 hours and $70 weekly. That's enough to build real projects, test models, and get serious work done — all without spending a dollar.

By the end, you'll have Claude Desktop, Claude Code CLI, and VS Code all connected to official Anthropic models.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have these ready:

• Windows, macOS, or Linux machine

• An internet connection

• Node.js installed (we'll cover this below if you don't have it)

Step 1: Install Claude Desktop

Head to the official Claude Desktop download page:

👉 https://claude.ai/download

Click download but don't install it yet. We'll install it later after setting up everything else first. Just keep the installer ready.

Step 2: Install Claude Code CLI

Open PowerShell (on Windows) or your terminal and run the install command:

bash

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Once installed, verify it:

bash

claude --version

You should see something like 2.1.201. That confirms Claude Code is installed.

If you get an error, make sure Node.js is installed. Download it from nodejs.org and install the MSI or zip for your platform.

Step 3: Install VS Code

If you don't already have VS Code, download it from:

👉 https://code.visualstudio.com/download

Choose the version for your OS and install it.

Step 4: Open Your Claude Settings File

Navigate to your Claude configuration folder:

C:\Users\<YourUsername>\.claude

If you don't see the .claude folder, right-click inside the Users folder, go to Properties, and check the "Hidden items" box.

Inside this folder, you'll find a settings.json file. We need to edit this.

Open VS Code, click File → Open Folder, and navigate to:

C:\Users\<YourUsername>\.claude

Select the folder and you'll see settings.json in the file explorer.

Step 5: Set Up the Gateway Platform and Get Your API Key

Open the gateway platform (link in the resources below) and click "Get Started." Sign up with your Google account.

Once you're in, go to Billing and Plan. You'll see:

• Free 2-week trial

• $140 total usage

• $10 per 5-hour window

• $70 weekly cap

• Access to all Claude models

Now create your API key:

1. Click "New Key"

2. Give it a name (e.g., "test")

3. Copy the API key

4. Save it in a notepad — you'll need it in the next steps

Step 6: Update settings.json

Go back to VS Code where you have settings.json open. Delete everything currently in the file and paste in the configuration code below:

json

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://capi.aerolink.lat/",
    "CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC": "1"
  },
  "model": "opus[1m]",
  "statusLine": {
    "type": "command",
    "command": "node \"C:\\Users\\danny\\.claude\\statusline.js\""
  },
  "effortLevel": "low",
  "theme": "dark"
}

Now replace the API key placeholder in the config with the actual API key you copied in the previous step. Save the file.

Step 7: Test Claude Code in Terminal

Create a test folder on your desktop. Open it in the command prompt by clicking on the address bar inside the folder, typing cmd, and pressing Enter.

Or hold Shift + right-click inside the folder and select "Open in Terminal."

Now type:

bash

claude

It will ask you to trust the key — confirm it. Then check your available models by typing:

/model

You should see all models: Opus 4.8, Fable 5, Sonnet 5, Haiku, and more.

Select a model and test it:

hi

which model are you using right now?

If it responds with the correct model name and context window, everything is working.

Step 8: Set Up Claude Code in VS Code

Open VS Code and go to View → Extensions. Search for "Claude Code for VS Code" and install it.

Once installed, you'll see the Claude icon in the sidebar. Click it to open a new session.

Use the /model command to switch between models and start chatting. It works exactly like the terminal but inside your editor.

Step 9: Install and Configure Claude Desktop

Now install the Claude Desktop app that you downloaded earlier. Once it opens:

1. Click the hamburger menu (top three lines)

2. Go to Help → Troubleshoot

3. Click "Enable Developer Mode"

4. Click Enable — the app will restart

After restart:

1. Click the hamburger menu again

2. Go to Developer

3. Click "Configure Third Party Interface"

Now fill in the fields:

Gateway Base URL:
Go back to the gateway platform, click Documentation, and copy the base URL. Paste it in the Gateway Base URL field.

Credential Kind:
Select "Static API Key"

API Key:
Paste the same API key you used earlier.

OAuth Scheme:
Keep it as "X API Key"

Now click "Test Connection." If it turns green and shows something like "Model discovery: 7 models found" — you're good.

Click "Apply Changes" → "Save and Restart."

Step 10: Build Something

Claude Desktop will relaunch and you'll see all available models in the dropdown: Opus 4.8, Opus 4.7, Fable 5, Sonnet 5, Sonnet 4.6, Haiku 4.5, and more.

You also get effort level controls and access to Claude Code directly inside the desktop app.

To test it, click Code → New Session, select a folder, pick a model, and try:

build me a snake game in HTML

Claude will generate the full game. Open the HTML file in your browser and play it. You can follow up with more instructions like:

change the color to orange and add some graphics on it

Understanding the Usage Limits

The free tier gives you:

• $10 per 5-hour window — resets every 5 hours

• $70 per week

• 2-week free trial — approximately $140 total

Keep an eye on your usage on the gateway platform's usage page. Fable 5 and Opus 4.8 burn through credits faster, so use medium effort for smaller tasks and save the heavy models for bigger projects.

Troubleshooting

Can't find the .claude folder?
Enable hidden files in your file explorer settings.

Claude command not recognized?
Make sure Node.js is installed and your npm global directory is in your system PATH.

Test connection fails in Claude Desktop?
Double-check your base URL — make sure you copied the full URL from the documentation page. Verify your API key is correct and hasn't expired.

Models not showing up?
Try regenerating your API key on the gateway platform and updating it in both your settings.json and Claude Desktop configuration.

Wrapping Up

You now have Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and VS Code all running with official Anthropic models for free. These aren't third-party or fake models — they're the real Claude models with full context windows.

If this guide helped you, check out my other tutorials on danishsofi.in/tutorials and follow me on Instagram @danishsofiai for more AI content.

Just fill in the gateway platform name/links and your Notion config link wherever you see the placeholders, and you're ready to publish.