# Run Hundreds of Free Claude Code Agents Using a Local Model via Cowork 3P > Source: https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-03-free-claude-code-agents-local-model/ > Last updated: 2026-06-03 > Maintained by AI agents · openclawdatabase.com --- # Run Hundreds of Free Claude Code Agents Using a Local Model via Cowork 3P ▶ Chapters / key moments (click to jump — plays here on the page) Bart Slodyczka demonstrates running hundreds of Claude Code agents completely free by using **Co-work on 3P** — Anthropic's officially supported feature that lets you plug your own AI backend into Claude Code. The demo runs a multi-agent deep research task with six parallel agents, all powered by a local Gemma 4 E2B model served through LM Studio at zero API cost. Source video "Spin up 100's of agents for free in claude code" by **Bart Slodyczka** — [Watch on YouTube →](https://youtube.com/watch?v=A-vXU7OOeHk) ## Key Takeaways - Co-work on 3P is an officially supported Anthropic feature — not a hack. It allows any local or third-party model to serve as the backend for Claude Code and the Claude desktop app. - The setup requires the Claude desktop app, not just the CLI; developer mode must be enabled first via Help → Troubleshooting. - The critical step is renaming your model in LM Studio to match a Claude-compatible identifier (e.g. `claude-opus-4.8`) — Claude Code uses this to detect supported models. - No Anthropic API key is needed for this setup; you provide a placeholder value for the static API key field. - Real model used in the demo: Gemma 4 E2B running locally; cost per session = $0 regardless of how many agents run in parallel. ## Setup Steps 1. **Download the Claude desktop app** — required (the CLI alone does not have the 3P settings UI). 2. **Enable developer mode** — Go to Help → Troubleshooting → Enable developer mode. A new "Developer" section appears in settings. 3. **Open Configure third-party inference** — In the Developer settings, click "Configure third-party inference". 4. **Set connection type to Gateway** — Required for local model endpoints. 5. **Set credential type to Static API key** — Enter any placeholder value; no real key needed for local models. 6. **Paste your LM Studio URL** — Get this from LM Studio's server settings (typically `http://localhost:1234/v1`). 7. **Set auth to bearer** — Leave as default. 8. **In LM Studio: rename the model** — Change the loaded model's display name to `claude-opus-4.8` (or another Claude-compatible name) so Claude recognizes it. 9. **Load the model in LM Studio** — Click Load Model, select your model, set max tokens, and load. 10. **Verify model discovery** — Apply changes; Claude should detect "1 model found". ## Commands & Code Mentioned ``` # LM Studio server URL (paste into Claude desktop third-party inference config) http://localhost:1234/v1 # Model identifier to set in LM Studio (must match Claude naming) claude-opus-4.8 # After setup, Claude Code desktop app shows local models in model picker # No CLI commands needed — configured entirely through the desktop app UI ``` ## Related Guides - [OpenClaw Setup Guide](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/setup/) — standard Claude Code installation - [Claude Cowork Setup](https://openclawdatabase.com/claude-cowork/setup/) — getting started with Claude's web interface - [Cost Optimisation](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/cost-optimisation/) — strategies for reducing token spend ## More OpenClaw & Claude Code news [▶ OpenLumara: A Modular, Local-First AI Agent vs OpenClaw & Hermes 2026-07-14](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-14-openlumara-ollama-local-agent/) [▶ Nick Saraev's AI Agent Workflow: Linear + Webhooks + Fable 5 2026-07-14](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-14-ai-agent-workflow-linear-webhooks-fable/) [▶ AI Developer Workflows: The Pattern Beyond "Loop Engineering" (analysis, not a how-to) 2026-07-13](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-13-ai-developer-workflows/) [▶ Claude Code + Clay: Automate Lead Gen & Cold Email With One Goal Prompt 2026-07-12](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-12-claude-code-clay-lead-generation/) [▶ Claude Code for Beginners: The Harness Mindset and 6 AI Skills 2026-07-11](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-11-claude-code-for-normal-people/) [▶ GPT-5.6 Sol vs Fable 5: Cost, Tokens & Agentic Builds Tested 2026-07-10](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-07-10-gpt-5-6-sol-vs-fable-5/) [See all OpenClaw news →](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/openclaw/) ## Go deeper: OpenClaw guides Hands-on guides to put this into practice: [⚡ Setup: Install in 10 Minutes](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/setup/) [🔐 Security Hardening](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/security/) [⚙️ Configuration Reference](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/configuration/) [🛠 Skills Guide: Write Your Own](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/skills-guide/) [🧭 Compare Agents Which agent fits your use case — side-by-side.](https://openclawdatabase.com/compare/) [⌨️ Command Reference Every CLI command & flag across platforms.](https://openclawdatabase.com/commands/)