Use a local AI gateway with Claude Desktop
A step-by-step desktop guide to connecting OmniRoute or FreeLLMAPI, adding a provider and testing your first Code request.
Agents
Who it’s for. People setting up Claude Desktop’s Code tab through a local gateway, and who need to see which key belongs in which app.
What it is
A useful starting point—not another unexplained bookmark.
A local gateway sits on your computer between Claude Desktop and a model provider. You type in the Code tab. The gateway app forwards that request to a provider account you connected in its own dashboard. This is a desktop-app setup, not a Claude Code terminal install. Menu names and models vary by version.
What you are connecting
Three programs, one request.
A shared setup guide headlines a very large free token pool. Read that as a claim about whichever provider free tier you connect. It is not a quota from Anthropic, and it is not free access to Claude models. The gateway only routes the request. Quotas, eligible models and data rules belong to the provider, and they change.
- Where you type
Claude Desktop
The official Windows or macOS app. After a restart you open the Code tab, choose a local project and send a prompt. Developer Mode has to be available in your installed version.
- Where it stops first
The gateway
OmniRoute or FreeLLMAPI, running on your machine. Claude Desktop knows only this local address and this app’s own key. If the gateway app quits, the Code tab cannot reach a model.
- Where the model runs
The provider
A login or API key saved inside the gateway dashboard. That key must not be pasted into Claude Desktop. The provider can see the prompt you send.
What each field means
The four values Claude Desktop asks for.
- Inference provider
- Gateway. This tells Claude Desktop to use the local app instead of a built-in provider.
- Gateway base URL
- The server root only. OmniRoute’s guide default is http://localhost:20128. FreeLLMAPI’s guide default is http://127.0.0.1:31415. Copy the address the app is actually showing. Do not add /v1.
- Gateway API key
- The local key created by the gateway. FreeLLMAPI shows a unified key that starts with freellmapi-. OmniRoute’s key is created under Endpoints. It is a different secret from the provider key.
- Credential kind and auth
- Static API key, and Bearer as the scheme. Then use the form’s connection test before Apply Changes.
Which app to install
Same lesson, two dashboards.
- Option 01
OmniRoute
Install the desktop release and keep it open. Providers is where the upstream account goes. Endpoints is where you create the key Claude Desktop will see. The guide’s base URL is http://localhost:20128 if your app does not show a different one.
- Option 02
FreeLLMAPI
Install the Windows or macOS release, then choose Open Dashboard from the tray or menu bar. Keys is where the provider key and the unified key both live. The guide’s base URL is http://127.0.0.1:31415. The repository describes the project as personal experimentation.
How you know it worked
Check the path, not the headline.
- Pass
The test names a provider
Send “Explain this project” from the Code tab on a small local folder. The gateway dashboard should show that request and which provider served it.
- Pass
The secrets are in the right boxes
Claude Desktop contains the gateway key. The provider key exists only in the gateway. The base URL has no /v1 suffix.
- Fail
Gateway unreachable
The gateway app closed, the port changed, or the URL is wrong. Open the dashboard from the app again and copy the current root address. Keep the gateway running while you use the Code tab.
- Limit
Free does not mean unlimited
A provider can refuse the next request, swap the model, or change the free tier. Do not put customer data or private repositories through a provider until you have read its terms.
Useful for
When to use it
- Seeing where a Code-tab request actually goes
- Learning why the gateway key and the provider key are different
- Trying a provider free tier from Claude Desktop for a personal experiment
What you will find
Inside the resource
- Claude Desktop preparation
- OmniRoute setup and connection settings
- FreeLLMAPI setup and connection settings
- Connection tests and troubleshooting
Quick start
How I would use it
- 01
Install Claude Desktop
Install the official Windows or macOS app and open it once. Use the official download linked below.
- 02
Enable Developer Mode
In versions that support this setup, open Help → Troubleshooting → Enable Developer Mode and allow the app to restart. On Windows, look for the application menu at the top left of the sign-in screen.
- 03
Find gateway settings
Open Developer → Configure Third-Party Inference. Choose Gateway as the inference provider, Static API key as the credential kind and Bearer as the authentication scheme. If these controls are unavailable, check your app version and current Claude documentation before continuing.
- 04
Choose one setup below
Install either OmniRoute or FreeLLMAPI. Use its local gateway key in Claude Desktop, not your upstream provider key. Enter the gateway server root without adding /v1.
Option 01 · Connect OmniRoute
OmniRoute Desktop runs a local gateway and dashboard. Keep it open while Claude Desktop uses the connection.
- 01
Install the desktop app
Open OmniRoute Releases, choose the installer for your operating system, install it and launch the app.
- 02
Connect a provider
In the dashboard, open Providers. Connect a supported provider account or add its API key. Confirm that the provider and at least one model are available.
- 03
Create a gateway key
Open Endpoints and create an OmniRoute API key. Copy this local key; it is separate from your provider’s API key.
- 04
Configure Claude Desktop
In third-party inference settings, select Gateway. Set the base URL to http://localhost:20128, use your OmniRoute key, select Static API key and Bearer, then test the connection and Apply Changes. Use the address shown by your gateway if it differs.
- 05
Test the Code tab
After Claude Desktop relaunches, open Code and select a local project. Choose an available gateway model if offered. Ask ‘Explain this project’ and check the OmniRoute dashboard for the request.
- 06
If the gateway is unreachable
Confirm OmniRoute is still running and its dashboard opens at http://localhost:20128. Check the current address and key. Use the server root without /v1.
Option 02 · Connect FreeLLMAPI
FreeLLMAPI Desktop provides a local gateway and dashboard. Its repository describes the service as intended for personal experimentation.
- 01
Install and open the dashboard
Download a Windows or macOS installer from FreeLLMAPI Releases. Launch the app, then choose Open Dashboard from its tray or menu-bar icon. Keep the app running.
- 02
Add your provider key
Open Keys and add an API key from a supported free-tier provider. Confirm the key appears healthy and a model is available.
- 03
Copy the unified key and address
Copy the freellmapi-… unified key from the Keys header or tray popover. Copy the current local gateway address; the guide’s default is http://127.0.0.1:31415.
- 04
Configure Claude Desktop
In third-party inference settings, select Gateway and paste the copied base URL and unified key. Choose Static API key and Bearer. Test the connection, then Apply Changes and allow Claude Desktop to relaunch.
- 05
Send a small Code request
Open Code, choose a local project and an available model if offered, then send a simple prompt. Check the FreeLLMAPI dashboard to see which provider served the request.
- 06
If the connection fails
Reopen the dashboard from the tray and copy its current address again. Confirm the app is running and the provider key is healthy.
Start here
Install Claude Desktop
Keep exploring
Where to go next
Next step
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