What is claude-multi and why should I use it?
claude-multi is a CLI that lets you run multiple Claude Code instances at the same time, each pointed at a different AI provider. Every instance gets its own config directory under ~/.claude-<name>/, so settings, history, and MCP servers don’t bleed into each other.
The problem it solves
Claude Code keeps everything in one ~/.claude folder, settings, plugins, skills, MCP servers, conversation history. That works fine until you want to try a second provider, or keep a work setup separate from a personal one. Suddenly you’re manually copying files around, swapping environment variables, and hoping nothing gets overwritten.
claude-multi gives each provider its own alias (claude-glm, claude-deepseek, claude-anthropic), each backed by a real directory you can browse and edit. No shared state, no accidental overwrites.
What it isn’t
It doesn’t fork or patch Claude Code. It doesn’t run a proxy or daemon. It doesn’t do model routing. Each instance is a standalone Claude Code environment, claude-multi just manages the plumbing.
What you get
- 8 provider templates with pre-configured endpoints and model mappings
- Plugin auto-sync via symlinks (update once, all instances get it)
- MCP server management across instances
- Health monitoring that catches broken symlinks, missing dirs, corrupted config
- A terminal UI built with Ink/React, plus a fallback prompts mode
Related questions
- Is it a fork of Claude Code?: how the wrapper mechanism works
- Which providers are supported?: the full template list
- Does it cost anything?: it’s free, you just pay for API usage
More info
- /about/: design principles and how it works
- /docs/getting-started/: install and create your first instance
- /blog/inside-claude-multi-every-menu/: walkthrough of every TUI screen
- /blog/claude-code-co-engineer-and-claude-multi/: how it fits into the Claude Code ecosystem
- src/templates.ts: where provider templates are defined
- src/config.ts: instance creation and plugin management