Quick question about Claude Code access. · AI Automation Agency Hub

Quick question about Claude Code access.

A month ago when I installed the official Anthropic Claude Code VS Code extension, clicking it showed a subscription/paywall screen.

Now the extension opens the Claude Code console directly and I can interact with it.

At the same time, I also use Claude CLI connected to OpenRouter in my terminal.

Also, I can only be able to see the thinking and not the answer from it.

I'm trying to understand what's happening:

Has Anthropic started giving limited Claude Code access to free users?
Is the VS Code Claude Code console separate from Claude CLI + OpenRouter?
Does seeing only Haiku 4.5 mean I'm on a free/limited tier?
Has anyone else seen their extension go from showing a subscription screen to opening the Claude Code console without upgrading?

Would appreciate any clarification from people using the official Anthropic VS Code extension.

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Quick question about Claude Code access.