Claude Desktop Buddy
Anthropic's open-source desk companion that shows Claude session status and approves prompts from a $30 gadget
What is Claude Desktop Buddy?
Claude Desktop Buddy is an open-source reference project from Anthropic for the Bluetooth (BLE) maker API in Claude Cowork and Claude Code Desktop. Flashed onto an ESP32 board (an M5StickC Plus by default, about $30), it becomes a small desk pet that displays session state and lets you approve or deny permission prompts with a button press. It was released in April 2026 by Anthropic engineer Felix Rieseberg. It is free, but needs the hardware and the Claude desktop app. Not to be confused with the unrelated claude-desktop-buddy.com.
Score breakdown (out of 5)
Pros & Cons
👍 Pros
- ✓Access to Claude from your desktop
- ✓Works within existing desktop workflows
- ✓Free tier available
👎 Cons
- ✗Few distinguishing features compared to web-based Claude
- ✗Pro pricing not clearly displayed on the tool
Key Features
- ✓ Desktop application
- ✓ Claude AI access
- ✓ Writing assistance
- ✓ Code generation
- ✓ Analysis and research
Claude Desktop Buddy Pricing
✅ Claude Desktop Buddy has a free plan - no credit card required to start.
Open source
- ✓Requires an ESP32 board (M5StickC Plus, about $30)
- ✓Requires the Claude desktop app
- ✓BLE status display and prompt approval
From the blog
Developer resources
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