claude-swap 0.12.0

Multi-account switcher for Claude Code

claude-swap

Multi-account switcher for Claude Code. Easily switch between multiple Claude accounts without logging out. Works with both the Claude Code CLI and the VS Code extension.

Installation

Using uv (recommended)

uv tool install claude-swap

Using pipx

pipx install claude-swap

From source

git clone https://github.com/realiti4/claude-swap.git
cd claude-swap
uv sync
uv run cswap --help

Updating

cswap --upgrade        # uv/pipx installs on macOS/Linux: auto-detects and upgrades
# or run your installer directly:
uv tool upgrade claude-swap
pipx upgrade claude-swap

Usage

Add your first account

Log into Claude Code with your first account, then:

cswap --add-account

Add more accounts

Log in with another account, then:

cswap --add-account

Switch accounts

Rotate to the next account:

cswap --switch

Or switch to a specific account:

cswap --switch-to 2
cswap --switch-to [e-mail]

Note: You usually don't need to restart — on Linux/Windows the new account is picked up automatically, and on macOS after the Keychain cache expires. To apply it instantly, restart Claude Code or reopen the VS Code extension tab. See Tips for the per-platform details.

Refresh expired tokens

If an account's token expires, log back into Claude Code with that account and re-run:

cswap --add-account

This will update the stored credentials without creating a duplicate.

Other commands

cswap --list                    # Show all accounts with 5h/7d usage and reset times
cswap --status                  # Show current account
cswap --add-account --slot 3    # Add account to a specific slot (prompts before overwrite)
cswap --remove-account 2        # Remove an account
cswap --tui                     # Launch the interactive arrow-key menu
cswap --upgrade                 # Upgrade claude-swap to the latest version
cswap --purge                   # Remove all claude-swap data

Tips

• Do you need to restart after switching? Usually not. On Linux and Windows, credentials are stored in a file and Claude Code re-reads them whenever that file changes, so the new account takes effect on your next message — no restart needed. On macOS, credentials live in the Keychain, which Claude Code caches for about 30 seconds; a running session picks up the switch once that cache expires. Restart Claude Code (or close and reopen the VS Code extension tab) only if you want the change to apply instantly.
• Continuing sessions after switching: You can keep using the same Claude Code session after switching — run cswap --switch in any terminal and carry on. If you'd prefer a clean start, close and reopen Claude Code (or the VS Code extension tab) and use --resume to pick your previous session. Either way, the first message on the new account may use extra usage as its conversation cache rebuilds.

How it works

• Backs up OAuth tokens and config when you add an account
• Swaps credentials when you switch accounts
• Account credentials stored securely using platform-appropriate methods

Data locations

Platform	Credentials	Config backups
Windows	File-based (inside the backup directory, under credentials/)	~/.claude-swap-backup/
macOS	macOS Keychain	~/.claude-swap-backup/
Linux / WSL	File-based (inside the backup directory, under credentials/)	${XDG_DATA_HOME:-~/.local/share}/claude-swap/

On Linux/WSL, set XDG_DATA_HOME to override the default location. Data from older installs under ~/.claude-swap-backup/ is migrated automatically on first run.

Advanced

Backup and migration

Move account data between machines or back it up:

cswap --export backup.cswap                  # All accounts to a file
cswap --export backup.cswap --account 2      # One account
cswap --export backup.cswap --full           # Include full local ~/.claude.json (same-PC backup)
cswap --import backup.cswap                  # Skips accounts that already exist
cswap --import backup.cswap --force          # Overwrite existing

The export file is plaintext JSON. If you need encryption, pipe through your tool of choice (e.g. cswap --export - | gpg -c > backup.gpg).

Add an account from a raw OAuth token

If you only have a long-lived setup-token (e.g., produced by claude setup-token) and you don't want to log in via the browser flow first — useful on headless servers or when receiving a token from another machine — register it directly:

cswap --add-token sk-ant-oat01-...
cswap --add-token sk-ant-oat01-... --slot 3
cswap --add-token - --slot 3                 # read token from stdin
cswap --add-token --email [e-mail]   # optional label override

--email is optional; omitted values use setup-token-{slot}@token.local. No Anthropic API calls are made.

Uninstall

Remove all data:

cswap --purge

Then uninstall the tool:

uv tool uninstall claude-swap
# or
pipx uninstall claude-swap

Requirements

• Python 3.12+
• Claude Code installed and logged in

License

MIT