Overview of what CC Switch does, its core features, and who should use it.
1.1 Introduction
What is CC Switch
CC Switch is a cross-platform desktop application designed for developers who use AI tools. It helps you centrally manage configurations for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, OpenClaw, and Hermes.
What Problems Does It Solve
In your daily development workflow, you may encounter these pain points:
- Tedious multi-provider switching: Using different API providers (official, proxy services) requires manually editing configuration files
- Scattered configurations: Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode, OpenClaw, and Hermes each have independent configuration files in different formats
- No usage monitoring: No visibility into how many API calls were made or how much they cost
- Service instability: When a single provider goes down, your entire workflow is interrupted
CC Switch solves these problems through a unified interface.
Core Features
Provider Management
- One-click switching between multiple API provider configurations
- Preset templates for quickly adding common providers
- Universal provider feature for sharing configurations across apps
- Claude Desktop third-party providers, direct mode, and model mapping
- Usage query and balance display
- Endpoint speed testing
Extensions
- MCP Servers: Manage Model Context Protocol servers to extend AI capabilities
- Prompts: Manage system prompt presets for quick scenario switching
- Skills: Install and manage skill extensions
Proxy & High Availability
- Local proxy service for request logging and usage statistics
- Automatic failover that switches to a backup provider when the primary one fails
- Circuit breaker mechanism to prevent repeated retries against failing providers
- Detailed token usage tracking and cost estimation
Supported Applications
| Application | Description |
|---|---|
| Claude Code | Anthropic's official AI coding assistant |
| Claude Desktop | Claude desktop app with official sign-in and third-party 3P profiles |
| Codex | OpenAI's code generation tool |
| Gemini CLI | Google's AI command-line tool |
| OpenCode | Open-source AI coding terminal tool |
| OpenClaw | Open-source AI assistant (multi-provider gateway) |
| Hermes | Hermes Agent provider, MCP, Skills, and Memory management |
Supported Platforms
- Windows 10 and above
- macOS 12 (Monterey) and above
- Linux Ubuntu 22.04+ / Debian 11+ / Fedora 34+ (x64 / ARM64)
Technical Architecture
CC Switch is built with a modern technology stack:
- Frontend: React 18 + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS
- Backend: Tauri 2 + Rust
- Data Storage: SQLite (providers, MCP, Prompts) + JSON (device settings)
This architecture ensures:
- Consistent cross-platform experience
- Native-level performance
- Secure local data storage