Claudius: Open-Source Embeddable AI Chat Widget for Claude
Claudius is an open-source, self-hosted chat widget powered by Claude that can be embedded on any website. The project was created to address the common client request for chatbots without requiring expensive SaaS subscriptions or custom development from scratch.
Key Features
- Floating chat bubble that works on any site (WordPress, Webflow, static HTML, React, etc.)
- Backend runs on Cloudflare Workers (free tier handles significant traffic)
- Customizable system prompt to create business-specific AI assistants
- Dark mode with light/dark/auto options
- Conversation persistence and markdown rendering
- KV-based rate limiting to prevent API cost overruns
- WCAG 2.1 AA accessible and responsive down to 320px
- Fully configurable: colors, title, theme, system prompt
Technical Stack
Frontend: React 18, TypeScript, Tailwind, Vite
Backend: Cloudflare Workers, Hono, Anthropic SDK
Implementation
Embedding requires three files: set window.ClaudiusConfig with your worker URL and preferences, include the CSS, and include the JS.
Cost Structure
The only cost is Anthropic API usage. Cloudflare Workers free tier provides 100k requests/day. For small business sites with few daily chats, costs are minimal.
The project is MIT licensed with no telemetry, tracking, or SaaS middleman. It's the third open-source project from the developer's studio, following a React framework (Aurelius) and WordPress framework (Flavian), both Claude Code-integrated.
📖 Read the full source: r/ClaudeAI
👀 See Also
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The Human Creativity Benchmark: Separating Convergence from Divergence in AI Creative Evaluation
Contra Labs introduces the Human Creativity Benchmark (HCB), a framework that distinguishes objectively verifiable criteria (e.g., prompt adherence) from subjective taste (e.g., visual appeal) in evaluating generative AI for creative work. The benchmark reveals that no current model is reliably both correct and steerable, addressing mode collapse and the need for differentiated output.
Why Codex Still Beats Claude Code for Complex Python Monoliths
A senior developer compares Codex vs Claude Code on a production Python monolith with mixed architectural layers. Codex wins for back-end work due to better planning, code reuse, and harness-engineering adherence.
Skales Desktop AI Agent Built with Claude, Features Clippy-Style Mascot
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