diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 873805f..95f9bfb 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -10,10 +10,13 @@ pub const DEFAULT_PROFILE: &str = "default";
 pub const DEFAULT_PRESET: &str = "@preset/coding-stack";
 /// Documented gateway auto preset. Never invent a catalog SKU for this slot.
 pub const DEFAULT_MODEL: &str = "anyrouter/auto";
-pub const DEFAULT_CLAUDE_HAIKU: &str = "anthropic/claude-haiku-4.5";
-pub const DEFAULT_CLAUDE_SONNET: &str = "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6";
-pub const DEFAULT_CLAUDE_OPUS: &str = "anthropic/claude-opus-4.6";
-pub const DEFAULT_CLAUDE_FABLE: &str = "anthropic/claude-fable-5";
+/// Free-tier defaults: work for a brand-new account (no credits, no BYOK).
+/// Switch with `--model` or `anyr models use`. Keep as string literals; the
+/// anyrouter repo check parses them.
+pub const DEFAULT_CLAUDE_HAIKU: &str = "anyrouter/free";
+pub const DEFAULT_CLAUDE_SONNET: &str = "anyrouter/free";
+pub const DEFAULT_CLAUDE_OPUS: &str = "anyrouter/free";
+pub const DEFAULT_CLAUDE_FABLE: &str = "anyrouter/free";
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
 pub enum YamlValue {
diff --git a/src/spawn.rs b/src/spawn.rs
index ffb6391..d677145 100644
--- a/src/spawn.rs
+++ b/src/spawn.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use crate::config::{
     Profile, YamlValue, DEFAULT_BASE_URL, DEFAULT_MODEL, DEFAULT_PRESET, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS,
 };
 
-pub const PI_DEFAULT_MODEL: &str = "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6";
+pub const PI_DEFAULT_MODEL: &str = "anyrouter/free";
 /// Historical 1M-context suffix used by Claude Code. Claude Code used to strip
 /// it before the gateway, but third-party catalog ids (e.g.
 /// `meituan/longcat-2.0`) are forwarded verbatim to the provider and 404 on
@@ -1174,16 +1174,16 @@ mod tests {
         );
         assert_eq!(
             env.get("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL").map(String::as_str),
-            Some("anthropic/claude-haiku-4.5")
+            Some("anyrouter/free")
         );
         assert_eq!(
             env.get("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL")
                 .map(String::as_str),
-            Some("anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6")
+            Some("anyrouter/free")
         );
         assert_eq!(
             env.get("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL").map(String::as_str),
-            Some("anthropic/claude-opus-4.6")
+            Some("anyrouter/free")
         );
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/cli.rs b/tests/cli.rs
index f859cd3..eaa7583 100644
--- a/tests/cli.rs
+++ b/tests/cli.rs
@@ -706,15 +706,15 @@ fn claude_dry_run_with_key_prints_base_and_redacts_secret() {
         "{stdout}"
     );
     assert!(
-        stdout.contains("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL=anthropic/claude-haiku-4.5"),
+        stdout.contains("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL=anyrouter/free"),
         "{stdout}"
     );
     assert!(
-        stdout.contains("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL=anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6"),
+        stdout.contains("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL=anyrouter/free"),
         "{stdout}"
     );
     assert!(
-        stdout.contains("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL=anthropic/claude-opus-4.6"),
+        stdout.contains("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL=anyrouter/free"),
         "{stdout}"
     );
     assert!(!stdout.contains(key), "full key leaked:\n{stdout}");
@@ -963,7 +963,7 @@ fn claude_dry_run_haiku_flag_overrides_alias() {
         "{stdout}"
     );
     assert!(
-        stdout.contains("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL=anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6"),
+        stdout.contains("ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL=anyrouter/free"),
         "{stdout}"
     );
 }