How to install Claude Code: 8 ways, and which one to pick

You may not need to install anything

Two of the 6 places Claude Code runs need nothing on your machine.

Claude Code on the web runs at claude.ai/code. You sign in, connect GitHub, and the session runs on Anthropic's infrastructure. It keeps going after you close the tab, which is the part people underrate.

The Claude desktop app is the other one. Download it for macOS or Windows, open the Code tab, choose Local, and pick a folder. It carries Claude Code inside it, so there is no Node.js and no CLI to install separately.

Both run the same engine as the terminal. They use the same model, the same CLAUDE.md and the same connected tools.

So if the terminal is what has been stopping you, it was never the price of entry.

What you need first

You need a paid plan. Claude Code needs Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Console, and the free Claude.ai plan does not include it.

You can also point it at a third-party provider instead: Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud's Agent Platform, or Microsoft Foundry.

Then you need a machine that meets the requirements further down.

Where Claude Code runs, and which need a terminal

The terminal is 1 of 6 places Claude Code runs, and 4 of them never open one. If that is what has been stopping you, start with the desktop app.

How to set up Claude Code in each app

Each app below runs the same Claude Code. Pick the one you already work in.

The Claude desktop app

On Linux, the desktop app is in beta and installs with apt on Ubuntu and Debian.

Claude Code on the web

Cloud sessions come with the Pro, Max and Team plans, and with some Enterprise seats.

VS Code

Claude Code installs in VS Code as an extension, so there is no command to run. You need VS Code 1.94.0 or later.

If the extension doesn't appear after installing, restart VS Code. My VS Code setup for Claude Code adds the settings and extensions I use with it.

Cursor

Cursor is built on VS Code, so the same extension works there. Open the Extensions view in Cursor, search for Claude Code, click Install, and sign in the same way.

JetBrains IDEs

The JetBrains plugin runs the claude command in your IDE's own terminal, so it needs the terminal install as well.

It works in IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm and the other JetBrains IDEs.

Your phone

The phone doesn't run code itself. It drives a session in the cloud, or one running on your computer through Remote Control.

Which terminal install should you pick?

Pick the native installer unless you already manage your machine with a package manager.

This is the choice people get wrong, because the cost shows up weeks later. Native installs update themselves in the background. Homebrew, WinGet, apt, dnf and apk do not, so you take that on yourself.

Homebrew also ships 2 casks that are really 2 release channels: claude-code tracks stable, which runs about a week behind and skips releases with major regressions, and claude-code@latest takes new versions as they ship.

You can opt Homebrew and WinGet into automatic upgrades with CLAUDE_CODE_PACKAGE_MANAGER_AUTO_UPDATE=1. apt, dnf and apk cannot, because those need elevated privileges.

System requirements

• macOS 13.0 or later, Windows 10 1809 or later, Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 10, or Alpine 3.19
• 4 GB of RAM, on x64 or ARM64
• Bash, Zsh, PowerShell or CMD
• An internet connection, from a country Anthropic supports

Every way to install Claude Code in the terminal

Copy the line for your machine. Every command here is Anthropic's own, and they all end with the same working install.

macOS, Linux and WSL. This is the one Anthropic marks recommended.

Windows PowerShell. This is the default on Windows 10 1809 and up.

Windows CMD. It's the same installer, for a Command Prompt shell.

Homebrew. Use it if you already manage your Mac with brew. It doesn't update itself, so you update it yourself.

Homebrew, latest channel. It takes new versions as they ship instead of waiting for the stable channel. It doesn't update itself either.

WinGet. Use it if you already manage Windows with winget. It doesn't update itself, so you update it yourself.

npm. It's a documented alternative rather than the first path. The docs describe what happens when an npm install cannot auto-update, which implies it normally does, but they never say so outright.

All 8 routes compared

Check it worked

Confirm it landed. It prints a version such as 2.1.211 (Claude Code).

Check the install properly. It runs read-only checks on your install and your settings, and it suggests fixes for any warnings. It does not start a session.

AI tools in this guide

These are the apps in this guide that I've reviewed:

Claude Code

Paid

AI coding agent that also writes, researches, and runs full business workflows from plain English.

Code assistantsAI agentsLLMProductivity

Claude

Freemium

AI assistant, coding agent, and platform for reasoning, writing, and complex analysis.

LLMAI agentsCode assistantsContent creation

Visual Studio Code

Free

AI coding in VS Code with GitHub Copilot for building and debugging.

Code assistants

Cursor

Freemium

Code editor with AI pair-programming and intelligent autocomplete.

Code assistantsProductivity

Then point it at your AI OS

Installing Claude Code gives you the agent. It does not give it your context, and every session still starts with an empty window until you do. Connect it to your AI OS next, and you can see mine on How I use AI.

For your first task, my Claude Code prompt generator writes a prompt with the files, a check Claude can run, and what done looks like.

Final thoughts on installing Claude Code

The native installer is the one to pick in the terminal, because it keeps you on the current version without you thinking about it.

And if the terminal is what has been stopping you, it was never the price of entry.

Keep reading:

• What is Claude Code? – what it actually does, and whether it is for you
• VS Code setup for Claude Code – the editor setup I run it in
• Claude Code permission modes – what it may do without asking you first
• Claude Code commands – all 118 of them, grouped by when you reach for one

Then run claude doctor once, before the day you actually need it.