Installing Claude Code takes less time than you probably expect. By the end of this guide, you will have a working AI coding assistant, your first conversation under your belt, and clear answers for whatever goes wrong.
Three Ways to Install
Claude Code runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows. Pick the one that matches your system:
| Method | Command | Platform | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native Install | curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash | macOS / Linux | Best choice |
| Homebrew | brew install --cask claude-code | macOS | Good for brew users |
| WinGet | winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode | Windows | Best for Windows |
Not sure which one? Go with Native Install. One command, zero extra dependencies.
Let’s Get It Installed
macOS / Linux
Open your terminal and run:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
The script auto-detects your system, downloads the binary, and adds the claude command to your PATH. Type claude and you are in.
Windows
Windows has one extra prerequisite: Git for Windows.
Download it from git-scm.com (default options are fine), or install it via WinGet:
winget install Git.Git
Once Git is in place, open PowerShell or Git Bash and run:
winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode
Reopen your terminal and run claude --version. If you see a version number, you are all set.
A word of caution: do not run Claude Code in CMD. Use PowerShell or Git Bash instead — Claude Code needs the Unix toolchain that Git for Windows provides.
Five Ways to Use Claude Code
Once installed, you actually have five different ways to run Claude Code:
| Environment | What It Is | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal CLI | The native experience, full feature set | Your daily driver |
| VS Code Extension | Sidebar integration, see file changes inline | VS Code users |
| Desktop App | Standalone app, no terminal needed | Terminal-averse users |
| Web | claude.ai/code in your browser, zero install | Quick trials, one-off tasks |
| JetBrains Plugin | Works inside IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, and others | JetBrains users |
Start with the terminal CLI. It is the full experience — everything else is built on top of it. Get comfortable there first, then branch out to IDE integrations if you want.
Accounts and Pricing
The first time you run claude, a browser window opens for you to log in or sign up for an Anthropic account.
There are three paid tiers:
| Plan | Monthly | Usage | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $20/mo | Standard quota | Individual devs, learners |
| Max 5x | $100/mo | 5× the Pro quota | Heavy users, full-time AI coding |
| Max 20x | $200/mo | 20× the Pro quota | Teams, commercial projects |
A quick rule of thumb: if you use Claude Code more than two hours a day, Pro will likely hit its limit. Upgrading to Max 5x is worth it at that point. Start with Pro. You will know within a few days whether it is enough. A common trajectory: Pro feels generous the first week, then you get hooked and upgrade to Max.
Enterprise teams can also pay by token through the Anthropic API — useful if you need custom integrations or compliance controls. For everyone else, a direct subscription is the simplest path.
Your First Conversation
Everything is installed and you are logged in. Time for the real thing.
mkdir ~/my-first-project && cd ~/my-first-project
claude
The first launch opens a browser for authentication. Once that is done, the Claude Code interface appears in your terminal.
Send your first prompt:
Create a simple HTML page that displays “Hello, Claude Code!” with nice CSS styling.
Claude Code gets to work. It creates an HTML file in your directory and writes the full code. The whole thing takes about 10 to 30 seconds.
Open the result in your browser:
open index.html # macOS
xdg-open index.html # Linux
start index.html # Windows
If you see a styled page, everything is working.
Do not overlook what just happened. A single sentence of natural language triggered a complete loop: understand the request → create a file → write the code. Everything you will do later — complex projects, multi-file refactors, automated testing — builds on this same foundation.
Verify Everything Works
Run through this checklist:
| Check | Action | Expected Result |
|---|---|---|
| CLI works | claude --version | Version number displayed |
| Logged in | Launch claude | Goes straight to chat, no login prompt |
| Can create files | Ask Claude Code to create a test file | File appears in the current directory |
| Can read projects | Start Claude Code in an existing project, ask “what does this project do?” | Correctly describes the project |
| Can run commands | Ask it to run ls or git status | Command output is returned |
All five checks pass? You are ready.
Troubleshooting: Common Issues and How to Fix Them
Cannot connect, login fails. Claude Code talks to Anthropic’s API servers. If you are behind a firewall or in a region with restricted access, configure a proxy:
export HTTPS_PROXY=http://127.0.0.1:7890
export HTTP_PROXY=http://127.0.0.1:7890
Add these two lines to your shell config file (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc) so they take effect every time you open a terminal.
Permission denied during install. On macOS or Linux, do not use sudo. Instead:
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
If the problem persists, verify that ~/.local/bin is in your PATH.
How to upgrade. Claude Code ships fast — new features land almost weekly. A version that is two weeks old is already behind. Update regularly:
# Native Install
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
# Homebrew
brew upgrade --cask claude-code
# WinGet
winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode
VS Code Extension and Desktop App. Both depend on the same CLI underneath. If the CLI is working, they will too. For VS Code, search “Claude Code” in the Extensions marketplace and install the official Anthropic extension. For the Desktop App, download from claude.ai/download.
No matter which interface you end up preferring, install the CLI first. It is the foundation. Everything else is just a wrapper around it.
You are installed, authenticated, and you have run your first prompt. In the next article, we start building a real project.