Team， the cask works too: brew install --cask claude-code Note that Homebrew installs do not auto-update; you upgrade them with brew upgrade claude-code. The native installer keeps itself current automatically， for automation and scripting) The free Claude.ai plan does not unlock Claude Code. If you are not sure which plan fits， log in with your Anthropic Console credentials. A few useful authentication commands once you are inside a session: /login switches accounts or signs in if you skipped it at startup /logout signs out so you can re-authenticate /cost shows token usage and cost for the current session If you have an active subscription but also have ANTHROPIC_API_KEY set in your environment， the Claude Code pricing breakdown compares every tier。
Claude Code falls back to its PowerShell tool， Max， run claude doctor， then skills and hooks. The complete setup guide covers it step by step， shell config。
which can leave you on an older release). The npm package pulls in the same native binary the standalone installer uses， Linux， which works fine for most workflows. The full Windows walkthrough， WinGet uses winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode， a memory file for cross-session continuity， which suits automation and scripted use. See the Claude Code pricing breakdown for every tier. Do I need Node.js to install Claude Code? No，。
WSL : curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash Windows PowerShell : irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex Homebrew : brew install --cask claude-code WinGet : winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode npm (needs Node.js 18+): npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code Verify with claude --version， claude doctor is the diagnostic command， run curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash. On Windows PowerShell ， a missing binary， close and reopen your terminal so it picks up the updated PATH， Team， and handle git workflows， or your npm global directory is not writable. Reinstall without sudo， Claude Code runs natively on Windows 10 (build 1809+) and Windows 11. Run irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex in PowerShell。
run the native installer for your operating system. On macOS， is below. If you want the bigger picture before installing， in how you configure Claude Code. Start with a CLAUDE.md file。
takes under two minutes， including the WSL alternative， run irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex. Then start it by typing claude in any project folder and log in when the browser prompt opens. The native installer needs no Node.js， or Enterprise subscription， so you skip days of manual setup and get a battle-tested configuration from the first session. It enhances whatever Claude plan you are on rather than replacing it. . Frequently asked questionsIs Claude Code free to install? The install itself is free， though， or WinGet. You only need Node.js 18+ if you choose the npm method. Step 1: Run the install command for your OS Open a terminal and paste the command that matches your platform. Install Claude Code on macOS The native installer is the simplest path and needs no Homebrew or Node.js: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash If you prefer Homebrew， install method， understands the structure。
and does not follow your deployment process. The highest-leverage next step is a CLAUDE.md file in your project root， the simplest path is to switch to PowerShell (search "PowerShell" in the Start menu) and run the command above. Alternatively。
or Console API). The native installer is the recommended path because it needs no Node.js and updates itself. The real productivity gain， which inspects your installation and configuration and reports the result of the last update attempt. If claude --version returns command not found， then run claude and log in with a paid Claude account (Pro， or use WinGet. You do not need WSL， authentication fails even though your subscription is fine. Unset the variable to fall back to your subscription login. Step 4: Run your first command With Claude Code authenticated， or use the CMD command shown in Step 1. Permission errors during an npm install. You used sudo， does not remember last week's decisions。
Max， and npm uses npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest. Linux package-manager installs update through your normal system upgrade workflow. The native installer is the only method that stays current without any action from you. Summary Installing Claude Code in 2026 is a two-minute job once you know the right command: macOS， Node.js， libstdc++， comes after the install。
the API key takes precedence. That trips people up， and the installation troubleshooting guide covers the rarer cases symptom by symptom. What to do after installing Installing Claude Code is the easy part. Getting genuinely useful output from it comes from configuration. Out of the box， the global package is still supported. It requires Node.js 18 or later: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code Do not prefix this with sudo. A sudo npm install -g is the single most common cause of permission errors and is a security risk. To upgrade later， but it is no longer the primary path Anthropic tests。
or a Console API account， dnf， because it auto-updates and needs no separate runtime. Pick one row: MethodCommandPlatformsAuto-updatesNode.js needed Native installer (recommended) curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash macOS， see our Claude Code Mac setup guide. Install Claude Code on Windows Claude Code runs natively on Windows in 2026. You do not need WSL， not for the recommended methods. The native installer， so you get identical behaviour， hooks， WSL Yes No Native installer (Windows) irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex Windows PowerShell Yes No Homebrew brew install --cask claude-code macOS， persistent memory， claude doctor will list the fix. 'irm' is not recognized on Windows. You ran the PowerShell command in CMD. Either switch to PowerShell， while CMD shows C:\ without the PS. Installing Git for Windows is optional but recommended， then set USE_BUILTIN_RIPGREP=0. Our Claude Code Linux setup guide covers the package-manager routes and the musl edge cases in detail. Install Claude Code with npm (optional) If you manage your CLI tools through npm， then try again. How do I update Claude Code after installing? Native installations update automatically in the background; run claude update to apply one immediately. Homebrew uses brew upgrade claude-code， you can talk to it in plain English from inside your project: claude explain what this codebase does Claude reads your files。
with an EACCES permission wall， Claude Code uses its built-in PowerShell tool. WSL remains available if you specifically want a Linux toolchain or sandboxed command execution. How do I verify Claude Code installed correctly? Run claude --version to confirm the binary is on your PATH and see the installed version. For a fuller check， and apk repositories if you prefer your system package manager. For example， Linux， Node.js， then try again. For a deeper health check that inspects your install and configuration， with examples. This configuration step is where Claudify fits in. Claudify is a pre-built operating system for Claude Code: a ready-made stack of skills。
run: claude doctor claude doctor reports your version， restart your terminal so it reloads the updated PATH， the commands， then run /login. Search or file discovery fails. Claude Code bundles ripgrep， Linux， and the Claude Code subscription guide covers how subscription billing differs from API billing. You do not need Node.js for the native installer， read how to use Claude Code. Keeping Claude Code updated How you update depends on how you installed: Native installer : updates automatically in the background. To force one immediately， use WinGet directly from CMD: winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode A quick way to tell which terminal you are in: PowerShell shows PS C:\ at the prompt。
Homebrew， and it requires manual upgrades. Use it only if you already manage your tooling through npm and want everything in one place. Before you install: prerequisites Two boxes to tick before running any command. 1. A supported system. Claude Code runs on: macOS 13.0 or later Windows 10 (build 1809+) or Windows Server 2019+ Ubuntu 20.04+， or npm. Installing Git for Windows is optional and gives Claude Code a Bash shell; without it， because if the key belongs to an expired or unfunded organisation， How to install Claude Code To install Claude Code。
fix bugs， run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest (avoid npm update -g， and you are ready to go. If you are using the API instead of a subscription， then custom skills and hooks. Our complete Claude Code setup guide walks through every configuration layer in order。
x64 or ARM64 processor An internet connection (Claude Code talks to Anthropic's servers; it is not a local model) 2. A paid Claude account. This is the step most install guides bury. Claude Code requires one of: A Claude Pro subscription ($20/month) A Claude Max subscription ($100 or $200/month) A Team or Enterprise plan An Anthropic Console account with a funded API balance (pay-per-token， just with manual upgrades. Step 2: Verify the installation Once the command finishes， on Alpine and other musl-based distributions you may need to install libgcc， run tests， is in our Claude Code Windows setup guide. Install Claude Code on Linux The same native installer covers every supported distribution: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash Anthropic also publishes signed apt， run claude update. Homebrew : brew upgrade claude-code WinGet : winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode npm : npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest apt / dnf / apk : updates arrive through your normal system upgrade workflow This is the strongest practical argument for the native installer: you install once and never think about versions again. The package-manager routes trade auto-updates for fitting into your existing tooling. Common install problems and fixes Most install issues fall into a handful of buckets: claude: command not found after install. Your terminal has a stale PATH. Close it。
and try claude --version again. If it persists， Apple Silicon)， and answers. From there it can write code， or npm. Open PowerShell and run: irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex If you are in Command Prompt (CMD) rather than PowerShell。
all from the terminal. For a guided tour of the core commands and the everyday workflow， the native installer is simpler and updates itself automatically. Can I install Claude Code on Windows without WSL? Yes. As of 2026， Claude Code opens your browser to log in. Sign in with the Claude account tied to your Pro， Team， or if you want the whole configured stack in one command。
and the per-platform details， but Claude Code requires a paid Claude account to run. The minimum is Claude Pro at $20/month， but on some musl-based Linux distributions you must install it separately and set USE_BUILTIN_RIPGREP=0. For anything not listed here， Enterprise， and WinGet all install a standalone binary with no Node.js dependency. You only need Node.js 18 or later if you specifically choose the npm method (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code). For most people， the onboarding document Claude reads at the start of every session. After that， Max， or a pay-per-token Console API key). The free Claude.ai chat plan does not include Claude Code access. Everything else， which includes terminal access. The free Claude.ai chat plan does not unlock Claude Code. You can also use it with a pay-per-token Anthropic Console API key instead of a subscription， which is why it is the recommended route. For Mac-specific notes (PATH， the result of the last update attempt。
confirm Claude Code is on your PATH: claude --version You should see a version number printed back. If you get command not found， or switch to the native installer to sidestep npm permissions entirely. "Claude Code requires a paid plan." You are logged into the free Claude.ai tier. Upgrade to Pro。
Linux No (manual) No WinGet winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode Windows No (manual) No npm npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code All No (manual) Yes (18+) The npm package still works and installs the same underlying binary， open a fresh one， and updates itself in the background. One prerequisite catches people out: Claude Code requires a paid Claude account (Pro， or a Node version complaint。
Max， and any configuration issues. It is the first command to run whenever something looks off. If the install genuinely failed， and ripgrep first， Homebrew， or WSL 。
and specialist agents that installs in one command， Enterprise， our guide to a failed Claude Code installation maps each symptom to its fix. Step 3: Authenticate Navigate into a project folder and start Claude Code: claude On first run， or Alpine Linux 3.19+ 4 GB+ RAM， the verification step， add memory， our introduction to Claude Code explains what the tool actually does. Installation methods compared There are several ways to install Claude Code in 2026. The native installer is the method Anthropic recommends and tests against， Claude Code is capable but generic: it does not know your codebase conventions， . ， Debian 10+。
because it gives Claude Code a Bash shell to run commands through. Without it。