Install Claude Code: Mac, Windows and Linux Steps

To install Claude Code, open a terminal and run one command: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash on macOS, Linux or WSL, or irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex in Windows PowerShell. Then run claude inside a project folder and sign in with a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Console account. The free Claude plan does not include Claude Code.

Every command here is copied from Anthropic's Claude Code docs as read on 13 October 2026: advanced setup, the quickstart, authentication and troubleshoot installation and login. If you learned the older method, note what changed: the recommended installer is now a native binary, and npm is one of several alternatives.

Before you install

Claude Code installation has few requirements, and Node.js is not one of them. From the setup docs:

The account is the part people miss. Installing is free, but Claude Code will not run on the free Claude plan. Plan prices and the pay-per-token option are in our Claude pricing guide, and Claude Code free options covers ways to try it for less. Anthropic lists the countries it supports.

Install commands for each system

macOS, Linux and WSL

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

This is the recommended native install. On macOS and Linux it places a launcher at ~/.local/bin/claude. Native installations update automatically in the background.

Windows

Your prompt tells you which command to use: it shows PS C:\ in PowerShell and C:\ without the PS in CMD. In PowerShell:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

In CMD:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

You do not need to run as Administrator. Anthropic recommends installing Git for Windows so Claude Code can use its Bash tool; without it, Claude Code runs shell commands through PowerShell.

Homebrew, WinGet, npm and Linux packages

The npm package installs the same native binary as the standalone installer, so it is an alternative route and not a different product. On Alpine and other musl-based distributions, the docs add a step first: apk add bash curl libgcc libstdc++ ripgrep.

Check that it worked

claude --version
claude doctor

claude --version prints a version number such as 2.1.211 (Claude Code). claude doctor prints read-only diagnostics without starting a session: install health, settings errors and any warnings with suggested fixes. Run it whenever something looks off. One trap: the VS Code extension bundles its own private copy of the CLI and does not add it to your PATH, so installing the extension alone will not give you a claude command in the terminal.

Sign in

cd /path/to/your/project
claude

On first launch Claude Code opens a browser window for you to log in, and the terminal shows Login successful when it completes. Three details from the authentication docs save time:

• If the browser does not open, press c to copy the login URL and paste it into a browser yourself.
• In WSL2, over SSH or in a container, the browser may show a login code instead of redirecting. Paste it at the Paste code here if prompted prompt.
• To switch accounts later, type /login inside a session. /logout signs you out.

Which account you use decides how you pay. A Claude subscription login draws from your plan's usage limits. A Console login bills per token from prepaid credits, and on first login Claude Code creates a workspace named Claude Code in the Console so its costs are tracked in one place. Organizations on Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud or Microsoft Foundry set environment variables instead of logging in through a browser.

Source: Anthropic's help centre, managing API key environment variables in Claude Code. If you do want per-token billing, see how to get a Claude API key.

Your first session

Claude Code reads your project files as it needs them, so start with a question. The quickstart suggests what does this project do?, then a small change such as add a hello world function to the main file. When Claude asks before making a change, select Yes to approve it.

How often it asks depends on the permission mode. Press Shift+Tab to cycle modes during a session. On version 2.1.283 or later, auto mode is the starting mode for interactive terminal sessions (permission modes).

Useful commands on day one: /help lists commands, /clear resets the conversation, claude -c continues your most recent conversation in the current folder, and /exit quits.

Update, reinstall or uninstall

Update. Native installs check for updates on startup and install them in the background. To apply one now, run claude update. Homebrew, WinGet and Linux package installs need their own upgrade command, and for npm the docs say to use npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest, not npm update -g.

Reinstall. Remove the binary and version files, then run the install command again. If claude still behaves oddly, you may have two installations: which -a claude on macOS or Linux, or where.exe claude on Windows, lists every copy on your PATH. Keep one.

# macOS, Linux, WSL
rm -f ~/.local/bin/claude
rm -rf ~/.local/share/claude

# Windows PowerShell
Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin\claude.exe" -Force
Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.local\share\claude" -Recurse -Force

Uninstall. The commands above remove a native install. For the others: brew uninstall --cask claude-code, winget uninstall Anthropic.ClaudeCode or npm uninstall -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code. Your settings live in ~/.claude and survive all of this. Deleting that folder removes your settings, MCP server configuration and session history.

Fix common install errors

The PATH error is the most common. First open a new terminal, because the window you installed from keeps its old PATH. If that does not help, add the install folder. For Zsh, the default on macOS:

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

For Bash on Linux, use ~/.bashrc in both lines. In Windows PowerShell, add it to your User PATH and restart the terminal:

$currentPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('PATH', 'User')
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('PATH', "$currentPath;$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin", 'User')

Anything else is in Anthropic's troubleshooting page, which matches each error message to a fix.

After the install

The terminal is one of several ways in. Claude Code also runs as a desktop app and inside editors: see our Claude Code desktop app guide and Claude Code in VS Code. To get more from it, coding with Claude covers daily workflow, Claude Code hooks covers automation, and the MCP guide explains how to connect tools.

Still deciding between tools? Claude Code vs Cursor compares it with an AI editor, and Codex vs Claude Code compares it with OpenAI's agent. AI SaaS Builder, one of our programs, has a module on the Claude Code CLI and MCP servers inside a full product build, and the AI automation library lists every guide.

What changes often

Installing Claude Code: FAQ