Installing Claude Code takes just a few minutes regardless of your operating system. Anthropic now offers native installers as the recommended method, and the entire process goes from download to first coding session in about five minutes. This guide covers every installation method for every platform so you can get Claude Code running quickly.

If you are new to the tool and want to understand what it does before installing, start with our overview of what Claude Code is and what it can do.

Claude Code runs on macOS 10.15 or later, most Linux distributions including Ubuntu 20.04 and Debian 10, and Windows 10 or later. You need at least 4GB of RAM and an active internet connection. The native installer does not require Node.js, which simplifies setup considerably compared to older npm-based methods.

You also need either a Claude Pro or Max subscription, or an Anthropic Console account with API credits. Claude Code authenticates through your browser on first launch, so make sure you have an active account ready. Not sure which plan to pick? See our Claude Code pricing breakdown.

Installing Claude Code on Mac

Open Terminal on your Mac. You can find it in Applications, then Utilities, or press Command+Space and type Terminal. Run the native install script from Anthropic’s official source. The installer downloads the correct binary for your Mac architecture, whether Intel or Apple Silicon, and configures your PATH automatically.

After the script finishes, verify the installation by typing “claude –version” in your terminal. You should see a version number without errors. The native macOS binary is signed by Anthropic PBC and notarized by Apple, so you should not see Gatekeeper warnings. If your Mac blocks it, go to System Preferences, then Security and Privacy, and allow the installer.

Mac users who prefer Homebrew can install with the brew install command instead. The important difference is that Homebrew installations do not auto-update. You need to manually run “brew upgrade claude-code” periodically. For most Mac users, the native installer is the better choice because of its automatic background updates.

Installing Claude Code on Windows

Windows users have two solid options: native installation or WSL.

For native installation, use WinGet from PowerShell or Command Prompt by running “winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode” and following the prompts. After installation, verify with “claude –version” in Git Bash, PowerShell, or Command Prompt. Native Windows requires Git Bash for the full Claude Code experience. If you do not have it, install Git for Windows from the official Git website, which includes Git Bash. Windows Terminal is recommended as your terminal emulator. Note that WinGet installations do not auto-update, so run “winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode” periodically.

For WSL installation, open PowerShell as Administrator and run “wsl –install -d Ubuntu” to set up WSL with Ubuntu. Reboot when prompted. After rebooting, open your Ubuntu terminal, update packages with “sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y,” and install Git with “sudo apt install git -y.” Then run the Claude Code install script from your Ubuntu terminal, just as you would on native Linux. WSL 2 is recommended over WSL 1 because it supports Bash tool sandboxing for enhanced security.

For WSL users who also use VS Code, connect VS Code to your WSL environment by running “code .” from your WSL terminal. This lets you use the Claude Code extension while Claude Code runs in WSL. Read more in our guide on using Claude Code in VS Code and Cursor.

Installing Claude Code on Linux

On Linux, open your terminal and run the native install script. The process is identical to macOS. The installer detects your distribution and architecture, downloads the correct binary, and sets up your PATH. Verify with “claude –version” after installation. Native installations on Linux auto-update in the background just like on Mac.

The npm Method (Deprecated)

Older guides may reference installing Claude Code globally through npm. While this still works, Anthropic has deprecated it in favor of native installers. If you have an existing npm installation, migrate by running “claude install” from your terminal, which switches you to the native binary while preserving your settings and project configurations.

If you do use npm, ensure you have Node.js version 18 or higher. Never use sudo with npm install as this causes permission issues. Instead, configure a user-level npm directory by running “mkdir ~/.npm-global” and updating your npm prefix and PATH accordingly.

Installing the CLI Specifically

There is no separate Claude Code CLI package. When people search for “how to install Claude Code CLI,” they mean the main tool itself. Every installation method above installs the full CLI, which includes both the interactive chat mode and the non-interactive pipeline mode for scripting and automation.

How to Download Claude Code

If you prefer a downloadable binary rather than a command-line installer, the GitHub releases page at github.com/anthropics/claude-code has binaries for each platform. You can also access Claude Code in your browser at claude.ai/code with no download needed, which is useful for trying it before committing to a local install.

IDE extensions are available separately in the VS Code marketplace and JetBrains marketplace. These connect to the Claude Code backend on your machine and are covered in our VS Code and Cursor integration guide.

Verifying and Troubleshooting Your Installation

Run “claude –version” to confirm Claude Code is installed correctly. If you see “command not found,” your PATH is likely not configured. Close and reopen your terminal to refresh, then try again. On macOS, check that your .zshrc file includes the installation directory in PATH. On Linux, check .bashrc. On Windows, ensure Git Bash or your preferred terminal can find the binary.

Anthropic provides a diagnostic command, “claude doctor,” that checks your installation type, version, authentication status, and configuration for common issues. Run this whenever something seems off.

If troubleshooting does not resolve the issue, a clean reinstall usually works. Remove the binary and any configuration files, then follow the installation steps again from scratch.

Next Steps

With Claude Code installed, head to our guide on setting up Claude Code for authentication, CLAUDE.md configuration, updates, and your first session. When you are ready to start working, our complete usage guide covers practical workflows and tips for getting the best results.