To install Claude Code, you need exactly one command in a terminal on any system: on Mac and Linux it's curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash, on Windows in PowerShell it's irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex. After that you change into a project folder, type claude, and sign in with your Claude account in the browser. You don't need Node.js and you don't need administrator rights, but you do need a paid plan: according to Anthropic, the free plan doesn't include Claude Code. Every command in this post is taken word for word from Anthropic's documentation as of September 2026, and I say where each one comes from.
I've used Claude Code every day since it came out, on a MacBook Pro and on a Linux machine. My AI workforce built on Claude runs in working folders, each with its own CLAUDE.md, mostly in the terminal. Installation is the smallest part of that, but it's the step where the typical stumbling blocks sit: wrong shell, missing PATH, free account. Everything else I write about Claude is collected on the Claude page.
What you need before you install
Three things to sort out first: account, system, and terminal. On the account, Anthropic's setup documentation is unambiguous: Claude Code requires a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, or Console account, and the free claude.ai plan isn't enough. Current prices, as of September 2026, are listed with sources in Claude Pricing and Plans Explained: Pro 20 dollars a month, Max 100 or 200 dollars a month, Team from 20 dollars per seat a month. I didn't start on Max; I use it now because the workforce runs in long sessions. Pro is enough to get started.
On the system, the same docs list these minimums: macOS 13 or newer, Windows 10 from version 1809 or Windows Server 2019, Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 10, or Alpine 3.19, each with at least 4 GB of RAM and a 64-bit processor (x64 or ARM64). 32-bit Windows isn't supported. You also need an internet connection and an account in one of the countries Anthropic supports.
Node.js is no longer a requirement. The recommended native installer downloads a ready-made binary that runs without Node. Only if you choose the older npm route do you need Node.js 22 or newer, which the docs require since version 2.1.198, and even there npm only fetches a native binary. So if you're looking for a Claude Code download, there is no classic setup file to double-click: the installer is a short script that fetches the right file for your system. The exception is the desktop app, which includes Claude Code as an interface and is offered for macOS, Windows, and as a beta for Linux according to the documentation overview, again only with a paid plan.
Installing Claude Code on a Mac
On a Mac, open Terminal (Applications, Utilities) and type the command from Anthropic's documentation:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
The script places the binary at ~/.local/bin/claude and keeps it up to date in the background from then on. If you use Homebrew, the docs also list brew install --cask claude-code. That channel runs about a week behind the current version and skips releases with major regressions. If you always want the newest version, use brew install --cask claude-code@latest. Neither Homebrew cask updates itself: that takes brew upgrade claude-code or brew upgrade claude-code@latest.
On my machine, Claude Code has been running on the Mac since its launch as a research preview in February 2025; it's been generally available since May 2025. I installed it with the native installer: the binary sits at ~/.local/bin/claude and keeps itself up to date; I don't trigger anything by hand. With Homebrew it works differently, which is why brew upgrade is listed above. The Mac is also the system I run the workforce on. Which command applies to which system I still take from the docs in this post and label as such, rather than telling you about experience I don't have.
Installing Claude Code on Windows: three ways
For Windows, the docs describe three ways that differ in requirements and capabilities. Which one to pick depends on what else you work with:
The native route is the simplest for most people. Open PowerShell (not Command Prompt and not "Windows PowerShell (x86)") and run the command from the docs:
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
According to the docs, you explicitly don't need to run as administrator. If you prefer the classic Command Prompt, use the CMD variant curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd, and if you use the Windows package manager, winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode. The docs call Git for Windows optional but recommend it for the native route: without it, Claude Code works through PowerShell; with it, it uses Git Bash. If it can't find Git Bash, add the path to your settings.json:
{
"env": {
"CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH": "C:\\Program Files\\Git\\bin\\bash.exe"
}
}
For WSL 2, you don't install Claude Code on Windows itself but inside your Linux distribution, using the Linux command from the next section, and then start claude in the WSL terminal. On WSL 1, Anthropic's troubleshooting page documents a known failure with the message Exec format error. The fix is switching to WSL 2 with wsl --set-version <your distribution name> 2.
I don't work on Windows myself, but I have walked customers through the installation there. What I took away from it: people who don't write software usually end up with the Claude desktop app instead of the terminal. It includes Claude Code as an interface, and then nobody needs the install commands above.
Installing Claude Code on Linux
On Linux, the command is the same as on the Mac:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
That applies to Ubuntu and Debian, and equally inside WSL. For Alpine the docs add one step: bash and curl are not preinstalled there, libgcc, libstdc++, and ripgrep are needed at runtime, and USE_BUILTIN_RIPGREP then goes to 0 in your settings.json. In addition, Anthropic provides signed package repositories for apt, dnf, and apk at downloads.claude.ai according to the docs; after adding one, something like sudo apt install claude-code is all it takes. Copy the exact lines for adding the repository and the fingerprint of the signing key straight from the docs, so you don't fall for a typo of mine. A third route is npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code, which the docs pair with a clear warning: never run it with sudo.
Besides the Mac, I also run Claude Code on my DGX Spark, and there it runs on Linux. The routine is the same: open a terminal, run the command, change into the project folder.
Important for day-to-day operation: package repositories, Homebrew, and WinGet don't update Claude Code on their own. Only the native installer does that in the background. If you install through a package repository, fold the update into your normal system routine.
Verify, sign in, and stay up to date
After installing, open a new terminal window so the PATH is reloaded, then check:
claude --version
According to the docs, the output looks something like 2.1.211 (Claude Code). If you want a deeper check, claude doctor shows the installation type, version, and possible problems. Then change into a project folder and start your first session:
cd your-project
claude
On first start, your browser opens and you sign in with your Claude account. In WSL 2, over SSH, or inside a container, the browser doesn't open automatically; for that case the docs describe a code you receive in the browser and paste into the terminal, or alternatively claude auth login.
The folder you start claude in is the working directory, and that's the real lever. On my setup, every AI employee has its own folder with a CLAUDE.md that says who they are and what they're allowed to do. Sebastian, my employee for SEO and GEO, works exclusively that way: on September 7, 2026, from his terminal session, he wrote the handover for the release of 76 new blog posts to Ralf, Ralf rolled them out as a subagent, and Sebastian checked the live result afterwards. I gave the approval for that at 6:24 pm and he logged it with the timestamp. What such a file looks like is in CLAUDE.md: Claude Code's Memory.
On updates: the native installer updates itself in the background. If you want to intervene, use claude update; for Homebrew brew upgrade claude-code, for WinGet winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode. If you'd rather stay on the stable channel, the docs say to set "autoUpdatesChannel": "stable" in settings.json. To uninstall, the docs list rm -f ~/.local/bin/claude && rm -rf ~/.local/share/claude for Mac and Linux, and Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin\claude.exe" -Force plus the folder $env:USERPROFILE\.local\share\claude for Windows.
Seven error messages and how to fix them
Anthropic's troubleshooting page lists the most common messages. Almost all of them share one cause: the right command in the wrong shell.
'irm' is not recognized: You're in Command Prompt, not PowerShell. Open PowerShell or use the CMD variant of the installer.The token '&&' is not valid: The reverse case, you entered the CMD command in PowerShell.A parameter cannot be found that matches parameter name 'fsSL': You entered the Mac and Linux command in PowerShell. There, curl is an alias for Invoke-WebRequest and doesn't know that option.command not found: claude or 'claude' is not recognized: The installation finished, but the folder ~/.local/bin (Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.local\bin) isn't on your PATH. A new terminal window usually does it. On Windows, the docs extend the PATH with [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('PATH', "$currentPath;$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin", 'User'). Note that the VS Code extension doesn't create a claude command in your terminal.running scripts is disabled on this system: PowerShell's execution policy is blocking the launcher from the npm installation, not the native installer. Fix per the docs: Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser, or just install natively.syntax error near unexpected token '<' or a 403 error: The installer received an HTML page instead of the script, typical behind proxies or in unsupported regions. The way out is WinGet or Homebrew.- A 32-bit error on Windows: Either your Windows really is 32-bit, in which case it won't work, or you opened "Windows PowerShell (x86)" on a 64-bit machine. Use the start menu entry without that suffix.
If none of these seven messages matches, claude doctor is the next step before you reinstall.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Node.js to install Claude Code?
No. The native installer Anthropic recommends downloads a ready-made binary without Node.js. Only the npm package requires Node.js 22 or newer according to the docs, since version 2.1.198, and even there Claude Code runs without Node at runtime.
Does Claude Code work with the free Claude account?
No. Anthropic's documentation lists a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, or Console account as a requirement. On the free plan you can use Claude in the browser, but you can't start Claude Code. What the plans cost and which one is enough to get started is covered in Claude Code Pricing: Plan or API?.
Windows: PowerShell or WSL, which is better for me?
If your projects and tools run on Windows, take the native route through PowerShell; it needs nothing else and no administrator rights. WSL 2 is worth it if you work with Linux tools or want command sandboxing, which the docs say is only supported there. WSL 1 is the fallback of last resort.
Why does my terminal say "claude is not recognized" even though the installation finished?
Because the installation folder isn't on your terminal's PATH yet. Close the terminal and open it again; on Windows, the PATH command from the error messages section helps otherwise. Also check that you're in the same environment you installed in: an installation inside WSL isn't visible from Windows PowerShell.
Do I have to update Claude Code myself?
Not with the native installer, which updates itself in the background according to the docs. Homebrew, WinGet, apt, dnf, and apk don't update automatically; there you run the update yourself like for any other package. claude update triggers an update manually at any time.
Where do I find the Claude Code download for Windows?
There's no setup file to download, just the install command for PowerShell or the WinGet package Anthropic.ClaudeCode. If you want a classic windowed application, the Claude desktop app offers an interface that includes Claude Code, again only with a paid plan.
What's the difference between the Claude Code CLI and the desktop app?
The CLI is the tool in the terminal that you start with claude and that works in your current folder. The desktop app brings the same function into a windowed interface according to the docs. I use both depending on the task, mostly the terminal, because that is what I am used to. With customers who don't write software it is usually the other way around: they stay with the desktop app. If you'd rather have an interface than a terminal, Claude Code or Cowork: What For? helps you decide.
Where you go from here
After claude --version, Claude Code is installed, and that's all it is. The next step is your first task in a small, real folder, and that's what I wrote Claude Code: A Guide for Beginners for: ask for a summary of what's in the folder first, before you approve the first change. Once that works, set up a CLAUDE.md so you don't re-explain the context every session; what mine looks like is in CLAUDE.md: Claude Code's Memory. After that, turn recurring tasks into Claude Skills: How to Create and Use Them.
The eight ready-made AI employee packages, each with its own personnel file as a CLAUDE.md, are in my community. They assume exactly this installation: a terminal, a plan, a folder.
