By the end of this chapter, Claude Code runs on your computer and has already created its first file. Plan on 15 minutes, without opening a terminal.
Step 1, get a subscription
Claude Code needs a paid Claude subscription: Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. The free plan won't do. A pay-as-you-go API account also works in VS Code and the terminal, but it costs more for the same use.
Public prices on claude.com/pricing in October 2026:
| Plan | Price | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $20/month, or $17/month billed annually | Trying it out, small features |
| Max 5x | $100/month | Building an app every day |
| Max 20x | $200/month | Heavy use, several sessions in parallel |
| Team | from $20 per seat | Teams of 2 to 150 people |
Where to start: Pro to try it out. If you want to build a real app, move up to Max 5x, it's the plan I use. On Pro, you'll hit the limit in the middle of a feature pretty fast.
To subscribe: go to claude.ai, create an account or log in, then Settings → Subscription → Upgrade.
Limits, in two sentences
A subscription isn't unlimited. You get a limit that refills every 5 hours and a weekly limit, and both are shared between the chat, Claude Code and Claude Design.
So an afternoon on Claude Design eats into your coding quota: I burned through 51% of my Max plan in 2 hours redoing my site with Claude Design. When you hit the limit, you wait for it to refill, or you pay for the overage with usage credits. Details are in chapter 19.
Step 2, install the Claude app
The simplest path: one app to install, and no terminal to open.
- Download the app from claude.com/download. It's available for Mac, Windows and Linux (in beta).
- Install it like any other app and open it.
- Log in with your Claude account.
- Click the Code tab at the top of the window.
On Windows, also install Git for Windows, it's free. Git keeps the history of your code, and Claude Code relies on it for several features. On Mac, if a window offers to install the "command line developer tools", accept: that's Git.
Step 3, create your project folder
Claude Code works in a folder on your computer. Create one for your projects:
- Open your home folder, the one with your name on it. On a Mac, in Finder: Go → Home. On Windows, in File Explorer: type
%USERPROFILE%in the address bar, then Enter. - Create a
codefolder. All your projects will go in it. - Inside
code, create amy-first-projectfolder.
Then, in the app's Code tab:
- Choose Local: Claude will work on the files on your computer.
- Click Select folder and pick
my-first-project. - The conversation opens. You're in your project.
Step 4, first test
Type in the conversation:
"Create a file hello.txt that contains: Hello, I'm my first project."
Claude proposes the file. Depending on your permission mode, it waits for your OK or creates it directly (chapter 1). Once the file is created, a small counter like +1 shows up: click it to see exactly what changed, line by line. Get into the habit of checking this after every change.
Then ask it:
"Explain in three sentences what you can do in this folder."
If everything responds, you're ready for what comes next.
What you get in the Code tab: the conversation, the details of every change, a panel to open and read your files, a preview of your app once you build one, and a terminal if you ever need it. To get started, you don't need anything else.
The other path: VS Code
Already using VS Code, or want a real code editor with your project's full file tree in view? The Claude Code extension does the same work, inside the editor. It ships with everything it needs: no Node.js or terminal to install.
- Download VS Code from code.visualstudio.com, it's free, and install it.
- In VS Code, click the Extensions icon in the left sidebar (
Cmd+Shift+Xon Mac,Ctrl+Shift+Xon Windows). - Search for Claude Code and click Install on Anthropic's extension.
File → Open Folderand pick yourmy-first-projectfolder.- Click the Claude icon (a spark) at the top of the editor. The conversation opens on the side, and you log in to your account on first launch.
Both paths share your settings and your instruction files: you can start in the app and move to VS Code later without redoing anything.
For later: Claude Code in the terminal
The terminal gives you every command and lets you automate Claude Code with scripts. If you've never opened a terminal, read appendix A first.
The installer needs no dependencies.
macOS and Linux:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
Windows (PowerShell):
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
Then open a terminal in your project folder and type claude.
Install checklist
- Active subscription (Pro, Max or Team)
- Claude app installed, Code tab open (or VS Code and its extension)
-
code/my-first-projectfolder created and opened - First file created by Claude, and its change checked line by line
Question
You spent the afternoon making mockups in Claude Design. That evening, Claude Code tells you you've hit your limit after twenty minutes. Why?
Pick an answer to see the explanation.
Key takeaways
- You need a paid subscription. Pro to try it out, Max 5x to build.
- The Code tab in the Claude app is enough to get started: no terminal, and you see every change. VS Code if you want a full editor.
- The limits are shared with the chat and Claude Design.