What we do
All instructions
Set up your AI tool

Install Claude Code

Claude Code is the AI that builds your app with you. It comes inside the Claude desktop app, so there's nothing else to install and no Terminal to learn.

About 10 minutesMac and WindowsLast checked

Why the desktop app

Claude Code also runs in the Terminal and in code editors, but the desktop app is the easiest way in: you click and type, the same way on a Mac and on Windows. It's the way Anthropic, Claude's maker, recommends to anyone new.

Have these ready

  • A Mac with macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer, or a PC with Windows 10 or newer
  • The email address for your Claude account. Use the business's email, so the account stays with the business.
  • A paid Claude plan. Pro is $20 a month, or $17 a month paid yearly. The free plan doesn't include Claude Code.

Steps

  1. Step 1: Open Claude's download page

    Go to claude.com/download.

    You should see: Download for macOS at the top of the page, and the Windows downloads further down.

  2. Step 2: Download the app for your computer

    Mac
    Click Download for macOS. The same file works on every Mac.
    Windows
    Under Windows, click Download next to x64. Pick ARM64 only if your PC has an ARM chip.

    You should see: The new file in your Downloads folder: it ends in .dmg on a Mac and .exe on Windows.

    If it looks different: Not sure which Windows PC you have? Open Settings, then System, then About. System type says x64 or ARM.

  3. Step 3: Install it

    Mac
    Double-click the .dmg file. In the window that opens, drag the Claude icon onto the Applications folder.
    Windows
    Double-click the .exe file and let it finish. You don't need to be the computer's administrator.

    You should see: Claude in your Applications folder on a Mac, or in the Start menu on Windows.

  4. Step 4: Open Claude

    Mac
    Open Applications and double-click Claude.
    Windows
    Click Start and choose Claude.

    You should see: Claude's sign-in screen.

    If it looks different: If your Mac asks whether you're sure you want to open an app downloaded from the internet, click Open.

  5. Step 5: Sign in

    Click Continue with Google, or type your email and click Continue with email. With email, Claude sends you a link: open it on this computer.

    You should see: Claude's home screen, with your initials at the bottom left.

    If it looks different: Opened the link on your phone? It shows a code instead. Type that code into Claude on your computer.

  6. Step 6: Choose the Pro plan

    Go to claude.com/pricing, choose Pro and pay with your card. Pay on that page only: Claude never asks for a card in a chat.

    You should see: Your plan says Pro under your initials at the bottom left of Claude.

    If it looks different: Signed in with a different email than the one you paid with? Click your initials at the bottom left and switch to the account that has the plan.

  7. Step 7: Open the Code tab

    Click Code at the top of Claude's sidebar. If the tabs show only icons, hover over each one to see its name.

    You should see: A message box with a row of small controls under it. This is Claude Code.

    If it looks different: An offer to upgrade means your plan isn't active yet: check the step above. Asked to sign in online? Do that, then quit Claude and open it again. An error that says 403: sign out and back in from your initials at the bottom left.

If you often reach your usage limit later on, the Max plan ($100 a month) gives you five times as much. Most builds don't need it at the start.