Claude Code Download (2026): Every Official Installer for macOS, Windows, Linux + Desktop App

Download Matrix: All 10 Official Channels

Every official way to get Claude Code, as of June 9, 2026. Source: code.claude.com/docs/en/setup and the npm registry.

macOS Download

Two channels. The native installer detects arm64 (Apple Silicon) vs x64 (Intel) automatically and auto-updates in the background. Homebrew tracks two casks and does not auto-update.

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

# Stable channel (~1 week behind latest)
brew install --cask claude-code

# Latest channel
brew install --cask claude-code@latest

# Homebrew installs do not auto-update:
brew upgrade claude-code

Requires macOS 13.0 or newer. Both Apple Silicon (darwin-arm64) and Intel (darwin-x64) binaries are published; the unpacked arm64 binary is 222 MB at v2.1.170.

Windows Download

Native Windows runs without admin rights. Three CLI channels plus the Desktop app:

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

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

winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

# WinGet installs do not auto-update:
winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode

Git for Windows is optional but enables the Bash tool; without it Claude Code uses the PowerShell tool instead. If Git Bash is installed but not detected, set CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH (for example C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe) in your settings env. Sandboxing is supported on WSL2 but not on native Windows or WSL1.

Linux Download (apt, dnf, apk)

The curl installer works on any supported distro and on WSL. For fleet management, Anthropic publishes signed apt, dnf, and apk repositories at downloads.claude.ai.

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

# 1. Save Anthropic's signing key (from the setup docs) to:
#    /etc/apt/keyrings/claude-code.asc
# 2. Add the repo:
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/claude-code.asc] https://downloads.claude.ai/claude-code/apt/stable stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/claude-code.list

sudo apt update && sudo apt install claude-code

# dnf repo baseurl:
#   https://downloads.claude.ai/claude-code/rpm/stable

# apk repo:
#   https://downloads.claude.ai/claude-code/apk/stable

Verify packages against Anthropic's GPG fingerprint: 31DD DE24 DDFA B679 F42D 7BD2 BAA9 29FF 1A7E CACE. Alpine (musl) additionally needs libgcc, libstdc++, and ripgrep, with USE_BUILTIN_RIPGREP=0 set. Separate musl binaries ship on npm as claude-code-linux-x64-musl and claude-code-linux-arm64-musl. More distro-specific detail in the Claude Code on Linux guide.

Desktop App vs CLI vs IDE Extensions

Claude Code is one agent with four surfaces. The Desktop app (macOS and Windows, from claude.com/download) is the graphical option: no terminal required. The CLI is the original surface and the only one that runs over SSH and in CI. The VS Code extension and JetBrains plugin embed the agent in your editor.

All four authenticate against the same account and share the same plan limits. CLI configuration (hooks, settings.json, MCP servers) applies to the agent regardless of surface. VS Code specifics are covered in the VS Code guide.

Binary Sizes and What Gets Installed

Claude Code is a self-contained native binary, not a Node script. The npm package @anthropic-ai/claude-code is a 146 KB shim that selects one of eight platform packages as an optional dependency. Measured from the npm registry at v2.1.170:

Eight platform builds exist in total: darwin, win32, and linux on both x64 and arm64, plus linux musl variants for Alpine. Native installs place the binary at ~/.local/bin/claude with supporting files in ~/.local/share/claude. There is no official offline bundle; for air-gapped machines, the practical paths are mirroring the signed apt/rpm/apk repos at downloads.claude.ai or vendoring a pinned npm tarball through your registry proxy.

Auto-Update Channels and Version Pinning

Two release channels: latest (default) and stable, which trails by roughly a week. Update behavior is the biggest difference between download channels:

• Native installs (curl, PowerShell, CMD): auto-update in the background.
• Homebrew: no auto-update; run brew upgrade claude-code.
• WinGet: no auto-update; run winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode.
• npm: upgrade with npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest. Avoid npm update -g, and never sudo npm install -g.

# Install a specific version
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash -s 2.1.89

# Install from the stable channel
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash -s stable

# PowerShell, stable channel
& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1))) stable

# npm pin
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@2.1.89

{
  "autoUpdatesChannel": "stable",
  "minimumVersion": "2.1.0"
}

Disable background auto-updates with the env var DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER=1; block every update path with DISABLE_UPDATES. Apply updates on demand with claude update.

System Requirements

Verify the Download

# Confirm the binary and version
claude --version

# Full diagnostic: install type, config, update channel
claude doctor

# Apply any pending update immediately
claude update

claude doctor is the fastest way to diagnose a broken install: it reports which channel you installed from, whether auto-updates work, and config problems. On Linux package installs, verify repo signatures against the GPG fingerprint listed in the Linux section.

Account Requirement: The Download Is Free, Usage Is Not

Every installer is a free download, but the first claude launch requires authentication with one of:

Claude Code also works against Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, and Microsoft Foundry instead of an Anthropic account. Full cost breakdown, including API token rates and session limits, in the Claude Code pricing guide and usage limits guide.

Uninstall

# Remove the binary and app data
rm -f ~/.local/bin/claude && rm -rf ~/.local/share/claude

# Optional: remove all config, MCP servers, and session history
rm -rf ~/.claude && rm ~/.claude.json

Homebrew: brew uninstall --cask claude-code. WinGet: winget uninstall Anthropic.ClaudeCode. npm: npm uninstall -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code. The second command above deletes settings, MCP config, and session history; skip it if you plan to reinstall.

FAQ

Is Claude Code free to download?

Yes, every channel is a free download. Running it requires a Pro ($17/mo annual, $20 monthly), Max ($100 or $200/mo), Team, Enterprise, or Console account. The free Claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code access.

What is the latest version of Claude Code?

v2.1.170 as of June 9, 2026, per the npm registry. Native installs track latest automatically. Check yours with claude --version; check the registry with npm view @anthropic-ai/claude-code version.

How do I download Claude Code on Windows?

PowerShell: irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex. Or winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode. Or the Desktop app from claude.com/download. No admin rights needed for the CLI.

Do I need Node.js to download Claude Code?

No. Only the npm channel requires Node 18+, and the installed binary is native code that never invokes Node. The native installer, Homebrew, WinGet, Linux repos, and Desktop app have no Node dependency. npm-specific details in the npm install guide.

How big is the download?

222 MB unpacked on macOS arm64, 243 MB on Windows x64, 248 MB on Linux x64 (v2.1.170, npm registry figures).

Does Claude Code auto-update?

Native installs do, in the background. Homebrew and WinGet do not. Disable with DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER=1; block all update paths with DISABLE_UPDATES.

How do I download an older or specific version?

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash -s 2.1.89 installs that exact version. With npm: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@2.1.89. The stable channel trails latest by about a week.

Is there a Claude Code desktop app?

Yes, for macOS and Windows, at claude.com/download. It is the graphical surface of the same agent: no terminal required, same account, same plan limits as the CLI.