Based on Anthropic’s official docs, checked October 22, 2026

How to install Claude Code on macOS, Linux and Windows

Claude Code installs with one command on macOS, Linux and Windows. Anthropic recommends its native installer, which updates itself in the background; Homebrew, WinGet, Linux package managers and npm also work but update manually. This guide covers each method, Windows and WSL choices, how to check the install and how to sign in, based on Anthropic’s setup docs checked October 22, 2026.

1. 1. Check the system requirements

   macOS 13.0+, Windows 10 1809+ or Windows Server 2019+, Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 10+ or Alpine Linux 3.19+, with 4 GB+ RAM on an x64 or ARM64 processor and an internet connection. Shells: Bash, Zsh, PowerShell or CMD.

2. 2. Run the native installer (recommended)

   On macOS, Linux or WSL, run the shell installer. On Windows, use the PowerShell or CMD command instead; you do not need to run as Administrator. The installer shows no progress while it downloads.

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

3. 3. Or use a package manager

   Homebrew: brew install --cask claude-code (stable channel, about a week behind) or claude-code@latest. Windows: winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode. npm: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code, which needs Node.js 22 or later; don’t use sudo. These installs do not auto-update.

   brew install --cask claude-code

4. 4. Verify the install

   Open a new terminal and run claude --version; a working install prints a version number. For a fuller check, claude doctor prints read-only installation and settings diagnostics.

   claude --version
   claude doctor

5. 5. Start Claude Code and sign in

   Open a terminal in your project and run claude, then follow the browser prompts. Claude Code needs a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Console account; the free claude.ai plan does not include it. Third-party providers such as Amazon Bedrock also work.

   claude

Install commands for Windows

PowerShell (your prompt shows PS C:\): irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

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

If you see “The token && is not a valid statement separator”, you are in PowerShell, not CMD. If “irm is not recognized”, you are in CMD, not PowerShell.

Native Windows or WSL?

Native Windows needs nothing extra. Git for Windows is optional: with it, Claude Code uses Git Bash for its Bash tool; without it, it runs commands through PowerShell. Sandboxing is not supported on native Windows.

WSL 2 supports sandboxing and suits Linux toolchains. Install and launch claude inside the WSL terminal with the Linux command. WSL 1 works but without sandboxing.

Updates

Native installs update automatically in the background; run claude update to update now. Homebrew (brew upgrade claude-code), WinGet (winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode) and npm (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest) need manual updates.

Alpine and other musl-based systems need bash, curl, libgcc, libstdc++ and ripgrep installed first.

Tips

• Prefer the native installer unless your team standardizes on a package manager; it is the only method that auto-updates.
• If claude is “not found” after installing, open a new terminal; the install folder may not be on your PATH yet.
• Prefer a graphical app? Anthropic also offers Claude Code in a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux.

Next steps

Sources

• https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup · checked 2026-10-22