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Claude Code is Anthropic’s AI coding agent: you describe what you want in plain English, and it reads your project, edits the files, and runs commands until the job is done. To use it on your own computer, install it with one command, run claude in your project folder, and sign in with a paid Claude plan (Pro is 20/month,or20/month, or 17/month billed yearly). Or skip the setup: Vibecode runs Claude Code for you in a cloud sandbox, so you can build native iPhone, Android, and web apps from your browser or phone without a terminal or a Claude subscription.

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Claude Code at a Glance

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Is Claude Code Free?

No. The free Claude.ai plan doesn’t include Claude Code. You need one of these: Prices are from claude.com/pricing as of October 2026. Anthropic changes plans from time to time, so check there before you buy.

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How to Install Claude Code

Open a terminal and run the command for your system:
Then open a new terminal window and check it worked:
It prints a version number followed by (Claude Code). If your shell says claude isn’t found, the install folder isn’t on your PATH yet. The native installer puts claude in ~/.local/bin (on Windows, %USERPROFILE%\.local\bin). On macOS, add it to your PATH with:
On Linux, use ~/.bashrc in place of ~/.zshrc. For Windows and other shells, see Anthropic’s PATH fix.
The native installer (the first three commands) updates itself in the background. Homebrew, WinGet, and npm installs don’t, so update them yourself.

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Install Claude Code on Windows

You can run Claude Code natively on Windows or inside WSL:
  1. Open PowerShell (your prompt starts with PS C:\) and run irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex. You don’t need to run it as Administrator.
  2. Optional but recommended: install Git for Windows. With it, Claude Code uses Git Bash for shell commands. Without it, Claude Code uses PowerShell.
  3. Open a new terminal and run claude.
Prefer Linux tools? Open your WSL distribution and run the macOS/Linux command there instead. If you see 'irm' is not recognized, you’re in CMD, not PowerShell. Use the Windows CMD command above.

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How to Use Claude Code

  1. Open a terminal in your project folder: cd path/to/your-project
  2. Start it: type claude and press Enter
  3. Sign in: the first time, it opens your browser to log in with your Claude or Console account
  4. Ask in plain English: for example, what does this project do? or add a dark mode toggle to the settings screen
  5. Approve changes: Claude Code shows each edit or command and asks before running it (press Shift+Tab to change how much it can do without asking)
  6. Keep going: describe the next change, or say commit my changes with a descriptive message
Commands you’ll use most:

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How to Use Claude Code in VS Code

  1. In VS Code (version 1.94 or later), open the Extensions view with Cmd+Shift+X (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux)
  2. Search for Claude Code (published by Anthropic) and click Install
  3. Open a file, then click the Spark icon in the top-right of the editor to open the Claude Code panel
  4. Click Sign in and finish logging in in your browser
  5. Type your request in the panel. Claude sees the text you have selected, and shows its changes as diffs you can accept or reject.
The same extension installs in Cursor and other VS Code-based editors. You still need a paid Claude plan or a Console account.

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How to Vibe Code an App with Claude Code

“Vibe coding” means building by describing what you want and judging the result, instead of writing the code yourself (more in What is vibe coding?). Claude Code is good at it, but on your own computer you also need everything around the code: Already happy in your own terminal? The Vibecode CLI gives your local Claude Code (or Cursor, Codex, or Gemini) access to Vibecode’s sandboxes, backends, integrations, and deployments.

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How Vibecode Runs Claude Code for You

Every Vibecode project gets its own cloud sandbox, and Claude Code is the agent that works in it. When you send a prompt:
  1. Claude Code plans the change and writes the code: Swift and SwiftUI for an iOS app, React Native and Expo for a Mobile app (iOS and Android), or a web app
  2. It adds what the app needs, such as a database and login, image generation, sound, and haptics
  3. It opens your app, taps or clicks through what it changed, and fixes what it finds (agent testing)
  4. You see the result in the live preview and keep chatting to change it
Pick the model in the prompt box’s model picker. Claude Opus 5.5 is the default for new apps, and you can switch to other Claude models or to GPT models. Usage comes out of your Vibecode credits, so you don’t need a Claude subscription or an API key.

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Best Practices for Using Claude Code

These work in your terminal and in Vibecode:
  1. Plan before building. Ask for a plan first (“plan how you’d add a checkout flow, don’t write code yet”), review it, then say “go”. This catches wrong assumptions before they cost you time and credits.
  2. Be specific. “Fix the login bug where users see a blank screen after a wrong password” beats “fix the bug”. Name the screen, the action, and what should happen.
  3. Give it lasting context. Put your conventions and decisions in CLAUDE.md (run /init to start one) so you don’t repeat them every session.
  4. Clear context between tasks. Use /clear (or start a new chat in Vibecode) when you switch to an unrelated task. Long, mixed conversations produce worse results.
  5. Show, don’t just tell. Attach screenshots or design mockups, and point to the exact files or screens you mean.
  6. One feature at a time. Build the core, check it works, then add the next thing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

No. Claude Code isn’t included in the free Claude.ai plan. It needs a Claude Pro plan (20/month,or20/month, or 17/month billed yearly), a Max, Team, or Enterprise plan, or a pay-as-you-go Claude Console account. In Vibecode, your first app build on a new account is free, and after that Claude Code’s usage comes from your Vibecode credits.
The cheapest way to use it yourself is Claude Pro at 20/month(20/month (17/month billed yearly). Max plans start at 100/monthforhigherlimits.WithaConsoleaccountyoupaypertokeninstead.InVibecode,plansstartat100/month for higher limits. With a Console account you pay per token instead. In Vibecode, plans start at 20/month and include $20 in credits. See Vibecode pricing.
On macOS, Linux, or WSL run curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash. On Windows PowerShell run irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex. Then open a new terminal, run claude --version to check it, and run claude in your project folder to start.
Yes. Install it from PowerShell or CMD (no Administrator rights needed), or inside WSL. Installing Git for Windows is recommended so Claude Code can use Git Bash for shell commands.
Yes. Install the Claude Code extension from the Extensions view (VS Code 1.94 or later). It also installs in Cursor and other VS Code-based editors. Open it from the Spark icon and sign in with your Claude account.
Claude is Anthropic’s AI model and chat app. Claude Code is an agent built on Claude that works directly in your code: it reads files, makes edits across the project, and runs commands, instead of only answering in a chat.
Not to get started, but on your own computer you need to be comfortable with a terminal, running a dev server, and fixing setup problems. Vibecode removes that part: you type what you want, and the preview, testing, backend, and publishing are handled for you.
Yes, but on your own machine a native Swift app needs a Mac with Xcode to build and run it, plus an Apple Developer account to install or publish it. In Vibecode, Claude Code builds native Swift and SwiftUI apps on cloud Macs and runs them in a cloud iOS Simulator streamed to your browser, so you don’t need a Mac. See Native iOS Apps.
No. Vibecode runs Claude Code in the cloud and bills usage to your Vibecode credits. You don’t need an Anthropic account or API key.
Claude Opus 5.5 is the default for new apps. You can switch models in the model picker in the prompt box, including other Claude models and GPT models.

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Next Steps

Create Your First App

Build an app with Claude Code in Vibecode

Native iOS Apps

Swift apps for iPhone, no Mac needed

Plans and Credits

What a build costs in credits

Compare AI App Builders

How Vibecode compares for mobile apps
Last modified on October 10, 2026