Getting Set Up

Choose a tool, pick a plan, install it

Install guide

Step 1: Pick your machine, then your tool

Open Terminal (search “Terminal” in Spotlight, or find it in Applications → Utilities), then paste:

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

After it finishes, close and reopen Terminal, then launch:

claude

It will open a browser window to sign in. Use your Claude account (a Claude Pro subscription is the simplest option).

Alternative: Homebrew

If you already use Homebrew, you can install with brew install --cask claude-code instead. Note: Homebrew installs do not auto-update — you’ll need to run brew upgrade claude-code yourself.

Option A — Direct download (no prerequisites)

Go to the Codex releases page
Download the macOS binary for your machine (Apple Silicon or Intel)
Move it to a folder in your PATH (e.g., /usr/local/bin/)
Open Terminal and run: codex

Option B — npm (if you already have Node.js 22+)

npm install -g @openai/codex
codex

Step 1: Install Git for Windows (required)

Download from git-scm.com/downloads/win
Run the installer — accept all defaults
Make sure “Add to PATH” is checked

Step 2: Open PowerShell (search “PowerShell” in the Start menu — not Command Prompt), then paste:

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

Step 3: Close and reopen PowerShell, then launch:

claude

It will open a browser window to sign in. Use your Claude account (a Claude Pro subscription is the simplest option).

Make sure you’re in PowerShell, not Command Prompt. Your prompt should start with PS C:\. If you see just C:\>, you’re in the wrong shell — search for “PowerShell” in the Start menu.

Option A — Direct download (no prerequisites besides Git)

Install Git for Windows if you haven’t already
Go to the Codex releases page
Download the Windows binary
Open PowerShell and navigate to where you downloaded it
Run: .\codex.exe

Option B — npm (if you already have Node.js 22+)

npm install -g @openai/codex
codex

Step 2: Verify it works

After installing, check that the tool is working:

claude --version   # Should print a version number
claude             # Launches Claude Code

Once inside, type /help to see what’s available, or just start typing a request.

Troubleshooting

The installer may show errors but still succeed. Sometimes the install script prints warnings or error messages even though it worked fine. After installing, close and reopen your terminal and try claude --version. If it prints a version number, you’re good — ignore the earlier errors.

“command not found: claude”

The installer put the tool somewhere your terminal can’t find it.

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Then try claude --version again.

Permission errors

If you get “permission denied” during install:

sudo mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/.local

Then re-run the installer.

Network or firewall errors

If you get SSL/TLS errors or “failed to fetch,” your network may be blocking the download. Try Homebrew instead:

brew install --cask claude-code

If your institution uses a proxy, ask IT for the proxy URL and set it before installing:

export HTTP_PROXY=http://your-proxy:8080
export HTTPS_PROXY=http://your-proxy:8080

Multiple installations conflicting

If you previously installed via npm and now used the native installer, you may have two versions. Remove the old one:

npm uninstall -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

The native installer (at ~/.local/bin/claude) is the recommended version — it auto-updates.

“not recognized” or “‘irm’ is not recognized”

You’re probably in Command Prompt instead of PowerShell. Open PowerShell from the Start menu — your prompt should start with PS C:\.

If you’re already in PowerShell and claude isn’t found, close and reopen PowerShell. If that doesn’t work, check that ~\.local\bin is in your system PATH (search “Environment Variables” in Settings).

“‘bash’ is not recognized”

You ran the Mac installer on Windows. Use the PowerShell command instead:

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

“requires git-bash”

Claude Code on Windows needs Git for Windows. Download it from git-scm.com/downloads/win, install with defaults (make sure “Add to PATH” is checked), restart PowerShell, and try again.

Network or firewall errors

If you get SSL/TLS errors or “failed to fetch,” try WinGet instead:

winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

If your institution uses a proxy, ask IT for the proxy URL.

Sign-in problems

“Invalid code” error: The sign-in code expired. Run /login inside Claude Code to try again — complete the browser sign-in quickly.
“403 Forbidden”: Make sure your subscription is active at claude.ai/settings.
Browser doesn’t open: Try copying the URL from the terminal and pasting it into your browser manually.

Run the built-in diagnostic

Claude Code has a doctor command that checks your setup:

claude doctor

This checks your installation, configuration, and network connectivity.

Still stuck?

Type /help inside Claude Code for built-in help
File an issue: github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues
Ask Emily or Erkmen — we’ll troubleshoot with you

Plans and pricing

Subscription plans (simplest way to start)

Plan	Cost	What you get
Claude Free	$0	Chat only, limited usage
Claude Pro	$20/mo	Chat + Claude Code access, generous limits
Claude Max	$100–200/mo	Much higher limits for heavy use
ChatGPT Free	$0	Chat only, limited models
ChatGPT Plus	$20/mo	Chat + Codex access, better models
ChatGPT Pro	$200/mo	Highest limits
UVM Copilot	Free (UVM account)	Microsoft Copilot Chat — good for Office tasks

For most faculty: Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus is the right starting point. Pick whichever ecosystem appeals to you.

The $20/mo subscription is not just chat. Claude Pro includes Claude Code (the terminal tool), and ChatGPT Plus includes Codex. You also get access to integrations with Gmail, Google Calendar, Todoist, and more — all the advanced workflows shown on our Bells & Whistles page. You do not need a separate API account or additional purchases.

API pricing (pay-as-you-go)

If you outgrow the subscription or want more control, both companies offer API billing where you pay per token. Most people don’t need this — the subscription covers it. For current pricing, see BenchLM’s LLM pricing tracker.

Checking your usage

If you are using Claude Code with a paid subscription:

npx claude-spend — shows session and weekly limits, extra paid usage
npx ccusage@latest — alternative usage tracker

Usage limits can change over time. Some models are cheaper than others.