Claude Code: The Complete Guide
Claude Code is Anthropic’s agentic coding tool — an AI assistant that lives in your terminal (and inside your editor) and can actually read your codebase, write and edit files, run commands and tests, and carry a multi-step task through to completion. Instead of copy-pasting snippets from a chat window, you delegate real work and review the results.
This guide explains what Claude Code is, how it works, what it can do, what it costs, and how it compares to tools like Cursor and GitHub Copilot — with links to deeper guides for each topic.
What is Claude Code?
Claude Code is a command-line tool, powered by Anthropic’s Claude models, that turns natural-language instructions into concrete changes in your project. You describe a goal — “add pagination to the posts API and write tests” — and Claude Code explores the relevant files, proposes a plan, makes the edits across multiple files, runs your test suite, and iterates until the task is done.
It runs where developers already work: the terminal, with official extensions for VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, plus desktop and web access. Because it’s terminal-native, it also slots neatly into scripts, CI pipelines, and remote servers.
What can Claude Code do?
- Understand your whole codebase — it searches and reads files on demand, so you don’t have to paste context manually.
- Make multi-file edits — refactors, new features, and bug fixes that span many files in one task.
- Run commands and tests — it can execute your build, run tests, read the output, and fix what broke.
- Use git — create branches, stage changes, write commit messages, and open pull requests.
- Connect to your tools via MCP — databases, issue trackers, documentation, and more through the Model Context Protocol.
- Work autonomously but safely — it asks before running sensitive commands, and a plan mode lets you approve an approach before any files change.
How Claude Code works
Under the hood, Claude Code gives a Claude model a set of tools (read file, edit file, run command, search, git, and any MCP tools you add) and lets it act in a loop: think, take an action, observe the result, and continue. You stay in control — reviewing diffs, approving commands, and steering with follow-up instructions.
A small CLAUDE.md file in your project acts as persistent memory: coding conventions, commands, and project context that Claude Code reads at the start of every session. Slash commands, subagents, and hooks let you customise and automate the workflow further — see Claude Code best practices.
Which Claude model powers it?
Claude Code defaults to Anthropic’s most capable coding model and lets you switch models per task. Use a flagship model like Claude Opus 4.8 for hard, multi-step work, and a faster model for routine edits to save on usage. Not sure which to pick? Try the Claude model selector.
Who is Claude Code for?
It’s built for software developers — from solo builders to large engineering teams — who want to move faster on real tasks: shipping features, fixing bugs, writing tests, migrating code, and understanding unfamiliar codebases. If you’re new to using Claude for development, start with Claude AI for coding and our Claude coding prompts.
How much does Claude Code cost?
Claude Code is included with Claude Pro and Claude Max subscriptions (subject to usage limits), or you can pay per token with an Anthropic API key. Full breakdown in Claude Code pricing & usage limits.
How does it compare to other AI coding tools?
The biggest difference is autonomy: Claude Code is an agent that completes tasks, where editor tools focus on autocomplete and in-line chat. See the head-to-head guides:
How to get started
Install it with one command, sign in, and point it at a project. Our getting-started guide walks through installation, authentication, your first session, and IDE setup step by step — then keep the commands cheat sheet handy for the slash commands and shortcuts you’ll use daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Claude Code free?
Claude Code itself is free to install, but it needs a paid Claude plan (Pro or Max) or pay-as-you-go API access to run, since it uses Claude models. See our pricing guide for details.
Do I need to know how to code to use Claude Code?
It’s designed for developers and works best if you understand the project you’re working in, but it lowers the barrier significantly by handling the mechanics of writing and editing code for you.
Does Claude Code work in VS Code?
Yes. Claude Code runs in the terminal and has official extensions for VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, plus desktop and web access.
Is Claude Code safe to run on my codebase?
Claude Code asks for confirmation before running sensitive commands, and its plan mode lets you approve an approach before any files are changed, so you stay in control.