# Claude Code: install, run, and earn while it thinks

> How to install and run Claude Code on macOS, Linux, and Windows, where to use it, what it costs, and how to earn while it thinks.

- Source: https://awaitful.com/docs/claude-code-setup
- Updated: August 4, 2026

Claude Code is Anthropic's coding agent: you run it in your terminal (or your editor), tell it what you want, and it reads, writes, and runs code on your machine. This is a practical guide to installing it, running it, and knowing what it costs - and then the part nobody mentions: what to do with the time it spends thinking.

**This is Awaitful's guide, not Anthropic's**

We make [Awaitful](https://awaitful.com/docs/install), not Claude Code. Everything below is checked against Anthropic's own documentation, and we link to it for the canonical, always-current detail: [code.claude.com/docs](https://code.claude.com/docs).

## Install Claude Code

Anthropic's recommended install is a single command that drops in a self-updating binary, with no Node.js required. Pick your platform:

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

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

Prefer a package manager? Any of these also work:

-   Homebrew (macOS/Linux): `brew install --cask claude-code`
-   WinGet (Windows): `winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode`
-   npm (requires Node.js): `npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code` - the package may print a Node version warning, which is harmless because it ships its own binary.

Windows is supported natively now (it used to require WSL). For the current, complete matrix, see Anthropic's [setup docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup).

## Run it and sign in

Start Claude Code from inside any project folder:

```
claude
```

On first run it opens your browser to sign in. Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan - Pro, Max, or Team, where it is included at no separate charge - or an Anthropic API key with credits. There is no free tier for Claude Code today.

## Terminal, VS Code, or desktop?

Claude Code is terminal-first, but it runs in several places, all sharing one account. If you are deciding between them:

-   **Terminal / CLI** - the primary surface: every feature, shell-first.
-   **VS Code (and JetBrains)** - an official extension adds a chat panel with inline diffs. It bundles its own agent for that panel; to also run `claude` in VS Code's integrated terminal, install the standalone CLI as well.
-   **Desktop app** - a standalone window on macOS, Windows, and Linux (Linux in beta).
-   **Web** - cloud sessions at [claude.ai/code](https://claude.ai/code).

There is no offline mode: wherever you run it, it talks to Anthropic's servers.

## What it costs

Claude Code is bundled into paid Claude subscriptions (Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise) rather than billed per use, or you can meter it through the Anthropic API. Usage counts against your plan's token budget. Prices and limits change, so check the current numbers at [claude.com/pricing](https://claude.com/pricing).

## The part nobody mentions: the wait

Here is the honest thing about coding agents: they think. A single prompt can send Claude Code off for many seconds, and on harder tasks - bigger models, higher effort - for minutes. Multiply that across a day and it is real idle time: you are at the keyboard, watching a spinner, waiting for the agent to finish. How that thinking is detected, precisely, is covered in [how thinking is detected](https://awaitful.com/docs/how-thinking-is-detected).

## Earn while it thinks

That idle moment is what we built Awaitful for. While your agent is thinking, Awaitful shows one tasteful, clearly marked sponsored line, then gets out of the way the instant the agent is done. Advertisers bid for that attention, and you keep 70% of what they pay. It runs right alongside Claude Code - in the terminal, in VS Code, or above the composer - and installs with one command:

```
npx awaitful
```

It finds your editor and installs the extension - the full walkthrough is [Install in one command](https://awaitful.com/docs/install). The marketplace is young, so be realistic about the early days: [Your first earnings](https://awaitful.com/docs/your-first-earnings) is honest about what to expect.

**It never reads your code, and you can verify**

What leaves your machine is a short, published list - a device token and the fact that an agent is thinking, never your code, prompts, or files. The [client source](https://github.com/Awaitful/awaitful) and the [egress manifest](https://github.com/Awaitful/awaitful/blob/HEAD/PRIVACY.md) are public, so you do not have to take our word for it - see [what leaves your machine](https://awaitful.com/docs/what-leaves-your-machine).