# Install Claude Code: installers, sign-in, CLAUDE.md, IDE extensions and your first MCP server

> Install Claude Code on macOS, Linux or Windows, sign in with the right plan, write a CLAUDE.md, add the IDE extension and connect an MCP server.

Published 2026-11-07 · https://shareglint.com/en/guides/install-claude-code-with-mcp

Claude Code is Anthropic's coding agent: it reads your project, edits files and runs commands, from the terminal first, with extensions for VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. Getting it running takes a few minutes — install it, sign in with an account that includes it, give it a `CLAUDE.md` with your project's rules, and connect the tools you want it to use through MCP. Every step here follows Anthropic's [Claude Code documentation](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup) as we read it on **2026-11-07**; the official docs are the authority when anything differs.

## 1. Check the requirements

From the setup docs: macOS 13.0 or later; Windows 10 1809+ or Windows Server 2019+; Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 10+ or Alpine Linux 3.19+; at least 4 GB of RAM; an x64 or ARM64 processor. On Windows, Claude Code runs natively or inside WSL — Git for Windows is optional (without it, it uses PowerShell), and sandboxing works only under WSL 2.

## 2. Install

The docs label the native installer "Recommended":

```bash
# macOS, Linux, WSL
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
```

```powershell
# Windows PowerShell
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
```

"Native installations automatically update in the background." The alternatives:

| Method | Command | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| Homebrew | `brew install --cask claude-code` | Manual (`brew upgrade`) — "Homebrew installations do not auto-update" |
| WinGet | `winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode` | Through WinGet |
| npm | `npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code` | Through npm; needs Node.js 22 or later |

A note on npm, because sources disagree: the setup docs list it as supported with Node.js 22+, and the package was current on npm (version 2.1.319, published 2026-11-06), but the project's GitHub README calls npm installation deprecated and still shows an old Node.js 18 badge. Use the native installer unless you have a reason not to.

Then open a terminal in a project and run `claude`.

## 3. Sign in with the right account

Claude Code is not part of the free plan. The [authentication docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/authentication): "Claude Code requires a Pro, Max, Ultra, Team, Enterprise, or Console account. The free claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code access." The ways to sign in:

- a **Claude subscription** (Pro, Max or Ultra) — log in with your claude.ai account;
- a **Claude Console** account, billed by API usage, or an `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` environment variable;
- a **cloud provider**: Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud's Agent Platform or Microsoft Foundry.

Prices on [claude.com/pricing](https://claude.com/pricing) on 2026-11-07:

| Plan | Price | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | No |
| Pro | $20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly ($200) | Yes |
| Max | $100 a month | Yes, 5× Pro usage |
| Ultra | $200 a month | Yes, 10× Pro usage a week, no 5-hour limit |
| Team | per seat, for 2–150 people (we could not confirm the US-dollar seat price on that date) | Yes |
| Enterprise | $20 per seat a month (annual, 20-seat minimum) plus usage at API rates | Yes |

Subscription plans have usage limits that reset over time; a Console account pays per token instead. For occasional use, Pro is the entry point.

## 4. Give it a CLAUDE.md

The [memory docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory): "CLAUDE.md files are markdown files that give Claude persistent instructions… Claude reads them at the start of every session." The useful locations:

- `./CLAUDE.md` (or `./.claude/CLAUDE.md`) — the project's rules, committed with the code;
- `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` — your personal rules for every project;
- `./CLAUDE.local.md` — personal notes for one project, kept out of git.

Start short: how to build and test, the package manager, code style, folders not to touch, and "never commit secrets". Add a line whenever Claude repeats a mistake. Claude Code can also read an **`AGENTS.md`** — the file Cursor and other agents use — without any setup, from version 2.1.277, but only when there is no `CLAUDE.md` in the folder or above it.

## 5. Use it in your editor

- **VS Code:** the extension (`anthropic.claude-code`, VS Code 1.94.0 or later) gives Claude Code "a native graphical interface… integrated directly into your IDE". The docs page also offers an install for Cursor.
- **JetBrains:** a plugin for IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm and others; "The plugin requires the Claude Code CLI, installed separately."

## 6. Connect your first MCP server

MCP servers give Claude Code tools beyond your files — an issue tracker, a database, a browser, an image service ([what an MCP server is](https://shareglint.com/en/guides/what-is-an-mcp-server)). The [MCP docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp) use one command for a remote server:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http <name> <url> --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>"
```

Scopes decide who gets the server: `--scope local` (the default, this project, stored in `~/.claude.json`), `--scope user` (all your projects) and `--scope project` (a shared `.mcp.json` in the repository). SSE servers are deprecated in favour of HTTP. Inside a session, `/mcp` shows each server's status, signs in with OAuth and reconnects.

To give Claude Code our image tools — `render_image`, `get_image`, `list_templates`, `get_template`, `create_signed_url`, `get_usage`, `generate_template`, `take_screenshot`, `auto_og_url`, `create_batch`, `get_batch` — for rendering images from templates and taking screenshots of public pages:

```bash
export OG_API_KEY="sk_live_…"
claude mcp add --transport http shareglint https://shareglint.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $OG_API_KEY"
```

Then ask, for example: "Add an og:image to every blog post using the blog-og template." The [Claude Code MCP guide](https://shareglint.com/en/mcp/claude-code) covers keeping the key out of a shared `.mcp.json` and a full worked example on an Astro blog.

## 7. Habits that pay off

- **Review diffs before you accept them**, especially in code that handles money, auth or personal data.
- **Commit before big tasks**, so any wrong turn is one `git restore` away.
- **Keep tool approvals for anything that spends or deletes**, and allow only read-only tools to run unasked.
- **Give the agent its own API keys** for outside services, so you can revoke them without touching production.

Choosing between Claude Code and an AI editor? Our [Claude Code vs Cursor comparison](https://shareglint.com/en/guides/claude-code-vs-cursor) puts the plans, models and workflows side by side.

## FAQ

### How do I install Claude Code?

Anthropic's setup docs recommend the native installer: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash on macOS, Linux and WSL, or irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex in Windows PowerShell. Homebrew, WinGet and npm (Node.js 22 or later) are alternatives.

### Is Claude Code free?

No. Anthropic's docs say it requires a Pro, Max, Ultra, Team, Enterprise or Console account; the free claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code. On 2026-11-07, Pro was $20 a month billed monthly ($17 a month billed yearly).

### Does Claude Code still install with npm?

The setup docs list npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code as supported with Node.js 22 or later, and the package is current on npm; the GitHub README calls npm installation deprecated. The native installer is the recommended path and updates itself.

### How do I add an MCP server to Claude Code?

Run claude mcp add --transport http <name> <url> --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>". It goes into your local scope by default; --scope user makes it available in every project, --scope project writes a shared .mcp.json. Inside a session, /mcp shows the server's status.