Comparison · Basic · 8 min

Claude Code in JetBrains, Visual Studio, Xcode, Zed and Neovim

What integration Claude Code has in JetBrains, Visual Studio 2022/2026, Xcode, Zed, Cursor and Neovim: who maintains it, how to install it, what you lose.

Tested with Claude Code 2.1.316 · reviewed 2026-11-01

See the files on GitHub Free · MIT license

Summary and verdict

Not every editor has "Claude Code" in the same way. Today (Nov 1, 2026) there are three kinds of integration, and it pays to know which one you are in because the features and the bill change:

• Official from Anthropic: VS Code (extension anthropic.claude-code), Cursor and other VS Code forks (the same extension, from Open VSX) and JetBrains (the "Claude Code [Beta]" plugin from vendor anthropic, ID 27310, almost 5 million downloads).
• From the editor vendor: Xcode 26.3 (Apple integrates "Claude Agent", built on the Agent SDK, and also exposes Xcode over MCP so the CLI can use it), Zed (Claude Agent installable from its ACP registry) and JetBrains AI Assistant 2026.2 (which also offers a "Claude Agent", different from Anthropic's plugin).
• No official integration: Visual Studio 2022/2026 (community extensions only) and Neovim (community plugins such as coder/claudecode.nvim).

Verdict: if you pay for Claude Pro or Max, stick to whatever runs the CLI: the official plugin in JetBrains, the integrated terminal in Visual Studio or Neovim, and the official extension in VS Code or Cursor. For anything not on the list, the official documentation is clear: install the CLI and run claude in the editor's integrated terminal. The full feature set (skills, hooks, subagents, plan mode, /rewind) is always in the CLI; the further you get from it, the more you need to check what is missing.

How we tested it

This comparison was made only with official documentation, without installing anything: every row in the table links to the Anthropic, Apple, JetBrains, Zed or Microsoft page that backs it. We separate what Anthropic publishes, what the editor vendor publishes and what comes from the community, and we do not recommend any third-party extension.

What can be checked on Linux (pending for a future review): the JetBrains plugin in IntelliJ Community or PyCharm with CLI 2.1.316 (/ide and the diff viewer), Zed with Claude Agent from the ACP Registry, Neovim with :terminal claude, and Cursor or Devin Desktop. What cannot be tested on Linux: Xcode (macOS only) and Visual Studio 2022/2026 (Windows only); those rows rely solely on the Apple and Microsoft documentation cited.

Comparison table

The same table, with all the links, is in the free repository ctrlia-claude-code-otros-editores.

JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, Android Studio, GoLand, PhpStorm)

Anthropic's plugin does not ship its own CLI: it runs claude in the integrated terminal and connects to it. That is why you need to install both: the CLI (if it is not on the PATH you will see "Cannot launch Claude Code") and the "Claude Code [Beta]" plugin from the JetBrains Marketplace; then restart the IDE.

Features: open it with Ctrl+Esc (Cmd+Esc on Mac), diffs in the IDE viewer, sharing the current selection or tab, inserting references with Alt+Ctrl+K (for example @src/auth.ts#L1-99) and reading the IDE diagnostics with the getDiagnostics tool. From an external terminal, connect with /ide. The diff viewer is changed in /config → Diff tool.

claude --version            # the plugin needs the CLI on the PATH
which claude                 # path for "Claude command" if the IDE cannot find it
claude                       # inside the IDE terminal: integration active
# from an external terminal, already inside Claude Code:
/ide                         # → "Connected to IntelliJ IDEA."
/config                      # Diff tool: auto (IDE) or terminal

Gotchas:

• If Esc does not interrupt Claude, in Settings → Tools → Terminal uncheck "Move focus to the editor with Escape".
• With Remote Development the plugin goes on the remote host.
• On WSL2, the "No available IDEs detected" warning is usually the firewall.
• Read deny rules also stop the IDE from sharing those files (see permissions).

It works with any paid Claude plan or Console account, no API key needed.

JetBrains' other "Claude Agent": watch the bill

JetBrains AI Assistant 2026.2 (page dated Oct 7, 2026) includes a Claude Agent inside its chat, built on the ACP protocol. It is not Anthropic's plugin: according to the JetBrains documentation it is enabled with the JetBrains AI subscription, with your Anthropic API key (BYOK) or with an Anthropic Console account, and "the chosen method is used for processing and billing". The page does not mention Claude's Pro or Max plans, so do not assume your subscription works there.

If you already pay for Claude Pro or Max, the route the Anthropic documentation guarantees is the official plugin + the CLI. In the JetBrains chat you lose the Claude Code terminal, but you gain integration with the rest of AI Assistant. We recommend the official plugin unless your company already pays for JetBrains AI.

Visual Studio 2022 and 2026: there is no official extension

Anthropic publishes the extension for VS Code (Visual Studio Marketplace and Open VSX), not for Visual Studio. The official documentation has no Visual Studio page, and in the Visual Studio 2026 release notes the built-in agent is GitHub Copilot's. Two useful, verified facts:

• Visual Studio 2026 discovers skills in the repository's .claude/skills/ and in the profile's ~/.claude/skills/ (as well as .github/skills/ and .agents/skills/), so your Claude Code skills also work for Copilot there.
• The official route to use Claude Code is to open the Visual Studio terminal (View → Terminal) in the solution folder and run claude. If you do not have it yet, follow the install Claude Code on Windows recipe.

There are community extensions that wrap the CLI (for example for VS 2017-2026), but they are not from Anthropic: if you install one, review the code, who publishes it and which permissions it asks for. We do not link them as a recommendation.

Xcode 26.3: Apple's integration and the MCP connection

Since Xcode 26.3 (requires macOS Sequoia 15.6 or later) Apple integrates agents from Anthropic and OpenAI. Turn it on in Xcode → Settings → Intelligence → Agents → "Get" next to the agent and then "Install"; the account is set up in the agent's Account row. Anthropic announced on Feb 3, 2026 that it is a native integration of the Claude Agent SDK, the same engine as Claude Code, with subagents, background tasks and plugins.

A second route, for those who prefer the CLI: enable "Allow external agents to use Xcode tools" in the Model Context Protocol section and add Xcode as an MCP server (more about MCP in MCP for developers):

# 1) Xcode → Settings → Intelligence → Model Context Protocol → "Allow external agents to use Xcode tools"
# 2) In Terminal:
claude mcp add --transport stdio xcode -- xcrun mcpbridge
claude mcp list
# 3) Open the project in Xcode, then work with `claude` in the project folder

Known issues according to Apple:

• If you deny access to a project in Desktop, Downloads or Documents, it does not ask again: enable it in Privacy → Files and Folders or move the project.
• Skills invoked with /skill may be rejected: ask for them by name ("use the X skill").

Zed, Cursor, Windsurf (Devin Desktop) and Neovim

Zed integrates Claude as an "External Agent" over the Agent Client Protocol. You install Claude Agent from the ACP Registry and open a thread in the Agent Panel. According to Zed's documentation, Claude Agent has its own authentication and billing (an Anthropic key configured for Zed Agent does not work for it), it is chosen with /login in the thread and it can read CLAUDE.md directly; Zed's MCP servers can be forwarded over ACP.

Cursor: Anthropic's documentation has a direct install link for Cursor for the same extension. After the October 29-30 incident (a backdoored copy on Open VSX, versions 2.1.312 and 2.1.313, now removed), check the publisher and version: our Claude Code in VS Code recipe explains how.

Windsurf, renamed Devin Desktop in June according to the press: Anthropic's documentation lists "Devin Desktop" among the forks where the extension is installed from Open VSX.

Neovim: there is no official plugin. Use the CLI in :terminal (Claude Code has a vim mode in /config → Editor mode) or a community plugin such as coder/claudecode.nvim (over 3,100 stars), reviewing it first.

# Visual Studio: View → Terminal, in the solution folder
claude
# Neovim: open a terminal inside the editor
:terminal claude
# Cursor / VS Code forks: check publisher and version on the extension page (Extensions → Claude Code).
# In VS Code the terminal equivalent is (not verified with Cursor's command):
code --list-extensions --show-versions | grep -i claude

Vim mode for the Claude Code prompt, in ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "editorMode": "vim",
  "vimInsertModeRemaps": { "jj": "<Esc>" }
}

What you lose outside the CLI and how to check it

The platforms documentation sums it up: the CLI is the most complete surface; scripting and the Agent SDK are CLI-only, and the extensions trade some features for a visual review. Rule of thumb:

• If your editor runs the CLI (JetBrains plugin, Visual Studio terminal, Neovim), you have all of Claude Code because it is the same program.
• If the editor uses its own agent (JetBrains AI, Xcode, Zed), your CLAUDE.md, skills and MCP may or may not be read depending on the agent, and billing may be different.

To check what was loaded, open a session and type /context (memory files and skills), /status (account and model) and /mcp. If something is missing, the common errors recipe and /doctor are the next step. Settings, project memory and MCP servers are shared across Anthropic's local surfaces, so you can switch between terminal and editor in the same repository. If you do not have a CLAUDE.md yet, create one with the CLAUDE.md generator.

When to use each one

Sources: JetBrains in Anthropic's docs, VS Code, platforms, interactive mode, Xcode 26.3 release notes, Zed external agents and Visual Studio 2026 release notes.

FAQ

Is there an official Claude Code extension for Visual Studio 2022?

No. Anthropic publishes the extension for VS Code (and forks), not for Visual Studio. The official route is to run claude in the Visual Studio terminal. Any extensions you find for VS 2022 come from the community.

Is the JetBrains plugin free?

The plugin installs for free from the Marketplace, but Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Ultra, Team or Enterprise) or a Console account, just like in the terminal.

Does it work in Android Studio?

Yes: the official documentation lists Android Studio among the JetBrains IDEs supported by the plugin.

Can I use my Claude Pro or Max in the Claude Agent of Xcode, Zed or JetBrains AI?

It depends on the vendor and we do not guarantee it. JetBrains AI documents its own subscription, an API key or Anthropic Console (it does not mention Pro/Max); Zed says Claude Agent has its own authentication, chosen with /login; Apple only says to sign in on the Account row. With Pro/Max, the safe route is the CLI or the official plugin.

Do my skills and CLAUDE.md work in those editors?

In the CLI and the JetBrains plugin, yes (it is the same program). Zed says Claude Agent can read CLAUDE.md; Visual Studio 2026 discovers skills in .claude/skills; in Xcode, Apple warns that invoking skills with /skill may fail and recommends asking for them by name.

Is it safe to install Claude Code in Cursor?

Yes, if it is the extension from publisher Anthropic and a clean version. On October 29-30, 2026 Open VSX served tampered versions (2.1.312 and 2.1.313, now removed). Check the publisher and version as the VS Code recipe explains.

The whole library