Comparison · Basic · 8 min

Claude Code vs Desktop vs Cowork vs claude.ai: which to use

Claude Code in the terminal, desktop app, Cowork, chat and on the web: what each one is, where it runs, which plan it needs and which to open.

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

See the files on GitHub Free · MIT license

Summary and verdict

Claude and Claude Code are not the same thing. Claude is the assistant you chat with on claude.ai (web, desktop and mobile). Claude Code is the agentic coding tool: it reads your project, edits files and runs commands. The official documentation says Claude Code uses the same engine on all its surfaces (terminal, IDE extensions, desktop app, web and mobile) and that your CLAUDE.md, settings and MCP servers work across all the local ones. Cowork is something else: it brings Claude Code's agent capabilities to knowledge work that isn't coding, with the same architecture and no terminal.

Quick rule for developers:

• You work on the code on your PC → Claude Code (terminal, VS Code or the app's Code tab).
• You want to leave a long task running even if you close your laptop → Claude Code on the web.
• The task is about documents, research or spreadsheets → Cowork.
• You want to ask questions or think out loud → the chat.

The table, the decision tree and the commands are also in the ctrlia-que-claude-abrir repository.

How we tested it (methodology)

This comparison is documentary: it doesn't measure performance, it organizes what Anthropic's official sources say as of 1 Nov 2026 (platforms, desktop, web, feature availability, the Cowork help center and pricing pages). Each product is answered with the same five questions: what it's for, where the work runs, what you need to install, which systems it runs on and which plan includes it.

What we checked on our PC (Linux, Claude Code 2.1.316, claude.ai sign-in on the Max plan): claude auth status shows the sign-in method and plan, and claude --help confirms the --desktop and --cloud options. We did not test Cowork, the desktop app on Windows or macOS, or an end-to-end cloud session; /desktop only works on macOS and Windows x64, so it can't be tested on Linux. When we do, we'll update this page and its date.

Comparison table

Claude Code in the terminal (CLI)

• What it is: the claude program you run inside your project folder. According to the official platforms page it's the most complete surface: scripting and the Agent SDK only exist in the CLI, and it's the only one (along with the VS Code and JetBrains extensions) that also works with third-party providers such as Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud or Microsoft Foundry.
• Where it runs: on your machine, with your files and tools.
• Install: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash on macOS, Linux and WSL, or the PowerShell and CMD installers on Windows (Windows recipe).
• Plans: Pro, Max, Ultra, Team or Enterprise, or a Claude Console API key (pay as you go). The Free plan doesn't include Claude Code.
• Who it's for: people who live in the terminal, automate with claude -p, use remote servers or want every feature. If you prefer your editor, the VS Code extension or the JetBrains plugin use the same engine (VS Code recipe).

To find out which account and plan you're using:

claude auth status   # authMethod (claude.ai or API) and subscriptionType
# inside a session:
/status

Claude Desktop app (Code tab) and Cowork

Claude's desktop app brings together the chat, Cowork and Claude Code. Claude Code lives in the Code tab of the sidebar and bundles the engine, so you don't need to install Node.js or the CLI. What it adds over the terminal:

• A diff viewer to review changes file by file and comment on lines.
• A preview of your app in a browser panel.
• Parallel sessions (each can run in its own git worktree) and scheduled tasks.
• Dispatch: send it tasks from your phone (Pro, Max and Ultra only).
• Local, SSH, Cloud or WSL environments.

Systems: macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Windows x64 and ARM64, and Linux in beta for Ubuntu and Debian via apt. Requires a paid subscription and a claude.ai sign-in. On Linux, follow the official desktop-linux steps: take the repository and signing key from that page, not from third parties.

Cowork is used from the same app. According to the help center, its tasks run in the cloud, on Anthropic's servers in an isolated environment, and the app has to be open when they need your local files or the browser. Cowork is on the paid plans (Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise) and also on web and mobile.

claude.ai chat and Claude Code on the web

The claude.ai chat is what the Free plan gets: chat on web, desktop and mobile, web search, creating files and running code, memory, connectors and Artifacts. It doesn't work on your repository or run commands on your PC.

Claude Code on the web (claude.ai/code) is something else: Claude Code sessions that run in a cloud virtual machine managed by Anthropic, keep working even if you close your laptop, and can be reviewed from any device, including the Code tab of the mobile app.

• They need GitHub connected: the machine clones your repository and pushes branches.
• They're on Pro, Max, Ultra and Team and, on Enterprise, with premium seats or Chat + Claude Code.
• They count against the same usage limits as the rest of Claude, with no extra charge for the machine.
• They don't load the plugins you installed on your PC, and commands like /plugin or /resume don't work there.

From the terminal you can move work between surfaces:

claude --cloud "Fix the flaky test in auth.spec.ts"     # new cloud session
claude --teleport                                    # bring a cloud session to the terminal
claude --desktop --continue                          # open the last session in the desktop app
# inside a terminal session:
/desktop   # continue this session in the app (macOS and Windows x64)

What each plan includes (official data, 1 Nov 2026)

Prices from claude.com/pricing as of 1 Nov 2026; check them there before paying.

Ultra is the new name for Max 20x, and Max for Max 5x; besides the usage allowance, the included API credits change. Limit details in Is Claude Code free?.

When to use each one

Ask yourself in this order:

1. Are you going to change code? If not: chat (questions) or Cowork (documents, research, multi-step tasks without a terminal).
2. Is the code on your PC and do you need your tools, local servers or MCP? Then local Claude Code: terminal if you want every feature and automation; the app's Code tab if you prefer reviewing diffs visually and opening several sessions; VS Code or JetBrains if you don't want to leave your editor.
3. Is the task long, on GitHub, and do you want to shut your laptop? Claude Code on the web or claude --cloud.
4. Leaving your desk halfway through a local task? Remote Control from your phone (step-by-step guide).

Combinations that work:

• Plan in the terminal with plan mode and execute in the cloud with claude --cloud.
• Start in the terminal and move to the app with /desktop to review the changes (requires a claude.ai subscription and works on macOS and Windows x64).
• Launch on the web from your phone and finish locally with claude --teleport.

Everything shares the same plan allowance, so more surfaces doesn't mean a higher limit. If you're coming from another tool, see the Claude Code vs Codex vs Gemini vs Cursor comparison; if you're just starting, the Start here route.

FAQ

Are Claude Code and Claude the same thing?

No. Claude is the claude.ai chat assistant. Claude Code is the coding tool that reads and edits your project and runs commands. They share account and usage allowance if you pay for a plan.

What's the difference between Claude Code and Cowork?

Cowork uses the same agent architecture as Claude Code, but it's designed for knowledge work that isn't coding and doesn't need a terminal; its tasks run on Anthropic's servers. Claude Code is focused on your repository's code.

Can I use Claude Code for free from the desktop app?

No. The Code tab requires a paid subscription (Pro, Max, Ultra, Team or Enterprise). With the Free plan you only get the chat.

Is there a desktop app for Linux?

Yes, in beta for Ubuntu and Debian, installed via apt according to the official desktop-linux page. The CLI works on Linux without beta.

Does Claude Code on the web cost extra?

There's no separate charge for the cloud machine, but sessions count against your plan's limits, and several parallel tasks use more.

I have an API key: what can I use?

The CLI and the VS Code and JetBrains extensions. The desktop app (except Claude Desktop on 3P), the web, mobile, Remote Control and the Chrome extension need a claude.ai account.

The whole library