Claude Code
Anthropic's coding agent in the terminal, IDE, desktop, and browser.
Claude Code is Anthropic's agent for working in a repository. It runs in the terminal, in IDE extensions, in the desktop app, and in the browser. On a paid Claude plan it draws from the same usage pool as Claude chat.
Why this rank
When the task is a multi-file change and you already want Claude, this is the official agent. You stay in the repo and review the diff instead of switching editors.
Best for
Handing a repo-sized task to Claude.
Pricing
Included with paid Claude plans: Pro is $20/month, or $17/month billed annually ($200 up front); Max is $100/month; Ultra is $200/month. Not included on Claude Free. You can also pay as you go with Claude Platform API credits.
Pricing checked November 7, 2026. Confirm it on the official site.
Before you commit
- Claude Free does not include Claude Code.
- Terminal work and chat share one usage pool, so a long coding session spends the same allowance as chat.
Also look at
- Cursor — AI-native editor with an agent in the same window.
- OpenAI Codex — OpenAI's coding agent across the CLI, IDE, web, and cloud.
- Aider — Open-source pair programmer in the terminal.