Anthropic ships a Claude desktop app — the application you install on your computer, separately from the terminal.
It started as the chat version — the old back-and-forth window. Then Anthropic added Claude Code inside it. Then more layers on top: Claude Code on the web, Claude Design, and others.
The framing that matters
Anything in the Claude desktop app is, in some way, a wrapper around Claude Code in the terminal. These are convenience layers. The engine underneath is always the same Claude Code.
Everything in this guide works for all of them. If you prefer the desktop app, you are still running Claude Code — just with a different surface on top.
When to use which
- Terminal with VS Code. Full power. Best for real work and longer sessions.
- Desktop app. Lighter. Good for quick tasks, for mobile, or when you cannot install VS Code at work — which is common in larger corporate teams.
Most designers start with the desktop app and move to VS Code plus Claude Code once they are comfortable. Both paths lead to the same place.